by Kara-Leah Grant Joy's been on my mind this week. Mostly because I was noticing a lack. Understandable - my life has been intense, on many levels, over the last few weeks. Seems just when I think I've got one area or aspect mastered, the stakes are upped again. That's cool. I can deal. But if I don't watch it, I can also get way too serious. Fortunately, I also have a magic tonic. Anytime I start getting too somber, too depressing, too serious, too stressed out, too hung up on life's ups … [Read more...]
Yoga Explorations #2: Child, a posture of internal wisdom
by Kara-Leah Grant There's nothing flashy about child's pose. It's unlikely to ever grace the cover of Yoga Journal magazine. No one ever gets all excited about how awesome their child posture is either. But child's pose is the rock of a home practice. Its the place we turn to when there is no other place to go, it's the place we go when we want to come home to ourselves, and it's the place when we find our internal source of power. This week, I've been experiencing grief and sorrow. It … [Read more...]
I’ve fallen off the Yoga Practice Bandwagon
by Kara-Leah Grant, Musings from the Mat My practice has fallen by the wayside. Oh, something's happening every day, be it Yoga Nidra in bed before falling alseep, or a snatched moment of pranayama while my son watches a DVD, or a moment of standing backbends at the bench while doing the dishes. But rolling out a yoga mat, putting on yoga clothes, and doing a sustained practice? Twice a week. Maybe. I miss it. I yearn for it. I stop for a moment and tune into my breath and feel the … [Read more...]
Yoga Explorations #1: Unlock your home practice
by Kara-Leah Grant Last week, I published an article called Free your pelvis and the rest will follow. I'd written this at the request of a long-time loyal reader who was having lower back issues. In the article, I included a short video of me talking about using yoga to heal, and written explanations for seven ways to explore the pelvis and spine. The article was a big hit, and it's now inspired this new series designed to support you in your home practice. For many of, the idea of … [Read more...]
Starting a Home Meditation Practice
by guest author Peter Fernando, Meditation and Mindfulness Are you wanting to start your own home meditation practice? The number one piece of advice I have for you is: Just do it! Having said that, a recent question that came in asked for more details, so in response to that reader, here's... Six Useful Home Meditation Tips 1) Don't meditate in front of the TV (even when it's off), or in front of the computer. If you take some time to create a meditation-only space in your home, it's … [Read more...]
Breaking away from asana and exploring the other limbs of yoga
We have just moved house, my partner and I. In the midst of trying to insure we have all our things in spaces that make sense, I’ve been eyeing the large deck and huge lounge floor. This house is made for practicing Yoga. Which I haven’t done in I don’t know how long. Not specifically the sort that everyone thinks of when they hear the word ‘yoga’, anyway. That is to say: my life has had no asana practice for a couple weeks. Since asana is only one of eight – 1 of 8! – limbs of Yoga, … [Read more...]
How to maintain a home yoga practice with a baby (or generally demanding life)
It's something other mothers have been asking me for the last few months - how do I maintain my home yoga practice (crucial as a yoga teacher) when I've got a 9 month old baby boy, and shared custody of a seven year old girl? It's simple really. I make my practice the priority for the day. It's my one must-do every single day. Everything else can wait. In practice, this isn't easy, and requires discipline. But it is simple, and it applies not just to parents with young children, but … [Read more...]
How to Apply the Right Yoga Practice to Your Daily Life
by Kara-Leah Grant Life is busy. Most of us are juggling some combination of work, family, socialising, passions & hobbies and health & well-being. Sometimes, despite our best intentions, the things that we know make us feel the best - like regular yoga practice - can be the most difficult to maintain. This is especially true when we go through a life change, or a particularly stressful period. Right when we need it most, our yoga practice falls away. Our job changes, or we … [Read more...]
How to fit well-being into your holiday season
Ah, 'tis the season to be jolly, and merry, and over-indulge, because by golly you've earned it. 'Tis also the season to rush around like crazy, attending parties and drinks, buying presents and gifts, and squeezing as much fun and leisure into your holiday break as possible. In short, 'tis a time of madness, when long established patterns of well-being - think solid eating habits and regular yoga practice - fall by the wayside like Christmas wrapping paper on Boxing Day. To make it … [Read more...]
How do I squeeze yoga and meditation into my jam-packed day?
It’s the end of the week and while you managed to make it to two yoga classes, you haven’t unrolled your yoga mat at home once. Family, work, & household commitments make finding a 90-minute slot during the day next to impossible. Short of getting up at 5am, or re-prioritizing your life to ditch other commitments, there are other ways to regularly practice yoga. After all, home practice is where the deeper rewards of yoga blossom. So how do you manage to fit regular yoga and meditation … [Read more...]