You may have heard Yoga teachers cueing to “step the bottom hand a little forward” as you move into Side Plank. But why is this detail important?
In Side Plank the body is not parallel to the ground (i.e our feet are lower than the line of the shoulder joint) which means when your wrist is directly under the shoulder the angle as the shoulder is less than 90 degrees. The result is a more acute angle and a less stable weight bearing joint.
Should you move your arms “forward and up”, or “out and up” when you start sun salutations?
This is an interesting small detail which can have huge effects on our neck and shoulders. The shoulders are a region of the body where there are many muscles. It’s a very complex and busy area and good health of the shoulders requires a very balanced and diverse approach of strength, mobility and stability.
Both movements are valuable in themselves but what is also important here is that when we move, we do so with intention, presence and awareness.
Delve deeply into the fascinating world of Yoga Anatomy and learn why we move the way we do in our upcoming Yoga Booster: Master Class Series-starting Wednesday 21st July and running until Saturday 28th August at Heather Yoga
Join Ella for Power of Shakti workshop on Saturday 10th July, 5-7pm at Heather Yoga Online.
Prepare for the enchantment and awakening of the senses…
Smell
Essential oils are a gift from earth’s healing plants. We use pure, potent aroma to bring our entire being into presence and pleasure.
Touch
Abhyanga is an ayurvedic ritual utilised to ground and protect. When we show ourselves that we are worthy of our own precious touch, we send powerful information to our conscious and subconscious mind.
This Qigong practice, which is called Circling Sun & Moon, opens up the body in a way that stimulates the heart and small intestine meridians- both of which run along the arms. These are the organs for the season of summer, both responsible for circulation in the body.
Some of the postures we practice in the summer are used to get the heart pumping! This is a great way to facilitate circulation which helps to send prana/chi around the body.
Join us for 'A Summer Flow with Debs'-Saturday 19th June 5pm-7pm at Heather Yoga online to practice 'Circling Sun & Moon' as well as other Qigong and seasonal Yoga Flows.
Full Price £25 (7 Day replay included)
Book here: www.heatheryoga.co.uk/workshops/#summerflow
Wow Wow WOW! Our Yoga in the Park Charity Fundraiser for India on Sunday was incredible!
After over a Year of teaching online throughout the pandemic - we were back together in person outdoors! And following the rain of late - the Sun came out and truly shined for us ☀️
A pretty emotional & very memorable morning was also had after all this time - finally seeing so many of your lovely faces there and getting to connect & practice together in our most loved local Roberts Park, and whilst raising money for a much needed cause for those in India who need help right now.
It's that time of year where Deb's shares with you her favourite sweet treats ahead of her upcoming Summer Flow with Debs workshop-Saturday 19th June 5pm-7pm at Heather Yoga online.
The ancient yogis understood the science of the breath as a way to actually master your mind & energy - using the breath as the agent to calm fluctuations and agitation of the mental space, slow down and step away from tidal wave of thoughts, to regulate, calm & restore your nervous system, harness the subtle energy for greater vitality & health, and the capacity to transform ourselves from the inside out!
It can be really nice to have a variety of reading to accompany those slightly denser non-fiction Philosophy books which can take a little longer to digest. Philosophy Fiction is a great way to engage with some of life’s most important lessons. Heather Yoga would love to share two books which have been a highlight from this past year and there is a reason why they are both best sellers.
Way of the Peaceful Warrior and The Midnight Library are both enlightening and empathetic. I like to describe them as very gentle page turners which are comforting, thought provoking and fully absorbing all at the same time.
The ancient yogis have been studying the science of the breath for thousands of Years , and in more recent times the role of breath is becoming more & more talked about in the world of health and wellness.Breathing is intrinsically linked to our emotional and mental wellbeing. The breath is often thought to be an expression of how we are feeling.
See this short clip to try out a really effective Chaturanga drill which will help you to build up strength and muscle memory to uplevel and deepen your practice. In our upcoming @Yoga Unwrapped Chaturanga Up Dog Down Dog workshop this Bank Holiday Monday 3rd May 10am-12.30pm at @Heather Yoga, we will be practicing many more fun and challenging exercises and drills which will enable you to refine your alignment and feel steady and stable for when you transition in and out of this pose.
