Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Yoga Retreat in the Woods

Wow, I just got back from my first yoga retreat as it was a gift from my mom and sister for my birthday. It was a sis and yoga get away.

The retreat started with stretching and relaxing yoga before dinner. Then Saturday self guided meditation from 6-7am, breakfast then Iyengar focused yoga, pranayama, break to hike around the lake, and last somatic movement. After dinner we sat around the camp fire playing different drums with the occasional bat flapping over us, eeeh!

Overall, the take away from that experience was surround yourself with positive people, take time for silence, enjoy and connect with nature and yourself when possible. Lastly show gratitude to yourself and others.

I will leave you with a pranayama practice I learned over the weekend. So, you can do this seated in lotus or lying down. First start with inhaling through the nose and exhale out the mouth for one minute while counting your breath. Next, place a large or small straw in your mouth, inhale through the nose and exhale through the straw for two minutes while counting the breath. As you finish you will find that with the straw your count is lower which is because you are deepening your exhale. I found this very relaxing. I would love to hear about your experience, so please share.

Morning hike up Strawberry Mountain. Sunrise!



 
Had to do tree pose!

Our cabin.

Lost Lake 5 minute walk from the retreat.
My sister Alicia and I at the top of Strawberry Mountain.
View from up top of Lost lake.







Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Life and Joy

The joy of life!
 
What is my joy in life?
 
Where do I find that inner peace that feeling of aliveness?
 
I find it in Yoga
 
Gardening
 
Hiking to discover waterfalls
 
Connecting with new people and most of all being me uncensored, haha
 
Where do you find joy in your Life? I would love to hear.
 


Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Yoga

Yoga for me is a settling of the mind a stretching of the body and a set of fluid movements that require you to be challenged.
 
As we all grow in our yoga practice we slowly start to see the changes within ourselves. The benefits of having this in our lives.
 
Yoga has changed me for the better!
 
What does yoga do for you? 
 
 
 
 
Hike in Portland, OR


Sunday, August 4, 2013

Is Yoga an Art?

I am reading a book written by Geeta Iyengar called Yoga a gem for women. As I was reading I came across the question is yoga an art?

Living is an art. Yoga enhances the quality of
 one's life. Hence it is an art. It lifts up one's
thoughts and enables one to face life's difficult situations happily
 and with equanimity; it teaches one to strive to
achieve a goal in life; to cultivate friendliness, concentration,
piety, contentment, joy, and to discard what is non-essential; to cultivate good habits
and to lead a righteous life. Yoga is disciplined action to
achieve and attain final freedom.
 
 
                                                                                                     -Geeta Iyengar