By Dyana Wells, Open Ground School of Meditation There are many different kinds of movement and exercise classes offered in New Zealand. In Raglan, where I now live, I have come across Yoga, Pilates, Contemporary dance, Nia dance and gentle exercises for seniors. Somatic movement is a relatively new brand and has become extremely popular around the world. It grew out of Feldenkrais and developed alongside new research into neuromuscular reprogramming. ‘When activity is freed of … [Read more...]
Search Results for: yoga teacher training
How to Harness the Power of Connection & Positivity with Satsang
by Swami Karma Karuna, Anahata Yoga Retreat Human beings are naturally social. Despite strongly held values of independence predominant in our modern society, we often gravitate towards connection and support in groups, whether in a yoga class, a rugby game, a party or a gym. Whichever environment or group of people we spend time with, at a subtle level it influences us. The grandfather clock offers us an example of this concept. Through many experiments, we know that when the grandfather … [Read more...]
Dr Scott Lyons on Somatic Stress Release, Trauma & Boundaries
by Lucinda Staniland It's always fascinating to touch base with Dr. Scott Lyons (DO, PhD, MS, MFA, CHT, BMCP/T, RSMT, SME, BMCP, IDME, SEP, CST, BFA, RYT-500), co-founder of Embodied Flow. Scott has done a lot of academic learning (as evidenced in that extremely long string of letters after his name!) but the thing that is so refreshing and surprising about Scott is that, above all else, he prioritises learning and teaching from an embodied, experiential place. As you'll quickly notice in … [Read more...]
Why Meditating WITH The Body is So Important
by Dyana Wells In the modern world, there is a tendency for us to live exclusively through our conceptual minds. We live in bubble worlds of thoughts and emotions, rather than in the world of direct experience. The body, however, experiences itself and the world directly. It is shaped – moment to moment – by its direct interaction with life. The conceptual mind sees the world through the filter of its own beliefs and expectations. It experiences a second-hand world that tends to … [Read more...]
A Return Home – I hoki mai ki te wā kāinga
by Jase Te Patu M3 Mindfulness for Children They say that the practice of yoga is a return to self, our true nature, a return home! Almost four years ago, I packed up my life in Australia and returned to Aotearoa to share my personal love and practice of yoga with our people. Little did I know that that decision was going to be the biggest yoga practice I had ever undertaken. I had fallen in love with yoga, since being in Australia. Yoga was my preferred way as a professional … [Read more...]
On Ahimsa, Self-Reflection & Being a Dick
by Nicole Allan, Raw Yoga Yoga, like most things, was and is heavily influenced by the humans who learn it, teach it and live it. Over my years of learning, practicing and sharing yoga I believe that one of the most important things we can do, whether through yoga or ordinary everyday life, is to strive to be better humans. I believe this betterment happens through regular self-reflection. The amount of times I have been a complete dick in my life is hard to handle, let alone swallow. … [Read more...]
Life, Before and After iRest
by Una Hubbard I'll never forget my first encounter with iRest® founder - Richard Miller. I was in the Gold Coast at the first wave of teacher trainings to come to this part of the world, feeling very much out of my depth and wondering if I should even be there - I mean, who was I to think I could teach people to meditate? But there I was, and so was Richard Miller. I wasn't at all sure what to make of him, but I walked over and, with all my nervousness, the first thing I said was, … [Read more...]
How to Optimize the Fascial System to Move, Feel & Live Better
By Ian O'Dwyer, SOMA It interests me greatly to observe the various types of exercises and programs that are prepared and delivered by physical trainers, therapists, coaches and yoga teachers with comprehensive knowledge in their areas. Experience has empowered me to appreciate the difficulty in trying to create success for a large number of people, who each have varied movement challenges or goals. As a Movement Practitioner, the question still arises for me “What tissues are we … [Read more...]
The Power of Just Being: Reflections on a Silent Retreat
By Sandra Palmer I am a talker, a chatterbox even. So, I received some surprised responses (shocked, disbelieving and even amused!) when I informed people that I was attending a seven-day silent retreat. Some friends were plainly envious and thought it sounded divine. Many were curious: But why? They asked. Why would you do this? What is the purpose of being silent? Others wanted to know how hard it would be for me. I did not have answers to these questions. I was too busy … [Read more...]
Low Energy? Ayurveda Has Some Answers
By Donna Farhi, My colleague and co-teacher Ayurvedic Clinician Melissa Spamer tells me that the most common reason that women come to her for consultation is that they “want more energy”. Poor digestion, insomnia, high-stress levels, and dramatic hormonal and metabolic shifts with accompanying weight gain, are all conditions that respond well to simple Ayurvedic practices. In this article, you'll learn how implementing one of the golden rules of Ayurveda can radically improve your energy … [Read more...]