I love props and if you are creative with them they can serve tons of different purposes. There are some really important ones and then some additional ones that can be nice to have.

Here is what i think it absolutely important to have for starting your own yoga practice:

The Mat (obviously). This is really all you need, but the next few items are good to have to help out your progress.

Green solft foam blocks

Dense foam blocks

Straps

Dowling

Additional Items:

Bolsters

Heart Block

Stretchy bands

Wooden blocks

Tennis balls in a sock

sensiballs

toe stretchers.

Most of these you can find at any yoga store. Or you can check out www.halfmoonyogaprops.com which is where most of mine are from. A lot of these are also home made creations. When I started practicing yoga at home i became much more aware of what my body needed and where i needed more opening. Some of these props are designed for that, or i have figured out new ways to use props to help out my practice.

I have a series of videos coming out of me describing and demonstrating how i use each of my props. Today i’m starting with just simple dense foam blocks. They have lots of uses, but my video shows what i use them for. I’m sure you will figure out many more ways to use them!

CHeck out my video!: Dense Foam Blocks

Pranayama is defined as the lengthening of the breath. Prana translates as life force particularly the breath and ayama translates as to lengthen or extend. There are numerous pranayama techniques and I have learnt a few of them and used them in my everyday life and yoga practice.

I have to admit that I do not have a huge pranayama practice right now. I have a full time job, a relationship, friends, sewing classes etc etc etc and sometimes just fitting in a little yoga practice is hard enough! I am very jealous of people I meet that have a 45minute pranayama practice everyday in addition to their yoga! I want to suggest that everyone pick up a pranayama practice of some sort.

Most of us are walking around shallow breathers which creates an oxygen deficiency in our cells. Deep breathing oxygenates our blood and hence organs and cells and this is why we feel so amazing after a pranayama practice!

Ujyayi pranayama is the triumphant breath used during asana practice. Most of you are probably familiar with this technique and everyone should use it in conjunction with their yoga practice. As for the many other techniques they are usually not found in a drop-in yoga class. There are workshops or meditations classes that include some good breath work instruction. A quick google search can also show you tons of instruction out there for breathing techniques to add to your practice.

I take a few minutes for deep breathing and ribcage expansion at the beginning of my asana to calm my mind and exhilerate my body. It really helps to take my practice further. Deep luxurious breathing during my yoga practice is effortless when i practice after pranayama. Sometimes I will also follow pranayama with some meditation at the end of my practice.

It is also a great stress reliever that I use on my lunch break at work. If it is nice out I will try to sit outside or I will just take over an empty office. I take deep inhales and exhales first building up the length of each. Then I will hold each breath at the top and bottom for a bit until I fell a wonderful calm come over me. After that I operate from a centre of tranquility. Taking on the rest of the work day and whatever challenges arise is easy.

Breath deep, oxygenate your blood, and feel the benefits!

Cleansing Article #1

As the movement and breath of yoga cleanses our minds and bodies there are many ways we can additionally cleanse our internal body. Some are easy and some are very advanced. I am an intro student and there are many cleansing techniques I have not tried since they kinda freak me out. I’m sure one day I will try them and then I will post what I discover with them!

I found that the practice of yoga has brought me to a state of improved health in many ways. There are changes I made to my lifestyle and have incorporated many cleansing techniques.

Netti – Netti is lots of fun! It is such a great way to open up your sinuses first thing in the morning and is extremely therapeutic when I have a stuffed up nose from allergies or a cold. It counteracts effects of dry indoor air and environmental pollution. By keeping your nasal membranes moist you are keeping a strong barrier against incoming bacteria and viruses! And of course it is great to do right before a pranayama practice.

I just inhale salt water up one nostril until it falls down the back of my throat or goes into the other nasal passage. You can use a Netti Pot, but I don’t really see the need. There are other versions of Netti that include using thread, ghee (clarified butter), or milk to flush the sinuses. I have not tried these others yet…

To see me do a netti demo click Netti Tutorial!

PS. Since I filmed this video I have tried using a Netti pot and I found it was not as powerful to break through any sinus build up I had. It also tickled like crazy when just a little drip would go into my other nasal passage.

Breathing

The importance of breath during a yoga practice is enormous! It is what will bring you the relaxation as well as the energy through an asana practice. It was not until I started taking the SmartYoga classes that I learned to breath in a rhythmic cycle. And it was a very important tool that helped me get it.

The greatest thing ever for my breathing during a yoga practice has been the breath cycle cd’s that my teacher created. The cd’s have a cycle of 3 or 4 second inhales and exhales (depending on the cd) with an Om to signal the inhale. This controls the length of my breaths as well as reminds me to breathe. It is a great partner to any practice. It also helps me to keep track of how long I hold each side of a pose. For my standing postures I will hold each side for 5 breaths. For seated work I like to hold things longer so I will go for 10 breaths or more.

The cd is 120 minutes long so it is a perfect length to get a good practice in.

When I first started studying with Jesse he was using the 4 second breath cycle and after a few months he switched to the 3 second breath cycle. I prefer the 3 second cycle because it keeps a good pace to my practice and doesn’t get lethargic.

3 seconds seems fast for an inhale and exhale at the beginning of a practice, so sometimes I switch to taking an inhale for 6 seconds and exhale for 6 seconds. This opens up my lungs and I find I have more powerful 3 second inhales and exhales during my practice. The 3 second cycle feels perfect without any straining or need for more breath.

My mind is so trained now that when I listen to music I will inhale and exhale based on the songs rhythms! So you could really use anything that has a regular rhythm to track your cyclical breathing. Or a metrohm! I found an online metrohm you can use. It sounds a little boring on its own, but with some other music in the background it will work great!

If you would like to purchase your own breath cycle cd there are a few options. The cost of the cd is $10. It is on sale on craigslist and ebay. Or of course you can contact him: jesse@smartyoga.ca.

Jesse is also offering some SmartYoga progressive courses and a workshop coming up soon. Check out the My Teacher page for more details!

Motivation & Discipline – Part II: Find your happy place!

Maybe it sounds too flaky hippy to tell you to find your happy place, but I don’t know how else to describe it. It is within all of us just waiting to be discovered!

After I started practicing on my own I found that I didn’t need to search for motivation or discipline. Yoga made me feel so happy and incredible that suddenly I had the power and motivation inside me! It was just hard to find.

Here is how I found it… At some point in my practice, usually early on during the lunges or standing poses a feeling of peace and calm would wash over me. I would feel incredible in my body. Once it comes over me I let it consume my mind and body and allow it to build inside me. It is such an amazing experience, and hands down the best part of yoga. It will make all of your problems of the day wash away and seem minuscule.

It is this blissful feeling that translated into motivation and discipline for me. No longer did those words have a negative connotation. That feeling is what draws me to my practice.

I discovered this happy place through yoga, and now it has translated into my daily life! I hope that I can help you realize this amazing effect of yoga. You have this ability within your body and just have to tap into it. Then yoga is easy, your body will crave it, and it will make you feel so good that you cannot even imagine a life before it.