Running a Yoga Business

Well, we have been published!! For those of you who haven't seen, there is an article in the December issue of OM Yoga magazine all about this little yoga business, Live Love Yoga. Go out and buy it, and have a read!

The article sums  how to follow your dreams, keep a positive attitude as well as a savvy mind. As a businesswoman, setting up Live Love Yoga has been a hard process, with lots of learning curves! However, finding other companies to help me, such as Cuckoo Vine, have been a great way to get the name out there.

I have chosen to work with a broad range of students, moving away from Gyms from time to time, and embracing the students who wouldn't necessarily join a yoga class, such as those with health problems, disabilities, amputees. I love working with all these different people, and making yoga more accessible so that it moves away from a fitness regime and towards a state of mind.

So, I just thought I should, and would, shout about the article in Om, because it's not every day that my hard work gets noticed!!
enjoy! Nathalie

The path of least resistance

I attended a yoga training last weekend which, as always, has enriched my practice and my teaching. I love to go on training courses - it reminds me that I am always a student, and there is always more to learn. So I wanted to share with you all a few things that have stuck in my mind. 

 During the workshop on back bends we looked at a familiar pose - Crescent Lunge. Whilst it is easy to lean into a back bend in this pose, we are continually reminded to 'save back bends for back bends'. It is so easy for the body to bend in the lumbar spine, thrusting the hips forward and tilting the bum back. Rather than do this, we began by bending our back knee, lengthening the tailbone, drawing the lower ribs towards the hip bones. From here we started to straighten the back leg, lifting the back thigh towards the ceiling and pressing the ball of the back foot into the ground.



I have never come in to a lunge this way - maybe others already have?! I could really feel it stretching across my psoas and illiacus - across my hip and down my thigh. It's a really great way to make sure that your body doesn't take the path of least resistance.

The workshop really reminded me how the body prefers to take this path, choosing the easiest way to bend and move. Often when we are doing yoga we give in to this, bending in to the weak areas such as the lower back. Next time why not give this a go and see how different it feels!

Yoga, Surfing and a sense of calm

I was recently asked how I became involved with yoga, and my answer was 'Surfing'. Without a doubt! I was drawn to the physical aspect of an exercise that could improve my surfing, and replace it when the weather was rubbish! However, the more I practiced yoga, and the more I surfed, the more I realised that it was more than just my body that was being toned.

For many of us, we work our bodies to create a desired look. And sometimes we forget about the feel. When I get out of the sea the last thing I think is 'how do I look'.... I know that I look like a drowned rat! But, I feel fired up, full of energy, calm and relaxed, all at the same time. Maybe its something to do with the adrenalin released when exerting energy, the sense of achievement just from managing to get to your feet, coupled with the cleansing nature of the sea?

I first began to surf in Australia, where I enjoyed a pretty intense exercise regime of running on the beach and yoga every day. It is no surprise that when I returned to England I found it a lot harder to motivate myself to get out there... perhaps something to do with howling northerly winds? Driving rain? or the fact I had to wear boots, gloves and a hood for half the year when in the water, rather than just a bikini!! I needed to find something else that could help me to remain fit, and this is where yoga came along.

The less I surfed, the more I realised that I enjoyed it not just because it made me strong and healthy, but because it gave me an immense sense of calm. I felt agitated more often, and struggled to find a release for this energy. Slowly I began to study yoga, going to a local class specially aimed at surfers. When I left the class I felt a similar blissed out feeling that I used to get at the end of a sunset surf session, when the water was rippling with oranges and blues, my eyelashes were salt encrusted and my arms aching. I was hooked. But it wasnt because I noticed I was more supple, stronger, more toned. It was because of the way I felt.

There are many people who are not as lucky as me, and have not been able to roam around freely with a surf board and a yoga mat, exploring the world. And there are many people who do not have the physical ability to pop up on a wave, or to lift their body up into a handstand. But for all of us there is a space for a moment of calm. Whether it be on a mat, a board, a bike, in a book.... the list goes on. In a world as fast paced and chaotic as ours can be, sometimes this is all we really need.

Yoga Re-Treat

I have been planning a yoga retreat in Cornwall with a couple of friends, and in doing so I have realised the true sense of the word retreat, which I wanted to share! It's a re-energizing, reviving, re-awakening treat. A way for you to take some time out to give something back to yourself, something you don't usual have, that makes you feel special, loved and cared for. A treat! And for those of you who love yoga, what better treat than to practice nothing but yoga for a few days, without the distractions of life. At the end of the retreat you are left feeling like you have a new lease of life, calm, yet energized and ready for another round of life. Able to face this next round with a little bit more clarity thanks to the time out. Time to step away from the picture, re-assess, and then come back with a whole new perspective. Or possibly the same perspective, just clearer.

With all this in mind I have decided that re-treats are a necessity, even though treats are considered a bonus,  if we're lucky and have been very very good. It is not an over indulgent way to pamper oneself. It is a way to bring back that balance which is so easily lost. To show some kindness and generosity to yourself. And in doing so to those around you, who will no doubt benefit from your improved state of mind once you have re-treated from the mayhem around you for a few days!

So whether it be a weekend of yoga in Cornwall or a week of yoga in Costa Rica, or a month of yoga in India, make sure you take the time you deserve to treat yourself. And if a few days is out of the questions, re-treat to your mat...wherever you are.

Yoga for the mind, not just the body

                                                    yoga chitta vritti nirodhah

Yoga benefits so many people, not just the fit and healthy. This evening two carers brought an Autistic lady to my class, and it warmed me to see her smile to herself as she joined in. Earlier in the day I taught a group at a mental health resource centre, who really grasp the concept of yoga as a way to look after the mind whether it be through asana practice, pranayama, visualisation or meditation and relaxation. I wonder if this is because they are more aware of their own mental state, and have a greater desire to improve this than most of us? 

Patanjali describes yoga in the Yoga Sutra 1.2 "yoga chitta vritti nirodhah" Yoga is the ability to direct the mind exclusively toward an object and sustain that direction without any distractions (The Heart of Yoga, T.V.K.Desikachar), creating inner stability to control the fluctuations of the mind.

So, whilst Yoga is about creating a beautifully still mind this is overshadowed at times by the desire to create a more beautiful, supple, slim body. We are bombarded with so many images of toned, tanned, perfect(??) bodies, and this has filtered into the yoga world as it becomes more and more popular. However, yoga is not competitive; it is a practice, a devotion, a way of being, not a sport. My heart sinks when students ask me if yoga will help them to loose weight or gain a great figure, but then a small part of it lights up at the challenge of helping these students to discover the true benefits of yoga...to still the mind, de-clutter, quiet the chatter, create focus and fluidity.

Whatever the reason, I hope that even if you come to your mat with the desire to improve your figure, you soon feel the real benefits of this age old practice.  

We will be continuing our yoga for health programme with a series of sessions at Bodmin Hospital recovery ward this month. Please contact us for more information on this and any other of our sessions @   nathalie@liveloveyoga.co.uk

Going with the Flow

I have just finished a pre/post natal yoga training course with two amazingly inspiring teachers, Bridget Woods Kramer and Gillian Nevin, and have begun to contemplate the prospect of teaching such a beautiful subject. The training made me appreciate just how clever nature is, and how much we have to learn from the ability to just go with the flow, relax and let nature takes it's course. 

The flow seems to come into everything though, not just pregnancy. A friend of mine remarked a few weeks ago how amazing he finds it when life flows, and how this usually happens when you are completely open to it. For those of you who have ever travelled, especially alone, you have probably experienced the helping hand just when you need it. The person sitting next to you on the plane, who is not only from the tiny village you are headed to, but who offers you a meal and a place to stay when you get there. Why is this not happening every day, wherever we are? 

When we worry it creates a negative block, so that instead of emanating the thoughts "I can do this, this is going to happen" we emanate "I dont think this will happen, I don't think I will  ever be able to do this". It is then pretty inevitable that it will never happen. However, when we have no worries, no expectations and no fears it is a lot easier to feel positive and open, and for life to flow. So, how do we manage to flow without ditching our stressful 'real' lives, jetting of to a hot country with a back pack and a guide book? Yoga, of course! Learning about pregnancy and teaching yoga for pregnancy has reminded me how important yoga is in connecting us back to ourselves, to the true rhythm of our body and our breath. 


When we feel connected we feel happy. When we feel happy good things happen. So next time you feel a little stressed, lost, disconnected, out of sorts stop for a second and listen to what your body is trying to tell you - because it is very clever and will always try to tell you - and breathe. Listen to and feel your breath, its length, depth, smoothness. Stretch a little and feel any tightness in your body. Breathe into this tightness, and as you exhale let your muscles relax. Think of a positive mantra to repeat to yourself throughout, so that it becomes ingrained in your thoughts. Give thanks, because there is always something to be thankful for. And just let it flow.


Namaste
 

Yoga for health@Eden and Bodmin Hospital

Well today saw the first in a string of taster sessions I will be running across Cornwall, teaching yoga and pranayama to people with mental health and learning disabilities. This is one of my passions, and so I wanted to share what I have learned with you all! Yoga is not just for the tanned, toned and beautiful, it is an ancient system that helps to stretch and tone muscles, increase flexibility and posture, and improve mental stability, clarity and ease.  


So, here are a few poses and techniques my students today have found enjoyable. I hope you do to....

Warm up

Sit comfortably.

As you inhale sit tall, lengthening through the spine.

As you exhale feel your shoulders and body relaxing.

Bring your hands out by your side, fingertips touching the ground.

As you inhale move your arms with your breath so that your fingertips touch above your head as your inhalation ends.

Then exhale, again moving your arms in time with your breath so that your fingertips reach the ground as your exhalation ends.

Continue this movement for a few breaths, bringing your awareness to the length of your breath.

Tree pose

Stand on your right foot and focus on a fixed point in front of you.

Lift the left leg, bending it and bringing the foot in towards your right thigh, calf or ankle. Keep your hips facing forwards and slowly lift your arms up. Repeat on the other leg.

Then try this in a circle. As you lift your arms hold the hand of the person next to you, helping to support each other in the pose.

Take a moment to recognise the difference it made to have somebody help to support you. 

Where do you breathe from?

Bring one hand to you chest and one to your belly.

Close your eyes and focus on your breathing, feeling your hands move as you breathe.

Which hand moves more – the one on your chest or your belly?

Keeping your hands where they are, now breathe only into your chest, trying to not let your belly move at all.

How does this feel? Is it comfortable?

Now breathe only into your belly, trying to keep your chest completely still?

How does this feel?

Most of us breathe in our chest, which means that we are not filling our lungs up completely with air. When we breathe deeply in to our lower belly it encourages the breathing to become slower, and allows us to bring more oxygen in to our lungs and remove more toxic carbon dioxide. This is more comfortable and healthy, and helps the body to feel more relaxed.

Our breathing is linked to our nervous system, and as we are faced with any type of perceived danger the nervous system goes in to fight or flight mode. This makes us breathe faster and more shallow, and can result in hyperventilating. Techniques like this help us to gain control of our breathing patterns, and to relax.

 
Give them a go, and look out for more to follow xxx

Chair Yoga Exercises

Yoga is a practice whose benefits can be felt by everyone, regardless of their physical strength and flexibility. Whether sitting in a wheel chair or an office chair, yoga can help to stretch out the spine, releasing tension in the lower back, calves and hamstrings, soothe aching shoulders and even release toxins in the body. 

Here are a few simple chair yoga exercises for you to try, bringing you a sense of calm in the midst of a busy day at work or enabling some movement and relaxation whilst traveling on a train, bus, watching TV, or if you have limited movement. 


Our Favourite Chair Yoga Excercises

  

Mountain Pose 

Sit with your feet directly underneath your knees, and your knees in line with your hips. take three deep breaths through your nose, exhaling fully through the nose. With each inhalation sit taller in your seat lifting up from the crown of the head, and with each exhalation allow your shoulders to soften. After three breaths inhale, lifting the arms up over the head, spreading your fingers and reaching towards the ceiling. As you exhale keep the arms raised, but let your shoulders soften away from your ears. Hold for 5 breaths before exhaling the arms back down. Repeat two more times. 

Side Stretch 

Bring your feet slightly apart, and as you breath in raise your arms out to shoulder level. breathing out bend to the left, raising your right hand towards the ceiling. As you breathe in come back up to the center, and repeat on the other side. This pose helps to increase flexibility in the spine and reduce the waistline. 

Forward Bend 

Again, ensure you are sitting correctly with your feet inline with your knees and your hips. As you inhale lift your arms up towards the ceiling, folding over your legs as your exhale. Relax your body into the pose as you exhale, letting your arms and head release. Breathing in, come back up to sitting slowly, being cautious of feeling light headed. Be sure not to hurt your lower back as you bend. 

Twist
Place your Place your right hand on your left knee and your left hand behind you. Breathing in, sit tall in your chair and as you breath out turn through your abdomen and chest to the left, moving your left shoulder towards back and your right shoulder forwards. Hold for 3 breaths, moving back the the center as you exhale. Twists encourage the body to detox, increases circulation and help stretch the spine, abdominals and obliques. Repeat on the other side.

Hip Stretch

Sit in your chair again with your feet underneath your knees and knees in line with hips. Cross your left leg over your right, so that your left ankle rests on your right thigh. Keeping your feet flexed push your left foot in to your right hand and lean forward as you exhale. Breath into the stretch for three breathes, coming back up to a sitting position as you exhale. Repeat on the other side.  This posture stretches hip rotators, outer thighs, and relieves tension in the lower back.  

 Breathing exercises are also extremely useful to help relieve tensions that can be at the heart of physical discomfort, so at all times remember to breathe.

For information on more of our chair yoga classes which run locally in Cornwall please contact me, or visit the website www.liveloveyoga.co.uk I hope you find these exercises useful! Nathalie

 

yoga and surfing holidays in Cornwall

Calling all you surfing yogis and yoginis....Our summer surfing and yoga weekends in Cornwall are about to kick off again! Its been a beautiful weekend here in Cornwall, with perfect weather for yoga on the beach, blue skies and warm (I wish!) sea, and we are hoping this weather is here to stay! well, it would be nice! Details of the up-coming yoga/surf weekends are being finalised with the guys at Ticket to Ride and Seiners Hotel over the next few days, and I am excited about my meetings tomorrow to firm things up and hopefully get a few more activities included so that we can make the events even better this year! watch this space ....

Yoga throughout the Holidays

Our Yoga classes in Cornwall will be running throughout the Easter Holidays, and rather than booking a course you are able to drop in for the sessions. So if you are in the area (Illogan, Redruth, Penzance, Helston) why not pop along and give it a try. For more info on times and locations please take a look at www.liveloveyoga.co.uk

Live Love Yoga

We are now on line with regular news, sharing our love of yoga and life with you! so why not visit us at www.liveloveyoga.co.uk, or follow us to keep updated.