inspiring practices
Living in Harmony with the cycles of Nature
The cycle of lunar illumination has been used to reference the passing of time all around the world since way before the invention of the clock.
The Moon cycle is the same wherever we are on the Earth, whilst the Seasons differ across the globe…
Being aware of the Solstices and Equinoxes can also be useful when travelling north or south of the equator…
Yoga
Yoga means ‘union’ or ‘to join’ and refers to the union of individual consciousness with the universal consciousness through yoga practices.
Like most people our introduction to Yoga started with a weekly class on a mat and it’s this physical practice of yoga, that springs to many people’s minds when they think of yoga. This aspect of yoga practice can be thought of as a way of connecting the mind and body together with the breath.
So many of us get caught up in our thoughts that we forget to be mindful of our bodies and take them for granted. The physical practice of moving the body consciously and coordinating movements with breathing brings us back into our physical selves and the present moment.
When our bodies have moved, stretched and started to relax we can then find it easier for our minds to let go as well.
If we dig a bit deeper we realise that Yoga is, of course, so much more than just a physical practice. It can also be thought of as a method of developing our awareness through the eight limbs (ashtanga) of classical yoga practice. We start by becoming aware of and making conscious decisions on how we choose to live and our interconnectivity with other beings and the environment. We develop awareness of our body and how it moves, we develop awareness of our breath and how energy moves around our bodies. We develop awareness of our senses and how to withdraw inwards, awareness of and development of single pointed focus concentration, awareness of the mind and finally awareness of consciousness.
The yoga that we practice and that Caroline teaches is an authentic classical yoga that She studied at the Yoga Satsanga Ashram in west wales.
Whose teachings are based on those of the Gitananda tradition originating from the Ananda Ashram in Pondicherry India.
http://www.icyer.com/
It is truly yoga on and off the mat.
Meditation
Meditation encompasses many differing practices, that help develop a pathway towards clarity of being, a calm mind and emotional well-being.
In practice we’ve found that making the time each day, setting a timer for 10 going up to 30 minutes, when we know there is nothing else we need to do that cannot wait, to sit and practice ‘no thinking’. This initially feels impossible, but, by allowing the purely observing part of ourselves to watch our minds playing and talking, using the help of practices passed on through thousands of years by many people who have also had to deal with over thinking, it becomes easier, to just Be, in the Present Moment..
Here’s one to start with that we would like to share..
Eknath Easwaran,
https://www.bmcm.org/learn/
His book ‘Passage Mediation’ has informed our practice, sharing here..
https://www.bmcm.org/inspiration/easwaran/first-chapter-passage-meditation/
Laughter
Laughter as the old saying goes is the best medicine, however in every day life it’s not always easy to find something to laugh about. Luckily for us our bodies and minds can still get all the benefits of laughing by consciously laughing rather than automatic laughing or fake it till you make it…
This was the premise that was used by Madan Kataria when he came up with the idea of laughter yoga.
Laughter yoga is so called because it combines laughter exercises with breathing exercises and stretching to improve physical and psychological well being. To have its maximum benefits laughter needs to be sustained, unconditional and deep.
https://laughteryoga.org
We discovered laughter yoga through another synchronistic set of events and are lucky to have a friend Pete Cann who is a laughter yoga leader, his course was amazing.