Tag: shavasana

A new Chapter

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No, I’m not bored. No, I don’t have any spare time. But. I love essential oils – PURE BLISS! – and I love dōTERRA. Essential oils are a trigger. They stimulate and calm, they support on an emotional, mental and physical level. I was very skeptical at the beginning and wondering if this is more than a nice smell – it is indeed. But essential oils and yoga? Yes, same here, it took a while to convince me, but I love them in my practice now, at least in shavasana…. read more about it here.

Slowly they became part of my daily routines – in my drinking water, in the diffuser, on my skin, in my yoga classes and reiki sessions. But what really convinced me is that they are an important tool when it comes to my health. Their awesome smells do not just pamper my soul, but they help my body to stay healthy.

That’s why I took the next step now – not just using them, but become a dōTERRA Wellness Advocate. No matter how this continues, I just want to share what I love and what makes a difference.

So beautiful people out there, if you are curious now, let’s chat! And if you are interested, read more here or visit my dōTERRA page for some videos and an introduction of the best oils to start with.

YOGA & ESSENTIAL OILS

Kathrin2 Comments

Is it a match? I love essential oils, but wasn’t sure how to incorporate them into my practice. Or if it makes any sense at all. Or if I even like it. I try to keep my practice pure. Just me and my mat, that’s it. Plain-vanilla. My ujjayi breath is strong and I couldn’t imagine any disruption, even not through a good smell, gently diffusing in the air.

A bit of experimenting and I have to admit, it works really well. Yoga and essential oils. It’s all about balance. Accepting that every day is different, every day the body and the mind are in a slightly different mood and need different support. One day I diffuse essential oils, so they transform the room into another world and speak to all my senses. Some days I need stillness, In my ears and my nose. Other days I love to add some oils to my neck and soles of my feet right before shavasana for a perfect relaxation.

There’s no one fits all, play with them! Surprisingly it’s not always the favorite smell that works with the practice. Each oil has it’s effect and magic on both, body and mind. No matter if you initially like it or not. It’s no perfume. But it can be too 🙂

Let the magic work!

Practice mindful

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 „If you practice yoga to get better at practicing asana, you will quit.“

Of course we all want to get better and master certain postures. But Yogis, this happens automatically, you just need to show up, practice and do your best. Yoga is much more – I had a quite good teaching today.

I woke up this morning with a terrible headache. I could hardly get up and as it’s weekend, I allowed myself to stay a bit longer in bed. I had my lemon water, but the stabbing pain was still there. I practiced with the hope it might help. It was tough, not just due to the pain, but my full body was stiff and constantly asking for Shavasana.

All of a sudden I recognized that I mixed up the sequence, wrong order of what I’m used to practice each day. I stopped, that was crazy. And I had to laugh, I was distracted by thoughts and forgot where I was in the sequence. The more I practice mindfulness, the more I recognize what it means NOT to be in the present moment. I clearly wasn’t when I practiced and this affected my flow. Nothing major of course, but it made clear how easily it could lead to injuries when allowing the mind to wander.

I continued my practice with a better focus and my medicine was close – no, not Shavsana, but headstand. My bad headache was much better after turning upside down.

My practice today teached me about the importance of mindfulness. Practicing asanas was nothing but the means to an end. What happened today to me on the mat is happening off the mat exactly the same. Think about it. How often are your thoughts wandering and you’re not paying attention? Particularly when doing things you are used to, things that reached a state of routine or even automatism?

Commit to what you’re doing, fully and mindfully. And take your learnings from the mat off the mat.

Don’t skip Shavasana

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There are usually two kinds of yogis: those who love Shavasana and those who skip it if any possible. Yogis, please don’t skip – and I know what I’m talking about, as I rather belong to the second group, particularly when practicing by myself at home.

Let me tell you a bit more about this final posture. Shavasana can be translated as corps pose. It’s said that Shavasana is a process of rebirth! How beautiful is that? Honestly, think about it! You are reborn after each practice…. Just this should already convince you to never skip again. But hey, there’s much more:

In Shavasana we are getting our bodies quite after practice, it’s the time to rest and release, to slip into a blissful neutrality and stillness. It’s also said that we need this time to get the practice and all learnings settled in and assimilate. Shavasana gives the nervous system a chance to integrate all the new neuromuscular information generated in the asana practice and prepares you to deal with daily life once again. So don’t underestimate the effect of this final posture.

While it looks easy, it might not be. It’s not a time to sleep and it takes practice and patience to surrender easily. It can be a challenge for the mind to get out of this “wasting of time” mode. Even if your body weaves easily into a relaxing state, allow your mind to follow. Send your thoughts away, just let them pass by. Stop moving, stop judging. Face the stillness and your own inner fear, which unconsciously rules many of your actions. Immerse into the friendly darkness and just be there, observe.

Yogis, allow Shavasana to do its work – to rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit!

Get ready for the next season

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Do you feel it too? Summer is gone in Europe and my body speaks loud to me, telling me to slow down, be mindful while adjusting to the changes. Well, getting more receptive to what’s going on around might be also a matter of age, what can I say? It’s hard staying young 😉

During this period of time, I feel my joints cracking, as if they ask to be lubrified. My hamstrings behave like the strings of a guitar with too much tension.

So, what to do? Embrace your body and its awesome capabilities! Accept where you are in this moment and adjust your practice. This is what I did this morning:

I turned on music. Yes, I’m practicing Ashtanga, so what! My favorite music made it easier to release and just flow. I have to admit, between Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana and Ardha baddha padmottanasana I lost my focus and started dancing. I had a huge smile on my face, it all felt so right. It was ok. It’s MY practice. And my body found its rhythm, tuned in, opened and turned into its softness. It’s all about steadiness and ease isn’t it? So don’t be so hard on yourself and remember the second part, „ease“. Finding ease in our steadiness is the moment we start doing yoga.

All you need to do is listen to your body. Be aware and only do good to you. Hehe, this doesn’t mean shavasana only, well it might…. It’s your practice! Even being an Ashtangi might mean yin yoga for one day. If it feels right, it is right. Just show up, adjust your practice and get your blood flowing. And please, always keep a good sense of humor!

Let your breath be my music

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In yesterdays Ashtanga class I asked my students to concentrate and to keep a strong focus on their breath, bandhas and drishti. I asked them to let each inhale and exhale initiate a movement. I asked them to follow my instructions and even if it’s not their pace, to make it their pace. There’s no such thing as a pause when practicing Ashtanga. We keep the focus, we keep on moving. We flow to the final rest, shavasana.

The stronger the focus the easier it gets to let upcoming thoughts just pass by, to tune in, to find yourself in your own bubble, while the breath of your neighbor yogis constantly confirm the frequency you’re connected to. Be in your body, feel what you are doing, align your body, check in to yourself.

My students yesterday seem to ride the same wave, it was such a precious and beautiful energy – I love your music, let’s play it again!