Yoga: thoughts on daily practice

Thoughts on Daily Practice

The theme for my classes this term has been about developing a home practice and while some of my students have embraced this idea or discipline, some have expressed that they have no time or no interest - they enjoy the energy of a class or a group practice and this fits with their timetable so why do yoga at home?

Starting our practice - Yoga at the April Retreat, 2014

Why?

As a yoga teacher, of course, I need my practice to inform my teaching and my personal practice. Indeed, you would think that encouraging students to practice at home could be akin to sabotaging my small yoga business so why did I do it?

Me time!

First: I feel a little victory each time I make it to my mat. I have kept my promise to make time for self- healing, relaxation, as well as strength and stamina building. All these help me be healthier, stronger and happier. I have kept my commitment towards building my inner happiness.

Okay so some days it is only 10 - 20 minutes and it may not involve much perhaps some meditation or just rolling around on the floor. It's me time.

Just rolling around!

Transformation!

Second: For me a yoga practice is about confronting my negative patterns with the hope of creating positive new ones. After all if you not poke or provoke your own ego who will? How can I transform my life and create more positive change...that's a rhetorical question because naturally my answer would be YOGA. And in all honesty I prefer to this ego poking at home. I have also discovered on my mat sometimes in class but mostly at home that I can do poses I never thought would be possible. Yes yoga has helped me to recognise the thought patterns that are holding me back not just on the mat but also in my life. On one hand, it has taught me tell yourself you can do it and you can. On the other, yoga is simply a practice so it is okay to not be perfect; it is okay to try again and again. And laugh about. Be okay with being imperfect. Yoga practice is just like your life. It is life.

                                                                       Flying Crow

Now that gives me ideas for a whole lot of other blogs...what else does yoga teach me that map out onto/into my life... yoga is life! It's about connection with yourself, with how you connect with others and the universe.

Stay tuned 

Light and love, Margot

Spring Yoga Retreat Oct 17th -19th, 2014

Spring Yoga Retreat

Oct 17th - 19th, 2014

SIBA Retreat Centre, Gelantipy.

East Gippsland, Victoria
Now booked out!

Hi my name is Margot and I am delighted to announce my Spring Yoga Retreat dates for this year.

The retreat begins Friday Oct 17th in the evening around 6pm and finishes Sunday Oct 19th at 3pm.
SIBA is a retreat centre nestled in serene and peaceful mountains of East Gippsland. The accommodation is motel style - comfortable and modest. Delicious, light and freshly prepared vegetarian food is included in the cost/ All diets and allergies can be catered for and by request egg dishes are included as an option. Daily yoga and meditation practices are offered along with massage at an additional cost (see retreat page for details). At this retreat, we will be exploring a couple of new practices: mandala meditation and Kirtan - sacred chanting.

Hope to see you there!

Cost includes 2 nights  accommodation, all food (vegetarian - diets/allergies catered for) and teachings. 
Shared  $380,  $340 concession (unwaged, full time student)
Single $510
Camping $310 
Double rooms $440 p.p. (limited number)

Bookings contact Margot Porter on (03) 5157 5589 or prasannayoga@hotmail.com

$100 deposit is required to secure your place. 

NEW: Mandala meditation

 At this retreat I will introduce to my favourite meditation practice: making mandalas. Learn about the significance of mandalas. Enjoy making your own from natural materials.

Meditation practice based on your mandala.

NEW: Kirtan 

 Music as meditation.  

One of the oldest sacred music traditions of the world, the kirtan is a call-and-response chanting genre that comes to us from India. Kirtan is an ancient music experience that works by mentally quietening the mind. Using ancient Sanskrit mantras, the kirtan calls upon sacred energies to reduce mental chatter of the mind, remove obstacles, and bring us back to the center of our being. The simple repetition of mantras over and over, faster and faster, makes kirtan an easy way for many people to experience some freedom from the daily chatter of the mind.

Andrea Windsor an experienced Kirtana practitioner will lead the Kirtan practice.

About me

Margot Porter has been practising for 16 years and teaching yoga for 4 years. She teaches a contemporary interpretation of hatha yoga - moving between flowing sequences and stillness - energising and calming mind, body and soul.  Over the weekend, enjoy both dynamic and restorative yoga, mindful meditation, mandala making, massage*, kirtan and yoga nidra. Take time to rest, walk, contemplate and converse in peaceful and beautiful surrounds. Margot teaching style is quirky, playful and inclusive. She encourages people to challenge and explore their potential while learning to accept their limits with grace.

*Massage additional cost

Restorative Yoga for Women August 30th NOW FULL

Fully booked!
If you missed out my next workshop will be in Sept!


Restorative Yoga for Women

August 30th, 2.30 -5pm

 Peace, Presence and Balance 
Relax and unwind in this warming and nourishing workshop designed to begin to balance our hormones and restore our feminine energy. 

Bookings essential. Limited places for each workshop.

To book contact Margot Porter

 prasannayoga@hotmail.com

Yoga: Restorative Winter Workshop BOOKED OUT

Winter Workshop
FULL 

Winter Warm Up & Restorative Yoga 

 

Winter is the perfect season to start a gentle flowing practice to hydrate and loosen. The class finishes with a restorative yoga practice to rest and relax.

 

Let go of what no longer supports you.

"It's time to start living the life you've imagined" Henry James

Bookings essential. Limited places for each workshop.

To book contact Margot Porter

 prasannayoga@hotmail.com

Margot is a Level 1 registered teacher with Yoga Australia. 

Those with Private Health Insurance may be able to claim yoga classes.

What is Restorative Yoga?

 Restorative Yoga is a practice dedicated to deeply nourishing the body through mindfully resting the body and mind. The practice focuses on 'being' rather than doing. An extensive range of yoga props (blocks, bolsters, blankets, straps, eye pillows) are used to create a fully supported practice allowing the body to unwind passively and the mind to move toward stillness. The props help the practitioner to rest deeply without unnecessary strain or stress physical or mental. This makes the practice ideal for those with injury, low energy, pre and post menopause or those simply wishing to nourish and heal the body.

 

Meditation on spaciousness

Meditation on Spaciousness 

In my last post, I mentioned making mandalas in the morning as part of my meditation. I realise that most people do not have the time - the luxury - to do something this elaborate so I thought I would share a meditation from book a friend lent me years ago (yes I did give it back eventually but really should get my own copy). I copied out several practices into my meditation journal... I do like to keep journals as they seem to serve many purposes: they are space to write, observe, reflect and undo; they are also often a celebration of progress, stagnation and stillness; they are a witness to what is at the moment of writing.

  I love to practice this meditation and some of the others available in Sally Kempton's book 

 Meditation For The Love Of It.

http://www.sallykempton.com/products/

 

Space...photo by Margot

"Sit in a comfortable, upright posture, close your eyes, and gently merge your attention with the flow of breath coming in and going out through your nostrils. Keep returning attention to the breath each time it wanders away. Do this until you feel the breath gently slow down and the thoughts become quieter. 

Imagine that your body is completely empty. It is as though your skin is a thin membrane, like the skin of a balloon, and inside it is nothing but space. Not only is your body full of space, but space also surrounds you on every side. As you inhale, have the feeling that you are breathing space in through the pores of your body. Exhale with the same feeling. Your skin is a delicate, porous membrane, and you are breathing through it.

You are in an ocean of space. With each breath, gently let go into the ocean."

Enjoy!

Om shanti,

Margot