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New Display Item~I first became interested in Yoga whilst living in America and I soon realised that the benefits of Yoga were far reaching and much more than I could ever have imagined. Having developed this interest and returned to the UK I decided to train to teach Yoga so that I could share my passion. I hope to share some of this with you and that it might have a positive impact on your lifestyle and well-being in the same way as it has mine.

The word yoga means ‘unite’ or ‘union’. The union of body, mind and spirit. Yoga is a non-competitive personal journey where you progress at your own pace and reap your own personal rewards. Try to practise somewhere peaceful where you won’t be disturbed, wear comfortable clothing and work on a non slip mat in barefoot. Don’t practise on a full stomach and wait at least two hours after eating. Most importantly, don’t force yourself into the more challenging postures, breathe into them and allow your body to naturally begin to release.

Each time I will take you step by step through a different posture so that you can practise at home, however, be sure to build in some relaxation each time as well.

Begin each session with a few moments of relaxation and ensure to have up to ten minutes relaxation at the end of the session. Savasana, the Corpse Pose, is the pose for relaxation and is actually one of the most difficult to achieve because generally in our society we have very little time to relax.

Savasana – Corpse Pose
1.Begin by lying on the floor on your back and allow the body to relax.
2.Turn your legs out and let your feet flop to the sides so that your legs begin to turn out. Have your palms facing upwards.
3.Turn your head from side to side to ensure you are lying symmetrically.
4.Begin to let yourself go, drop all anxieties and allow your mind to clear. If your mind begins to wander focus on your breathing. Feel fresh oxygen being brought into the body as you inhale and feel the tension leaving the body as you exhale.
5.Now turn your attention to your feet and feel them begin to relax. Feel your calves relaxing deeply into the mat. Turning your attention up the body begin to relax your thighs and your hips. Work up the body to your buttocks, lower back, abdomen, middle and upper back and chest. Relax your shoulders and allow them to sink into floor releasing any tension. Relax you arms, hands and neck. Unclench your jaw and release your tongue allowing your face to soften. Let your eyes relax in their sockets.
6.Mentally scan over your body and if you can feel any tension gently squeeze the area and then relax until your whole body melts into the floor.
7.Breathe deeply in and out through your nose and focus on your breathing keeping the mind clear.
8.Relax in this position for a few minutes at the beginning of each session and for up to ten minutes at the end of each session.
9.When you are ready to move bend your legs and roll onto your right side before coming up to a sitting position.

Always start with a warm up so that your muscles become more relaxed and flexible and are more able to ease into the asanas (postures).

Let’s think about easing a tired neck and shoulders.

1.Sit crossed legged with a straight back and relaxed shoulders.
2.Drop the chin to the chest, hold for a few moments and drop the head towards the back. Hold for a few moments and return to centre.
3.Drop the left ear to the left shoulder, hold for a few moments before returning through the centre and dropping the right ear to the right shoulder. Hold for a few moments and return to centre.
4.Turn the head all the way round to the left, hold and return through the centre and turn to the right before coming back to centre.
5.Drop the chin to the chest and rotate the head in one direction and repeat in the opposite direction before returning to centre.
6.Keeping the head still shrug the left shoulder up towards the left ear and release. Shrug the right shoulder up towards the right ear and release. Shrug both shoulders up to the ears and release.

Yoga should be complemented by a healthy lifestyle generally. A well balanced, nourishing diet will boost your immune system, calm the mind and ensure better all round health. This will result in you becoming more resistant to illness and give you a greater feeling of well-being.

Here are my five top tips for a well balanced, nourishing diet:

1.Don't skip meals. Have three balanced meals a day including the most important meal of the day – breakfast.
2.Avoid eating high levels of refined sugar. If you feel tired in the afternoon, eat some fruit or a high protein snack rather than sweets, which will actually rob your body of energy.
3.Listen to your body. Stop eating when you feel full.
4.Drink plenty of water. Aim to drink at least 2 litres of water a day.
5.Take regular exercise. Try to fit in some exercise daily. It could be as simple as a brisk walk with the dog or a fifteen minute yoga session.A happy, healthy lifestyle is within your grasp it just takes commitment, time and a little effort.

“Good luck and if you are interested in attending one of my local yoga classes held weekly in Olney, Buckinghamshire please get in touch for details. In addition my services are available to provide help and advice on a personal one to one basis. Please e-mail smithix@aol.com “

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