In a little over two months, I will be on my way to India. I have been preparing by reading as many travel blogs and info threads on India as I possibly can. I came across this website that has the most beautiful photos taken by a photojournalist that was traveling through. I hope I come back with a wardrobe and enlightened soul that is as colorful as this picture.
A new trend is emerging in the fitness world: Anti-Gravity Yoga!
To me, this particular workout seems great for people struggling with joint problems or injuries. By doing postures in the hammock, students are able to achive zero compression inversions which protects their joints, spine and alignment. Plus, they get to look like those ribbon people at the circus.
Why Inversions Are Awesome:
Inversions are an amazing part of a yoga practice in general, as they increase blood flow to the brain and release neurotransmitters.
Inversions move around Lymph- Lymph is a fluid that contains hormones and other message sending chemicals. Lymph is rich in white blood cells and plays a large role in keeping your immune system healthy as well as removing toxins from your tissues. There is no mechanism to move these fluids throughout your body, but it is vital that they circulate. So spending time upside down is a perfect way to do this!
By achieving inverted postures in this hammock, students can enjoy all of the benefits of inversions without any compression on the body’s skeleton. I am not sure how true zero-gravity yoga is to the actual postures, however, I think it would be a fun, interesting way to stretch, tone and recharge. (and to spread that Lymph.)
So find a class near you, turn on some dramatic music, get a spot light and you will feel a little bit like the opening act in a Cirque Du Soleil performance.-Which is everyone’s dream, right?
I love Yama-
There are 8 limbs of yoga which you must master in order to reach true consciousness. This post talks about Yama. I think it is my favorite-Check out how you can master it!
1. YAMA: the first limb of The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali
Yama is social behavior, how you treat other people and your environment. Apply the golden rule. There are 5 yamas.
- Nonviolence (ahimsa). Do not harm any creature in thought or deed. Including insects. Compassion for all creatures. Refrain from gossip and practice patience, kindness, and tolerance.
- Truth & Honesty (satya). Do not lie or cheat. Refrain from deception. Live with integrity, sincerity, and clarity. Seek your dharma, your purpose.
- Non-stealing (asteya). Do not steal material objects or intangibles such as attention or credit.
- Non-lust (brahmacharya). Avoid meaningless sexual encounters. See divinity in all. Moderation in our actions.
- Non-possessiveness; non-greediness (aparigraha). Identify, deconstruct, and cleanse yourself from greed and hoarding. Make your life simple.
Laughter Yoga
Laughter Yoga combines Unconditional Laughter with Yogic Breathing (Pranayama). The concept of this type of yoga is based on the scientific fact that the human body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter. Laughing, whether it it forced or natural, gives your body the same physiological and psychological benefits.
Laughter Yoga’s health benefits:
Feel-good hormones. Laughing leads to the release of endorphins, a self-manufactured natural opiate that has been scientifically shown to carry messages of attachment and bonding (the scientific terms for love), and to stimulate feelings of caring and forgiveness in addition to acting as a natural painkiller. Endorphins create a positive state of mind and boost optimism, self-confidence and feelings of self-worth. Blood & all major organs are fully oxygenated leaving us bursting with energy. Lloyd (Journal of General Psychology, 1983) showed that laughter is a combination of deep inhalation and full exhalation, inspiring excellent ventilation, wonderful rest and profound release. Increased circulation helps flush the organs of waste products, helping us to operate at peak performance. Our lymphatic system is massaged and our immune systems boosted. Laughter causes an “internal jogging” that massages the internal organs and promotes circulation to the digestive and lymphatic systems. Strengthens the immune system. Laughter deepens the breath, which is shown to increase lymphatic flow, which in turn is already thoroughly documented and proven to boost the immune system with fast increases in levels of anti-viral and anti-infection cells (including the so-called “natural-killer” cells which help fight cancer). Laughter also increases the levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA), the first line of defense protecting us against viral infections such as coughs and colds. Immune, digestive & sexual systems that are switched off by stress are switched on. Promotes cardio-vascular health. Blood pressure drops and pulse rate drops after you have laughed. Depression is lifted, even chronic depression is often cured (watch the video testimonial for Laughter Yoga of a leading American Psychiatrist). Anti-aging formula. Many older Laughter Yoga practitioners claim that the facial exercise of laughter reduces wrinkles and sagging by firming and toning facial muscles, making them look (and if anything else “feel”) younger. Catharsis. By enhancing the free flow of emotions, laughter can help dislodge blocked emotions stored in the body. Suppressed or blocked emotions can cause ongoing physical, mental and emotional problems. Their release can be life-changing. Laughter provides an excellent non-violent method for emotional release and catharsis (word of caution: laughter therapy to release emotional trauma truly really works. Info taken from http://www.laughteryogaamerica.com/learn/physiology-psychology-of-laughter-yoga-1527.php I am really interested in this new craze, will definitely be trying it out! Just watching this video makes me feel like I am practicing laughter yoga! Have any of you tried it? If so, what did you think of it?
(Source: laughteryoga.org)
When I think of my own soul, I picture a room. Sometimes the room looks a little bit like this one. All of the facets of who I am- my past, in colored jars and textured glass containers, tucked in shelves and stacked on top of one another balancing on the edge of a shelf; my future draped like silk from one corner to another,gently curling and flapping in the breeze that floats in through the open door. Faded images of happiness and sadness, hopes and dreams,images of who I have once been; teetering next to one another in golden frames on the walls of my soul. All of who I am, is meticulously placed where it is meant to be. Protected here, in this room of my soul.
Enter your room today, dust off your soul and spend time in there. It is so easy to forget your very being- the deep fabrics of what make you who you are. Your experiences, whether positive or negative do not have to be baggage. Yes, they will stay with you, but allow them to become the very treasures of your soul.
Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful; We must carry it within us or we shall never find it.-Ralph Waldo Emerson
(Source: Image 3-http)
Where do I even begin?
I have arrived home from India and all of our travels! I have been uncomfortable, content, awed by the beauty of survival- I found silence in chaos, joy in sadness and a connection, on a living being level, with people who live a life far different from my own. Beyond language and culture lies a living being energy within each of us that allows us all to relate. I realized that things- including this earth, are only as big as you allow your imagination to make them. I sat on the top of a mountain and looked out across villages. I stood at the edge of the ocean, saw the moon and sun in the same glimpse, woke up before the sun and listened to the stillness of dawn.I found that darkness only exists because of the absence of light, fear keeps people from growing and risk is something that is worth taking. I slept on a board, took cold showers, ate foods that were grown from our village. I realized that if you can name something that makes you happy, you truly haven’t found that happiness. I realized that if you find the connection with yourself, you will never struggle to connect with anything again. This connection with yourself bridges you to all living things. I found this silence,beauty and contentment. I hope that my photos and stories within the next months can bring you closer to this as well! More to come! Love and Light!
A little treat of some of the photos to come: Munnar, Kerala, India. The town of Munnar is about 5000 feet above sea level. The mountains here are adorned with the most beautiful tea fields in the world. Everywhere you turn, you have a panoramic view of the richest and brightest green bushes covering these mountains like velvet. We stayed in a small cottage tucked in the trees, and the bottom photo was taken on an early morning walk down the mountain. I have so much more to share with you, but here is a sneak peak!
Goan Shopkeeper and Mama
I snapped this photo in the evening on our walk to dinner in Goa. The roads are lined with open air shops packed with thousands of pieces of hand sewn pants and shirts. Most of the shop keepers are women along this strip. This woman was sitting outside of her store with her baby. This woman’s energy was something you could feel as you approached her. She had a way of looking at you, that made you feel like she knew you, She was gentle and unfazed by her crying baby, she rhythmically bounced her with her knee as she posed for this photo. As human beings, sometimes we simply want to blend into the crowd. We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves for fear that someone will notice the imperfections we see in ourselves. But isn’t it true that when we embrace ourselves, everyone else sees that beauty as well? I love how bold and strong this woman is. You could instantly feel her feminine energy when trying to communicate with her and you could instantly feel her strength. Although we couldn’t communicate with a verbal language. We knew each other as women. There was a mutual feminine understanding within each of us. The kind of understanding that all women would have with one another if they weren’t preoccupied with comparing themselves, or judging others.
Today, embrace yourself. Reward yourself. Adorn yourself. You are a unique being- accentuate that. If you are a woman, observe your thoughts towards other women. Are they kind and gentle? Or are they reflections of your own insecurities? Sit with this for a moment today, travel through these thoughts and become more in tune with your inner dialogue. This will tell you more about yourself than you could ever imagine.
With Love,
Ryann
Life Is a Balancing Act
Sometimes we just have to stop and take moment to rebalance our body,spirit and minds.
TRY. IT. OUT!
Is Your Yoga Mat Making You Sick?
My video talks about the proper gear you need for hot yoga and why it’s important to get it. (HINT: You don’t want to get a Staph infection from your yoga mat-)
Check out my Prolite Manduka Mat in MIdnight here! Check out my Yogitoes Skidless Mat Towel in Lapis here!
