by Kara-Leah Grant, author of Forty Days of Yoga It's easy when you regularly go to yoga classes to dismiss the idea of home yoga practice - after all, you don't need it right? You're already practicing in class 2 or 3 or maybe even 5 or 6 times a week. However, even if you are going to class, there is much to be gained by also doing a home yoga practice. It doesn't have to be every day, and it doesn't have to be long. Ten minutes is enough. Even such a small amount of time can have … [Read more...]
Home Yoga Practice Questions: Can I Practice Yoga with A Herniated Disc?
by Kara-Leah Grant, author of Forty Days of Yoga This week's Home Yoga Practice questions comes from Catherine in India. She writes: I have practiced yoga for many years and for the last 6 months have been doing a regular home practice. However last month I had an MRI scan due to persistent backache and discovered that I have a slipped disc. My doctor has asked me to stop yoga - forward bends are a definite no - and his opinion is that I should walk and swim as exercise (which I have been … [Read more...]
Sun Salutations Video Series: Transition Time! How to Link the Postures Together
by Kara-Leah Grant In recent months, we've looked at all the different asanas or postures that make up a standard sun salutation. We've explored each of these postures in-depth, and explained them on video. Now it's time to took at the transitions between the postures. Because this is what makes sun salutations such a fantastic yoga sequence - especially for home practice. Each pose flows effortlessly into the next posture, creating a complete circle where you end up where you started, … [Read more...]
Home Yoga Practice Questions: What Should I Do in My Practice?
by Kara-Leah Grant, author of Forty Days of Yoga Home yoga practice - it's awesome and everyone's getting into it, right? But you know what's missing? A teacher. That's what. I mean, at the end of the studio class, you can always go up to the yoga teacher and ask whatever burning question is on your mind. But when you practice yoga at home? Who you going to ask? Me, that's who. Yep, every week or two, I'll be selecting a reader question to answer on video, and sending out a … [Read more...]
Sun Salutations Video Series: How to do Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
by Kara-Leah Grant It's one of the most common and most popular of all yoga postures, yet like the other postures we've looked at in recent months, Adho Mukda Svanasana is far from being a beginner's yoga pose. No, downward dog is one of those postures which, when done badly, can do more damage than it does good. Fortunately, it's also a posture we usually get to spend serious time in - most sun salutations will allow five breaths in a downward dog, and it's a posture we return to again and … [Read more...]
Sun Salutations Video Series: How to do Upward Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
by Kara-Leah Grant Like Chatranga Dandasana, Urdhva Mukha Svanasana is a posture we usually only spend a breath or two in during yoga class. It's a posture of transition and movement. And it's a posture that's very easily to do badly, creating stress on our lower back and shoulders. For this reason, it's a posture I'm now wary of teaching in a general, drop-in yoga class. Yes, it's a staple of sun salutations and yoga, yet many of the people I see coming to class aren't yet ready to swoop … [Read more...]
Grief: The Shadow Side of the Heart Chakra
by Kara-Leah Grant It's all good and well to do these wonderful heart-opening or heart-balancing yoga practices, but without a proper understanding of all aspects of the heart chakra, we can easily hit a wall of resistance that stops our practice cold. The heart chakra is about our ability to love - which requires that we open to the possibility of grief, sorrow and disappointment as well as the wonderful sensations of love, joy, fulfilment and compassion. Working with this kriya meant I was … [Read more...]
Maintaining a Regular Home Yoga Practice with the ‘Stop, Drop and Practice’ method
by Kara-Leah Grant, author of Forty Days of Yoga, Breaking down the barriers to a home yoga practice One of the techniques I suggest people use in Forty Days of Yoga is something I call Stop, Drop & Practice. It's been a core reason why I've had a consistent practice the last eight years, and it still works for me now. In fact, this is one of my most effective ways of ensuring that mat resistance doesn't de-rail my daily yoga practice and works great around children, or a busy life. Stop, … [Read more...]
Sun Salutations Video Series: How to do Chaturanga Dandasana
by Kara-Leah Grant Chaturanga Dandasana is one of those postures that we often don't spend time in - either in yoga class or in our home yoga practice. It's a one-breath wonder. We're in, we're moving out, that's it. Partly this is because it's a challenging posture and we usually want to get out of it as soon as possible. And part of it is because it's not a flashy yoga posture where we feel like we get somewhere or gain a lot over time. It's easy to see Chaturanga Dandasana as just a … [Read more...]
What Does it Mean to Open Your Heart Chakra?
by Kara-Leah Grant It's Day 17 of my forty days of a heart-opening kriya (see below for PDF of this kriya). Every day I hit the mat and do seven postures in a specific order. Often I do other asana, pranayama and meditation as well. But no matter what, there is always the consistency of the heart-opening kriya to anchor me in my home yoga practice. So, is it working? Is this yoga practice opening my heart chakra? Before I answer that, I want to take a step back and define what that … [Read more...]