How to protect your soul?

Such an interesting question... Kind of more about how to keep it clean and healthy and yes, I'm talking exactly about our mental health without any physical context...
We are representing ourselfs to the Universe as we are thinking about us, other people and everybody and everything in the surrounding. So, here is the question, how can we keep our mind clean and bright if everyday something very unpleasant happens?
The answer is very simple and probably stupid for some of you, just deal with it and let it go.

Couple of days ago I read very interesting story in Yoga Journal Russia and I want to share it with you. Maybe it will help somebody to understand what is really spoiling our lifes.

The story about what happens when you're keeping anger inside?

Once upon a time student came to his teacher with a question "What happens with you when you are mad at somebody?" and the teacher told him to try an experiment, tie a small bag on his belt and every time when student will be mad on somebody he should take a potate inside this bag...
A week later they met and student told his teacher that it's such a stupid idea. This bag, full of potatoes is huge, heavy and these potatoes started to decompose, which brings the proper smell inside.
Teacher told his student that this bag is his soul and these potatoes are his peaces of madness on the surrounding. So what happens with your soul when you're keeping anger on somebody? Your soul is getting spoiled and stinky.

Let's be careful with what we are doing and how we are spending our lifes

Don't worry, be happy and healthy!

Time for nature

Homemade nutritious mask for hair

Composition

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon of castor oil

1 egg yolk

How to use

Mix all the ingredients for about 5-7 minutes than rub the mix into hair roots. 

Use the rest of the mixture on all hair length.

Take a showerhat and use a warm towel on it for 30-40 minutes than gently wash the mix.

Use this mask twice a week and two weeks after your hair will be like best Chinese silk

Mantra Om for every day of your week

A-u-m… a-u-m… a-u-m…

Sure this sound is well-known by almost everybody in this world.

Sacral sound, religious sound, universal sound and whatever you want to see inside.

For me personally this sound helps to organize myself before yoga practice and to keep the presence of your life in yourself.

So, here are some facts about this mantra.

What is a magic of Om?

Mantra Om consist from two letters, but three sounds and basically here they are:

Sound A symbolize the moment of awake in the morning, brings the energy forcing in your physical body.

Sound U symbolize the activity during usual day, which is basically the middle of calendar day, middle of moon circle, which keeps your energy awaken but calm and soft.

Sound M symbolize the moment of diving into deep dream while you’re slipping. Energy flows are soft and almost not noticeable.

Also you can consider the A-U-M as a life circle, beginning of life, middle of it and final chapter…

How to chant?

Take a comfortable sitting position (it could be Easy Pose, Hero Pose, Lotus Pose etc), prepare your body and close your eyes. Hold your posture for three breaths with your eyes closed. Keep your chin parallel to the floor. Inhale, exhale… Inhale and using your exhale start to chant A-U-M, inhale and on your exhale A-U-M and one more time. It could be three times or any number of times, which you can split by 9. Bring your hands to prayer, bring your chin to your chest. Neutralize your head and gently open eyes.

Benefits

Concentration

Increase blood oxidation  

Physical body prepares to understand your mind

Cold Cold Cold... Hot Yoga

Winter is here… Which involved huge risk to catch a cold or even a flu.

Here are some postures which will help to improve your immunity.

1. Downward Facing Dog (Sanskrit Adho Mukha Svanasana)

While you are doing you usual Downward Facing Dog take a block under your forehead, which will help you to relax the pressure in your head which is usual during the cold.

2. Child Pose (Sanskrit Balasana)

If your forehead is not comfortably reaching the mat place a bolster or blanket  under it and relax. This posture will help to release your nose and deepen your breathe.

3. Full Forward Bend (Sanskrit Uttanasana)

Stand in Mountain Pose and on your exhale dive down to your full forward bend, take a block under your head and relax.

This posture has the same advantage as Down Dog during the cold, helps to relax blood pressure and clean your breath.

4. Bound Angle Pose (Sanskrit Supta Baddha Konasana)

Very important to practice this pose in laying down position. This posture perfect to relax nervous system and lymphatic system and keep concentration on your wellness and health.

Tip from me: during risky period of season eat half of pomegranate everyday.

P.S. Merry Christmas everyone, be healthy=)

How are you doing that?

Cow Face Pose (sanskrit Gomukhasana) 

There are only 15 postures in first variant of Hatha Yoga Pradipika and Gomekhasana is one of them. Although there is nothing to say about arms position, but in the present yoga practice we know what is our goal to reach here. One of my students asked me how are you doing that?

This posture could be very challenging for beginners,  follow the instructions and you will see a result..

Position

Start in Dandasana, sit on your sitting bones and extend your legs. Bend your knees and place your feet on the mat, slide left foot under the right knee to the outer side of hip, slowly cross the other leg over the left, placing the right knee on the top of the left and put your right foot to the outside of left hip.

Stretch your left arm up to the ceiling bend your elbow and place the palm approximately between shoulder blades, keep your elbow up but try to release your neck by returning your shoulder to shoulder socket. Extend your right arm to the right side parallel to the floor on the shoulder level rotate your arm to point your thumb to the floor and with one move slide this arm back to meet left hand. Try to create a safe lock between your fingers.

Be aware of additional backbend in lower back, keep your sitting bones on the mat and try to keep natural curve in lower back without any compression.

Props

If you have some problems with placing your legs to Gomukhasana position take a block and sit on it, with it your pelvis will be a little bit higher and it will help you to build correct posture.

If you can’t connect your fingers on your back take a strap and use it between your palms.

If you feel a lot of pressure for feet in this pose use a blanket under them.

Benefits

Excellent stretch for triceps and whole group of back muscles

Stretch for thighs and feet

Opening the chest

Concentration

Contraindications

Knees injury

Ankle injury

Shoulder injury

Neck injury

Plus size Yoga

There is a huge market about weight loss in our world. We can see skinny models in all the magazines and low fat yogurts in our supermarkets. But what is really healthy and what is not?

It could be difficult for people with extra weight to come to a yoga class to begin with. But yoga class is your safe place where you can find balance with your Personal I. Of course as for every beginner in yoga you will need some support with using props in your practice. Here are some excellent photos which will show you that you're free to begin with and where yoga can bring you to.

1. Wide Legged Standing Forward Bend (sanskrit Prasarita Padottanasana)

This posture could be an excellent start of your practice.

Position

Stand in the middle of your mat and step your feet as wide as you can. Keep your feet parallel to the sides of your mat. Engage your quadriceps and lift your kneecaps up. If you feel that you can go forward move your upper body parallel to the floor and keep your arms on your hips.

Controindications

Lower back issues (don't do extreme forward bend)

Benefits

Activates hips joints

Weight loss

Avoids depression

Helps with headache

2. 90 degrees angle

Position

Lay down on your mat and lift you legs up to 90 degrees, it's okay if it is hard for beginning, you are free to use yoga belt to support your feet or keep your legs on lower level.

There is no contraindications for this posture, but be aware of feeling what your body is ready for. If this posture is difficult for you, try to make it near the wall and place your legs on it.

Benefits

Excellent stretch of hamstrings

Very good for abdominal area

Helps to avoid depression and stress

Here are some more photos of yoga, which are very inspiring for me and I believe you will find them inspiring for yourself.