On and off the mat - Off the mat

 On the mat yoga 

Physically -  Connecting with your body and breath.  Exploring the range of movement within my joints and muscles. Noticing if there are restrictions within the movement or if the movement is free and unhindered. For my personal practice and how I teach I have become more interested in freedom of sustainable movement than in the end range of advanced poses. 

Mentally - Becoming so focused on the movement and the sensation feedback from the body that you don't have to time think about anything else. This is very relaxing for the mind. Focusing on the movement acts as a form of meditation. No time for over thinking.

Emotionally - The movement of the body can move emotions and this is a good thing. Trapped emotions can make us feel heavy and restricted.  The release of emotion on the yoga mat is usually very subtle and passes as freely as the movement of the body. Most of the time we would hardly notice the release and would just feel different after practice.

On the mat yoga can bring us to a place of calmness that helps us function better in our day to day life of the mat. 

Off the mat yoga  - self exploration and self development. 

This can come in many forms, from how we move, what we read, watch, listen to, buy, eat/drink and who with and how we choose to spend our time. 

All of this should come from a place of honouring who you truly are. 

Physically - Movement any movement that you enjoy from walking to extreme sports. Movement is the key to life. 

Mentally - Becoming focused on the life we want and what we have to do to achieve or maintain that life.  Knowing what you want can be the first and often the most difficult step to achieving this. Knowing what you want and or don't want can be a very deep inward but rewarding journey. 

Emotionally - Understanding what things can trigger you into emotional unrest and dealing with them so they can not have any control of the decisions you make. 

The Chimp Pardox by Prof Steve Peters is a great book for explaining the complexities of the mental and emotional side of choices and decisions.  

Off the mat yoga can bring us to a place of deep understanding of you we truly are. 

Sarsha 

 

  

Gurus & Guides - Off the mat

When I first came to yoga it was purely on a physical level, I wanted my body to feel better
and move better.
I didn't want to have to live and be defined by my back pain. 

But along the way I became interested in the whole of yoga, physical, spiritual, mental
and ethical.
Some of this made me feel like I was failing as a yoga practitioner and at times I felt like
I was compromising either myself or yoga as I thought it should be. 

Through my journey as a human being I have had several teachers, influencer's, guides,
gurus (whatever word you choose to use here) some well known some just everyday
people who have no idea the impact that they have had on me and some who do know.
Some where yoga related and some where not.
We are all teachers, influencer's, guides, gurus in our own way. I believe we should grow
through and with many teachers and not be totally dependent on one.  I truly believe
we should take the teachings we need and that resonate with us and make our own path.
You don't have to agree with everything or believe everything a person says to benefit
from some of their teachings/offerings. Sometimes we may wonder far from a particular
teaching/lesson that did resonate with us only to return to that teaching sometime later
and realise that the path of life has prepared us more fully for the deeper resonance of
that teaching.
Life is about circles. Sometimes with have to come around a second, third,
fourth or more times to fully understand a teaching. I believe the best way for this to
happen is to have many teachers, to see the teacher in everything. And do not hold someone
else's value/belief as your own, especially if you have your own unanswered questions/doubt
about that belief.

I am constantly a student and I seek new teachers all of the time, some I stay with longer
than others, some I keep returning too, but I keep my mind open to new ideas and new teachers.
Some of my most valued teachers show up in my classes week after week, for this I an eternally
grateful.
It is great to have someone who is wise and offers wisdom when you most need it. It is also
great to get more than one perspective on any situation, Having many teachers will provide
that for you. And I have found the best of all teachers never give you answers anyway, they provide
with the knowledge to know your own answers and offer a straight forward non-judgemental view on
life.

I am authentically me, I evolve and grow constantly.
My back pain is gone and my mind is my own.
I am secure of my yoga journey now.
Through all of this I now believe that that there is no compromise when you are truly being
the best you, you can be.

Sarsha 💖

Remember to Breathe - Off the mat

Remember to breathe. 
Breathing is the most important thing that we do.
Our own breath is the most present thing we have.
We take it with us everywhere.
The way we breathe effects how we feel.

When all around is falling apart remember to breathe. 
It should be our go to place when life feels overwhelming.




Breathing Techniques 
We don't need to learn any fancy techniques. 
There are just a couple of things we need to remember:
1. Breath through the nose. 
2. Aim for the exhale to be slightly longer than the inhale.

Breathing through the nose helps us to be connected to the parasympathetic nervous system - this is the part of the nervous system responsible for rest and recovery, it aids the digestive system to work more efficiently too. 

Longer exhale this just encourages the breathing rate to slow down and steady - this simple act itself helps to make you calmer and improves concentration.  

Time with your breath 
How long you spend with the breath is your choice. 
10 breaths can be a great starting point stay with the breath for longer if you have time. 
Sitting or laying is fine which ever feels best for you and also suits where you are. 

If you can open a window and breath in the fresh air. 

If you are in a social situation or just feel overwhelmed in company even with your family during this lock down situation. Just go the bathroom (people tend to not follow you in there!) and take 10/20 breaths it can make a massive difference.  

If you are struggling to sleep, try the breath count technique (this is as complicated as my offerings here will be). Count the breaths in rounds of 4,  make the count at the end of the exhalation, when you get to the 4th breath, next breath return to 1 and keep repeating. if you loose count return to 1, if you over-count when you notice return to 1, if you become distracted when you notice just return to the breath and return to 1.

May the breath connect us. 💫

Sarsha 💖

Doubt but do it anyway! - Off the mat

 “I doubt I'll be able to do yoga because I'm not flexible enough”

 Well guess what I was not flexible when I started yoga. The flexibility is a side effect of moving your body mindfully through safe yet effective ranges of movement. 

“I doubt I'll be able to get the breathing right” 

Do not worry everybody thinks that. I often don't get the perfect connection between body and breath but it ain't that bigger deal. It's called yoga practice for a reason because practice is what we are doing and sometimes it's not perfect and that's ok.

“I doubt I'll be able to stop my monkey mind” 

You don't have to stop it, but it's amazing how by giving yourself something else to concentrate on like movement and breathing that the monkeys all fall asleep anyway.

Doubt, doubt, doubt everywhere! 

Doubt is said to be the biggest slayer of dreams!

There is nothing wrong with doubt, just don't let it stop you. 

Let if be your friend, let it guide you, 

let it be an energy you can redirect into great things. 

Sarsha