Flowing into my Ikigai: YOGA

{"slug":"flowing-into-my-ikigai-yoga","recentPosts":[{"id":"clgc1nu7j1uwk0birznqai3x1","slug":"10-yoga-poses-for-multiple-sclerosis","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"10 Yoga Poses to Enhance Wellness for Multiple Sclerosis Patients","subTitle":null,"seoTitle":null,"seoDescription":"Learn about Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis and how it can help manage symptoms. Improve your quality of life with these yoga poses.","readTime":null,"excerpt":"Discover yoga for multiple sclerosis - improve your quality of life with these poses.","tags":[],"createdAt":"2023-04-11T09:12:29.35505+00:00","coverUrl":"aydrjq4doquwuaot8kt7.jpg","content":{"text":"Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. It can cause a range of symptoms, including fatigue, muscle weakness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. While there is no cure for MS, practicing yoga can help manage symptoms and improve overall health and well-being. Before starting a yoga practice, it's important to consult with a healthcare provider to ensure safety and effectiveness.\\n\\nBenefits of Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis\\nStress and Fatigue Reduction: Yoga provides a calming and relaxing effect on the body and mind, which can help ease the mental and physical stresses of MS. It can lead to a reduction in fatigue levels and promote a more peaceful state of mind.\\nImproved Balance and Coordination: MS can cause issues with balance and coordination, but yoga can help improve these areas. The practice of yoga involves movements that require balance and coordination, which can improve the function of the nervous system.\\nIncreased Flexibility and Strength: Yoga poses require the use of muscles that may not be utilized in everyday activities. Practicing yoga regularly can lead to increased flexibility and strength, which can improve overall fitness levels.\\nRespiratory Function Improvement: MS can affect respiratory function, but yoga can help improve breathing patterns. Certain yoga practices involve deep breathing exercises that can help increase lung capacity and oxygenation of the body.\\nPain Management: MS can cause pain and discomfort, but yoga can be an effective tool for managing these symptoms. The gentle movements of yoga can help relieve tension and tightness in the muscles, which can reduce pain and improve overall comfort.\\nImproved Overall Health and Well-Being: By providing a range of physical and mental benefits, yoga can improve overall health and well-being for individuals with MS. Regular practice can promote a sense of inner calm and peacefulness, which can positively impact all areas of life.\\n\\nYoga Poses for Multiple Sclerosis Symptom Management\\nSeated or chair yoga poses are ideal for individuals with limited mobility, while standing poses are suitable for those with greater mobility. Focus on poses that improve balance, coordination, and flexibility, such as:\\n\\n1.Child's Pose (Balasana): \\n\\nSit on your heels with your knees apart, and fold your torso forward, resting your forehead on the floor. Stretch your arms forward, palms facing down. Hold for 5-10 deep breaths.\\n\\n2.Cat-Cow (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana): \\n\\nStart on your hands and knees, with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Inhale and lift your chest and tailbone towards the ceiling (Cow pose), and exhale, rounding your spine towards the ceiling (Cat pose). Repeat for 5-10 breaths.\\n\\n3.Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II): \\n\\nFrom a standing position, step your left foot back and turn it out 90 degrees. Bend your right knee, keeping it directly over your ankle. Extend your arms out to the sides, and gaze over your right hand. Hold for 5-10 breaths and repeat on the other side.\\n\\n4.Tree Pose (Vrksasana): \\n\\nStand with your feet hip-distance apart, and shift your weight onto your left foot. Place your right foot on your left thigh, and balance here. Place your hands in prayer position at your heart or extend your arms overhead. Hold for 5-10 breaths and repeat on the other side.\\n\\n5.Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana): \\n\\nFrom a tabletop position, walk your hands forward and lift your hips up and back, forming an inverted V-shape with your body. Press your hands and feet into the ground and hold for 5-10 breaths.\\n\\n6.Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I): \\n\\nFrom a standing position, step your left foot back and turn it out 45 degrees. Bend your right knee, keeping it directly over your ankle. Extend your arms overhead and gaze forward. Hold for 5-10 breaths and repeat on the other side.\n\\n7.Sphinx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana): \\n\\nLie on your stomach with your elbows under your shoulders and forearms on the ground. Press into your forearms and lift your chest up, keeping your shoulders relaxed. Hold for 5-10 breaths.\n\\n8.Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana): \\n\\nLie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-distance apart. Press into your feet and lift your hips up, keeping your arms and shoulders on the ground. Hold for 5-10 breaths.\\n\\n9.Triangle Pose (Trikonasana): \\n\\nFrom a standing position, step your left foot back and turn it out 90 degrees. Extend your arms out to the sides and reach forward with your right hand, placing it on your shin or a block. Gaze up at your left hand. Hold for 5-10 breaths and repeat on the other side.\\n\\n10.Corpse Pose (Savasana): \\n\\nLie on your back with your arms and legs extended. Close your eyes and focus on your breath, allowing your body to fully relax. Stay here for at least 5-10 minutes.\\n\\nBreathing and Meditation Practices for Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis\\nHere are some breathing and meditation practices that can be incorporated into a yoga practice for multiple sclerosis symptom management:\\n\nDeep Breathing: Sit comfortably and take deep, slow breaths through the nose, filling the lungs completely. Exhale slowly through the nose, releasing all the air. Repeat for several minutes.\\nAlternate Nostril Breathing: Sit comfortably and use the thumb to close one nostril while inhaling through the other. Then, use the ring finger to close the opposite nostril while exhaling through the first. Repeat for several minutes.\\nMindful Breathing: Focus on the sensation of the breath as it enters and leaves the body. If the mind wanders, gently bring the focus back to the breath.\\nBody Scan Meditation: Lie down or sit comfortably and bring attention to each part of the body, starting from the toes and moving up to the head. Notice any sensations or tensions and release them as you move through each part.\\n\\nConclusion\\nPracticing yoga can provide many benefits for individuals with multiple sclerosis, including reduced stress and fatigue, improved balance and coordination, and increased flexibility and strength. Incorporating yoga poses and practices into your routine can help manage symptoms and improve overall health and well-being. Remember to consult with a healthcare provider and find a qualified yoga teacher to begin a safe and effective practice."},"category":["fitness"]},{"id":"clg55sr3657wd0airoeszt66q","slug":"yoga-for-carpal-tunnel-syndrom","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Yoga for Carpal Tunnel: Top 10 Yoga Poses, Benefits, FAQs","subTitle":null,"seoTitle":null,"seoDescription":"Alleviate carpal tunnel symptoms with yoga! Discover 10 poses to reduce pain and improve wrist and hand health. Learn best practices and protect yourself.","readTime":null,"excerpt":"Relieve carpal tunnel with yoga! 10 poses to manage symptoms and improve wrist and hand health.","tags":[],"createdAt":"2023-04-06T13:33:53.820514+00:00","coverUrl":"fyzezortjqar8ovbd4vf.jpg","content":{"text":"Do you ever experience pain or tingling in your hands and fingers? It could be carpal tunnel syndrome, a common condition that affects many people who use their hands and wrists frequently. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by the compression of the median nerve in the wrist, which can lead to discomfort, numbness, and weakness in the hand and fingers.\\nFortunately, yoga can offer a natural and effective way to manage carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. In this article, we'll explore some yoga poses and practices that can help relieve pain and improve flexibility in the wrists and hands.\n\n\\nBenefits of Yoga for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome\\nYoga has many benefits for overall health and wellness, and it can be particularly helpful for managing carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. Here are just a few of the benefits:\\nReducing pain:\\n Certain yoga poses can help stretch and strengthen the muscles in the wrist and hand, which can reduce pain and discomfort.\\nImproving flexibility: \\nTight muscles and tendons in the wrist and hand can exacerbate carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms, but yoga can help improve flexibility and mobility.\\nReducing stress:\\n Stress and tension in the body can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms, but yoga can help reduce stress levels and promote relaxation.\n\\n\\nYoga Poses for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Relief\\nYoga poses, or asanas, can be a powerful tool for managing carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. Here are a few poses to try:\\n\n\\n1.Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose): \\n\\nThis pose can help stretch the wrists and forearms, reducing pain and stiffness. To perform this pose, sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. Bend your right knee and place your right foot on the floor, outside your left thigh. Bring your left heel toward your right buttock. Cross your left arm over your right arm and bring your palms together. Hold for 5-10 breaths, then switch sides.\\n\n\\n2.Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose): \\n\\nThis pose can help stretch the muscles in the hands, wrists, and arms, improving flexibility and reducing pain. Start on your hands and knees, with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Lift your hips up and back, straightening your arms and legs. Press your hands into the floor and lengthen through your spine. Hold for 5-10 breaths.\\n\n\\n3.Garudasana (Eagle Pose): \\n\\nThis pose can help strengthen the muscles in the hands and wrists, which can improve grip strength and reduce pain. To perform this pose, stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. Bring your right arm under your left arm, and bend both elbows to bring your palms together. Cross your right thigh over your left thigh. Balance on your left foot and hold for 5-10 breaths, then switch sides.\\n\n\\n4.Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose): \\n\\nThis pose can help stretch the wrists and forearms, promoting flexibility and reducing pain. To perform this pose, stand with your feet about 3-4 feet apart. Turn your right foot out 90 degrees and your left foot in slightly. Reach your right arm forward and hinge at your hip to reach your right hand toward your right shin or the floor. Extend your left arm straight up toward the ceiling. Hold for 5-10 breaths, then switch sides.\\n\n\\n5.Padangusthasana (Big Toe Pose): \\n\\nThis pose can help stretch the muscles in the hands, wrists, and arms, improving flexibility and reducing pain. To perform this pose, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Inhale and lift your arms up overhead. Exhale and fold forward, reaching for your big toes with your hands. Hold for 5-10 breaths.\\n\\n6.Marjariasana (Cat Pose): \\n\\nThis pose can help stretch and mobilize the wrists, reducing stiffness and promoting flexibility. To perform this pose, start on your hands and knees, with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Inhale and arch your back, lifting your tailbone and dropping your belly. Exhale and round your spine, tucking your chin to your chest. Repeat for several breaths.\n\\n7.Bitilasana (Cow Pose): \\n\\nThis pose can help stretch and mobilize the wrists, reducing stiffness and promoting flexibility. To perform this pose, start on your hands and knees, with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Inhale and arch your back, lifting your tailbone and dropping your belly. Hold for a breath or two, then return to neutral spine.\n\\n8.Matsyasana (Fish Pose):\\n\\nThis pose can help stretch the chest and shoulders, relieving tension in the upper body and reducing carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. To perform this pose, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips and slide your hands, palms down, under your buttocks. Press your forearms and elbows into the floor and lift your chest. Hold for 5-10 breaths.\\n\\n9.Baddha Konasana (Butterfly Pose):\\n \\n\\nThis pose can help stretch the inner thighs, hips, and groin, which can alleviate pressure on the wrists and hands. To perform this pose, sit on the floor with the soles of your feet together and your knees bent out to the sides. Hold your ankles or feet with your hands and gently press your knees down toward the floor. Hold for 5-10 breaths.\n\\n10\\n.\\nUttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)\\n: \\n\\nThis pose can help stretch the muscles in the hands, wrists, and arms, reducing stiffness and promoting flexibility. To perform this pose, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Inhale and lift your arms up overhead. Exhale and fold forward, reaching for the floor with your hands. Hold for 5-10 breaths. If you have difficulty reaching the floor, you can place your hands on blocks or a chair seat.\n\n\\nBreathing and Meditation Practices for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Relief\\nIn addition to yoga poses, breathing exercises and meditation can be helpful for managing carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. Here are a few practices to try:\\nDeep Breathing:\\n Taking slow, deep breaths can help reduce stress and tension in the body, which can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms.\\nGuided Meditation:\\n Guided meditations can help promote relaxation and reduce stress, which can in turn reduce carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms.\\nVisualization:\\n Visualizing the body healing and repairing itself can help reduce pain and promote healing in the wrists and hands.\n\\n\\nTips for Practicing Yoga with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome\\nWhen practicing yoga with carpal tunnel syndrome, it's important to listen to your body and modify your practice as needed. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:\\nUse Props\\n: Props like blocks or straps can help make poses more accessible and comfortable.\\nModify Poses\\n: If a pose is too painful or uncomfortable, modify it or skip it altogether.\\nBe Mindful\\n: Pay attention to your body and how it feels during your practice. If a certain pose or practice is causing pain or discomfort, stop and modify or skip it.\\n\\nConclusion:\\nManaging carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms can be a challenge, but incorporating yoga into your routine can be a natural and effective way to find relief. By practicing yoga poses, breathing exercises, and meditation regularly, you can improve flexibility, reduce pain, and promote relaxation in your wrists and hands. Give it a try and see how yoga can benefit your carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms today!\n\n\\nFrequently Asked Questions about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome\\n\\nQ1. How can yoga help people with carpal tunnel syndrome?\\nAns: \\nYoga is a great way to manage carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms! Certain yoga poses can help stretch and strengthen the muscles in the wrists, hands, and arms, which can relieve pressure on the median nerve and reduce symptoms like pain, numbness, and tingling. Plus, practicing yoga can help reduce inflammation, increase flexibility, and improve circulation in the affected area.\\n\\nQ2. What yoga poses should you avoid with carpal tunnel?\\nAns:\\n If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, it's important to avoid yoga poses that put too much pressure on the wrists or require excessive bending or flexing of the hands. Poses like Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose), Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose), and Plank Pose can worsen carpal tunnel symptoms and should be avoided. Instead, focus on poses that gently stretch and strengthen the wrists and hands.\n\\nQ3.What are the best practices for carpal tunnel?\\nAns:\\n In addition to practicing yoga, there are several other best practices for managing carpal tunnel syndrome. These include taking frequent breaks from repetitive tasks that strain the wrists and hands, using ergonomic tools and equipment to reduce strain, maintaining good posture, and engaging in regular exercise and stretching to promote overall health and flexibility. It's important to take care of yourself both on and off the mat!\n\\nQ4.How can you protect yourself from carpal tunnel?\\nAns:\\n There are several steps you can take to protect yourself from developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Using ergonomic tools and equipment, taking frequent breaks from repetitive tasks, and maintaining good posture can all help reduce your risk. Engaging in regular exercise and stretching can also help keep your hands and wrists healthy and flexible. Remember to listen to your body and take action if you notice any symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, such as pain, numbness, or tingling in the hands or wrists. A healthcare provider can help diagnose and treat any issues before they become more serious."},"category":["fitness"]},{"id":"clg3manw0c2300bk8q089x7gd","slug":"yoga-for-improved-mobility","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Top 10 Yoga Poses for Improved Mobility: Unlock Your Body's Potential","subTitle":null,"seoTitle":null,"seoDescription":"Yoga is an incredibly efficient tool for improving your mobility for the better, regardless of your age, background, or ability.","readTime":null,"excerpt":"Learn about the best yoga poses for improving your mobility.\n","tags":[],"createdAt":"2023-04-05T11:40:10.955124+00:00","coverUrl":"mo0n5st8ek3dj2p0m8ib.jpg","content":{"text":"We know that yoga can help elevate your mental and emotional wellbeing, but it’s actually an incredibly efficient tool for improving your mobility for the better, regardless of your age, background, or ability.\\nWhat do we mean by mobility, and why is it important? Mobility refers to the level of ease with which you can move your body. This affects your ability to walk, run, lift, and engage in physical activities like sports, dancing, or just playing in the backyard with your kids or grandkids. Your level of mobility directly translates to your overall well-being, and it can greatly influence whether or not you experience chronic pain.\\n\\nHow Yoga Improves Mobility?\\nA typical yoga practice includes performing a holistic routine of stretches that work to improve your flexibility, balance, and strength — which all directly impact your mobility. Let’s break down how each of those factors work.\\nFlexibility refers to the range of motion between your joints and muscles, and an inflexible body is rigid, stiff, and achy, with a relatively small range of motion. A regular yoga routine can help lengthen and strengthen your muscles, improving your range of motion while preventing injury and reducing your risk for chronic pain. Along with increasing mobility, improving your flexibility also puts less strain on your body overall.\\nBuilding strength is crucial to achieve better mobility, since stronger muscles give you better stability, balance, and control over your movements. Yoga targets muscle groups and makes them stronger, more toned, and more capable of increased movement with more control. Increasing strength also helps prevent injury, improves your sense of balance, and reduces your risk for issues later in life – like osteoporosis.\\nIt may be surprising to learn that yogic breathing can also help improve your mobility. By calming your mind, improving your awareness, and relaxing your body, you can build a greater connection with your physical self and reduce tension. This can lead to an increase in your range of motion and a better understanding of your personal limitations.\\nThe best part about yoga is that it's low impact, and it's approachable for everyone. It doesn’t matter how old you are, or whether or not you’re a beginner. You can start out with slow, gentle movements that can greatly improve your mobility without the risk of injury. You can also practice yoga in the comfort of your own home, by following the sequence below or working with one of the many qualified yoga instructors available here at \\nMyYogaTeacher\\n.\\n\\nYoga Poses for Better Mobility\\nTo get started practicing yoga for improved physical mobility, try performing the poses below several times per week over an extended period of time. \\n1.Sun Salutations\\n\\nStart at the top of your mat in Mountain pose, with your hands in prayer position. With flowing, dynamic movement, progress through the following postures 3 or more times:\\nUpward Salute\\nStanding Half-Forward Bend\\nStanding Forward Fold\\nLow Lunge (left foot forward)\\nPlank\\nFour-Limbed Staff pose\\nUpward Facing Dog or Cobra\\nDownward Facing Dog\\nLow Lunge (right foot forward)\\nStanding Half-Forward Bend\\nStanding Forward Fold\\nUpward Salute\\nReturn to Mountain pose\\nRepeat\\n\\n2. Chair Pose\\n\\nStand in Mountain pose at the top of your mat, with your hands at your sides and feet hip distance apart. As you inhale, raise your hands over your head, with your arms parallel with your ears. As you exhale, hinge slightly at your waist, bend your knees and lower your torso forward as if you were about to sit down in a chair. Keep your core engaged and your spine straight while you hold this posture for several breaths.\\n\\n3. Downward Facing Dog\\n\\nStart in a tabletop position, with your hands and knees on your mat. Push up from your hands and knees, lifting your hips until you are balanced on your hands and feet, with your body resembling an inverted “v.” Keep your head in between your arms, ears balanced over your shoulders, and stay in this pose for several breaths.\\n\\n4. Low Lunge\\n\\nFrom your position in Downward Dog, you can easily transition to Low Lunge by bringing your left foot forward and bending your left leg at the knee. With your right leg behind you, gently kneel on your right knee. Inhale as you reach your arms up over your head, parallel with your ears. Expand your chest, lengthen your spine, keep your chin level and your gaze focused forward in front of you.\\n\\n5. Plank\\n\\nLie face down on your mat, and using your palms to push up from the floor, lift your body until you are balanced on your palms and the toes of your feet. In this pose, your body should be positioned in a straight line, with your gaze directed at the floor in front of you. Hold for a few breaths, or for 30-60 seconds if you are feeling strong in this pose.\\n\\n6. Cobra Pose\\n\\nStart by laying with your stomach facing down on the floor, with your legs straight and your arms folded under your head. Place your palms on the mat parallel to your chest. Slightly lift your head off the mat, keeping your head and back aligned, and press your thighs together. Now, steadily pull your elbows towards your rib cage keeping your hands underneath your shoulders. With a deep inhale, press your hands into the mat, curl your shoulders backward, and lift your upper body off the mat, arching your back. Hold this position for a few breaths and then rest.\\n\\n7. Cat-Cow Pose\\n\\nStart in a tabletop position with your hands and knees on the floor. Inhale and look up, lifting your chin and gently arching your spine. As you exhale, drop your chin and look down toward your naval as you curl your spine forward. Continue this movement 5-10 times.\\n\\n8. Bow Pose\\n\\nLie down on your stomach with your forehead against the mat and your hands resting at your sides. Inhale and engage your core, slightly lifting your torso up, bending your legs and grabbing your ankles with each hand. Open your chest and lift your chin, so that your gaze is facing forward. Maintain a steady breath while holding this pose, allowing your body to gently rock back and forth with each inhale and exhale. Release after 20-30 seconds.\\n\\n9. Bridge Pose\\n\\nStart by lying on your back with your knees bent. On your next exhale, tuck your chin and lift your hips, being careful not to allow your knees to splay outward. Interlace your fingers on the floor underneath you and lift your hips higher, while staying in the pose for 5-10 breaths.\\n\\n10. Corpse Pose\\n\\nSit on your yoga mat and lower your body to the floor, relaxing your legs and letting your arms rest on the floor at your sides, palms up. Keep your eyes closed and focus on your breathing. Relax the muscles in your face and neck, and visualize every part of your body letting go of all tension. Hold this pose for 5-7 minutes.\\n"},"category":[]},{"id":"clg0gw3o0ycc30ak0rlfm4ea9","slug":"yoga-for-endometriosis","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Yoga for Endometriosis: 6 Easy Poses to Try at Home","subTitle":null,"seoTitle":null,"seoDescription":"Yoga can help ease symptoms of endometriosis, and it’s a great option for women who are looking for a low-risk, low impact way to cope with the condition.","readTime":null,"excerpt":"Learn the best yoga poses for endometriosis symptoms.\n","tags":[],"createdAt":"2023-04-03T06:45:34.990165+00:00","coverUrl":"htglzgglkwtr6is6mzmi.jpg","content":{"text":"Endometriosis is a disorder that affects about 190 million women worldwide, causing painful periods, infertility, and other severe symptoms that can significantly reduce the overall quality of their lives. While science is still working to fully understand endometriosis, right now there are a few ways in which women can manage the symptoms of this painful condition, including medication, surgery and various forms of therapy. Yoga can also help ease symptoms, and it’s a great option for women who are looking for a low-risk, low impact way to cope with endometriosis.\\nYoga helps reduce the troubling symptoms of endometriosis in a few different ways. The overall practice of yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for operating the body's relaxation and digestive responses. These responses tell your body to slow down and rest, which are crucial when it comes to reducing the pain, anxiety, and stress that comes with endometriosis.\\nYoga also enhances blood flow to your reproductive organs, which can help reduce inflammation and promote healing. Yoga poses work to stretch the muscles and tissues around your uterus and ovaries, which can help reduce the intensity and duration of menstrual cramps.  Endometriosis commonly causes intense chronic pain in the pelvis, lower back, and hips, which yoga can help alleviate through gentle stretches and movement that help open up and relax the muscles in these areas.\\nEndometriosis can also cause infertility due to scarring around the reproductive organs, but yoga can help offset this issue by increasing blood flow to the area and lowering inflammation. Yoga also works to balance your hormones by reducing cortisol and other stress hormones and regulating your menstrual cycle.\\nIn terms of mental health, yoga is one of the most effective tools in managing anxiety and depression, which are common symptoms of endometriosis. This condition can cause immense chronic pain, which typically results in emotional distress that yoga can help alleviate. Yoga sends signals to your mind and body that encourage both to relax, reducing tension, calming anxious thoughts, and improving your sense of well-being.\\n\\nWhat Types of Yoga are Best for Endometriosis?\\nThere are many different kinds of yoga, but if you’re experiencing symptoms of endometriosis you may want to stick with gentle postures like those you would perform in Hatha, Restorative, Gentle, or Yin yoga. These types of yoga focus on easy, low-impact movement, along with relaxation and stress reduction, and they typically involve some type of yogic breath work – which can also help reduce inflammation and chronic pain.\\nIf you’re considering yoga for managing your symptoms of endometriosis, there are certain precautions you should take in order to avoid making those symptoms worse. While you’re on your period, it’s important to avoid inverted postures that might interrupt or change your body’s natural flow. If a specific posture causes pain or discomfort, exit the pose immediately and take a break. It’s important to listen to your body and avoid any kind of position that doesn’t feel good. If you’re unsure about your alignment or you’d like some guidance on how to practice yoga for endometriosis, you can enroll in an online class or book a private session with one of the instructors here at \\nMyYogaTeacher\\n.\n\\n6 Easy Yoga Poses for Endometriosis\\nIf you’re experiencing the painful symptoms of endometriosis, try the gentle poses below for some relief.\\n1.Child’s Pose\\n\\nStart on your hands and knees and then lower yourself down so that your backside is resting on your heels, and your big toes are touching each other. Move your hands forward, palms down, so that your forehead is resting on the floor. Allow your spine to lengthen and your neck muscles to fully relax. Breathe deeply and mindfully while staying in this pose for 5-6 minutes.\n\\n2. Cat-Cow Pose\\n\\nStart in a tabletop position with your hands and knees on the floor. Inhale and look up, lifting your chin and gently arching your spine. As you exhale, drop your chin and look down toward your naval as you curl your spine forward. Continue this movement 5-10 times.\\n\\n3. Fixed Angle Pose\\n\\nSit on your yoga mat with your knees bent and the soles of your feet pressed against each other. With your spine straight, press your hands behind you and gently open up your chest and tuck in your abdomen. Hold the pose for 1-2 minutes.\\n\\n4. Seated Forward Fold Pose\\n\\nSit in the center of your mat with your legs stretched out in front of you. Take a deep inhale and raise your arms directly over your head. As you exhale, slowly lean forward and place your head and chest on top of your legs, and grab your big toes with both of your hands. Tuck your chin and curl abdomen, relaxing your lower back as you sink into this pose. Hold for one minute.\\n\\n5. Supine Twist Pose\\n\\nLie on the floor with your knees bent and bring them to your chest. Slowly and mindfully drop your left side while extending your arms outward in a “t” shape. Hold this pose for about 30 seconds while breathing mindfully. Bring your knees back to your chest, and then repeat on your right side.\\n\\n6. Legs Up The Wall Pose\\n\\nPlace a folded blanket parallel against a wall. Sit sideways in the middle of the blanket, and turn yourself toward the wall, lifting your legs up and propping them against the wall. Lay back comfortably, rest your head and neck on the floor, and fully straighten your legs. Spread your arms out to your sides with your palms facing up. Allow your chest, abdomen, and pelvis to completely relax. Breathe evenly and mindfully while holding this pose for 5-8 minutes.\\n\\nPranayama for Endometriosis\\nYogic breath work can help ease feelings of stress and anxiety, while giving you tools with which to manage pain. Try these breathing exercises to encourage a sense of calm and relaxation.\\n1.Nadi Sodhana or “Alternate Nostril Breathing”\\nExhale completely, and then place your right index finger onto your right nostril, and breathe deeply in through the left. Alternate and place your thumb over your left nostril, and exhale through your right. Continue alternating, repeating at least 10 times.\\n\\n2. Ujjayi or Ocean’s Breath\\nStart by breathing in through your mouth. As you exhale, pull in your chin in toward your body and so that your throat is partly constricted. Then, breathe in and out through your nose, making a slight sound that is similar to the ocean.\\n"},"category":["yoga_poses"]},{"id":"clg0fojrzxeqr0biq6yvfzdjk","slug":"yoga-for-acid-reflux","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Yoga and Digestion: 8 Poses to Help Ease Acid Reflux Symptoms","subTitle":null,"seoTitle":null,"seoDescription":"Yoga helps alleviate symptoms of acid reflux and prevent onset by reducing stress and anxiety, activating your digestive system, and improving your posture.","readTime":null,"excerpt":"Learn the best poses for reducing acid reflux.\n","tags":[],"createdAt":"2023-04-03T06:11:42.97583+00:00","coverUrl":"ckauzlgegiwd249grkhg.jpg","content":{"text":"If you experience acid reflux on a regular basis, then you’re already familiar with how it typically unfolds. It often starts with a burning sensation in your chest and the repeated urge to burp and let go of accumulated gas. There are lots of reasons why acid reflux occurs, including a number of lifestyle factors like poor diet and emotional stress. Thankfully, yoga can help manage symptoms and reduce episodes if they are stress-related. \\n\\nHow Yoga Helps with Acid Reflux\\nOne of the ways that yoga helps reduce acid reflux is by reducing stress and anxiety. These are the common culprits for acid reflux, because they cause your body to engage in a cascade of fight/flight/freeze responses that includes increased production of stomach acid. By reducing your stress and anxiety, you can help your body avoid switching on that fight/flight/freeze response.\\nAnother way that yoga can reduce acid reflux is through improving your posture and alignment. Poor posture can contribute to chronic acid reflux by placing too much pressure on your stomach and esophagus. Yoga postures that correct your alignment — like Downward Facing Dog and Standing Forward Fold — help relieve this pressure and prevent the onset of acid reflux. It’s important to note that in order to truly improve your posture, you need to practice these poses regularly and for the long term – over time they can help reduce your risk of developing acid reflux in the first place.\\nYoga can also help regulate your digestive system, which is another factor that contributes to acidity. When food gets stuck in your digestive tract, it can cause gas and bloating, slowing your entire digestive system down, which eventually manifests in your stomach with an acidic reaction. By stimulating your digestive system, you can help your body move and process food smoothly through your digestive tract without gas, bloating, or acidity.\\nOne of the most important ways yoga can help prevent acid reflux is by strengthening your diaphragm, which is the muscle that prevents acid from moving up into your esophagus. When the diaphragm is weak or tense, it can actually allow acid reflux to rise up from your stomach and push its way into your esophagus, which is what causes that uncomfortable burning sensation in your chest. Yoga postures that promote diaphragmatic breathing, such as Seated Forward Fold and Corpse pose can help strengthen this muscle and prevent acid reflux.\n\\n\\n8 Effective Yoga Poses for Acid Reflux\\nIn order to get the most benefit from practicing yoga for acid reflux, it’s recommended that you develop a regular routine that involves performing yoga at least 3-4 times per week for 6-9 months. This isn’t a quick fix, but with a long term commitment you can reduce the onset of acid reflux and improve your overall quality of life.\\nThe poses below are basic, primary yoga poses you can practice in your very own home. If you’re unsure how to practice the postures, or you’d like some professional guidance, try working with one of our certified yoga instructors at \\nMyYogaTeacher\\n.\\n1.Mountain Pose\\n\\nStart by standing at the top of your mat with your feet hip distance apart. Balance your weight evenly on both feet. Keep your arms relaxed at your sides, with your spine straight and your chest lifted. Your gaze should be focused straight ahead of you while you breathe easily and gently. Hold the pose for 1-2 minutes.\n\\n2. Standing Forward Fold\\n\\nStand at the front of your mat, feet hip distance apart. Exhale and bend forward from the waist, with your knees slightly bent and touching your hands to the floor in front of your feet. Inhale and exhale, allowing your torso to extend without rounding your back. Lengthen and soften your neck, and let the muscles of your thighs and lower back open and release any built-up tension. Hold the pose for 1-2 minutes.\\n\\n3. Downward Facing Dog Pose\\n\\nWith your hands and knees on the floor, push your hips upward until you are balancing on your hands and feet, and your body resembles an inverted “v” shape. Reach your heels toward the floor, stretching your hamstrings and activating your thighs. Keep your head between your arms, lengthening your side-body as you stretch. Stay here for several breaths.\\n\\n4. Seated Spinal Twist Pose\\n\\nSitting with your knees bent and your feet tucked in next to your left butt cheek, inhale with your spine straight, lifting your chest. As you exhale, rotate your torso to your right. Position your right hand on the floor just slightly behind you, and rest your left hand on your right knee. On your next breath, rotate a little more as you exhale, turning your head to look over your right shoulder. Hold this pose for 20 to 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.\\n\\n5. Cat-Cow Pose\\n\\nStart with your hands and knees on the floor. Inhale and look up, lifting your chin and gently arching your back. As you exhale, drop your chin and look down toward your naval as you curl your spine forward. Continue this movement 5-10 times.\\n\\n6. Child’s pose Pose\\n\\nStart on your hands and knees and then lower yourself down so that your backside is resting on your heels, and your big toes are touching each other. Move your hands forward, palms down, so that your forehead is resting on the floor. Allow your spine to lengthen and your neck muscles to fully relax. Breathe deeply and mindfully while staying in this pose for 5-6 minutes.\n\\n7. Seated Forward Fold Pose\\n\\nStart by sitting on your yoga mat with your legs stretched out in front of you. Come onto your sit bones and inhale with a straight spine. Raise your arms over your head and as you exhale, begin to bend forward by hinging at your waist. Slowly lower your torso toward the tops of your legs, allowing your spine to curve forward as you reach your legs. Hold this pose for 30-60 seconds.\\n\\n8. Corpse Pose\\n\\nSit on your yoga mat and lower your body to the floor, relaxing your legs and letting your arms rest on the floor at your sides, palms up. Keep your eyes closed and focus on your breathing. Relax the muscles in your face and neck, and visualize every part of your body letting go of all tension. Hold this pose for 5-7 minutes."},"category":["yoga_poses"]}],"randomPosts":[{"id":"ckmw44kt43y1k0c8107r78vo7","slug":"chair-yoga-practice","author":{"name":"Gourangi","teacherMytSlug":"gourangi-1","pictureUrl":"Gourangi-1.jpg"},"title":"7 Best Chair Yoga Poses To Practice Anywhere (Benefits & Complete Guide)","createdAt":"2021-03-30T14:25:43.568064+00:00","coverUrl":"chair_yoga_ckmw44kt43y1k0c8107r78vo7.png","content":{"text":"If you have mobility or balance issues or are just looking for a gentle way to practice yoga, chair yoga poses might be just what you're looking for! Chair yoga is a great way to bring yoga into your life even if you need a bit more support for your body in your practice. In this article, I'm going to share more information about what chair yoga is, its benefits, contraindications, and wrap up with some real life chair yoga poses to get you started with chair yoga.\\n\\nWhat Is Chair Yoga?\\nChair yoga is an inclusive practice that utilizes a chair as a supportive tool in modified yoga poses. This form of yoga is ideal for individuals of all ages, abilities, and physical limitations, including those with injuries, flexibility challenges, or mobility restrictions. \\nThe focus of chair yoga is to perform traditional yoga postures, known as asanas, while seated, providing stability and balance during the practice. The chair serves as an aid in maintaining balance in both standing and floor-based postures\\n\\nChair Yoga Benefits\\nChair yoga is a gentle form of yoga that can be beneficial for individuals of all ages and physical abilities. Let's take a closer look at the benefits mentioned in the content:\\nImproved strength, balance, and flexibility\\n: By performing various poses while seated or using the chair as a support tool, chair yoga can help improve overall strength, balance, and flexibility. This is especially helpful for individuals who may have difficulty with traditional yoga postures due to physical limitations.\\nReduced stress\\n: Like other forms of yoga, chair yoga incorporates deep breathing and mindfulness, which can help reduce stress and improve overall well-being.\\nImproved focus, awareness, and confidence\\n: Chair yoga can help individuals improve focus and become more aware of their bodies and movements, leading to increased confidence in their physical abilities.\\nLess physical pain\\n: By performing modified yoga poses in a supportive environment, chair yoga can help reduce physical discomfort and improve overall physical health.\\n\\nOverall, chair yoga is a gentle, yet effective practice that can offer a wide range of benefits to individuals of all ages and physical abilities.\\nChair Yoga Contraindications\\nWhile chair yoga poses are gentle, there are still some contraindications or limiting factors that might keep you from participating in a chair yoga practice. Even though there are many benefits of chair yoga, ultimately, you should consult your physician if you're unsure whether you should be participating in chair yoga. Here are a few reasons you may not want to practice chair yoga:\\nRecent heart attack\\nRegular chest pains\\nAcute infection\\nIf you have high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, joint problems, or have had a hip replacement, please contact your doctor for approval.\\n\\n7 Best Chair Yoga Poses To Practice Anywhere\\nThere are a number of yoga poses that can be done seated or using a chair. Some of the poses we're including here will be greatly modified from their original form, but others are just slight modifications. Before you get started, make sure your chair (a sturdy chair with a back) is on a stable, non-slip surface so it doesn't move around with you.\\n\\n1. Seated Mountain Pose\\n\\nMountain Pose is a great chair yoga pose to start with. Take a seat on your chair with your feet flat on the floor and engage your core. Focus on your breath, taking a deep breath in as you lengthen your spine. On the exhale, ground yourself into the chair through your sit bones. Make sure the shoulders are rolled down and back and relax your arms at your sides. Stay here, focusing on your breathing and keeping your core gently engaged for a minute or so.\\n\\n2. Seated Cat-Cow Pose\\n\\nSit in your chair with your feet firmly on the ground and your spine long and tall. Place your hands on your thighs, just above your knees. Inhale and tilt your pelvis forward, arching your lower back and lifting your heart towards the sky. On the exhale, round out your lower back, creating space between your shoulder blades and tucking your chin toward the chest. Repeat this sequence five times.\\n\\n3. Seated Chandrasana Pose\\n\\nChandrasana is a lateral bend that will help stretch the sides of your body. Start from a seated position in your chair with your feet firmly planted on the floor. On the inhale, reach both of your arms up toward the ceiling. Grab your left wrist with your right hand and stretch over to the right on the exhale. Inhale and come back to center. Next, grab your right wrist with your left hand and stretch over to the left on the exhale. Inhale back to center. Repeat this sequence five times.\\n\\n4. Seated Uttanasana Pose\\n\\nUttanasana is a forward fold that lengthens the back of the body. If you have high blood pressure, do not let your head drop below your knees.\\nFrom a seated position, bring your hands to your thighs, just above your knees. Keep your bottom grounded on your chair and fold forward until you can rest your elbows on your thighs. If you'd like, you can fold forward until your torso is resting on your thighs. Rest in this pose for about a minute and return to an upright seated position slowly.\\n\\n5. Seated Twist Pose\\n\\nTwists are great for creating space in your spine, improving blood flow, and aiding with digestion. From a seated position, inhale and sit up tall. On the exhale, bring your right hand across your left knee and your left hand behind you on the chair. Stay here for five breaths before inhaling back to the center and repeating on the other side.\\nIt's important to be gentle with your body in seated twists. Many people find it a lot easier to overdo these stretches so don't go as far as you possibly can, just go to where the twist feels comfortable.\\n\\n6. Down Dog with Chair\\n\\nDown dog is an excellent pose for strengthening your arms and core, lengthening the sides of your body and hamstrings, and building up your hip stabilizing muscles. Here we're going to use the chair as a prop.\\n\\nStand behind your chair with your hands on the back of it. Walk your feet a little farther from the chair, keeping your feet hip-distance apart. Your torso will begin to fold forward. Find a challenging position where you can still maintain even breaths and stay here for 5–10 breaths before slowly walking your feet back toward the chair.\\n\\n7. Chair Surya Namaskar (Chair Sun Salutation)\\n\\nYes, you can even do a sun salutation from a chair! No matter whether you’re doing chair yoga because of mobility issues, disabilities, or just need a break while seated at your desk, a seated sun salutation is a wonderful option.\\n\\nSit on your chair with your feet close together and join the palms together at your heart, namaste. Extend the spine and torso upwards while keeping your sit bones grounded on the chair. Close your eyes and begin breathing slowly and deeply. Stay here for at least six breaths.\\n\\nInhale, raising your arms above your head, keeping your palms together. Extend your arms beyond your head and shoulders and exhale completely, taking the gaze either up to the sky or straight in front of you. Stay here for four breaths.\\n\\nFrom here, exhale and bend forward at the hips, taking your hands down to the floor if you can and resting your torso on your thighs. Stay here for four breaths. If you have trouble breathing in this pose, feel free to place a cushion on your thighs.\\n\\nNow, inhale and come up, sitting straight up on your chair. Exhale. On the next inhale, raise your right leg up and hold the right thigh, bending your knee into your chest for a low lunge variation. Stay here for six breaths or more. If it feels nice, you can deepen this stretch, resting your nose on the knee of your bent leg, and hold the pose for another six breaths. Exhale your foot back down to the floor.\\n\\nOn the next inhale, raise your arms up over your head again, slightly arching your back, and stay here for six breaths. Once again, move into a forward fold and stay here for four breaths before repeating the low lunge variation on your other leg. Exhale your foot back down to the floor.\\n\\nInhale, raising your arms up over your head, arching your back, and stay in this pose for eight breaths this time. Exhale into a forward fold and stand for eight breaths. Bring your arms up over your head again, stretching deeper, and stay here for 10 breaths.\\n\\nRepeat the sun salutation sequence at least one more time. If you'd like, you can end your practice in Savasana with your legs bent and your lower legs resting on the seat of the chair.\\n\\nIncrease Strength, Flexibility, and Mental Focus With Chair Yoga\\nOne of the biggest chair yoga benefits is that it consists of modified poses that are done while seated or using a chair as a prop for support and stability. This type of yoga has many of the same benefits as other more traditional types of yoga and is the perfect option for people with mobility issues, injuries, or other health concerns.\\n\\nInterested in trying chair yoga? \\nSign up for a free two-week trial of MyYogaTeacher\\n and join me in my next class! You'll get access to more than 35 live yoga classes every single day, from chair yoga to power yoga to meditation and beyond."}},{"id":"cldebisqj8am10bk2riasiyyy","slug":"self-love-yoga-event","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Self Love Yoga & Meditation Event: Empower Yourself This Valentine’s Day","createdAt":"2023-01-27T09:24:55.671424+00:00","coverUrl":"rvpz4az7wyk8pdo4fvyg.png","content":{"text":"Announcing our free Self Love Event February 13-14!\\n\n\\nEmbrace yourself and practice self love this Valentine’s Day and every day with the help of MyYogaTeacher’s expert yoga teachers.\\n\\nYoga has been a powerful tool for self-improvement and personal growth for centuries, and self-love yoga is no exception. Unfortunately, many of us struggle with self-doubt, self-criticism, and negative self-talk. Self-love yoga can help to change that by promoting self-acceptance and self-compassion.\\nThis special yoga and meditation event\\n focuses on building self-acceptance, self-worth, and self-compassion through a combination of physical postures, breathing techniques, and mindfulness practices.\\nSelf-love is the foundation of all healthy relationships, including the relationship with ourselves. Without self-love, we cannot truly love and accept others!\\n\n\\n\\nHow to join the Yoga for Self Love Event:\\n\n\\nMembers\\nJust click the links below to one or all of the classes you’d like to attend and register as you would any other group class! Simple as that.\\n\n\\nNon-Members\\n\\nClick this link to sign up for your free two week trial\\n to get access to this incredible event! No credit card required.\\n\n\\nAre you a nonmember who signed up for a trial in the past but it’s lapsed?\\nIf you’re not a member but signed up for a free-trial in the past, and it has expired, just reach out to \\ncare@myyogateacher.com\\n to let us know!  We'll reset your trial and give you full access to the event.\\n\n\\nMake this event the start of something wonderful for your mental, emotional, and physical health! So you, too, can be happier, more self-confident, and more productive!\\n\\n\\nNurturing Relationships Through Self Love \\n\\nMonday, February 13 at 5 pm PST/ 8 pm EST\\n\n\\nSelf love isn’t selfish! It’s critical to creating deeper, more meaningful relationships and becoming the best version of yourself you can be! Join us in this discussion based self love class with a guided meditation and walk away prioritizing your health and happiness!\\n\n\\n\\nEmbrace Yourself: Balancing the Heart Chakra\\n\\nTuesday, February 14 at 5 pm PST/ 8 pm EST\\n\\nReady to love yourself (and others) more and better? Need more compassion and kindness in your life? Join this yoga for self-love class designed to open your heart chakra and help you walk away feeling empowered to have more meaningful relationships and showing more love\n\\nThis special event will offer a unique opportunity to nurture yourself and discover the power of self-love.  Don't miss out on this transformative experience. Sign up today and awaken your inner strength and self-love.\\nAnd don’t forget to check out other yoga classes MyYogaTeacher offers as a part of your membership or free trial! Or reach out to the yoga instructors below offering 1-on-1 sessions to address specific issues!\n\n\\n\\nAnnelise Piers\\n\\n\\nShika Sood\\n\\n\\nSwati Dalvi\\n\\n\\nAbhishek Bodhi\\n\\n\\nPreeti Goswami\\n\\n\\nRohan Shroff\\n\n\\n\\nAnd remember: If you’re a nonmember who’s two-week free trial has ended, reach out to \\ncare@myyogateacher.com\\n to have your trial reset so you can easily sign up for these awesome classes!\\n\n\\nWelcome to MyYogaTeacher’s Self Love Event!\\nSee you soon!\\n"}},{"id":"cl8ka13l4ionz0ck2fe0pme7l","slug":"chronic-neck-pain-relief-yoga-poses","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Are you suffering with Chronic Neck Pain? 10 yoga poses to find relief!","createdAt":"2022-09-27T14:11:15.683866+00:00","coverUrl":"rbh6duxy7hy3y207sg1c.jpg","content":{"text":"Do you suffer from chronic neck pain? Nearly 30-50% of adults suffer from recurring neck pain. \\nNeck pain can be a common occurrence for people who:\\nhave long commutes or sit at a desk all day\\nwho have issues with posture \\nwho have chronic sleep issues\\nOur neck and shoulders can also be a place where we may carry tension or pain due to stress. In any case, the good news is yoga can help you to relieve your neck pain and move on symptom free! \\nDaily changes you can make to avoid neck pain\\nStay in alignment. Keep good posture and try not to carry heavy bags on one side of your body. Also, if you sit at a desk and work on a computer, move your monitor to eye-sight so you’re not looking up or down. Need help finding your center? \\nWe can help here at MyYogaTeacher! \\n\\nStay active! It’s important to stay mobilized.  If you sit all day, take breaks to move around and give your body a break from being stuck in one position. Can’t take breaks at work? Try to go for a walk on lunch or maybe before or after your workday. \\nCheck your sleep environment. Make sure your mattress and pillows are still in good shape. Look into the best pillows for your sleep type or body. Getting quality sleep will help you avoid tossing and turning and can be your remedy to wake pain free. \\nIf you’re feeling like you need to move, starting with any slower yoga practice will help! Yin, hatha and restorative classes will all leave your body feeling relaxed, renewed and free of pain. Want to flow on your own? Here are our top ten poses to try! \\n10 Yoga Poses to relieve Chronic Neck Pain :\n⁠\\n1. Easy seat with ear to shoulder stretch\\nThis pose releases your neck and shoulders and helps relieve tension and stress.\\nStart by sitting with your legs crossed and a straight back. Shoulders down. Bring your ear down to your shoulder. To deepen the stretch, bring your opposite arm overhead. \\n\\n\\n\\n2. Child’s Pose\\nReleases tension in the upper body including the neck and chest.\\nBring your knees as wide as the mat and sit into your heels. You can bring your chest to the mat and extend your arms forward or come to rest on a pillow or bolster. Try to hold this pose for up to 5 breaths. \\n\\n\\n\\n3. Downward facing dog\\nHelps to relieve neck pain by strengthening the upper body and releasing the spine. \\nStart by coming onto all fours. Check your alignment- make sure your shoulders are over your wrist, and your hips over your knees. Without changing the position of your hands and feet, push up and back to bring your heels into the ground. Relax your head, neck and shoulders down. \\n\\n\\n\\n4. Bridge Pose\\nReleases chest, neck, spine and hips.\\nLay down on your mat, bring your feet as close to your glutes as possible. Bring your hands to the sides of your body palms down. Push into the feet and hands while you lift your core and back to the ceiling. Try to relax and breathe here. \\n\\n\\n\\n5. Wide Leg forward fold\\nReleases spine, neck and back. If you’re in pain perform this stretch slowly, and come up one vertebrae at a time. \\nBring your feet as wide as you can, feet facing forward. Hinge at the hips and slowly bend forward and down towards your feet. You can hang here or grab yogi toe lock around your big toe. \\n\\n\\n\\n6. Cow face pose\\nStrengthens core and spine.\\nSit up tall and stack your knees directly over one another. Reach one arm back around your waist and one arm over your shoulder with your palms reaching towards one another. If you can, clasp your hands. If not, rest them on your back, you will still benefit from the pose. \\n\\n\\n\\n7. Sphinx pose\\nThis pose will help to physically open up the shoulders and neck. Looking side to side slowly is a great addition to the pose. \\nLie on your stomach and bring your hands next to your chest facing down. On your inhale press into the ground and lift your upper body. \\n\\n\\n\\n8. Thread the Needle \\nIncreases mobility and releases tension in the upper body. \\nCome on to all fours. Check your alignment, make sure your hips are over your knees, shoulders over your wrist. Reach one arm out to the side and thread it through the opposite side under your ribs. You can stay here or open up the opposite side by reaching the hand to the back or straight up and over. Make sure to do both sides. \\n\\n\\n\\n9. Legs up the wall\\nReleases tension and stress from the upper body by reversing blood flow. \\nFind a wall near your practice space and sit next to the wall as close as possible. Lower your head, neck and shoulders onto your mat, then roll onto your back and stretch your legs up the wall. You can stay in this restorative pose for up to 10 minutes. \\n\\n\\n\\n10. Savasana\\nSavasana releases any stress, lowers heart rate and calms the body. \\nCome onto your back on your mat, and release your body down. This is known as corpse pose because it is a full and final rest at the end of our practice. Release and let go of any and all tension. \\n\\n\\n\\nClasses to help relieve neck pain \\n\\nYoga fusion for joints \\n- This class will help you roll out your joint pain and stretch your tight limbs and joints. \\n\\nYoga for Back Pain\\n - Sometimes, neck pain can be caused by tightness in the spine. Experts say yoga helps soothe muscle pains. Try this class to strengthen and lengthen your neck and back for pain relief! \\n\\nYoga for Neck and Shoulder Pain\\n - Do you sit all day at work? Struggle with your posture? This class will help relieve upper body tension. \\n\nSo if you’re ready to make your neck pain a thing of the past, join us today. Our trial includes two free weeks of group fitness classes, one on one classes and so much more! \\nGet started on your yoga journey now!\\n"}}],"relatedPosts":[],"blogContent":{"id":"ckfqznt6g02d70179pxn796t7","slug":"flowing-into-my-ikigai-yoga","author":{"name":"Rashika","teacherMytSlug":"rashika-1","pictureUrl":"rashikacover.jpg"},"title":"Flowing into my Ikigai: YOGA","createdAt":"2020-06-05T00:00:00+00:00","updatedAt":"2022-08-01T06:49:55.044357+00:00","coverUrl":"rashikacover.jpg","seoDescription":"Practice yoga to achieve a plethora of goals. Be it to get fit, relieve yourself from stress, cure a body ache or even enhance your spirituality.","content":{"text":"Ikigai        生き甲斐   \\n\\n/Ick-ee-guy/ \\n\\nNoun\\n\\nA Japanese concept that means \"a reason for being\" or “a reason to jump out of bed every morning”. The word refers to having a direction or purpose in life, that which makes one's life worthwhile, and towards which an individual takes spontaneous and willing actions giving them satisfaction and a sense of meaning to life.\\n\\nSource: Google\\n\\nThey say, if you follow your Ikigai everyday passionately enough, you can live up to 100 yrs.!\\n\\nNow, I can’t really vouch for this fact but I am all set to find out, haha!\\n\\nIf the title of the blog wasn’t a hint enough, this story is about my journey with yoga and its countless wonders in a quest to find my own Ikigai. Yoga, for me, is an expression of self-love and a conscious pursuit of letting go of the materialistic sense of reality in order to become ‘one’ with the universe. Asanas and pranayama are simply a medium.\\n\\nI was introduced to yoga back in high school. It was a warm summer and school was closed when my uncle from Brazil visited us. Growing up I used to drown myself into books and stories of adventure, travel and magic. They eventually became a part of me and a dream took birth, a facile dream to travel and seek. Back to the summer, my uncle had returned to India after 5 years, having travelled the entire Latin America and most of Europe. His stories and experiences with culture, people and the almighty were my window to the vast world out there. He sensed my excitement and interest immediately and told me about the ancient treasure of India, Yoga. His anecdotes included sadhanas, siddhis (superpowers) and great yogis. I was really intrigued and went on to dig deeper into the subject. I couldn’t wait for school to get over so I can learn from experienced yoga masters.\\n\\nOne and a half year later, I enrolled myself for 200Hrs Certificate course in hatha yoga in one of the oldest Ashrams in India, Kaivalyadhama ashram in Lonavala. And that changed my life. A month before I was supposed to leave for the course, a got a serious lower back spasm due to a jerky forward bend. Weeks of physiotherapy later, doctors told me to forbid myself from bending forward for my entire life. My whole dream shattered in front of my eyes and I didn’t know what to do. I closed my eyes and promised to myself that I would go anyway. The first couple of days in the ashram felt very natural and beautiful but I was still worried about my spasm. However, just 3 days of slow hatha yoga practise were enough for my spasm to go and voila! I could bend forward again. That day I realised the importance of correct alignment and transitioning in asanas. My yoga guru taught us the principles and philosophies of various schools of yoga, which confused me to no extent. He said, “Yoga is the Equanimity of mind” meaning the worldly actions shouldn’t affect our mental state, it should always be neutral and balanced. I realised how yoga transforms our body on all levels, be it physical, mental or spiritual. The 17-year-old me wanted to learn more and more, there was no end to my questions. \\n\\nAll these experiences became even more vivid when my guru took our first ever \\nyoga session\\n. I found myself immersing in the deeper values of asanas and getting lost in the unknown cosmos during savasana. I let out a serene smile as I opened my eyes back to reality, for I had found my purpose. The course ended and I stepped into my graduation course. I studied business administration and specialized in Marketing from a well-known college in Pune. Amidst all the classes, deadlines, assignments and chaos, the morning yoga practise in the community garden was my tranquil abode. One such day, a couple of ladies interrupted my practise to ask me if I would teach them. Until that moment, I never intended to teach yoga but there I was, sheepishly nodding to them.\\n\\nThe group of two increased to 7 and then to 13 people, all of them eagerly waited for me, every alternate morning to teach them yoga. I also started volunteering at International yoga day workshops, assisting my colleagues in their studios and taking drop-in sessions at the community garden. I traveled for a couple of months across various states of India and Andaman & Nicobar Islands, soaking myself in awe- worthy experiences such as scuba diving, trekking and bungee jumping, meanwhile gathering more and more experiences with my \\nyoga practice\\n. This went on for a while until I decided to explore different styles of yoga and signed up for an advanced 300hrs TTC in Ashtanga yoga. I readily imbibed all the knowledge and styles taught in the yoga school in Mysore, Bangalore.\\n\\nI still didn’t think of taking up yoga as a career, I just wanted to learn more. I sat for placements in college and the next thing I know, I was working as a business development executive in a start-up company. My practise became irregular and teaching completely stopped. Six months after working, I was completely burned out. I wasn’t feeling like myself at all and somewhere in the hustle I had forgotten my dream. I read a beautiful quote out there, which said, “Everyone in life has a dream, to give them up is to give up on life itself”\\n\\nI realised that working in corporates is not what I want to do in my life, it didn’t make me happy. Thanks to my lucky stars, I knew exactly what would. It was Yoga, learning and practising while I began teaching as a private instructor in my hometown. I was dreadful to take my first session; I had no experience in professional teaching. That’s the thing about ‘Firsts’, it is so hard to start- until you start. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world. \\n\\nAlmost a year later, here I am, still seeking the wonders that await me, still learning about the intricacies of my yoga practise every day, still finding what more can a simple breath do, still teaching yoga with a warm heart, extending a hand to you:) \\n\\nIn my yoga session, I like to help you not only achieve your specific goal- it could be strengthening your body or be able to do a split, or relief yourself from the daily stress, or cure any ailment; but also dive deeper with your awareness and breath to the subtler levels of the body, experiencing bliss and deep relaxation. \\n\\nI invite you to take that first step, the first step to an adhering journey of self-love and discovery, just like the younger me did, because that one decision that you are too afraid to make could be the very thing that sets you free in the best possible way!As for me, I still believe in magic, my only question is, Do you? \\n","html":"<p>Ikigai        生き甲斐   </p><p></p><p>/Ick-ee-guy/ </p><p></p><p>Noun</p><p></p><p>A Japanese concept that means &quot;a reason for being&quot; or “a reason to jump out of bed every morning”. The word refers to having a direction or purpose in life, that which makes one&#39;s life worthwhile, and towards which an individual takes spontaneous and willing actions giving them satisfaction and a sense of meaning to life.</p><p></p><p>Source: Google</p><p></p><p>They say, if you follow your Ikigai everyday passionately enough, you can live up to 100 yrs.!</p><p></p><p>Now, I can’t really vouch for this fact but I am all set to find out, haha!</p><p></p><p>If the title of the blog wasn’t a hint enough, this story is about my journey with yoga and its countless wonders in a quest to find my own Ikigai. Yoga, for me, is an expression of self-love and a conscious pursuit of letting go of the materialistic sense of reality in order to become ‘one’ with the universe. Asanas and pranayama are simply a medium.</p><p></p><p>I was introduced to yoga back in high school. It was a warm summer and school was closed when my uncle from Brazil visited us. Growing up I used to drown myself into books and stories of adventure, travel and magic. They eventually became a part of me and a dream took birth, a facile dream to travel and seek. Back to the summer, my uncle had returned to India after 5 years, having travelled the entire Latin America and most of Europe. His stories and experiences with culture, people and the almighty were my window to the vast world out there. He sensed my excitement and interest immediately and told me about the ancient treasure of India, Yoga. His anecdotes included sadhanas, siddhis (superpowers) and great yogis. I was really intrigued and went on to dig deeper into the subject. I couldn’t wait for school to get over so I can learn from experienced yoga masters.</p><p></p><p>One and a half year later, I enrolled myself for 200Hrs Certificate course in hatha yoga in one of the oldest Ashrams in India, Kaivalyadhama ashram in Lonavala. And that changed my life. A month before I was supposed to leave for the course, a got a serious lower back spasm due to a jerky forward bend. Weeks of physiotherapy later, doctors told me to forbid myself from bending forward for my entire life. My whole dream shattered in front of my eyes and I didn’t know what to do. I closed my eyes and promised to myself that I would go anyway. The first couple of days in the ashram felt very natural and beautiful but I was still worried about my spasm. However, just 3 days of slow hatha yoga practise were enough for my spasm to go and voila! I could bend forward again. That day I realised the importance of correct alignment and transitioning in asanas. My yoga guru taught us the principles and philosophies of various schools of yoga, which confused me to no extent. He said, “Yoga is the Equanimity of mind” meaning the worldly actions shouldn’t affect our mental state, it should always be neutral and balanced. I realised how yoga transforms our body on all levels, be it physical, mental or spiritual. The 17-year-old me wanted to learn more and more, there was no end to my questions. </p><p></p><p>All these experiences became even more vivid when my guru took our first ever <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signUp\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signUp\">yoga session</a>. I found myself immersing in the deeper values of asanas and getting lost in the unknown cosmos during savasana. I let out a serene smile as I opened my eyes back to reality, for I had found my purpose. The course ended and I stepped into my graduation course. I studied business administration and specialized in Marketing from a well-known college in Pune. Amidst all the classes, deadlines, assignments and chaos, the morning yoga practise in the community garden was my tranquil abode. One such day, a couple of ladies interrupted my practise to ask me if I would teach them. Until that moment, I never intended to teach yoga but there I was, sheepishly nodding to them.</p><p></p><p>The group of two increased to 7 and then to 13 people, all of them eagerly waited for me, every alternate morning to teach them yoga. I also started volunteering at International yoga day workshops, assisting my colleagues in their studios and taking drop-in sessions at the community garden. I traveled for a couple of months across various states of India and Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands, soaking myself in awe- worthy experiences such as scuba diving, trekking and bungee jumping, meanwhile gathering more and more experiences with my <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/\">yoga practice</a>. This went on for a while until I decided to explore different styles of yoga and signed up for an advanced 300hrs TTC in Ashtanga yoga. I readily imbibed all the knowledge and styles taught in the yoga school in Mysore, Bangalore.</p><p></p><p>I still didn’t think of taking up yoga as a career, I just wanted to learn more. I sat for placements in college and the next thing I know, I was working as a business development executive in a start-up company. My practise became irregular and teaching completely stopped. Six months after working, I was completely burned out. I wasn’t feeling like myself at all and somewhere in the hustle I had forgotten my dream. I read a beautiful quote out there, which said, “Everyone in life has a dream, to give them up is to give up on life itself”</p><p></p><p>I realised that working in corporates is not what I want to do in my life, it didn’t make me happy. Thanks to my lucky stars, I knew exactly what would. It was Yoga, learning and practising while I began teaching as a private instructor in my hometown. I was dreadful to take my first session; I had no experience in professional teaching. That’s the thing about ‘Firsts’, it is so hard to start- until you start. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world. </p><p></p><p>Almost a year later, here I am, still seeking the wonders that await me, still learning about the intricacies of my yoga practise every day, still finding what more can a simple breath do, still teaching yoga with a warm heart, extending a hand to you:) </p><p></p><p>In my yoga session, I like to help you not only achieve your specific goal- it could be strengthening your body or be able to do a split, or relief yourself from the daily stress, or cure any ailment; but also dive deeper with your awareness and breath to the subtler levels of the body, experiencing bliss and deep relaxation. </p><p></p><p>I invite you to take that first step, the first step to an adhering journey of self-love and discovery, just like the younger me did, because that one decision that you are too afraid to make could be the very thing that sets you free in the best possible way!As for me, I still believe in magic, my only question is, Do you? </p><p></p>"},"category":["myYogaTeacher"],"utmCampaign":null,"utmMedium":null,"utmContent":null,"utmSource":null,"utmTerm":null,"utmSearchString":null,"imageHyperlink":[]},"loading":false,"blog_content":[{"type":"HTML","value":"<p>Ikigai        生き甲斐   </p><p></p><p>/Ick-ee-guy/ </p><p></p><p>Noun</p><p></p><p>A Japanese concept that means &quot;a reason for being&quot; or “a reason to jump out of bed every morning”. The word refers to having a direction or purpose in life, that which makes one&#39;s life worthwhile, and towards which an individual takes spontaneous and willing actions giving them satisfaction and a sense of meaning to life.</p><p></p><p>Source: Google</p><p></p><p>They say, if you follow your Ikigai everyday passionately enough, you can live up to 100 yrs.!</p><p></p><p>Now, I can’t really vouch for this fact but I am all set to find out, haha!</p><p></p><p>If the title of the blog wasn’t a hint enough, this story is about my journey with yoga and its countless wonders in a quest to find my own Ikigai. Yoga, for me, is an expression of self-love and a conscious pursuit of letting go of the materialistic sense of reality in order to become ‘one’ with the universe. Asanas and pranayama are simply a medium.</p><p></p><p>I was introduced to yoga back in high school. It was a warm summer and school was closed when my uncle from Brazil visited us. Growing up I used to drown myself into books and stories of adventure, travel and magic. They eventually became a part of me and a dream took birth, a facile dream to travel and seek. Back to the summer, my uncle had returned to India after 5 years, having travelled the entire Latin America and most of Europe. His stories and experiences with culture, people and the almighty were my window to the vast world out there. He sensed my excitement and interest immediately and told me about the ancient treasure of India, Yoga. His anecdotes included sadhanas, siddhis (superpowers) and great yogis. I was really intrigued and went on to dig deeper into the subject. I couldn’t wait for school to get over so I can learn from experienced yoga masters.</p><p></p><p>One and a half year later, I enrolled myself for 200Hrs Certificate course in hatha yoga in one of the oldest Ashrams in India, Kaivalyadhama ashram in Lonavala. And that changed my life. A month before I was supposed to leave for the course, a got a serious lower back spasm due to a jerky forward bend. Weeks of physiotherapy later, doctors told me to forbid myself from bending forward for my entire life. My whole dream shattered in front of my eyes and I didn’t know what to do. I closed my eyes and promised to myself that I would go anyway. The first couple of days in the ashram felt very natural and beautiful but I was still worried about my spasm. However, just 3 days of slow hatha yoga practise were enough for my spasm to go and voila! I could bend forward again. That day I realised the importance of correct alignment and transitioning in asanas. My yoga guru taught us the principles and philosophies of various schools of yoga, which confused me to no extent. He said, “Yoga is the Equanimity of mind” meaning the worldly actions shouldn’t affect our mental state, it should always be neutral and balanced. I realised how yoga transforms our body on all levels, be it physical, mental or spiritual. The 17-year-old me wanted to learn more and more, there was no end to my questions. </p><p></p><p>All these experiences became even more vivid when my guru took our first ever <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signUp\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signUp\">yoga session</a>. I found myself immersing in the deeper values of asanas and getting lost in the unknown cosmos during savasana. I let out a serene smile as I opened my eyes back to reality, for I had found my purpose. The course ended and I stepped into my graduation course. I studied business administration and specialized in Marketing from a well-known college in Pune. Amidst all the classes, deadlines, assignments and chaos, the morning yoga practise in the community garden was my tranquil abode. One such day, a couple of ladies interrupted my practise to ask me if I would teach them. Until that moment, I never intended to teach yoga but there I was, sheepishly nodding to them.</p><p></p><p>The group of two increased to 7 and then to 13 people, all of them eagerly waited for me, every alternate morning to teach them yoga. I also started volunteering at International yoga day workshops, assisting my colleagues in their studios and taking drop-in sessions at the community garden. I traveled for a couple of months across various states of India and Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands, soaking myself in awe- worthy experiences such as scuba diving, trekking and bungee jumping, meanwhile gathering more and more experiences with my <a\n            class=\"inline-cta\"\n            id=19f6971b-7c8d-41d6-b504-9bd5ef500420\n            href=\"/signup?utm_source=MYT__article&utm_medium=ckfqznt6g02d70179pxn796t7&utm_campaign=inline_cta&utm_content=CTA-INLINE&entity_name=Flowing into my Ikigai: YOGA&entity_slug=flowing-into-my-ikigai-yoga&page_or_popup=/articles/flowing-into-my-ikigai-yoga&entity_location=hyperlink_midst_of_article&article_cta=CTA-INLINE&from_article_page=true\"\n            onclick=trigger_mixpanel_sign_up_cta(\"19f6971b-7c8d-41d6-b504-9bd5ef500420\")\n            title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/\" \n            data-title=\"Flowing into my Ikigai: YOGA\"\n            data-slug=\"flowing-into-my-ikigai-yoga\"\n            <u>yoga practice</a></u>        \n            </a>. This went on for a while until I decided to explore different styles of yoga and signed up for an advanced 300hrs TTC in Ashtanga yoga. I readily imbibed all the knowledge and styles taught in the yoga school in Mysore, Bangalore.</p><p></p><p>I still didn’t think of taking up yoga as a career, I just wanted to learn more. I sat for placements in college and the next thing I know, I was working as a business development executive in a start-up company. My practise became irregular and teaching completely stopped. Six months after working, I was completely burned out. I wasn’t feeling like myself at all and somewhere in the hustle I had forgotten my dream. I read a beautiful quote out there, which said, “Everyone in life has a dream, to give them up is to give up on life itself”</p><p></p><p>I realised that working in corporates is not what I want to do in my life, it didn’t make me happy. Thanks to my lucky stars, I knew exactly what would. It was Yoga, learning and practising while I began teaching as a private instructor in my hometown. I was dreadful to take my first session; I had no experience in professional teaching. That’s the thing about ‘Firsts’, it is so hard to start- until you start. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world. </p><p></p><p>Almost a year later, here I am, still seeking the wonders that await me, still learning about the intricacies of my yoga practise every day, still finding what more can a simple breath do, still teaching yoga with a warm heart, extending a hand to you:) </p><p></p><p>In my yoga session, I like to help you not only achieve your specific goal- it could be strengthening your body or be able to do a split, or relief yourself from the daily stress, or cure any ailment; but also dive deeper with your awareness and breath to the subtler levels of the body, experiencing bliss and deep relaxation. </p><p></p><p>I invite you to take that first step, the first step to an adhering journey of self-love and discovery, just like the younger me did, because that one decision that you are too afraid to make could be the very thing that sets you free in the best possible way!As for me, I still believe in magic, my only question is, Do you? </p><p></p>"},{"type":"CTA","value":"[CTA-DEFAULT]"}],"isSlugACategory":false,"searchCategory":"flowing-into-my-ikigai-yoga","showPopUp":false,"popUpType":null,"showedPopup":false,"windowWidth":null,"ctaPath":"signup","redirectURL":"#","current_url":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/articles/flowing-into-my-ikigai-yoga","student_details":"","facebookUrl":"","twitterUrl":"","copyUrl":"","emailUrl":"","ctaContent":[{"id":"ckxrz2i14tov40c25g1dpicsg","name":"[CTA-DEFAULT]","description":{"html":"<p><strong>Get 2 free private yoga sessions and 2 weeks of unlimited group classes</strong> with authentic yoga teachers. 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Be it to get fit, relieve yourself from stress, cure a body ache or even enhance your spirituality.","content":{"text":"Ikigai        生き甲斐   \\n\\n/Ick-ee-guy/ \\n\\nNoun\\n\\nA Japanese concept that means \"a reason for being\" or “a reason to jump out of bed every morning”. The word refers to having a direction or purpose in life, that which makes one's life worthwhile, and towards which an individual takes spontaneous and willing actions giving them satisfaction and a sense of meaning to life.\\n\\nSource: Google\\n\\nThey say, if you follow your Ikigai everyday passionately enough, you can live up to 100 yrs.!\\n\\nNow, I can’t really vouch for this fact but I am all set to find out, haha!\\n\\nIf the title of the blog wasn’t a hint enough, this story is about my journey with yoga and its countless wonders in a quest to find my own Ikigai. Yoga, for me, is an expression of self-love and a conscious pursuit of letting go of the materialistic sense of reality in order to become ‘one’ with the universe. Asanas and pranayama are simply a medium.\\n\\nI was introduced to yoga back in high school. It was a warm summer and school was closed when my uncle from Brazil visited us. Growing up I used to drown myself into books and stories of adventure, travel and magic. They eventually became a part of me and a dream took birth, a facile dream to travel and seek. Back to the summer, my uncle had returned to India after 5 years, having travelled the entire Latin America and most of Europe. His stories and experiences with culture, people and the almighty were my window to the vast world out there. He sensed my excitement and interest immediately and told me about the ancient treasure of India, Yoga. His anecdotes included sadhanas, siddhis (superpowers) and great yogis. I was really intrigued and went on to dig deeper into the subject. I couldn’t wait for school to get over so I can learn from experienced yoga masters.\\n\\nOne and a half year later, I enrolled myself for 200Hrs Certificate course in hatha yoga in one of the oldest Ashrams in India, Kaivalyadhama ashram in Lonavala. And that changed my life. A month before I was supposed to leave for the course, a got a serious lower back spasm due to a jerky forward bend. Weeks of physiotherapy later, doctors told me to forbid myself from bending forward for my entire life. My whole dream shattered in front of my eyes and I didn’t know what to do. I closed my eyes and promised to myself that I would go anyway. The first couple of days in the ashram felt very natural and beautiful but I was still worried about my spasm. However, just 3 days of slow hatha yoga practise were enough for my spasm to go and voila! I could bend forward again. That day I realised the importance of correct alignment and transitioning in asanas. My yoga guru taught us the principles and philosophies of various schools of yoga, which confused me to no extent. He said, “Yoga is the Equanimity of mind” meaning the worldly actions shouldn’t affect our mental state, it should always be neutral and balanced. I realised how yoga transforms our body on all levels, be it physical, mental or spiritual. The 17-year-old me wanted to learn more and more, there was no end to my questions. \\n\\nAll these experiences became even more vivid when my guru took our first ever \\nyoga session\\n. I found myself immersing in the deeper values of asanas and getting lost in the unknown cosmos during savasana. I let out a serene smile as I opened my eyes back to reality, for I had found my purpose. The course ended and I stepped into my graduation course. I studied business administration and specialized in Marketing from a well-known college in Pune. Amidst all the classes, deadlines, assignments and chaos, the morning yoga practise in the community garden was my tranquil abode. One such day, a couple of ladies interrupted my practise to ask me if I would teach them. Until that moment, I never intended to teach yoga but there I was, sheepishly nodding to them.\\n\\nThe group of two increased to 7 and then to 13 people, all of them eagerly waited for me, every alternate morning to teach them yoga. I also started volunteering at International yoga day workshops, assisting my colleagues in their studios and taking drop-in sessions at the community garden. I traveled for a couple of months across various states of India and Andaman & Nicobar Islands, soaking myself in awe- worthy experiences such as scuba diving, trekking and bungee jumping, meanwhile gathering more and more experiences with my \\nyoga practice\\n. This went on for a while until I decided to explore different styles of yoga and signed up for an advanced 300hrs TTC in Ashtanga yoga. I readily imbibed all the knowledge and styles taught in the yoga school in Mysore, Bangalore.\\n\\nI still didn’t think of taking up yoga as a career, I just wanted to learn more. I sat for placements in college and the next thing I know, I was working as a business development executive in a start-up company. My practise became irregular and teaching completely stopped. Six months after working, I was completely burned out. I wasn’t feeling like myself at all and somewhere in the hustle I had forgotten my dream. I read a beautiful quote out there, which said, “Everyone in life has a dream, to give them up is to give up on life itself”\\n\\nI realised that working in corporates is not what I want to do in my life, it didn’t make me happy. Thanks to my lucky stars, I knew exactly what would. It was Yoga, learning and practising while I began teaching as a private instructor in my hometown. I was dreadful to take my first session; I had no experience in professional teaching. That’s the thing about ‘Firsts’, it is so hard to start- until you start. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world. \\n\\nAlmost a year later, here I am, still seeking the wonders that await me, still learning about the intricacies of my yoga practise every day, still finding what more can a simple breath do, still teaching yoga with a warm heart, extending a hand to you:) \\n\\nIn my yoga session, I like to help you not only achieve your specific goal- it could be strengthening your body or be able to do a split, or relief yourself from the daily stress, or cure any ailment; but also dive deeper with your awareness and breath to the subtler levels of the body, experiencing bliss and deep relaxation. \\n\\nI invite you to take that first step, the first step to an adhering journey of self-love and discovery, just like the younger me did, because that one decision that you are too afraid to make could be the very thing that sets you free in the best possible way!As for me, I still believe in magic, my only question is, Do you? \\n","html":"<p>Ikigai        生き甲斐   </p><p></p><p>/Ick-ee-guy/ </p><p></p><p>Noun</p><p></p><p>A Japanese concept that means &quot;a reason for being&quot; or “a reason to jump out of bed every morning”. The word refers to having a direction or purpose in life, that which makes one&#39;s life worthwhile, and towards which an individual takes spontaneous and willing actions giving them satisfaction and a sense of meaning to life.</p><p></p><p>Source: Google</p><p></p><p>They say, if you follow your Ikigai everyday passionately enough, you can live up to 100 yrs.!</p><p></p><p>Now, I can’t really vouch for this fact but I am all set to find out, haha!</p><p></p><p>If the title of the blog wasn’t a hint enough, this story is about my journey with yoga and its countless wonders in a quest to find my own Ikigai. Yoga, for me, is an expression of self-love and a conscious pursuit of letting go of the materialistic sense of reality in order to become ‘one’ with the universe. Asanas and pranayama are simply a medium.</p><p></p><p>I was introduced to yoga back in high school. It was a warm summer and school was closed when my uncle from Brazil visited us. Growing up I used to drown myself into books and stories of adventure, travel and magic. They eventually became a part of me and a dream took birth, a facile dream to travel and seek. Back to the summer, my uncle had returned to India after 5 years, having travelled the entire Latin America and most of Europe. His stories and experiences with culture, people and the almighty were my window to the vast world out there. He sensed my excitement and interest immediately and told me about the ancient treasure of India, Yoga. His anecdotes included sadhanas, siddhis (superpowers) and great yogis. I was really intrigued and went on to dig deeper into the subject. I couldn’t wait for school to get over so I can learn from experienced yoga masters.</p><p></p><p>One and a half year later, I enrolled myself for 200Hrs Certificate course in hatha yoga in one of the oldest Ashrams in India, Kaivalyadhama ashram in Lonavala. And that changed my life. A month before I was supposed to leave for the course, a got a serious lower back spasm due to a jerky forward bend. Weeks of physiotherapy later, doctors told me to forbid myself from bending forward for my entire life. My whole dream shattered in front of my eyes and I didn’t know what to do. I closed my eyes and promised to myself that I would go anyway. The first couple of days in the ashram felt very natural and beautiful but I was still worried about my spasm. However, just 3 days of slow hatha yoga practise were enough for my spasm to go and voila! I could bend forward again. That day I realised the importance of correct alignment and transitioning in asanas. My yoga guru taught us the principles and philosophies of various schools of yoga, which confused me to no extent. He said, “Yoga is the Equanimity of mind” meaning the worldly actions shouldn’t affect our mental state, it should always be neutral and balanced. I realised how yoga transforms our body on all levels, be it physical, mental or spiritual. The 17-year-old me wanted to learn more and more, there was no end to my questions. </p><p></p><p>All these experiences became even more vivid when my guru took our first ever <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signUp\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signUp\">yoga session</a>. I found myself immersing in the deeper values of asanas and getting lost in the unknown cosmos during savasana. I let out a serene smile as I opened my eyes back to reality, for I had found my purpose. The course ended and I stepped into my graduation course. I studied business administration and specialized in Marketing from a well-known college in Pune. Amidst all the classes, deadlines, assignments and chaos, the morning yoga practise in the community garden was my tranquil abode. One such day, a couple of ladies interrupted my practise to ask me if I would teach them. Until that moment, I never intended to teach yoga but there I was, sheepishly nodding to them.</p><p></p><p>The group of two increased to 7 and then to 13 people, all of them eagerly waited for me, every alternate morning to teach them yoga. I also started volunteering at International yoga day workshops, assisting my colleagues in their studios and taking drop-in sessions at the community garden. I traveled for a couple of months across various states of India and Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands, soaking myself in awe- worthy experiences such as scuba diving, trekking and bungee jumping, meanwhile gathering more and more experiences with my <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/\">yoga practice</a>. This went on for a while until I decided to explore different styles of yoga and signed up for an advanced 300hrs TTC in Ashtanga yoga. I readily imbibed all the knowledge and styles taught in the yoga school in Mysore, Bangalore.</p><p></p><p>I still didn’t think of taking up yoga as a career, I just wanted to learn more. I sat for placements in college and the next thing I know, I was working as a business development executive in a start-up company. My practise became irregular and teaching completely stopped. Six months after working, I was completely burned out. I wasn’t feeling like myself at all and somewhere in the hustle I had forgotten my dream. I read a beautiful quote out there, which said, “Everyone in life has a dream, to give them up is to give up on life itself”</p><p></p><p>I realised that working in corporates is not what I want to do in my life, it didn’t make me happy. Thanks to my lucky stars, I knew exactly what would. It was Yoga, learning and practising while I began teaching as a private instructor in my hometown. I was dreadful to take my first session; I had no experience in professional teaching. That’s the thing about ‘Firsts’, it is so hard to start- until you start. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world. </p><p></p><p>Almost a year later, here I am, still seeking the wonders that await me, still learning about the intricacies of my yoga practise every day, still finding what more can a simple breath do, still teaching yoga with a warm heart, extending a hand to you:) </p><p></p><p>In my yoga session, I like to help you not only achieve your specific goal- it could be strengthening your body or be able to do a split, or relief yourself from the daily stress, or cure any ailment; but also dive deeper with your awareness and breath to the subtler levels of the body, experiencing bliss and deep relaxation. </p><p></p><p>I invite you to take that first step, the first step to an adhering journey of self-love and discovery, just like the younger me did, because that one decision that you are too afraid to make could be the very thing that sets you free in the best possible way!As for me, I still believe in magic, my only question is, Do you? </p><p></p>"},"category":["myYogaTeacher"],"utmCampaign":null,"utmMedium":null,"utmContent":null,"utmSource":null,"utmTerm":null,"utmSearchString":null,"imageHyperlink":[]},"recommendations_group_class":null}