Yoga for Beginners: "The Guru Mantra" Class

Getting these 5 key beginners poses right will give you a fantastic foundation to start your Yoga practice. Focus on the correct alignment, where you need to be engaging and where you need to be relaxing. Ensuring that you are holding your body in the correct shape of the pose and moving slightly deeper into the pose with each breath. Remember to try to simulate the beautiful, strong, steady feeling of Tadasana (Mountain Pose) in all your other poses. Keep all the tips in mind as you hold each pose to constantly adjust the pose, constantly check in with your body and always make sure you are breathing deeply and fully. Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ilkqMcWLASRlxnZvMbLAf?si=igYhMwBGQGyH2XZYF6G6zA

Our world is in crisis and our people are suffering. Use this meditation to connect with all beings, to bring healing and unconditional Love into your heart and around the world. Understanding that because we are so intimately connected when one is suffering we are all suffering. None can be free until we are all free.  This is a meditation for your own work, for your own heart, do the work to make sure your heart is strong so that, more importantly, you can do the work in yourself and in your communities to help dismantle white supremacy.  #blacklivesmatter #blacklivesareimportant #blacklivesareworthy #blacklivesareneeded

Today’s resolve is: “I see the guru in everything and everyone. Every being who crosses my path is my teacher. I open my eyes and my heart to the enlightenment principle”

The Guru Mantra Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru devo Maheshwara Guru sakshat, param Brahma, tasmai shri guravay namah Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Pq7MR5y0Z4xJIheaooj3v?si=J-aoXplETWS7fxXjJNF9AA

Today’s resolve is: “I invite serenity into my life. I am calm, peaceful and serene. My true nature is Shantih, innate serenity and inner peace. Nothing outside of me can disturb my peace” Yoga Nidra is a powerful technique in which you learn to relax consciously. True relaxation is an experience far beyond what we think relaxation is, it is far more than simple sensory diversions like reading a book or watching TV. For absolute relaxation, you must remain aware. This is Yoga Nidra, the state of dynamic sleep. Yoga Nidra is a systematic method of inducing complete physical, mental and emotional relaxation. The term Yoga Nidra is derived from two Sanskrit words, yoga meaning union or one-pointed awareness, and Nidra which means sleep. But, in the practice, you are required to stay awake and not fall asleep. During the practice of Yoga Nidra, one appears to be asleep but the consciousness is functioning at a deeper level of awareness. For this reason, Yoga Nidra is often referred to as psychic sleep or deep relaxation with inner awareness. In this threshold state between sleep and wakefulness, contact with the subconscious and unconscious dimensions occurs spontaneously. In Yoga Nidra, the state of relaxation is reached by turning inwards, away from outer experiences. If the consciousness can be separated from external awareness and from sleep, it becomes very powerful and can be applied in many ways, for example, to develop the memory, increase knowledge and creativity as well as deep healing.

maitrī karuṇā mudito-pekṣāṇāṁ-sukha-duḥkha puṇya-apuṇya-viṣayāṇāṁ bhāvanātaḥ citta-prasādanam मैत्री करुणा मुदितोपेक्षाणांसुखदुःख पुण्यापुण्यविषयाणां भावनातः चित्तप्रसादनम्  To preserve the innate serenity of the mind, a yogin should be happy for those who are happy, be compassionate toward those who are unhappy, be delighted for those who are virtuous and be indifferent toward the wicked. Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Fo6XbZaGDVnGyAKKeCvE1?si=-Q4e7gw2SgG8c8-CTKf6WA

This week's Resolves is: “I accept myself for who I am. I am worthy, deserving and valuable just as I am. I am made up of divine energy and unconditional Love. I love and approve of myself just the way I am” Yoga Nidra is known as Yoga Sleep. It is that state between being asleep and wakefulness. When you are in this state you are very susceptible to positive affirmations, to relaxation and to harmony. The process of Yoga Nidra is for the person to lie down comfortably and purely listen to the teacher, making sure they do not fall asleep completely or wander off and think of something else. The student follows the teacher's voice into a deep state of rest and relaxation. Into a state of just being. Lie down in Savasana, on your back. Make sure you are absolutely comfortable. Put a pillow under your knees and cover yourself with a blanket. Do whatever you need to to be comfy. You are asked not to move during the practice and also, not to fall asleep. This is very important.

vastu-sāmye citta-bhedāt tayor vibhaktaḥ panthāḥ वस्तुसाम्येचित्तभेदात्तयोर्विभक्तः पन्थाः Each individual person perceives the same object in a different way, according to their own state of mind and projections. Everything is empty from its own side and appears according to how you see it. Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/570E7bz8nuRn82r3ywc8sT?si=LpzQARlkQZ-NHxnHezLuYg

Join me for this calm and peaceful visualisation meditation.  Make sure you are completely comfortable, use some pillows under your knees when you lie down and cover yourself with a blanket. 

INHALE: LET  EXHALE: GO Sit or lie comfortably. Make sure you are absolutely comfy and your body is totally supported so you can relax completely. Have a blanket and some pillow handy in case you'll need them. If you'd like to add music to your meditation, use this Surrender to Love Sound-bath to enhance your meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmRwZ-BmS8A