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Desk Yoga: Hand Mudra for Brain Power , Memory & Focus

7/28/2016

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It's pretty common in a Yoga class that at some point, you bring your hand into certain Hand Mudras such as Chin Mudra(thumbs and first fingers joined) or Anjali Mudra (prayer position).  Hand Mudras are used during Asana practice as well in dance, mediation and prayer. They help channel energy, arouse a certain state of mind or create  a certain nuance.But did you know when you are deep in thought or concentrating you may naturally bring your hands into a mudra? Have a look around at your co workers or people on your commute that are deep in thought and notice what they are doing with their hands. 
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Hakini Mudra is well known to aid concentration, focus and improve brain power by helping to bring together the right and left sides of the brain. I actually learned about this Hand Mudra before I started practicing Yoga while at Dance college. Our Ballet teacher taught us some 'Brain Gym' to help us focus and improve our technique which is pretty cool. 

Here are some tips on Hakini Mudra...
  • Join the tips of your fingers of your right hand to your left hand.
  • Keep your palms seperated.
  • Do Hakini Mudra anywhere.
  • Use it when trying to remember something.
  • Use it when you need to focus. 
  • Focus on the third eye area (the point between the eyebrows) as you do this Mudra.
  • Try placing the thumbs at the third eye area, centre of the chest or lower down, maybe under the table at a meeting! 
Happy focusing friends. Have a wonderful brain powerful day! 
Namaste.
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Commonly used Terminology in a Yoga class 

7/19/2016

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Ever been to a Yoga class and wondered what on earth are they talking about? Feeling confused? Here are a few translations on the most commonly used terminology to help get you started.....
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Yoga - The practice of Yoga can be traced back to as early 200 BCE in India.The name yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj which can be translated to unite, to join or to connect. Yoga aims to connect your mind, body and spirit through awareness by the physical practice of asana (posture), breathing techniques, meditation and relaxation. Yoga is non competitive, the focus is on your own the journey, making this a suitable form of exercise for people of all ages and abilites. A regular Yoga practice can greatly improve your health and overall wellbeing

Hatha- The word Hatha means wilful or forceful but can also be translated as Ha meaning sun and Tha meaning moon. This refers to a balance of masculine (hot,active,sun) to feminine (receptive,cool,moon). These aspects can be found in all of us. Hatha Yoga is a method that strives to create balance in uniting these opposites. In practicing Yoga we work with our mind and body to balance strength with flexibilty and effort with surrender. 

Asana- The poses taught in a Yoga class are called Asanas. The word Asana can be translated as posture, seat or manner of sitting.

Pranayama- Pranayama are breathing exercises often taught in Hatha Yoga classes. The word can be divided into two syllables, Prana and Yama. Prana means life source or energy, Yama means control, hence Pranayama means the conrol of life energy.

Aum (Om) - Aum is mantra that is traditionally chanted at the beginning and end of a Yoga session. It is a sound vibration that represents everything in the universe and expresses ultimate reality.

Shanti - Simply means peace.

Namaste- Namaste is a gesture performed at the end of a class..Nama means bow, as means I, te means you. This gesture is an acknowledgement of the soul in one, to the soul of another.

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali- The Yoga Sutras can be translated as thread (Sutras) of Union (Union). The Yoga Sutras are said to be greatest classical text from the yoga school of Indian philosophy.  Patanjali, said to have been half man, half snake was said to have created this book around 200 BC, because of this he is refered to by many as the founder of Yoga.

Yamas and Niyamas - Yama (sanskit) यम, explained in the Yoga Sutras , means self-restraint, self-control and discipline. Niyama (sanskrit) नियम represent a series of right living or ethical rules. There are 10 traditional Yamas and Niyamas explained in the Sutras where it suggests you intergrate these values into your practice of Yoga and day to day life.

Hope you find this useful peeps! We realise that there is probably more than just a few so, look out for part 2 of this subject very soon... and any questions, just ask!
See you in class soon ;)
Hana and Aya xxx
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Desk Yoga - Foot Excerises & Tips for Happy Feet!

7/6/2016

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Oh our poor feet, squashed up in our shoes all day long. One of the amazing things about foot exercises is you can literally do them under your desk without anyone noticing. Just slip off your shoes and get going.  Check out these simple tips to keep your feet happy! 
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Yes people. Its that simple. Stretch out those toes.
  • Take your shoes and socks off and stretch them out.
  • Try and separate the toes so you can feel space between each toe.
  • Give them a wiggle. 
  • Lift all the toes off the floor while keeping the balls of the feet on the floor. 
  • Feel the arches of the feet lifting. Strangely the arches of your correspond to your pelvic floor. Close your eyes and see if you can feel a very light lift in the lower abdomen.
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  • Stretch our legs out in front of you. 
  • Press out through the heels of your feet. 
  • Pulls the toes back towards your shins.
  • You may even feel your hamstrings lengthening.
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  • Also known as 'high heels' 'yogi feet' 'demi point'
  • Keep the toes drawing back to your shins. 
  • Press through the balls of the feet.
  • You may feel the insides of the legs lengthening here.
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  • Now stretch your toes all the way forward as far as possible. 
  • Feel the top on the foot stretching.
  • Feel like a Ballerina!
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Get a foot roller.
This little gadget is amazing. Great for massaging out the feet and releasing tension. The results from these foot rollers are amazing. After use you may feel more grounded and balanced resulting in less tension in other parts of the body. You can pop it on the floor under your desk and roll away!
I remember traveling once on Air India and they even had foot rollers built into the foot rests, great! I think this one is from Body Shop but you can pick them up all over the place. 
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Stand on the Earth
  • Get out the office on your lunch break, find a patch of grass in a nearby park if you can and take your shoes off.
  • Give your feet a wiggle around. 
  • Feel the earth under your feet.
  • Neutralize yourself from all the electrical waves from your computer, phones and whatever else is in your workplace. 

This is one of our faves. Not sure about the exact scientific facts on this but it feels great! Standing on the earth and feeling our feet can take us out of intense brain action into being able to feel our bodies. This helps us get back in tune with ourselves leaving us feeling refreshed and rejuvenated! 
Hope you enjoyed these Happy Feet Tips. Please leave comments, love, questions and suggestions for future posts in the box below. 
Loads of Love

Hana & Aya 

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Reasons to Love Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana )

7/6/2016

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Downward Facing Dog - Adho Mukha Svanasana aka Down Facing Dog, it's a classic! I believe almost any physical Yoga class will involve a variation of this pose at some point, in fact it is often repeated over and over again. 'Is this really necessary?' we hear you think! Keep reading and you will see why we love this amazing pose.
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Benefits of Downward Facing Dog

  • Relieves stress, depression and calms the brain.
  • Energises the body, Mr Iyengar recommends at least 1minute in the pose to bring back lost energy to runner in a race.
  • Stretches the body and strengthens the body evenly. So it is great to counter pose (rebalance) the body - after more challenging or one sided poses.
  • Improves digestion, relieves headache, insomnia, back ache, fatigue and menstrual discomfort.
  • Can help prevent osteoporosis and be therapeutic for high blood pressure, asthma, flat feet and sciatica.

Whats more, it can feel great! To me downward facing dogs are like bananas, you can never have enough, they are satisfying, filling and each one tastes slightly different. If done correctly they are so good for you! Plus there are so many variations and things you can do with it. Banana Split, Banana Fritters, Banana smoothy and more yum yum. So make sure where ever, what ever you are doing, throw in a down dog or two to keep yourself feeling great! 
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