Beginning yoga this year!

Is yoga for me?

Can I do yoga?

Yoga is generally suitable for all ages and fitness levels because it is self-regulatory. Bodies come in many different sizes, shapes and conditions and you must determine which practices you do and how far you take them. 

What if I am really unfit?

Many of the exercises stretch the body in ways it may not be used to it and it can take some time for the body to adjust and for a degree of flexibility to develop. Be patient with your body and do not force it. If a practice feels uncomfortable ease off and pursue it only to a point you are comfortable with. Some practices depend on muscle tension, however, it is important to understand the difference between muscle tension and muscle strain. In general tense less, bend less, stretch less, and breathe less.

How will I benefit?

The benefits of yoga seem endless. Typically people report improvements in strength, balance, flexibility, circulation, coordination, digestion, posture, concentration, discipline, stress reduction a greater sense of tranquility and well being. However, the benefits of yoga are very individual and depend on the nature of your being, your areas of need, the way in which you practice yoga and even your intentions during practices.

In the beginning feelings of calmness and relaxation are often the most tangible to new students because of the contrast between our busy, stressful lives and the feelings generated by yoga. In the longer term, increased self-awareness becomes the most valuable asset to the student as it provides the means to recognize improvement and guide further development.

How should I prepare?

·      Wear comfortable and stretchy clothing

·      Do not eat a big meal within 2 hours of the class

·      Remove unnecessary jewellery e.g. watches, necklaces, bracelets or large earrings.

·      If you have physical Injuries or a medical condition, check with your health practitioner

     before commencing classes

·      Bring a water bottle 

Relax. Enjoy!

Bali Retreat July 6-12th 2014

Bali retreat July 6 -12th, 2014

A retreat with a difference

Small group - flexible schedule

Make this your kind of yoga retreat!

 Accommodation: 7 nights, breakfast, taxes and surcharges all included. Price in Australian dollars*.

View the accommodation here: Honeymoon Guesthouse

Choose your accommodation type - Queen, Double, Twin (share with a friend). 

We have accommodation put aside so you can bring a partner, your family, a friend - there are activities for everyone: swimming, cultural tours, yoga, massage and spa treatments.

* Airfares, food and activities are not included in the price.

Yoga classes - daily morning yoga classes 7.30 - 9 with Wayan* Ketut* $7; 3 evening yoga classes $12. Pay as you go, pay for the week $78, pay for morning classes only $42 or evening classes only $36 - your choice. Yoga studio available for your own practice.

* See retreat page for details

The Yoga studio at Honeymoon Guesthouse

Catch a yoga class at the Yoga Barn later in the day. A selection of amazing international teachers.
Start the day with a massage (from $4.50) 
Relax in and around the gorgeous swimming pool.

The swimming pool

Other meals lunch, dinner, snacks not included in the price - great local restaurants to suit all tastes and budgets.    

Note: You need to organise and pay for your own airfare.

To book!

Margot Porter  at prasannayoga@hotmail.com or (03) 5157 5589

Moira Jarm at moirajarm@icloud.com

Inspiration

Yoga makes the soul sing...time to get into the flow and experience the song of the spirit.

Yoga is not about being perfect but rather effort - daily effort and it is daily effort that leads to transformation. 

Is this your year for transformation?

Roll out your mat and simply try... do a little, do your best and be happy with what you've done.

Om shanti

NEW Wednesday day class

  Evening class fully booked

Can you make it during the day? Then this may be for you...

YOGA DAY CLASS

Margot and I would like to offer a second yoga class

Starting:
Wednesday 5th February

Time: 12pm till 1:30pm

Cost:
$200 or take advantage of the early bird discount of only $162 if paid by Thursday 30th January

Class details:
9 x 90 minute classes and includes 5% discount on any massage or facial treatment conducted in the spa during the 9 week block

We must secure a minimum of ten people for this class to go ahead.
No refunds, however if the class is cancelled due to lack of numbers a full refund will be given

All equipment supplied and classes are designed with the beginner in mind

To book and pay call 5153 0690

NEW Wednesday evening class

****************YOGA*******************

I am excited to announce Oakbank House is now offering 90 minute Beginner Hatha Yoga Classes with Margot Porter.
Margot has over 15 years experience and is a Member of Yoga Australia: Yoga Teachers Association of Australia


WHEN:
Yoga classes will commence on Wednesday February 5th at 6pm for a block of 9 weeks. (arrive ten minutes early to class - all equipment will be provided)

WHERE:

Oakbank Bed & Breakfast and Spa, 6 Park Street, Bairnsdale

 

CLASS INFORMATION:
Classes are 90 minutes long and the class size will be small to allow for individual attention.
A 90 minute Beginner Hatha Yoga session will also incorporate meditation toward the completion of the class session.

COSTS:
$200 fee which also entitles you to a 5% discount on any massage or facial treatment conducted in the spa during the 9 week block.
Payment is required up front and we need 10 in the class for classes to go ahead.
(With the exception of the class not going ahead due to lack of numbers, there would be no refunds).

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT:
Pay before January 30th to be eligible for an early bird discount and only pay $162

The first ten to book and pay will have their place secured in the class

CALL 5153 0690 TO SECURE YOUR PLACE TODAY


DAY CLASS:
Expressions of interest being sought for a second class, also on the same day, beginning at 12 Noon for those that would like a day class

 

Yoga classes: Bruthen and Bairnsdale - Term 1 timetable

Yoga Classes - Bruthen and Bairnsdale

Get ready for a year of opening the heart and mind as we dive deeper into the flow.

Watch this space for additional classes as there are possibilities being discussed.

Try to arrive 10 minutes early to avoid disturbing other students. Remember not to eat,  ideally 2 hours, before practice. Wear something you feel comfortable in that is stretchy and not to loose. Bring a water bottle. Let me know if you have any medical conditions or injuries or if you are pregnant that may impact on your practice so I can suggest modifications or if necessary alternatives or postures to avoid.

See you on the mat,

Light and laughter,

Margot

 

New Year intensive in Moe

What a great way to start your New Year with a January intensive with the wonderful, funny and intuitive teacher Lucilla Hammond. 

Go on you deserve it!

Sankalpa: Setting an intention

Sankalpa: Setting an intention 

 Marigold Om created and photographed by me.

Sankalpa is a sanskrit word describing an 'intention' or 'resolution' that informs practice and life. A resolution strongly suggests the desire to be firm, unwavering and purposeful and conveys the power of sankalpa. The idea of a resolution is familiar to those in the West - the infamous New Year resolutions, note the plural, that many people espouse at the start of a new year only to discover that they are unable to sustain their enthusiasm for life change. 

To find my sankalpa for the year or for however long I choose, I wait to see what naturally pops up sometimes  meditation is useful as the quiet peace of the cushion reveals the inner wisdom of the spirit. This year, my sankalpa popped up during my asana yoga practice. So there you go! Some years it has come up while gardening or cooking. Wait and see! And you choose when to let go of the sankalpha perhaps it has come true or you may need to change it to better represent where you are in your path.

Some ideas about how to go about setting a sankalpa

1. Make in affirmative e.g I respond to life with grace rather than I will not be so anxious
2. Use the present tense as if it is already true. e.g I am healthy and peaceful or I live in the present.
3. Keep it reasonably short and pithy. Don't over complicate.

When to use your sankalpa

A Sankalpa is powerful and can influence and transform your life along positive lines. Traditionally, a sankalpa is used in Yoga Nidra - the meditative heart of yoga. I love Yoga Nidra.

Yoga means “union” or “one-pointed awareness”. “Nidra” means sleep. During Yoga Nidra you appear to be asleep but the consciousness is functioning at a deeper level of awareness. It is a state of mind between wakefulness and dream. When you practice Yoga Nidra you are opening to deeper phases of your mind.

Modern neurologists have been able to demonstrate an obvious relationship between the body and the brain. The brain is the physical mediator of consciousness linking mind, body and emotions into one harmonious unit. The neurosurgeon affects the body by stimulating the brain. The practitioner of Yoga Nidra begins the other end of the pathway by heightening awareness of the body in order to stimulate the brain. The progressive movement of awareness through the parts of the body not only induces physical relaxation but also clears all the nerve pathways to the brain, both those governing the physical activity and those concerned with incoming information. In this way, Yoga Nidra relaxes the mind by relaxing the body. 

New to yoga nidra - try

Are you new to Yoga Nidra? There are many podcasts available just plug in Yoga Nidra to your search engine. How did I get started, I was originally introduced to Yoga Nidra through the work of Swami Satyananda Saraswati. His work was incredibly important and we are lucky to have his writings on the topic and transcripts to work from. Some yoga teachers include a short Yoga Nidra at the end of class, but it is simple to download one and enjoy in the privacy of your own home.

Try a sample of Swami Satyananda Saraswati 

The style is very much in the Indian tradition and may not suit everyone's taste. however, as with everything in the modern world there is much to choose from. I moved on to the Richard Miller who teaches very much in the Vedanta style and is the creator of irest.

Further to using it during yoga nidra, you can use it in other practices - I repeat my intent at the start to yoga practices: asana, pranayama, meditation as well as starting my day by repeating in with feeling and awareness when I wake up and before I go to bed - in this way it is similar to using a mantra.

My intention for last year was lighten up - forgive.
This year or longer is surrender to the divine - trust the flow.

Turn on your ipod or stereo, pop on your eye pillow and relax.

New Year thoughts

New Year Cleaning!

The New Year is here and most people or is that some people have cleaned their house to sweep out the old and allow space for the new. Me, I haven't quite got there thank goodness there is Chinese New Year (Feb 7th) to clear out the past years spirits. I have, however, begun to clean my class yoga equipment: washing the blankets, bolster covers, scrubbing the mats and revitalising the eye pillows. 

I then decided to clean all my own props: mat, blankets, bolster covers, sandbag covers, gertie ball and my collection of eye pillow covers. This included all my meditation tools and other requirements for class: clock, meditation bowl, tingskas and oil burner. Wow what a  collection!

This got me thinking about Kriyas or cleansing practices that can be followed in yoga. Practices such as using a neti pot to clear your sinuses, pranayama like nauli or lauliki to massage the abdominal organs and digestion, and other practices like swallowing a cloth to clean or cleaning your own colon by sucking water. Yes its true; amazing yet weird. Needless to say that many of these practices are quite advanced and require a teacher for guidance, and dedication and skill on part of the practitioner. Now, as much as would like to say this is me, it is not, for I am the mere mortal variety of yoga student/teacher or another way of putting this would be to say I'm not that far down the path (and may not ever be there), however, there are still a range of safe cleansing practices that can be followed. A simple detox whether simply lightening up on what and how much we eat or something a little more substantial like a detox such as a kidney or liver cleanse.

I will be launching into my five day liver cleanse tomorrow schedule allowing! It is important to have space and time to yourself to do this first part as you can feel a little tired and nauseous and emotional so be kind to yourself over this period as the toxins leave your body. Following this with a general detox diet for the next three weeks making the whole process around a month.  Many people swear by detoxes and recommend four times a year. 

Shiva Rea , a great yogi, regularly does a liver and gall bladder cleanse following 

 The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush by Andreas Moritz. 

Clean out body and soul with fresh fruit and vegetables; cut out refined and processed foods - very simple.

Some fruit from our orchard.

 I follow a very simple process and start with a five day cleanse before slowly reintroducing solid foods. This time I'll be staying on a detox diet for longer as like the food and feeling of lightness.  By the way this type of eating is not for everyone my partner thinks the body is perfectly capable of doing this cleaning on it's own and maybe it just us more sensitive types, you know those who cannot tolerate gluten and diary and have digestive issues. What I have discovered is if you eat lots of greens - silverbeet, pak choy, spinach - cravings for sugary food disappear. I guess that is why ancient yogis follow a Falahari diet which is simple diet of mostly fruit and vegetables. Great! Goodbye sugar and hello green food.

 Lettuce from our vegetable garden

Some ideas for detoxing:

Remember to check with your Doctor or Healthcare Professional before attempting any rigorous cleansing plan.

Include for detox:
•    Vegetable juices and smoothies
•    Salads and raw foods e.g. sprouts; lightly steamed seasonal vegetables
•    Use spices cumin, coriander, cardamom, fennel, fenugreek, turmeric, cinnamon and ginger to spice your food (stimulate digestive fire and aids cleansing) 
•    Herbal teas, ginger and lemon drinks 
•    Plenty of warm water

Eliminate for detox
•    Cold aerated drinks 
•    Alcohol, caffeine and smoking 
•    Dairy products 
•    Fish, meat and eggs 
•    Sweet fruits and foods 
•    Wheat and gluten products

When you have finished detoxing, reintroduce whole grains and solids slowly being gentle with your digestive system. To assist with elimination include plenty of twists in your yoga practice and spend time being quiet and still. Be well and smile:)

Om Shanti 

Margot