Free up your fascias !

Free up your fascias !

Fascias, what are these ?

The fascias, long little considered, are the envelope of our muscles, our organs and our glands, they are everywhere under the skin. It is a white, fibrous network of connective tissue that plays both a role of partitioning, transmission of force and tension, sliding and tensegrity.

It’s a bit like the very thin skin that separates the orange and the “bag” of pulp.

Today, we tend to consider it as a system on its own that moves with our movements and deforms with our attitudes (external and internal). Indeed, the body does not really know the distinctions made by man with his scalpel that we call muscles, tendons ligaments etc.

How do your fascias behave?

They behave like a non-Newtonian fluid, ie it does not behave like water for instance. Thus, any perturbation will create vibrations that leave a trace … then think about the impact of a bodily trauma, even emotional on your fascias. Here is what it gives in image, we see even the effect of a too important stress at the end, it is quite impressive … enough to motivate to practice restorative yoga a few minutes each day!
The fascias are more or less viscous and elastic depending on the location (the ilio-tibial band has less flexibility than the Achilles tendon) but there is always a small possibility of movement. If the movement goes too far too sharply, the fascia “blocks” to protect itself (and the surrounding structures); If it is still forced, it will tear apart.

To maintain your fascias it is important to work both their elasticity (their “rebound effect”, as in the race or the jump) and their plasticity. This last quality presupposes slow stretching and a certain amount of time. Think of a plastic bag that you would gently stretch.

Fascias are valuable sensory tools

Recently, we have discovered that fascias are one of the most important sensory organs for proprioception.

Very innervated (six to ten times more than the muscles), they play a fundamental role in the perception of pain, and are responsible for many chronic pain.

Maintain the health of your fascias!

The lack of physical activity gradually freezes them.

Osteopathy and yoga make it possible to work on these tissues. This is done gradually because, as always, the living man needs time to evolve durably. Tom Myers taught me that it took between 6 and 24 months for the fascias to reorganize.

What our fascias often need is to be rehydrated (your Achilles tendon is made up of 63% water). For this, one uses in particular compression / decompression movements, much like with a sponge! Thus the stagnant liquid and the waste come out when the “sponge is pressed” and the tissues are filled with a more nourishing liquid when this pressure is released.

In yoga, I use various accessories (block, ball, balloon, roller foam …) to work specifically in certain areas that I know are particularly prone to tension storage (plantar fascia, fascia lata, hamstring fascia, thoraco-lumbar fascia Etc.). In yogatherapy, as part of an individual relationship, we can even go for areas where you accumulate your stress more specifically.

Shall we try ?

Try for example for a few minutes to roll a ball (tennis, squash …) under the soles of one of your feet, (gently eh, without pressing too hard, the idea is not to break the fibers!). Start with the heel and then the outer side from the heel to the toes, moving gradually towards the inside of the foot.

Breathe deeply, without avoiding the areas that may be a little more sensitive, they are the ones who most need this particular care.

Take time to observe if you feel a difference between one foot and the other … if the effects of this action are reflected in other parts of your body …

And move to the other foot 😉

Do you have a favorite exercise right now to free up your fascias? Please share it with us!

My YTT at Anand Prakash Ashram, Rishikesh

My YTT at Anand Prakash Ashram, Rishikesh

Sharing experience: my yoga teacher training in Rishikesh

After several years of practicing yoga (and somewhat unhappy to be a lawyer), I felt the need to deepen, to explore, to escape… After some more or less far-fetched decisions for my entourage, I finally booked a one-way trip to India!

I had no other plan but to start with a month of immersion in an ashram in Rishikesh, to begin to train myself as a yoga teacher. My research (thorough, I’m rather a maximizer;)) had focused on a certified 200h Yoga Alliance training, in order to obtain an internationally recognized degree. They guided me to the Anand Prakash Ashram.

I had chosen this place before my departure, without any recommendation other than that of my intuition. I wanted to go to the mountains rather than to Kerala, to the North rather than to the South of India. The call of the Himalayas and the Ganga River pushed me towards Rishikesh, home of the first yogis. The traditional and modern character of the Akhanda yoga offered at Anand Prakash Ashram had attracted me. The fact that the program was guided by an Indian yogi (Vishva-ji) and a Canadian yogini had ended up convincing me of the potential quality of the experience that was being offered to a Western woman like me.

I suspected that in a month I will not learn all there is to know about yoga, but I did not imagine that such an adventure could have a real impact on so many other aspects of my life…

Yoga YTT Akhanda yoga Rishikesh
So, it is in September 2014 that I arrived at the ashram Anand Prakash, a beautiful yellow building on the heights of the city of Rishikesh. After a joyful and colorful arriving ceremony, I met my roommate, a smiling German doctor of my age. We would therefore share this spacious and rudimentary room with the essentials, a separate shower room and shared balcony. The other 40 participants (many more women than men, of all ages and nationalities) spread over the three floors, by 2 or 3.

 

The following day, we adopted the ashram schedules and the training began:

5 am wake up bell – hot water lemon / salt, neti, tongue scratching
5:30 meditation
6h Akhanda yoga
8h breakfast
8h30 fire pooja
9h class
12h30 breakfast
14h30 class
18h dinner
19h some evenings, kirtan, meditative activities
21h Silence until the end of breakfast the next day
22h Lights off

YTT formation de professeur de yoga RishikeshA very steady rhythm, the Sunday afternoon being free nonetheless. Most of our days were spent at the ashram and its beautiful and large practice room. The terrace facing the first wooded hills of the Himalayas (less than 1000 meters there, we speak of hill) also allowed to breathe, meditate or exchange in small groups during the breaks.

For 40 days, we studied many postures of Hatha Raja and Kundalini yoga, but also of prenatal yoga, restorative yoga and chair yoga, mantras, breaths and kryias, themes and fundamental texts of philosophy, pedagogy and Teaching, anatomy, structure of a course … in short, everything you have to learn in a YTT Yoga Alliance.

Rich and dense, while remaining accessible, the courses were of quality, whether given by Vishva-ji or other professors of his team (in English of course).

yoga traditionnelEach morning, the fire pooja – a fire ritual where mantras are sung while offering different spices to the flames – worked like small purifications. A spiritual experience that I almost never missed though it was optional. Day after day, Vishva Ji, our host and master, gave us an experience in the oldest lineage of yogis.

The meals were also a real joy for my taste buds! Yes they are a lot lots of lentils, rice grains and chapatis. But cooked in so many different ways that it would have taken me much more than a month to be saturated. I even had the chance to spend some time in the kitchen to learn some dishes, including the famous banana samosas!

There were also Yogis yum yums, small sweets sold by a yogi residing in the ashram, for the benefit of disadvantaged children. Based on dates, cashew nuts, coconuts and other local delicacies, I confess that these wonders had the gift of comforting the most fragile of us, because stress is not absent there either, the timing can sometimes feel tight, especially when we sometimes lived intense emotionally days …

But the experience was above all HUMAN. Because we step out of our comfort zone: we get up early, we eat sitting on the ground, we often walk without shoes (I love!) … while in parallel physically stirring a lot of things on the carpet, also putting into perspective a lot of ideas, stories, samskaras, all of that in community … it creates links all the stronger that we all tried to put into practice the philosophy of life that was taught to us well beyond the asanas.

If I remember only one thing from what I learned during this training, it is to listen.

YTT RishikeshI really became aware of the importance of listening, and the difficulty that I sometimes also have to practice it in an authentic way. It is truly a quality that I have endeavored to develop since then (and am infinitely grateful to all the “teachers” I have met on my way since!).

I chose this place because I liked the approach that was proposed: a holistic yoga, which takes into account the integrality of the person, integrating asana, pranayama, meditation, mantras, kriyas, philosophy, anatomy, lifestyle, ethics and Ayurveda. On leaving, I felt ready to teach in this line (which I did) but tirelessly curious to learn even more (what I continue to do)!

I also discovered the yogi of the smile. His mantra?

“Your self is playful, fearless and blissful”

This still resonates in me from time to time, for my greatest good!

Shall we try ?!

Inhale … … exhale with a smile ! Yoga can be as simple as that 😉

Did you take that training as well? Another equally recommendable training? Feel free to share your experiences!

3 “cheat sheets” for happiness

3 “cheat sheets” for happiness

3 “cheat sheets” of happiness by Jonathan Lehmann

Practiced and approved!

Do you know Jonathan Lehmann? He defines himself as an old “dunce of happiness”. He left his career as a lawyer to search for happiness, just like me! He recently participated in the TEDx Valenciennes and presented in 20 minutes three habits that can change your life.

As his sharing is more than relevant for La Minute Yoga, here is, in two minutes for the most hurried and non French-speakers, what I retained from this intervention:

The problem :

Our mind produces on average 60,000 thoughts a day, mostly negative.

Who is responsible for this? The mind that acts as a tyrant, an internal dictator who creates problems.

“The voice in my head is a bitch”

The solution :

To be happy, it is essential to understand that suffering, unhappiness, comes from our negative mental and emotional states (anger, fear, sadness, anguish ..). Indeed, if the conscious present, a moment, lasts on average 3 seconds, our thoughts and emotions persist much longer than that. To increase the happiness thus passes by the acceptance of the present moment: cease to resist it in order to diminish the suffering.

Knowing that you are in a hurry, Jonathan has selected for you 3 “cheat sheets” of happiness, 3 techniques to turn this tyrant into a tool of happiness, to change your life without taking too much of your time.

1. The mind is negative, practice gratitude!

Our negative thoughts travel faster in the brain, we remember more negative than positive thoughts because we are biologically programmed to handle problems: it is a requirement for the survival of the species.

But neuroplasticity makes it possible to transform the brain, like modeling paste: by activating a thought, I reinforce a network of neurons and increases the probability that it activates in the future.

All thought is either a vicious circle or a virtuous circle.

Jonathan thus proposes us to practice gratitude every day, by writing or recalling regularly the little moments of happiness we lived, and thus “live his life as if everything was a miracle”.

2. The mind is compulsive, practice meditation!

The mind produces thoughts a day in an almost continuous flow, and there is no Off button.

As an antidote, Jonathan proposes the practice of meditation, exercising attention on the present moment (often breathing) as a tool for training the brain.

Some good reasons to do this ? Meditation, practiced a little every day, makes happier (distance with thoughts, secretion of hormones), more intelligent (improves memory, stimulates creativity) and lengthens life (slows down cellular aging)

3. The mind is internal, externalize it!

Stuck in the head, the problems go round and round, they are ruminated, we cannot see clearly. By putting them into writing, by externalizing our thoughts, we dish them up, we gain in clarity.

Thus, Jonathan’s morning pages consist of writing daily, when waking up, everything that passes through his head, in order to allow him to decide what to give energy to, according to the goals of his life. One way to “get the mental trash out”.

Faced with a problem, he makes the questions / answers, writing everything that comes up.

A  Harvard study shows today that what gives happiness is good relationships with others. However, this requires above all a good relationship with oneself.

Jonathan concludes:

By practicing meditation only 10 minutes and gratitude 3 minutes for 10 days, your life will change; After 21 days, it will be a habit, will will not even be really necessary to practice.

It’s not at La Minute Yoga that we will tell you the opposite!

Ready to increase your moments of happiness?

Jonathan offers many guided meditations, and you can find some all over La Minute Yoga, on our YouTube and ITunes channels.

If you have other tips, feel free to share them with us 🙂

All you need to know about Omega 3

All you need to know about Omega 3

Omega 3, you surely heard of it? They are lipids, so it is fat. They are called Essential Fatty Acids because they can not be synthesized by the body.

First of all, know that there is no good or bad fat, they are all useful for cellular communication, immunity, skin, brain and eyes especially but also for mood!

With the exception of (partially) hydrogenated (“trans”) fats, we have a precise quantity requirement for each of these fats. As the body can not absorb all of them, it is advisable to reduce the excessive fat intake to allow the assimilation of the beneficial fat intakes.

“We can not cure nothing without an appropriate diet” – Hippocrates –

Thus, we would have to consume approximately daily:

one quarter of saturated fat : palm oil, copra (coco) peanut, fatty meats, dairy products, cold meats, industrial dishes etc.

> Generally, we already eat too much.

half of mono unsaturated fats (omega 9): olive oil (especially for cooking), olive, avocado, peanuts, hazelnuts…

> Often, we do not eat enough.

one quarter of polyunsaturated fats (omega 3 and 6)

Omega 3 and 6, however, have reversed effects, the former inhibiting / tempering inflammation, cancer, depression, and blood clots, while the latter favors cardiovascular and central nervous system disorders (Alzheimer’s), or macular degeneration related to age in particular. It is therefore necessary to balance the intake ration of this type of fat (around 3 omega 3 for 1 omega 6)

• OMEGA 6: Safflower, maize, seed, sesame, soybean, sunflower and peanut oil

> In general, we eat too much.

OMEGA 3: Rapeseed oil (especially for seasoning), walnuts, flax, wheat germ, camelina. Cheese, walnuts, flax seeds, spinach, beans, purslane. Fat and semi-fat fish (mackerel, sardines (in olive oil!), Eel), sea trout, halibut, seafood, turbot, rouget barbet

> Often, we do not eat enough.

The daily requirement is 1.6 grams per day for women, who consume an average of 0.4 …

Eating well is also yoga!

Choosing what you put on your plate, for me this is also yoga. 15 ml (2 tablespoons) rapeseed oil, 2 teaspoons crushed linseed or 5 to 10 nuts, 3 eggs enriched with omega 3 (hens fed with linseed) or 90 g of sardine cover the recommended daily intakes.

A fish rich in omega 3 is the one that eats plankton, lives in cold seas, and is caught in the good season (exhausted from February to April, rich from July to October): mackerel, sardines, anchovies, non-smoked or salted products.

For seasoning, the mixture of 1/3 olive oil with 2/3 rapeseed is excellent! It is preferable to choose organic oils, from first cold pressing, in glass bottles.

Caution, as the omega 3 oxidizes quickly, you should ideally eat them with … foods loaded with antioxidants:

Prunes, broccoli, beets, avocados, oranges, black reason, red peppers, cherries, kiwis, grapefruit, onions, raspberries, raspberries, raspberries, raw spinach.

And Vitamin E that protects fat:

Hazelnuts, walnuts, fennel, dried apricots, kiwis, peas, salsify, spinach, parsley, blueberries, avocados, mangoes, green cabbages, sorrel, sweet peppers, chestnuts, watercress, blackcurrant, leeks, broccoli …

A real feast for our taste buds and our cells!

 

Our fake memories

Our fake memories

Did you know ? The most recent scientific research is beginning to show that our memories are mostly biased!

Indeed, the memory of events starts from our sensory experiences. The hippocampus processes this information and distributes it in different areas of the brain, more or less connected, to store them.

But this same hippocampus also manages the imagination.

So, remembering and imagining is pretty much the same for our brain!

Whenever one tries to remember an event, the brain will automatically fill in the missing information with probable elements, which depend on our prejudices, our samskaras.

Thus, the more one remembers a memory, the less chance there is for the memory to be faithful … hence the interest of living in the present, without too much attaching oneself, rehearsing or ruminating the past… the present moment is our only “truth” 😉

 

Free up your fascias !

Yoga during the first months of pregnancy

The first half of pregnancy is a manufacturing phase: a liter of extra blood, ligaments, abdominal muscles lengthen, the baby develops …

The fatigue felt is therefore rather a “dynamic fatigue” (post-delivery it will be a fatigue of recovery).

The practice of yoga during this period must take this into account, in order to boost the future mother. The practice of standing poses, dynamic connections, postures resting on the wrists or arms are dynamic postures (they work well for all during winter too;))

The singing of mantras is also very beneficial: toning, it reinforces the breath and the muscle diaphragm while creating internal vibrations very pleasant and soothing for the baby. To do without forcing naturally.

What do you like to practice ? Have your students practicing during this time of the life of a woman ?

Free up your fascias !

Protect your perineum in everyday life

I am speaking here of situations in which the perineum receives too much pressure. Once it is ok, it is the repetition that can become problematic: the strong pressure repetitively received by the muscles and tissues of the perineum from the organs that are suspended above can with time distort them and make them ineffective.

Some situations causing this kind of pressure? Sneezing, laughing, talking loudly, shouting, hailing, singing, hiccupping, blocking breathing and “pushing” … but “what to do”?

Yoga leads us to refine our consciousness of our own body. Learn to recognize and feel the different muscles of the perineum and their action in you, exercise them on the mat, but also daily to find the right effort of tonic and muscular response to the events of every moment, but also relaxation because elasticity is just as important as the reactivity for this particular zone.

For example, imagine a rope connecting the bottom of your pubis bone (the bone in front of the pelvis) to the tip of your coccyx (our remaining tail?) and try to bring them closer together. Release gradually then completely, before restarting quietly again.

Then find your “sitting bones”, the ischiums, on which you may be now seating, and seek to bring them closer together. Release gradually then completely before resuming, then alternate.

And finally combine this with the previous action.

Below you will find a recording to practice this exercice. You can do it several times a day, it takes about 3 minutes. With practice you will stop making a funny face during the exercise and you will be able to train anywhere, anytime, even in the metro 😉

 

How often should I practice ?

How often should I practice ?

“10 minutes a day, 1 hour if you’re in a hurry” said the wise man! Yes, because the important thing is not when or what we practice but how.

Practice makes perfect ! 

Indeed, the practice of yoga allows, among other, the secretion of GABA, the hormone of stress resilience. But this production stops, and the rate drops gradually, as soon as the practice stops.

So we need our daily dose! The duration of the practice is thus less important than its regularity. Short daily practices are hence more efficient than a weekly practice of 1h30, in the current state of discovery of neurosciences.

In my yogic sense, it is therefore better to allow us a few minutes of authentic practice in mindfulness everyday, than an hour a week making the grocery list or repeating the day in our head on the mat.

The library of our meditations is enriched regularly on iTunes and Youtube, so do not hesitate to repeat some practices on a daily basis!

 

Our fake memories

Requiem for happiness

Happiness … would it be a state of permanent well-being, where everything would go well in the best of all worlds?

But we can not prevent certain events of life, change people, avoid all breakdowns, illness of our relatives, war, death etc. Happiness is not like the top of a mountain that one could reach (would you stay there anyway?!)

For the simple reason that ALL in this world is impermanent, transient, transitory. It is in Buddhism the concept of the impermanence of all things.

And if everything is passing, Happiness can only be so as well. Therefore, wanting to be happy all the time can only be a source of frustration and disappointment.

To be happy, one would have to accept not to be happy all the time! It is the concept of contentment, SANTOSHA for the yogis, the mere satisfaction of what is there.

Moreover, when we are happy, our brain is less alert to dangers, more confident towards others. So we could reasonably be constantly happy only in a safe world AND where everyone is happy

Happiness should thus rather be seen as a succession of little happiness, resulting from simple things of the moment ; Cultivating positive states is a kind of workout for happiness,

However, practice makes perfect !

Just a moment, right now, to make a mental list of what makes you happy right now?

Free up your fascias !

Physiological curvatures of the spine

The development of the human species like the growth of the child gradually reveals two types of curvature in the spinal column: primary curvatures (convex in the back, kyphosis) and secondary curvatures (concave in the back, lordosis).

The “primary” curvatures are the occiput, the thoracic zone and the sacrum, which remain from the great fetal curve in flexion. They have a protective role for the organs contained therein and are generally not very mobile.

Conversely, we refer to “secondary” curvatures for the lumbar and cervical areas, which are later formed by the movement itself on the occasion of the exit of the head out of the uterus, standing position and walking for the lumbar. They are more mobile and serve as dynamic links.

The vertebral column stricto sensu is thus constituted by a succession of three physiological curves: lumbar lordosis, dorsal kyphosis, cervical lordosis. The points of change of curvature, called hinges, have a particular mobility.

It is not desirable to erase these three physiological curves which give the column 10 times more resistance to the load than if it had none. The eradication of the lumbar lordosis sometimes advocated in certain types of physical work actually reduces this resistance to the load in half.

At the lumbar level, when the concave curve formed by the sacrum and the lumbar spine is accentuated, we speak of lordosis (“sway back”).

No matter the radius of each physiological curvature, specific to the morphology of each one of us, the important thing is to have a flexible and adaptable spine. Put a hand on your back to feel your different physiological curves then move it in all directions…can you feel your curves change shape, are some areas  moving more than others?

 

Our fake memories

Emotional currency

Emotional currency is the things we do, the roles we endorse for others to accept us, appreciate us, love us. This is Prakriti for yogis, our personality.

It can be for example, to take great care of ones physical appearance, to make repeated jokes, to take care of others before oneself, to be smart, but also to be sick all the time, sad or depressed …

But basically, what we want is to be seen at our deepest level, for what we really are, this is Purusha, our soul.

Does that speak to you? It is quite easy to identify the emotional currency of the people around us. But could you take a few moments to think about your main emotional currency? To validate your first intuition, you can observe yourself in action in the days to come!

Awareness is the first step towards evolution … because would not the ideal be to be simply loved when we are authentic?

 

How to meditate ?

How to meditate ?

You decide to start to meditate but do not know precisely what to do?

No more excuse, here are a few steps to start in the minute!

  1. First, choose a place where you can settle without being disturbed during the time you decided to allocate to yourself. Early in the morning is an ideal time because the mind and the environment are generally still quiet, but meditation can just as effectively be practiced at any other time of the day!
  2. Sit down: kneeling, cross-legged, on a cushion or a meditation bench, on a chair without resting your back, feet flat on the floor. Take some time to find your posture: the hands can rest on the thighs, the knees or one on the other in front of the lower abdomen. The important thing is that you can sit in a position where you can keep your back straight, without too much effort or tension – “dignified and flexible”.
  3. Become aware of your breath and follow it. Without rejecting what is happening around you, be present to each of your breath, without willfully modifying or controlling it. Whenever you realize that a thought, an emotion, an image, a perception has distracted your attention (and this will happen, fore sure), you are at the heart of the process of meditation: study of the mind’s functioning. Simply acknowledge “Oh a thought!” without judging or extrapolating, and return to your breath, your bodily sensations. Repeat this process as many times as necessary.
  4. When the time you have previously set has elapsed (you may encounter thoughts inviting you to regain “active life” before that, your mind is smart, do not let yourself be trapped!), the practice is over. Maybe you feel calmer (this is not the goal, you will see with the practice that it sometimes varies a lot from one time to another), in this case, can you take with you this new state of being?

 

All you need to know about Omega 3

Kitchari, a yogic detox recipe

Kitchari is a relatively simple dish, easy to digest, which warms the body and calms the mind. It cleans the digestive system and suits well for a mono-diet of a few days. In Ayurveda, it is suitable for all doshas. Perfect for the winter months, especially after the holidays to rebalance the body after some abuse 😉

It is a mixture of lentils and rice, cooked with vegetables (organic, local and seasonal to do well) and Indian spices. The preparation of the dish takes a little time, but one can cook a little more to consume it over two days.

Add fresh chopped ginger and all the spices (depending on taste: cumin, mustard seeds, coriander, turmeric … or mix of curry ready!). Then the same quantity of rice and lentils is added in twice their volume of water (the quantity of water depends on the personal tastes).

According to the vegetables selected, they will be added cut into pieces at the beginning or a little later, depending on their cooking time. After a few minutes of cooking on high heat, cook over low heat, stirring with love from time to time until the ingredients are completely cooked.

Recipe ideas are numerous on the Internet, I have no favorite or advise for you, it will depend on what you have on hand and your inspiration of the moment!

 

SANKALPA, the intention

SANKALPA, the intention

An intention hides behind every of our action, this is what motivates us, animates us every day

In yoga, I often invite my students at the beginning of the session to “settle” internally an intention for our practice, but also for the rest of the day, week, month, year to come.

It can be something very simple (being present, relaxing …), a quality that you want to cultivate (patience, compassion towards oneself …), dedicate the session to someone who would need it … everything is allowed, as long as the intention comes from the depths of ourselves, and not from the mental diktat.

It should be something positive, like an inspiration for what is to come. Once this intention is put, it is simply allowed to exist, to grow alone as a seed that would have been sown inside.

My intention for this year of practice with you? Share in the simplest possible way the yogic tools that allow me to find space, freedom, calm in everyday life.

And you, what is your sankalpa, your intention for this new year? What led you to read these lines? Would you take a minute to listen to your inner voice whispers ?

 

How often should I practice ?

What is a mantra ?

A mantra is a sound, a word or a phrase, which is repeated inwardly, with a low or high voice, or singing. There are many of them, each with its own frequency, vibration. Yogis use them to meditate, calm the mind or heal.

“Man” means spirit, “tra” liberate.

It is an important part of the yogic tradition, a bit forgotten in the West. Traditionally, it was a very secret part of the practice. The mantras were given by the masters according to the needs of their students.

The most well known is the Om mantra, it is said to be the primordial sound, the one that preceded the creation of the universe. Shall we try ? Close your eyes, take a deep breath by the nose … OOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM … listen, feel … how do you feel?

Whether one is religious, spiritual or not, the sound creates vibrations that spread throughout the body. The effect can therefore not be completely neutral.

My favorite mantra of the moment? Loka samasta sukhino bhavantu: for peace and universal happiness. You will find it here interpreted by the angelic voice of Deva Premal and the enchanting flute of Manose.

Our fake memories

Why are we not all equal before the emotions?

We differ greatly in our capacity to experience different emotional states, but why is that ?

A first reason for this is that our genetic heritage influences the way we experience events and determines our ability to regulate our own emotions.

Indeed, for the survival of the species, two categories of human being are necessary: ​​those who can anticipate the danger, be reactive; And those who, once preserved from danger, will be enterprising, constructive, creative.

We are therefore genetically more or less vulnerable (a quality, if we know how to tame it!) to emotions, the flow of negative thoughts or stress in general.

To this must be added environmental factors (early trauma experienced during early childhood or more generally life events) and our education (how emotional intelligence has been transmitted to us ?).

But as strong as one is, managing one’s emotions requires energy and resources. And when a succession of difficult life events is too fast to be able to recharge, exhaustion is waiting … it is the too much famous modern BURN OUT.

Thus, whatever our “genetic happiness” is, we are not immune to the events of life. Hence the importance of re-energizing oneself emotionally as soon as we have the opportunity to be ready to face the accumulations of situations that life sometimes imposes on us.

 

SANKALPA, the intention

When everything becomes yoga

Stand Up Paddle yoga, flying yoga, acro yoga, yogalates, hardcore yoga and even beer yoga …

Today the types of yoga are almost infinite, integrating various techniques, more or less ancient. And I think this is very good if it helps every single one to find a method, an approach that best suits him to connect to himself.

Dr. Coudron, a doctor and yoga therapist, says that to be yoga, the method must respect the following principles:

do not hurt (“primum non nocere”, first do no harm, the golden rule of medicine, which joins one of the essential principles of yoga, ahimsa, non-violence, towards oneself and others)

coordinate movement and breath,

develop awareness and attention to what is being done.

In my opinion, everything that brings together these 3 ingredients can therefore be considered as yoga, including doing housework! From there, you have a lot more than a minute a day to practice 😉

 

Free up your fascias !

Feeling the lower abdominal contraction

The abdominal muscles insert on the pelvis (pubis or iliac crests), but they do not all have a contractile part in this lower zone, between the pubis and three fingers below the navel. Sometimes we lose some of the strength and capacity of contraction in that area.

Nevertheless, this contraction should biomechanically follow that of the perineum to allow abdominal contractions to go upward (the inverse being hyperpressive, it should be avoided in a vertical position and should be limited to the visceral massage laying down).

To feel this area, first place your hands one on top of the other under the navel, above the pubis. Feel the heat under your hands, you can even rub the entire area to wake her sensorially.

Then visualize the flame of a candle in front of you … .gently blow it … .. then let yourself inhale, “opening your nostrils”, as if you were breathing a flower …… And quietly repeat. Do you feel under your hands, at the very beginning of the action, the lower belly that is brought back to the spine? with the inhalation this area relaxing ?

If the image does not speak to you, try to “make bubbles underwater”

You feel ? a little ? An intention of movement may be? Sensations increase gradually with practice, persevere!

SANKALPA, the intention

We are all heroes ! My Christmas tale for you

In the tales of our childhood, mythology or literature, the story is often the same, and for a good reason, it is finally the story of human adventure that is traced … to help us to move forward!

It usually begins with suffering (sickness, loss, material opulence that no longer satisfies). Then one undertakes a journey, a quest (external in stories, often internal in life).

This is how we meet and fight against all kinds of demoniac creatures, dark areas. But there are also benevolent spirits, wise (wo)men, and internal guides.

Then something calls us back to life and allows us to reintegrate it.

In the stories, then comes the time to celebrate. Rejoice as the Buddhists say! And it is this part that we forget maybe a little too often in our modern Western society.

This is the traditional Asterix banquet! The celebration of our journey, our adventure, our victory, big or small, gives value to the work accomplished. It is an integral part of the adventure.

Have you forgotten to rejoice of one of your quests recently? It’s not too late 😉

 

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Orthorexia

New term trendy those days, orthorexia is the obsession with healthy eating. As its Greek root may indicate to some of you, it is a pathology. A pathology that could well affect the yogi of modern times as well …

Indeed, if it is proven that balanced food allows one to have a body in harmony, focusing only on this aspect of life is to reduce ones Being to its purely physical part. If the mind is constantly preoccupied (= “occupied before”) with what to eat or not, how to prepare it, how to have an fare environmental impact etc., the objective to eat well to reach peace and harmony of spirit fades away.

It is therefore a question of harmony, of balance between what our body claims, what is good for it and what our mind wants to give it.

Each person is different, there is no universal talk applicable to all . It is therefore up to the yogi to listen to his body, to make experiments to get to know himself and find the food that suits him best, while enjoying!

 

Our fake memories

What is a samskara ?

As human living and incarnated beings, we all have samskaras, habitual patterns of thoughts, actions and words, innate or acquired, which may have been useful at some point for our survival but which may not be beneficial anymore to us today.

They may be physical (a way of acting on a daily basis), emotional (a way of reacting to life events), psychological (a tendency to anxiety, depression), immune (tendency to reject what is foreign, to let everything in). They affect all aspects of our being.

Some are positive, constructive (knowing how to listen fully, taking action from the center, knowing how to set limits) others much less.

With the practice of yoga, we learn to identify them, to rub them along, to tame them in order to gradually evolve and integrate them within our whole being: physically (what is our attitude on the mat? does it strengthen the pattern ?), emotionally (how does this emotion manifest within me ? can I see it arising, before it has submerged me?).

Do you have a minute, now, to reflect on one of your samskaras that you would like to make evolved?

 

Free up your fascias !

What is a ligament ?

If we focus on the locomotor apparatus, a ligament is a fibrous cord that connects one bone to another. Most of the time, it is a simple thickening of the articular capsule, of which the ligament is therefore part.

It is composed of connective tissue, the fibers of which, essentially made of collagen, all have the same direction.

The ligaments have at the same time a role of mechanical restraint and act as a support of sensitive information.

Indeed, it contributes to the stability of the joint by resisting traction thanks to collagen fibers. But if it is exposed to too much tension or traction, the ligament may then distend or tear, it is a sprain.

The ligament is also very rich in sensory nerve receptors of proprioception. Sensitive to pressure, tension, acceleration, it allows the brain to know where this part of the body is in space.

In the event of a sprain, the nervous system will be damaged at this location, which explains why sprains often repeatedly occur in the same place, since sensory information perceived and emitted by the area has become less reliable.

Conclusion: never try to stretch a ligament!

On the other hand, our body hygiene, our daily posture can cause some ligaments to remain “wrinkled”, as Blandine Calais-Germain put it, in a chronic way, it is then useful to work to restore their initial length.

Our fake memories

Why meditate? Neuroplasticity !

I often compare meditation as a kind of mental hygiene: you clean your body physically every day, for me meditation has the same effect on the mind … of course, there are “cat cleaning day” (it’s a French expression, I hope it speaks to you !) when one is in a hurry, and the days of long and big baths when one can afford the luxury.

But beyond this daily “mental dusting”, researches have shown that contemplative sciences, including meditation, lead the mind to positive and socio-responsible behaviors.

The reason for this? Neuroplasticity or “Practice makes perfect”. Contrary to what we have long believed, neurons do not stop growing after 20 years old, it is possible for us to create new neuronal connections throughout our whole life.

Thus, studies have shown the thickening of certain specific zones of the brain according to the professions: among taxi drivers it is a zone of localization in space, with musicians a capacity of dexterity for example.

It has hence been proven that meditation increases, in the short, medium and long term, the capacities of direction of attention (in duration and discernment) and management of emotions. Moreover, researchers have also shown a progressive thickening of the insular cortex of meditators, this very brain area that governs … empathy and compassion!

Moreover, the biochemical reactions induced by these feelings stimulate and strengthen the immune system. The meditator thus becomes less vulnerable to intrusions (physical and mental) from the outside world. As a result, meditation is also very effective in fighting inflammation and chronic pain.

The most recent researches confirms that meditation has an effect at the genetic and enzymatic level, preventing cellular ageing.

So, shall we try ?!

 

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What is “happy food” ?

I have already told you that we become what we eat, no? Happy food, happy mood. But what do you mean by “happy food”?

For the yogi, it is the food filled with Prana, the one that has been fed by nature, sun, natural water, rich soil etc.

This food is not difficult to identify, it is the one that is easy to digest and eliminate from our system. By observing what is going on within your body in relation to what you are eating, you will probably find that plants are the best answer to this definition … but only your body can confirm it.

So be curious, get to know the foods that make your body happy, and most often avoid those that make it grumpy!

 

Free up your fascias !

Abdominal breathing, ready to step in ?!

In Yoga, the importance of thoracic breathing (for energy, tonicity, maintenance) is emphasized as much as abdominal breathing is.

For this type of breathing, the concept is quite simple: you just have let your belly come and go to the rhythm of your breath.

This breathing calms, soothes. It switches the autonomic nervous system into a parasympathetic mode or “rest and digest”. The diaphragm is free to descend. The abdominal organs are “massaged” by the movements of the breath, easing their functions.

Yet, it is culturally not so easy to “let go of the belly”. By our education or because of the society in which we live, we always tend to keep some tone in this area.

So, just for the time of three breaths, try to let go of the belly, without forcing … observe what happens … it is quite possible that emotions present themselves physically, mentally: observe them, feel how they manifest and evolve … .. they are just passing by …

To be repeated whenever you feel the need to calm down a little; or when you wake up, to begin the day in mindfulness; or your bed, at will to fall asleep !

 

SANKALPA, the intention

The Prana

For the yogi, Prana is the vital energy. It is the equivalent of qi or chi. “Pra” means “before”, “na” “breathing”. Prana is the energy that precedes all life according to yogic tradition.

Without Prana, no life then. Thus we shall leave this earth by an expiration of the last little Prana which kept us alive until then.

Prana is found not only in healthy, untreated food, but also in the air we breathe. That is why some yogis claim to have lived several years by feeding exclusively with Prana (no physical nourishment!)

To fill up with Prana is to fill up with vital energy.

The next time you are in a place that seems to be loaded with this Prana (in the forest, by the sea, in the countryside, in a park, by a lake, in the mountains etc.), try to fill up yourself: take several deep inhalations while thinking of this Prana vibrating around you that enters your lungs

Hold the breath for a moment and then exhale by letting the Prana spread in all the cells of your body 🙂

 

SANKALPA, the intention

What is a chakra?

Chakra means wheel in Sanskrit. According to the yogic philosophy, they are centers of junction between the different channels of energy through the body. We would have thousands.

The 7 main ones are the the most well-known. They allow the circulation of the lunar and solar energies (ida and pingala) but also of the Kundalini which circulates through our main channel (sushumna).

Kundalini is a very powerful energy dormant in our lowest energy center: muladara chakra. When the chakras are opened, the kundalini can ascend into the sushumna, cleansing and purifying this channel to the top (swadistana chakra). Then we can experience enlightenment.

What blocks the way? Our experiences of life : what is not expressed leaves an imprint !

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the meridians follow paths very similar to those of the nadis described by the yogis. Modern research now allows us to understand that these are nerve plexuses, common compression points, fascia continuity, blood and lymphatic circulation channels.

That is why the practice of yoga helps us to lift the emotional blockages, those linked to ego, toxins … that stagnate at these specific points.

Can you try to connect to your root chakra, inside your perineum ?

 

How often should I practice ?

Jyoti Tratak, the candle meditation

Have you ever let your thoughts wander on the flames’ rhythm? Fire has something fascinating, hypnotic, right?

Yogis, all explorers of the body, mind and soul that they are, use this element as a focal point for meditation.

Old scriptures say that this practice also develops intuition.

Would you like to try?

  • Take a comfortable position and place a lighted candle in front of you at about 15-20 centimeters, at eye level if possible.
  • Gaze at the flame of the candle and try not to blink. Let tears flow if they come.
  • Observe what is going on within you, how is your breath, what are your bodily sensations, your thoughts, during the time you have previously decided to grant yourself.

Take a moment at the end of your session to feel the effects of the practice.

* Jyoti means light in Sanskrit, tatrak: to gaze

 

Free up your fascias !

What is the perineum?

Physically, it is a kind of muscular hammock that forms the floor of our pelvis, and therefore of the trunk. It contains the viscera. Contrary to preconceived ideas, the perineum is not the prerogative of women, men also are endowed with this muscular set. But since it is open to the outside in women, it is a zone of frequent prolapse that makes more often talk about it.

Biomechanically, it acts in synergy with the diaphragm during breathing, responding to its lowering action on inhalation and return on exhalation.

This is also where mulabandha (the tendinous center of the perineum) can be activated.

Energetically, according to yogic tradition, it is the seat of the first chakra, muladara, linked to our grounding, our survival, our security.

Emotionally, it is a place « charged» especially for the woman, in which many tensions and traumas can be stored. Too much or not enough tonicity can disrupt pregnancy or childbirth.

It is important to take care of it, to protect it against chronic hyperpressure, but also against hyper or hypotonicity and therefore to work both its strength and its flexibility, in coordination with the muscles of the body that are synergistic (Who work together).

INHALE…….EXHALE…… Maybe you feel the effect of your breathing in your perineum? Try for a few breaths to feel this “hammock” receive light pressure from your organs, without forcing naturally 🙂

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Should one be a vegetarian to be a yogi?

When one moves along the path of yoga, one day the question of vegetarianism arises. For some, it is unthinkable, for others it comes naturally.

Indeed, yoga makes the practicioner progressively more compassionate. We become more inclined to follow one of yoga’s essential principles: ahimsa, non violence towards oneself and all living beings on the planet. Thus, morally and emotionally, the carnivorous yogi will sometimes become, with practice, quite naturally vegetarian.

But I do not think one should force the process, it would be violent towards oneself if we are not ready to follow this part of the path.

You’re interested but this seems impossible to you? Just try a meal once in a while, then a meal or a day per week … until gradually reversing the trend. And above all, I invite to observe what is happening within you, you will be able to decide for yourself, after personal experimentation, what is right and non violent for you and others!

 

Our fake memories

Our emotions, companions of life

Fear, joy, sadness, anger, frustration, wonder … Life is a succession of emotions. Some are unpleasant, others pleasant, we live them with more or less intensity (joy or anger manifests physically, depression, sadness or serenity leads us to the opposite sometimes away from any physical sensation) .

Omnipresent, they occupy an important part of our lives. They influence our decisions, our relationships, our successes and our failures.

Emotions are ORGANIC, they initiate and organize the responses of different systems (nervous, circulatory, cerebral, etc.) to enable us to respond more effectively to our survival and that of the species in the greatest number of situations.

For example, fear will freeze us for a moment, our senses will sharpen, so we can evaluate a potential danger and the appropriate reaction to adopt. Anger increases heart rate, build energy in the upper body to prepare to hit etc.

Thus, at the level of the individual, each emotion has the function of adapting to a type of situation, provoking a tendency to react in such or such a way, inhibiting some behaviors and facilitating others.

The emotion that manifests itself also informs us about the state of satisfaction of our basic needs, whether physical (drinking, eating, sleeping …) or psychosocial (the need to be loved, to be a good person/parent/child/student/teacher/friend/lover etc., recognition, respect, justice, security, belonging, etc.)

Emotions can therefore be used to take better care of yourself!

They are indeed functional, always carrying a message. What is sometimes dysfunctional, on the other hand, is the behavior we may adopt in response. This is why it is necessary to learn to regulate your emotions, not to remove them (you do not want to listen to the message?).

Socially, emotions inform us about the state of the environment, the relationship, the needs of our interlocutor, allowing us to adapt our social behavior.

Emotions are therefore adapted to the needs of the individual as well as those of the species. Let’s tame them !

“We become what we eat”

“We become what we eat”

Think about it for a moment: what are we made of? Bones, muscles, organs, tissues … all made up of billions of cells. These cells are alive: they need energy, vitamins and minerals to grow, function and communicate. And their source of nourishment comes from the process of digestion.

Indeed, digestion is most of all the transformation of food ingested into molecules assimilable by our body.

So our body is made up of what we offer it: I become what I eat!

So if I give him “happy food,” my body becomes happy, if I give him “grumpy food,” he becomes grumpy! And when one knows the link between body and mind, our mood is necessarily impacted: happy food, happy mood!

 

What is a yogi ?

What is a yogi ?

In the feminine, yogini! It is a yoga practitioner who knows or is seeking this experience of union, of yoga.

No need to be Hindu, you just need to have a soul. And when you’re alive, I tend to believe that you have one …

Whether one is spiritual or not, it is what we are in the depths of ourselves, which does not change but which we sometimes try to hide from the world, Purusha for the yogis.

Yoga is a practice that helps to learn to know oneself, to listen to this deep, profound force. We all look for something: peace and harmony.

The yogi is the one who has chosen yoga as a path toward that.

 

How often should I practice ?

A minute of practice a day, it is enough ?!

Bad news, yoga is not something you get rid of : “1(0) minutes / an hour a day / week and this should be good for some time” …No, your morning practice will chase you all day !

But not as aches after a too intense aerobic class.

Of course, a feeling of lightness, vitality and well-being remains a few hours after the session. But also, flashes, a little like a small inner voice that shows up on its own, whenever it feels like it ( “let go”, “don’t overreact”, “breathe”) … it is your consciousness!

You awoke it, it is now talking to you. You find yourself distancing yourself from your spontaneous mental reactions. You may be even voluntarily paying attention.

And little by little, these new patterns of being settle, replace the old ones, and even become unconscious. You become aware of other patterns etc., you become a constantly evolving being … alive!

If your have more than a minute, I invite you to practice the breathing meditation daily for a week (in French, English version coming soon !).

Free up your fascias !

The abdominal muscles

It is a group of 4 muscles at the front of the body. They act both on the skeleton (relationship between the pelvis and the rib cage) and on the abdominal viscera (in particular in “forced” exhalation).

Arranged in layers, they are, from the deepest to the most superficial: the transverse abdominal, the internal oblique, the external oblique and the rectus abdominis (that of the chocolate tablet). We have a copy of each of these muscles on the right and on the left. The two sides are linked together by an entanglement of tissues (aponeurosis, sometimes called fascias), which also surround them over the entire width, allowing the layers to slide one over the other.

transverse yoga abdominaux

The transverse abdominal, by Blandine Calais-Germain

The system is complex and must be all the more balanced (in tonicity, ability to release and coordination) that the abdominal muscles are postural muscles that act in synergy with the muscles of the back to keep us erect in a vertical position. Too tonic or shortened, they will cause a compression of the abdomen, a flexion of the column and thus also an additional pressure on the perineum. Too weak or chronically stretched, the pelvis will go towards retroversion, taking the column in extension, especially in the lumbar region (L5 / S1, I bet it speaks to many of you, either by theoretical knowledge or by (painful) experience !).

In yoga, they are therefore often recruited in asanas, so it is important to work them intelligently to be able to use them wisely on and off the mat. This is what we teach in the No- Risk Abs® method.

What is a yogi ?

“Know thyself !”

My first contact with philosophy happened in my final year of high school. I had a teacher who started the year writing in ancient Greek : “Gnothi seauton ῶνῶθι σεαυτόν“. Then he digressed until the end of the year ! For the baccalaureate I did not feel very prepared but today I tell myself that he transmitted to me the essential, as the theme is such a recurrent one through all times around the world.

The more I read, study and and integrate texts dealing with philosophy (culture-jam, I am fan of etymology, and do not resist the temptation to tell you that etymologically the philosopher is the “friend of wisdom”), the more I I realize that this injunction precedes and contains everything.

Inscription of the temple of Delphi taken up by Socrates, the “soul deliver” teaches that it is by knowing himself, by seeking within himself, that man can find wisdom.

It is a question then of re-knowing our qualities, our faults, our tendencies, our “stories”, the mental filters through which we see the world and thus our limits for example.

To know our true nature, we would have to take a step back, learn also to listen to ourselves … and this is really interesting because it is also what yoga also offers 🙂

 

“We become what we eat”

Yoga & health

According to the World Health Organization, health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

And I have 2 good news:

1 – The brain and the body are able to manufacture the substances they need (anxiolytics, antidepressants, antibiotics) to maintain themselves.

2 – Yoga removes obstacles to their proper functioning.

And yes, yoga brings what it takes to allow the body to be healthy, as it is programmed to be. A stress-free environment does not exist, and our body is designed to manage it.

Indeed, for this, it is enough to place it in ideal conditions: a diet adapted to our physiological needs, a physical activity necessary for the proper functioning of our body, a method of relaxation or meditation and quality social relations with our entourage.

And what does yoga offer?

Postures, physical activity (the human body is built to move, otherwise the muscles melt, the joints become stiff, the bones weaken, the tissues freeze, etc.)

– techniques of management and release of the breath, particularly useful for the management of emotions and daily stress,

relaxation and meditation gradually allow one to manage one’s thoughts and especially one’s existential anxieties (anxiety, fear of living or dying) and being more present to oneself and to others (the human being is a social being).

And all this is of interest because it is the gateway to Health, to a happier, more fulfilled life. So, shall we start ?!

 

Free up your fascias !

“Breath through the nose”

In yoga, we usually breathe through the nose. But why do teachers insist on this point?

When we inhale through the nose, the air enters through the nostrils and then pass through the nasal mucous membranes, inside which there are dozens of small hairs, like eyelashes. They filter the air to prevent impurities from entering the body, and warm it up, saving us energy to then assimilate it. Breathing through the nose has thus the effect of purifying the air we breathe and putting it at body temperature.

The passage of air through this natural “filter” also has the effect of slowing down the flow of air (the mucous membranes and the hairs offering resistance to the passage of air). This naturally makes it possible to lengthen the duration of inspiration like that of expiration. And as in yoga, especially in our modern world, we seek to “slow down”, especially the breath, breathing through the nose is one of the tools allowing us to achieve this end.

Try a few seconds, focus your attention on your breath … Maybe you feel the passage of fresh air at the entrance into the nostrils? It coming out at a different temperature?

 

Our fake memories

Maximizer or satisfier ?

When you have a choice to make, you tend to:

  • Look for one that will meet your criteria. The first acceptable solution is the right one.
  • OR look for the best option. You review all the possibilities to be sure not to miss an even more satisfying one.
    ?

If the maximizers, those of the second category, generally make decisions of better quality, the satisfiers, the first category, are generally happier and satisfied with their lives.

Indeed, the maximiers would tend, even after making their choice, to re-examine the other options and question their initial choice.

To be meditated !

 

How often should I practice ?

La minute yoga, let’s go !

One minute a day, publishing to make you practice a minute of yoga per day

It’s a challenge I want to get me, you, started with. Together, let’s put this intention to practice a little bit, every day …

For you, it is an invitation to practice, meditate, digest, integrate, incarnate, every day, various aspects of life seen by the yogic prism.

For me, it is a form of karma yoga (disinterested yoga) and an outlet for my irrepressible desire to share the nuggets that I discover on my way to the discovery of (my) human nature!

For us, a sadhana (regular practice), a kryia yoga (yoga of action) that allows to feed tapas (the will, determination) to practice swadhyaya (self study) but also Ishvara Pranidhana (to surrender to that which exceeds us, to have confidence, to accept our limits and what we do not understand) … in short, yoga in everyday life!

Already one minute, and you know one of the yoga sutras 😉

tapas swadyaya ishva pranidhana

 

Our fake memories

Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation comes from the Buddhist ancestral tradition. Refined from its religious aspects, it integrates the latest advances in neurosciences to provide a quality of being to practitioners of the modern Western world.

It is about deliberately direct your attention, without judgment, moment by moment to experience the present.

Regular practice of meditation opens a gentle and caring investigation of the nature of one’s own mind, to see more and more clearly the causes of suffering, recognize the reaction patterns, commitment, desire, that leads to behave thoughtlessly or under the control of our egocentric needs.

Gradually you gain freedom, wisdom and peace.

Here are 10 minutes of breathing meditation (in French), a mindfulness classic to which is good to come back with the beginner’s mind ! 

Free up your fascias !

Yoga during and after pregnancy

Perinatal yoga is practiced during pregnancy (prenatal yoga) and after birth (postnatal yoga).

Prenatal yoga

Relaxing, soothing, yoga for pregnant women can be practiced from the 4th month of pregnancy even for beginners, if there are no contrary medical indications.

Prenatal yoga makes you feel good in your body and ease muscle tension, teaches you to breathe in the most appropriate manner during pregnancy, helps you manage stress and anxiety, leads you to relax.

Helping to maintain or regain good physical and mental shape, prenatal yoga helps you to acquire tools to live well your pregnancy and childbirth.

Yoga during pregnancy can helps alleviate the inconvenience caused that can arise in this time : heavy legs, heartburn, back pain, anxiety etc.

Beyond the practice of physical postures, breathwork is fundamental, especially because it will help to handle the contractions.

The emphasis is on relaxation to accompany pregnant women until delivery for their well being during pregnancy and to adapt after the birth of their child. 

yoga prénatal postnatal

Postnatal yoga

From the 1st to the 16th week postpartum, postnatal yoga helps to recover gradually, safely, shape, tone and inner strength.

During the first weeks, learning nursing posture and flexibility stretches is tied with  work on the alignment of the spine and strengthening the pelvic muscles.

At your own pace, the sessions become more fluid and energetic.

The breathing and relaxation exercises are central to the practice and can restore energy and calm the baby.

“The best way to take care of the future is to take care of the now. ”

– Jon Kabat-Zinn –

If you have 10 minutes, I propose to welcome what is happening inside you in this exceptional period in the life of a woman. It is in French but I’m pretty sure you will get a sense of what’s going on !

 

“We become what we eat”

Yoga nidrâ

“Nidrâ” means sleep in Sanskrit, yoga nidrâ is thus the yogic sleep.

It is a technique of physical, emotional and mental relaxation, tant can improve the quality of sleep, but also relaxation and better stress  and emotion management. In a state between awakening and sleepiness while remaining conscious, yoga nidrâ begins with a deep relaxation session for the body. Then comes Sankalpa (positive short affirmation chosen by the practitioner) and visualizations.

The session typically lasts one hour.

Below is a 15 minutes relaxation (in French but still deeply soothing !). It is quite possible that you fall asleep before the end, it does not matter, start again another day, with practice you will remain increasingly aware !

Yoga for children

Yoga for children

Presented in an entertaining and educational manner, each yoga session alternates around a theme, dynamic and soothing postures, breathing techniques, concentration exercises and mindfulness. The secular philosophy of yoga grounds on kindness and self-knowledge is an integral part of the course. Children are also invited to interact with each other in order to stimulate their creativity.

Easy postures to achieve, alone or with others, are offered without competitive spirit, during a journey to awaken the child consciousness of his own body and develop self-confidence while raising sensitivity to the world of animals and nature (raise like a tree and keep the balance, jumping like a frog etc.).

The class is filled with exploration exercises to calm down (full abdominal breathing for example), to be more focused (concentration on the breath, sounds, bodily sensations, etc.), to regain energy (stimulating or letting go exercises).

Each session ends with a relaxation, as a story, an invitation to relaxation and imagination. By adapting the practice to the season, the time of day and the emotional state of the children, I would like to share with joy a yoga adapted to the specificities of growing up beings.