Have you ever thought about the the difference between a doctor and a pilot?
Random question. But there is a punchline from Dr Bruce Lipton, a developmental stem cell biologist, so get ready!
He explains that they are required to go through a large mandatory checklist of items;
a) before the pilot taxi his plane
b) doctor to diagnose you and prescribe a solution
So, what is the difference?
A Pilot is on the plane with you and a doctor isn’t.
This also applies to dentists, accountants, lawyers, best friends, family and yoga teachers (me!).
You may be surrounded by bright, educated and well-intentioned people, but you are the one flying your plane. Experts can be part of your advisory team, a council of coaches, but you must take final responsibility for your life, for your health, for your yoga practice.
How much do you take ownership of your own health and wellbeing?
My intention for you is to not just teach yoga postures but to educate how to feel what you feel in your own body. Nothing is more powerful than you having your own back.
Cheers to you, from your health & wellness cheerleader!
Spring or not Spring?
Nature has the answer
Spring is around the corner. Well, kind of.
According to the calendar, spring begins 1 September. Some will define Spring with Spring equinox, 23 September this year, when we have equal amounts of daylight and night-time.
Lastly and mostly, we sense spring when we feel nature’s expression of expansion. Flowers, magpies, and warm tranquil weather.
Spring is a time of cleansing, rebirth, growth and expansion; a time of excitement when the life process reawakens.
I am running a 2-hr Spring Yin Yoga workshop on Sunday, 25th August.
I actually didn't like Yin Yoga when I experienced for the first several times. Of course I LOVE it and I get it.
Why? I guess I was not ready for this style of practice. If you are like me and cannot bear the thought of staying in one pose for 2 to 5 minutes, give it several go’s and remember that we are always changing and come back to it when you are ready for it.
Demystify Yin Yoga
Yin is a slow, simple, and quiet practice with opportunity to cultivate awareness and mindfulness with a hint of restorative and meditative quality. The practice targets the deep connective tissues, bones, joints, fascia and ligaments in the body. It also focuses on stretching and stimulating different acupressure points from TCM. Generally, we hold the poses passively for 2 to 5 minutes to work the fascia (connective tissues) which may have become tight over time. Movement and stretching hydrates fascia and literally help slow the ageing process.
Myth of Yin Yoga
I am not Zen enough to do Yin Yoga.
It is true that if you are a person with busy mind (who isn’t) and do not like to stay still, this style of practice can be challenging and hard to get it. If you are ready to explore a new relationship toward our scattered, restless selves, through the gentle act of intending to be present, intending to be mindful, and intending to be compassionate, we can start softening the edges of fidgety patterns of the mind and gradually cultivate habits of calm and stillness. It is an on-going practice to calm our mind.
I don’t want to be overstretch in Yin Yoga because it can decreases strength and stability of joints.
in Yin, we target the Yin tissues (bones/ligaments/tendons/connection tissues). Our primary aim for our practice is to safely apply a moderate stress to the target tissues to strengthen and hydrate - not overly lengthen. Stress is force applied to something, in this case our joint tissue. Stretch is the subsequent lengthening that occurs due to the stress placed on that tissue. But not all stress causes stretch. Vice versa, you could feel lengthened and opened after a Yin class. Yin is slow practice therefore it gives you an opportunity to observe these sensations and practice with intelligence. Like any exercise, there is always a risk of injury when people override the alarm signals of pain so we must pay attention.
Yin Yoga is boring.
Like I mentioned earlier, I did not like Yin Yoga initially. I thought it was a rip off! Only 5 poses in an hour?!
This is a mindset of "more is more". Slowly I start to cultivate "less is more" and with that attitude, I find there are great benefits to Yin Yoga. It is a slower pace practice so you can really observe yourself, balance out the busy or active lifestyle, and body becomes stronger and recover faster from active exercises. Yin is great for people who are not quite ready for a seated meditation but are interested in the science and benefit of meditation. Yin isn’t a stand-alone practice so if you are already a Yin person, it is recommended to balance out with active Yoga or Yang activities such as running/cycling/swimming. It is also a great complimentary exercise for athletes.
Happy yoga-ing my friends
Upcoming Event
Spring Yin Yoga Workshop
Treat yourself to 2-hr Yin Yoga!
Join Eriko and indulge in this yummy 2 hours of Yin practice to restore your overall energy, replenish the internal organ health and nourish your joints/fascia/bones/ligaments. This is an opportunity to rejuvenate and take time out for yourself to just “be”.
Date: 25th August Sunday 2:00 – 4:00 (please arrive at 1.45pm for 2.00pm start)
Where: Yoga Synergy Bondi Junction: Level 1, 17 – 21 Bronte Rd
Booking: Click HERE
