Category: Yoga / Health Related Posts

Journey Through the Chakras with Lisa Ware | Week 1 Muladhara Root Chakra and Vinyasa Yoga

Lisa Ware 5 Pointed Star

Lisa Ware 5 Pointed Star

HOT Vinyasa Flow Yoga + Journey through the Chakra System with Lisa Ware

This practice may be utilized in conjunction for the 7 weeks of Lent and Easter Season!

The root Chakra is the base of the energy system called the Chakras or Cakra in Sanskrit. (In English we add the ‘ch’ spelling, but in Sanskrit the ‘c’ sounds like ‘ch’.)

Muladhara is located at the base of the spine near the perineum, or the triangular muscle grouping of the pelvic floor. It is symbolic with the Earth, being rooted down, and with groundedness.

Lisa Ware Goddess Pose

Lisa Ware Goddess Pose

For this class I recommend two books:

Anodea Judith’s Chakra Balancing Kit with the detailed book and 2 CD’s, and

Swami Svananda Chakra Meditation with the beautiful imagery and meditations

A great Cakra Poster is available from Sanskrit Sounds which has all the traditional description of the chakras from the Vedas by Nicolai Bachman.

To enhance your practice you may enjoy:

A sprig of rosemary, basil or a piece of cedar wood or cedar resin; a rosewood mala bead necklace or a mala of choice, a piece of dark stone or crystal, either red or black such as jasper or onyx or hematite. Cloves or black pepper, or grounding essential oils such as frankincense.

Props:

A bolster or small pillow, a blanket folded and firm, two yoga blocks and of course your yoga mat. Room temp water and an open mind. =-)

root chakra yantra

Root Chakra Yantra

The workshop associated with this post is accessed via streaming audio on:

hitplayyoga-med

HIT PLAY YOGA.com

Search Yoga 4 Love

Discount Code 50% off use TEXAS

Receive Unlimited Audio Classes for a month for $10.

Join Lisa for a 7 Week Series:
* ALL CLASSES ARE RECORDED AND UPLOADED WEEKLY*

FREE Downloads for Root chakra workshop:

f Chakra Chart Yoga4Love

Foods for the Chakras

Goddess Pose with Root Chakra Mudra

Goddess Pose with Root Chakra Mudra Lisa Ware

Take 1 class or all 7!

85 minutes; Beginners, All Levels

Enjoy a yoga class focused on your energy centers with Lisa in a beautiful Far Infrared Heated yoga studio! Practice yoga surrounded with tranquility and find your bliss on your mat! Make a commitment to mind, body spirit!
Begin the series with the Root Chakra and end focusing on Transformation and Ascension with the Crown Chakra!

Each week’s flow is designed to activate, balance and connection to breath through Mind / Body / Spirit. Learn and feel in new ways, connect with our natural Prana (the body’s chi, ki or energy). Learn to awaken all of our energy points (chakras) with some new and many traditional techniques and poses. Specific Sun Salutations for each chakra (Surya Namaskar). Learn how certain Warrior series activate direction of energy (Prana Vayus). Experience delicious twists, beginner and advanced back bending and an intro to basic inversions. All Yoga 4 Love Signature sequences are chosen to stimulate and balance each Chakra center. Come to one class or all 7!

This creative class series combines Lisa’s two passions: Reiki and Vinyasa Flow Yoga. Learn through the practice of yoga and some breakdown/ lecture time about the colors, yantra meditation, crystals + positive affirmations and Sun Salutations specifically for each chakra. All learning is experienced during a flowing yoga class. Starting with breath work (pranayama) and setting your intention for the chakra energy center, we then begin moving into a flow set to conscious music at a pace that will stretch you to your edge, or be therapeutic, whatever you feel is best of you that present moment. Hold your focus and feel deep relaxation with an energy filled yoga practice, a beautiful blend of Hatha and Vinyasa infused with the transformative yin energy of Reiki Healing Therapy.

Build your core strength, balance, increase your internal fire. Have fun, laugh, fall out of poses, play and strengthen. You will leave feeling rejuvenated, refreshed and balanced.

Finish this class with Reiki and guided meditation during a lovely final relaxation (Savasana).

Oneness. Peace. Love. Light

Lisa Ware, E-RYT
Reiki Master Teacher

Held at Dynamic Yoga 4 Love Studio 558 Bluebird Lane Red Oak, TX 75154

Held Virtually at www.hitplayyoga.com

Included in Yoga 4 Love membership. $12 Drop in or 7 class pass $65 (reg. $84).

Sign Up HERE

Rosewood Mala provided by Atma Inports

Much gratitude!

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What is Yoga and How Can I Benefit From It?

Kiss my asana

Kiss My Asana | Clothing Credit 717 Couture

What is yoga and how can I benefit from it?

Yoga is one of the oldest forms of movement in history. The connection between the Ancient Yogis and the modern day Western yoga practitioner today are evident yet subtle. Yoga is composed of linking together poses, the body’s energy and the breath. There are many benefits of yoga such as:

Learn to quiet the chatter in the mind.

Build bone density; weight bearing exercise is the only way to do this.

Listen and become in tune with your body.

Create a place for ‘me time’ on your yoga mat.

Build strength, core power, agility, grace and endurance.

Bring a greater awareness of the interconnection of ourself and nature.

Begin to increase flexibility, no matter how inflexible you are right now.

Decrease stress levels, knots, tension and Cortizol dramatically by increasing release of anti stress hormones DHEA and Oxytocin through a regular yoga practice.

Increase your daily energy level.

Increase your libido. Yep, you read that one right.

Develop healthy lifestyle habits.

Surround yourself with people who lift you up.

Make new acquaintances and friends in class.

Become interconnected in the worldwide movement of positive, conscious like minded spirits.

Professional yoga teachers are taught through many lineages. To become a Registered Yoga Teacher, RYT it requires at least 200 hours of training and many practice and internship hours.  All schools are required to teach a variety of yoga asana and history in the curriculum. Finding a yoga studio or class that fits you may not be the first one you step into. Some yoga studios teach only the poses, or asanas, which is strictly the movement. Some yoga teachers teach the breath and the movement. Others focus on the entire mind | body | spirit connection.

Yoga is a practice unlike any other movement, sport or art in the world. Some people may associate yoga with a particular religion. This is untrue and not even possible as a whole, for each person is vastly different from the next.  Each person brings to their mat their own belief system. Yoga is what YOU interpret it to be, therefore, each individual’s yoga practice is vastly varied from another’s experience. Each person will walk off their mat into the world with the tools and inner dialogue that suits exactly what they need that day, on the condition that they let go and were open to the possibilities of what their body, breath and mind have for them in that present moment.

Staying in the present moment, being guided gently to push your own edges, leading into a blissful state of final relaxation is a wonderful addition to any lifestyle. This is yoga.

 

Lisa Ware is Dallas Yoga Journalist for Examiner.com

http://www.examiner.com/article/what-is-yoga-and-how-can-i-benefit-from-it

Original Article Appeared August 2012

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Yoga Tips to Get Your Revolve Triangle On

I was wondering what to to write or to say that will be inspiring and informative… I figured we would have tons of time to do that…

In the mean time, I want to share some cool yoga tips on how to enhance your yoga poses and make sure you have proper energetic and physical alignment to keep you safe and pain free for years to come.

Over the years and after many teaching hours  I wished more time to break down and practice one pose or more hands to get to everyone… but for now I want to bring different mini videos on “how to” get in certain poses risk and pain free.

My goal is to offer tips on how to check your own alignment in many poses and offer cues to avoid common mistakes so your personal practice soars to the next level.

Let’s start with Revolved Triangle also known as Parivrtta Trikonasana.  I have created a video for it to make it easy for you to follow and avoid common mistakes.

If you would like more information you can reach me at adri@innerbeautyyoga.com or www.innerbeautyyoga.com

Love,

Adri

 

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top 20 ways to boost your immune system without resorting to deadly vaccines

It’s important to find ways to boost your immune system and shield yourself from colds and the flu without resorting to jabbing yourself in the arm with a cocktail of mercury, formaldehyde, aluminum and MSG. Oh yes, all those things are found in vaccines, according to the CDC.

So to avoid all that, here’s my list of the top 20 ways to boost your immune system without resorting to deadly vaccines and all the toxic additives they contain.

The top 20 ways to boost your immunity to colds and flu without using a vaccine

1) Take a vitamin D supplement every day. Check our Vitamin D guide for details about choosing the proper dosage.

2) Get as much sunlight as you can for as late into the year as you can manage. Even getting sunlight on just your face helps produce more vitamin D in your body.

3) Drink immune-boost beverages like organic Cocoa Mojo, which contains a blend of 4 medicinal mushrooms. And it tastes like a delicious hot chocolate!

4) Use a high-quality air filter in your home to filter out bacteria and mold spores that may be circulating inside your home.

5) Get regular exercise to boost your circulation and immune strength. This exercise should be frequent and moderate. Do not over-stress yourself at the gym, or your immune system will be temporarily compromised.

6) Take supplements especially designed to protect your respiratory tract. These include Lomatium, Osha, Elderberry and more. You’ll find many of these in the herbal medicine cabinets offered at the NaturalNews Store.

7) Take measures to minimize your exposure to immune-damaging chemicals such as those you’ll find in laundry products, cosmetics, personal care products and fragrance products. The artificial fragrance chemicals found in most of these products are carcinogenic and cause liver damage.

8) Get off all medications that you can safely eliminate! Work with a naturopath to accomplish this, of course, as quitting medications cold turkey can also be dangerous. Most medications suppress your immune system, liver function, kidney function and even your reproductive function.

9) Eat more meals that are rich in pungent spices. Eat more curry, which is rich in turmeric. Eat more ginger. Eat more cilantro, rosemary, thyme and other rich spices. This includes cloves and nutmeg, two spices you’ll typically find in eggnog drinks. These spices boost immune function and taste great, too!

10) Clean up your diet. If you’re eating cheese and drinking processed milk, those substances are to be avoided during the winter influenza season, especially. In many people, cheese and dairy products tend to cause sinus stuffiness, which is really a lack of sinus circulation. This can make you more susceptible to physically catching and harboring a virus floating around.

11) Boost your trace minerals intake, especially zinc. Both zinc and selenium are hugely important for immune function. Zinc is especially well known for functioning as a shield support against many viral attacks. One of the best ways to boost your trace minerals intake is to switch to a natural sea salt or a high-mineral salt. We’ll be offering these salts by Thanksgiving, by the way.

12) Move your lymph! Rebounders (mini trampolines) are great for this purpose. Jumping rope also works, as does just hopping in place for a few minutes each day. You can also do arm rotations and other simple movements to keep your lymph circulating. Lymph movement is crucial for immunity.

13) Take immune-protective herbal tinctures such as goldenseal, garlic, echinacea, osha root and elderberry. All of these herbs are found in the Enerfood Herbal Medicine Cabinet – intermediate. We also have a “basic” and “advanced” kit available.

14) While you’re at it, wash your hands more frequently. Many of the infections we receive during the flu season come from us touching contaminated surfaces and then touching our eyes, nose or mouth. The simple act of washing your hands can dramatically cut down on viral infections.

15) At the same time, demand high levels of hygiene by those around you. Ask them to wash their hands, for example. Ask them to boost their immunity with herbs, nutrients and supplements that really work. In fact, when others fail to boost their immune systems, it’s actually highly irresponsible on their part. Merely relying on a vaccine is actually putting other people at risk, since vaccines don’t work 99 times out of 100.

16) Have an emergency supply of colloidal silver available. Not only do you want the liquid colloidal silver, you may also want to consider an inhalable form of silver like what you’ll find in the Silver Lungs product. At the Natural News Store, we currently carry GHC’s colloidal silver product called Silver Fuzion, and we’ll soon be carrying Sovereign Silver products.

17) Get plenty of sleep. A lack of sleep compromises the immune system.

18) Reduce your levels of chronic stress, if possible. Stress also compromises your immune system, and it even “uses up” nutrients in your body, leaving you nutritionally depleted.

19) Drink more “live” vegetable juice. If that sounds too cold, make yourself some warm but raw vegetable soups. Search online for recipes. My favorites include a raw avocado soup recipe using red peppers, to which I add some Tobasco sauce. You make these soups in a blender like the Vita-Mix.

20) Laugh a little! Watch some comedy movies, or spend some fun time with family and friends. Laughter boosts immune function at many levels. It’s good for your body and your mental health. Find creative ways to expose yourself to comical situations and you’ll benefit as a result. 🙂

Source: http://naturalnews.com/037510_flu_season_immunity_colds.html

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Happiness

Recently, I found this picture (below) on the internet and reposted it on the Yoga 4 Love Facebook page. It’s a very simple quote from Deepak Chopra. Sometimes things don’t go our way and sometimes unexpected things happen that hurt us. Don’t depend on “things” for your happiness. “Things” can be lost. Carry your happiness within yourself. Keep a gratitude journal. Repeat positive affirmations to yourself every day. Take a walk – both exercise and fresh air are mood boosters. Don’t rely on others for your happiness and try to be a positive influence on those around you. When you smile for no reason, people think you’re up to no good. So smile, and let them wonder.

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Malasana | Garland Pose | Lisa’s Asana 101

5 Minutes 4 Positive Change

Malasana | Garland Pose | Lisa’s Asana 101

Lisa Ware Low Malasana

Benefits:
Stretches the ankles, groin, and back, tones the belly, reduces fatigue, strengthens the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles.

Lisa Ware Garland Pose

Start in Goddess Stance.

Bring hands to heart and begin to sink into a low squat. You may keep elbows inside the knees or out. Take support for the feet by utilizing a block under the heels or a folded mat or blanket. Option to bring hands to the Earth and lower tailbone with exhale. On the inhale lift heart high.

Begin to fold forward bringing hands out before you. Turn palms up and thumbs back and begin to wrap your arms around you like a garland. You may need to adjust the space between the feet to reach behing your feet. Your hands may or may not touch. If they do, take Ganesh Grip, 4 fingers locking. Relax into the posture. You may fel like there is farther to go, however, just be present wherever you are today.

to come out of the asana, bring hands to front bavk to Low Malasana and then either step back to all fours or come into high Malasana, Goddess pose, where you began.

Namaste.

 

 

 

Photo credit YogaBlissPhoto.com

 

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Lisa’s Asana 101 Pose of the Week l Warrior 1

Post of the Week: Warrior I
Sanskrit: Virabhadrasana I

Benefits: Stretching of the chest, lungs, shoulders, belly, neck and strengthens the shoulders, arms, back, and legs

Virabradrasana Eka l Lisa Ware in Warrior 1

Lisa’s Asana 101

Begin in Tadasana, Mountain Pose.

Bringin our hands to our heart, set intention for yoga practice today.

Breathe in Peace, Breathe out Love

Breathe in Joy, Breathe out Compassion

Stay with this breath several more cycles. Letting the body feel and let go of the day, coming into the present moment.

Inhale. Bring hands straight up overhead, palms facing; Uttita Hastasana. Relax the shoulders away from the ears and reach from the ribs.

Exhale. Step the left foot back all the way down the mat. Allow the back edge of the foot to land behind the front heel facing 10:00 or 11:00 about a 45 degree angle; being the right knee so that it is directly above the ankle.

Inhale. Square the hips and shoulders to the front of the mat.

Exhale. Release and feel the earth below our feet.

Inhale. Lift the heart and straighten the left leg

Exhale. Draw the tailbone down, spread out the toes and feel the ball of the feet beneath the big toe and the ball of the foot beneath the pinkie toe to release into the earth.

Stay for 5 breath cycles.

Each Inhale lift slightly bringing the heart and the crown of the head toward the heavens.

and each Exhale soften slightly and let go somewhere in the body, as well as in the mind.

Inhale. Lift the back heel and on an inhale push off the left foot.

Exhale. and step the get together at the top of the mat to Tadasana.

Take three flowing Angel Breaths, circle sweeping the arms out and up on the in breath and down across the front of the body on the out breath.

Bringing our hands to our heart, look down at the fingertips, then closing the eyes bow to our higher self.

The light in me honors the light in you. Namaste.

Finding the focus of a Warrior in this asana on our yoga mat will help us off the mat in everyday life to live as Warrior for Peace, a Warrior for Compassion and a Warrior for Joy in our everyday life.

 

 

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The Breath of Fire~ Kapalabhati

The breath of fire, or skull shining breath is an awakening exercise for mind and body.

This is my Thermographic photo taken after 108 rounds of Kapalabhati Breath of Fire with focused intention.

20120311-230144.jpg

Lisa's Thermo Pic after 108 Rounds of Kapalabhati Breath of Fire or Skull Shining Breath

I practice this breath regularly midday usually at the end of our my lunch hour Rock Your Abs Yoga class. It is a fun, fast abs core yoga blast then I lead everyone into final relaxation, or Savasana (pronounced Shuh-vaaa-sa-na).
Since this is a midday class I lead them through the Kapalabhati breath as an awakening breath after Savasana.
The practice if breath control or retention is called Pranayama (prah-nah-yam-ah). This technique very quickly and efficiently creates a lot of heat getting the energy life force,
Prana, invigorated. The heat is created by very quick repetitive exhalations through the nose, with passive inhales between. The sound is a fast tempo exhale-exhale-exhale-exhale. The breath is usually done in rounds of 108.

To begin:
Set an intention for your practice in the present moment.
Sit in easy seated pose, Sukasana.

For more intensity assume Goddess Pose:

Lisa in Goddess Pose photo by Yoga Bliss

Start with feet about twice hips distance apart, toes turned out, feeling all four corners of the feet grounded, Hasta Bandha. Turn heels in, toes out bend the knees at 90 degrees to start stacking above the ankles.
Inhale, reach up to the sun, straighten the legs, bringing the thumbs together.
Exhale and bend knees, drawing elbows to ribs, palms up, and continue to lengthen through the spine drawing the tailbone down toward the earth. You may do several rounds of vinyasa moving through this flow, called Chandrasana. This is a lunar breath. Then move into Breath of Fire on an exhale holding Goddess Pose.

From either posture:
Place one hand on your lower belly near the first chakra, the other hand on the upper belly right below the ribs, in the sacral chakra region.
Inhale to the top of the breath.

This is my photo before Breath of Fire.

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Lisa's Thermo Pic before Kapalabhati Breath of Fire or Skull Shining Breath

On your next breath begin. Focus on the exhale, feeling the belly / naval moving forward and back pumping the air out, and let the air fill your lungs naturally after each exhale without thinking about it. It’s a very rapid succession. Do 4 rounds of 27 with one large inhale between cycles.

Here is my photo after 54 rounds of Kapalabhati.

20120311-233602.jpg

Lisa's Thermo Pic after 54 Rounds (half) of Kapalabhati Breath of Fire or Skull Shining Breath

As a beginner class to breath work I teach it in 4 rounds of 27 with a big inhale to start and between rounds of the 27. From the 4 round cycle you can build up to 108 without stopping for an active inhale.

Simply focus on moving the energy in the abdomen feeling it rise up the spine and into the third eye to eventually the crown of the head.

After your breath work in easy seated pose, move right into seated meditation. Sit in stillness, with the Prana flowing.

After looking more closely notice on the top (final) photo and you can clearly see the connection from the heat in the second and third chakras to the heat in the brow chakra.

This is physical evidence of the intrucate connection of mind/ body / spirit.

These photos were taken at a Thermographic Camera in The Museum of Nature at Fair Park Dallas on a sleepover night at the museum. My hubby and I took our daughter and 3 friends for her birthday. We had many activities that night and one was a scavenger hunt. As the kids broke into groups to answer the scavenger hunt questions I saw this heat photography machine. Immediately I thought of yoga and this idea came to me to try Breath of Fire. While the kids all were running around at the exhibits I stopped and did my pranayama, taking these photos.

Even in the flow of life, the chaos of 50 kids in an activity, while wearing my fun mom and loving wife hat, Prana flows.

Namaste.

For the Wikipedia info on Thermographic Cameras:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thermographic_camera&mobileaction=view_normal_site

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Texas Yoga Conference Day 0~ Breakfast Yoga Club Rocks Class + Reiki Experience

The weekend began with an insanely crazy morning Thursday. To prep to leave town for Breakfast Yoga Club Houston Rocks Dinner, I believe I’ve had the busiest morning I can totally remember. It was not even noon and:
I graduated a group from Bootcamp at my studio at 5:00 am, took my daughter to school at 7:00, took my son to school at 8:00, went to the grocery store, then went to the car shop. Found out that I had to get it over $680 worth of work done to my car! …made copies, washed my car, vacuumed the car, got gas, went to the bank. Really? Now onto BYC Rocks to teach tonite, then Texas Yoga Conference or BUST!
Houston we’re Rollin’ out!!
Rich was going to his very first conference with me! Road trip! After all that, we did leave only an hour behind schedule.
Got to the University of Houston to teach the Breakfast Yoga Club community class that night. Folded over 300 flyers on the way through Houston traffic, made it to the campus just in time to get the flyers stuffed by loving hands into all the gift bags for the TYC.

Time to unwind!

I had the opportunity to present vinyasa flow to an amazing supportive group of Yogis and Yoginis. Melissa Smith has created the BYC Houston from founder, Ricky Tran’s brainchild ideate bring together yogis throughout community events, no studio, no competition, just pure yoga.
We had an amazing turnout in the huge tent on the university lawn. Mat to mat probably 200 or more flowing bodies. So beautiful. We did a round robin class with 6 other BYC ambassadors.
The Sound And The Meaning played live while we taught.

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Me and some of the ambassadors about to teach.

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Rich my hubby getting his Om on.

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The group of ambassadors all blissed out after leading, adjusting and enhancing a few hundred blissed out yogis.

After the class, Ruggles Green and the Juice Girl served food, people chatted and connected.

Then it was time to chill. Went to check in to my friend’s pad and out to eat with Jenny the TYC Founder and the group which consisted of some of the USA’s most incredible musical and yogic talent. Rara, from Yogi Tunes and electronic musician from Desert Dwellers, Chris and Maysa from Jouston, Willie Collins TYA atty and songwriter, Hamalayaa Bahl from Cali, Tami Apland from Oregon, Jenny Eddy me and Rich. Great conversation, lots of ideas, then after the first hour Rich bailed and went back to crash, I stayed up and ate with the group, no vino for me this trip. We both stayed on the Detox- gluten free, dairy free, veggie diet the entire weekend. It was actually easy. I brought a cooler with produce and snacks, my Magic Bullet and make us green smoothies.

I rode home with Jen and Tami and had a very strange experience. After I went to bed I was awakened by a girl in the next apartment screaming and crying at the top of her lungs. I was startled to say the least. She would stop, then I’d fall back to sleep, then she’s start up again, and sometimes cry out ‘I can’t take this anymore’ sobbing like a child. I was agitated but began to feel compassion and empathy. I began to wonder why someone would actually feel that strongly and such deep sadness and despair. The next time she awoke me I decided to knock on the wall lightly; to no avail. I then began to send her Reiki healing and light, I lifted her up and asked that the Reiki energy give her what she needed. It enabled me to fall back to sleep instantly and she stopped crying immediately and did not cry again.

Reiki energy is very real, and it is within us all. We simply use it without thinking when we hurt ourselves or our kids get hurt what do we do? We touch it or hold the hurt. This is Reiki. When you get attuned to the eery it is instantaneously like turning a faucet ON. The energy is always there, just becomes more intense or takes us quicker in to the place where we are balanced, aligned and ultimately free from physical entanglements. It may last only during the session or for hours, days or weeks. With practice it is always available simply with the thought vibration.

The recipient may or may not feel something. They don’t need to be attached to a belief or an experience for Reiki to benefit them. Reiki simply is.

Day 1 blog coming soon! My Surya Vinyasa + Reiki and Guided Meditation Class at TYC ( I got to share this story), Acro Intensive with Chip and Laura Fielburg and more!

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