Community

Picnic :  Student's Journey  View this email in your browser

COMMUNITY The sun is shining and  it’s Picnic Time Picnic    The Tree Of Yoga Community have been enjoying our annual picnic for about 10 years and this is the first time, I have been unable to set a date. With so many messages asking when, I woke to the sun shinning and a date in mind , Friday 5th August  12:30 Under the trees by the new Playground area Wanstead Park off the High Street.  Food to share, babies, children, students across the ages,laughter, community and LOVE. A Students Journey My Yoga Journey I feel as though yoga has been part of my life forever! I’ve been practising on and off for about 30 years and, of course, each class you do with a different teacher has a specific feel to it and seems to fulfil a different need relevant to that time.  It also takes time to find a class – the teacher and their style just have to feel right. I recall doing a lovely pregnancy class in South London way back in the early 90s  - I was practising at home when my waters broke! I had a natural birth at home and I’m sure it went so well because I was able to put into practice yogic breathing and because my body had been helped to prepare for giving birth during my yoga class.  I continued to practice with several different yoga teachers once my son was born, changing teachers as I moved from south to east London in the late 90s. After years working in the corporate world I began re-training as a Counsellor and Psychotherapist in 2009, qualifying in 2013. I love my job but it involves helping people who are in a lot of pain and listening to some very distressing stories. My body is hugely important in my work. Therapists are trained to stay attuned to what is happening in their own bodies when they are with their clients. This can be just as important as our emotional or cognitive response to what is being said to us.  After all, everything that has ever happened to us is stored as memories within our physical bodies. With sometimes as many as 13 clients a week, that’s a lot of other people’s ‘stuff’ to hold both psychologically and physically. The more I look after myself. The better I can look after others. Yoga enables me to re-connect with me. How am I feeling? What do I need, what is my body saying to me? I was in my previous yoga class for 8 years and it was wonderfully restorative and relaxing. I found it hard to leave because I had so much respect and fondness for my teacher - but I intuitively knew I needed something different. Maxine’s class was a revelation – I felt like a complete newbie and wondered whether I would be able to ‘do’ all the postures! I hadn’t realised how unconfident I was in my body or how little strength I had. Over the course of the last year working with Maxine, my body feels like it has entered a different phase and actually looks different. I turned 50 last year but feel stronger and more confident in my body than I have in years; I also feel more present and connected with myself and others.  All of this helps both my work and my home life.  I truly can’t imagine my life without yoga! Deb Spraggon Thank you for allowing us to read your journey. We are a community and I would love to hear from others. Its is Summer time A time to play, to take time out , to see the colours around us, to smell,to share and to have energy.  ENJOY

Niyana ; Patanjali sutras

Niyama View this email in your browser

We continue with the Patanjali Sutras  and the second Limb                  Niyamas - The Yogic way of living The foundation limbs of Patanjali’s eight-fold path of yoga, yama and niyama, create a solid foundation and strong container for the yogini to move into the deeper stages of yoga with focus, inner-strength, and success. Practicing the Yamas and Niyamas is a journey and process. Take one step, one Yama or Niyama at a time and proceed with compassion and without worry of perfection. As Swami Sri Kripalvanandaji said, ” When you pick one petal from the garland of yamas and niyamas, the entire garland will follow.” The practice of the five niyamas ask us to embrace cleanliness and contentment, to purify ourselves through heat, to continually study and observe our habits, and to surrender to something greater than ourselves. Shaucha (purification) is a central aim of many yogic techniques, and is the first principle of Patanjali’s five Niyamas. The yogis discovered that impurities in both our external environment and our internal body adversely affect our state of mind, and prevent the attainment of real wisdom and spiritual liberation. The practices of asana, pranayama , kriryas and meditation cleanse and purify the body and mind, as well as strengthening their capacity to maintain a pure state of being. We also consciously work at surrounding ourselves with a pure environment (including food, drink, friends, entertainment, home furnishings and transportation) to not add any external impurities back into our bodies or minds.  Practice Clearing the mind and Focus   : Candle Gazing Samtosha (contentment) is not craving for what we do not have as well as not coveting the possessions of others. The yogis tell us that when we are perfectly content with all that life gives us, then we attain true joy and happiness. It is easy for the mind to become fooled into thinking that we can attain lasting happiness through the possession of objects and goods, but both our personal experience and the teachings of the sages prove that the happiness gained through materialism is only temporary. Practicing contentment frees us from the unnecessary suffering of always wanting things to be different, and instead fills us with gratitude and joy for all of life’s blessings. Letting go of the EGO. Practice : Spring clear out Tapas (asceticism) is a yogic practice of intense self-discipline and attainment of will power. Basically, Tapas is doing something you do not want to do that will have a positive effect on your life. When our will conflicts with the desire of our mind an internal “fire” is created which illuminates and burns up our mental and physical impurities. This inner fire can also be used as a source of spiritual energy; the yogis say the sole practice of Tapas can lead to the release of kundalini and attainment of enlightenment. Tapas transforms and purifies us as well as enables the conscious awareness and control over our unconscious impulses and poor behaviour. Tapas builds the will power and personal strength to help us become more dedicated to our practice of yoga . Practice : Nadi Shodhana balance IDA and PINGALA  connect with your will power Svadhyaya (self-study) is the ability to see our true divine nature through the contemplation of our life’s lessons and through the meditation on the truths revealed by seers and sages.  Life presents an endless opportunity to learn about ourselves; our flaws and weaknesses give us the opportunity to grow and our mistakes allow us to learn. Examining our actions becomes a mirror to see our conscious and unconscious motives, thoughts, and desires more clearly. The yogic practice of Svadhyaya also involves the study of sacred and spiritual texts as a guide to our interior world where our true self resides. Self-study requires both seeing who we are in the moment and seeing beyond our current state to realize our connection with the divine. Practice : Leading to questions “WHO AM I” Ishvara Pranidhana (devotion) is the dedication, devotion, and surrender of the fruits of one’s practice to a higher power. This Niyama fuses two common aspects of yoga within it: the devotion to something greater than the self and the selfless action of karma yoga. Patanjali tells us that to reach the goal of yoga we must dissolve our egocentric nature and let go of our constant identification with ourselves. To do this, our yoga practice and all of the benefits we may receive from our practice must be seen as an offering to something greater than ourselves. Through this simple act of dedication we become reminded of our connection to our higher power, and our yoga practice becomes sacred and filled with grace, inner peace, and abounding love. It is an invitation to stop clinging and therefore to learn to trust ourselves.   Practice : Be in stillness , even if it is just a few minutes a day

Spring Forward

Little Buds ~ Gong Bath View this email in your browser                                               Spring  forward Little Buds Forming There has been so much talk  and sharing amongst The Tree Of Yoga Community ,after the article in The Wanstead Guardian, supporting Yoga classes for our small Yoginis.  The start of the children’s classes Friday 15th April   Wanstead United Reformed Church Under 5    16:00 - 16:30 Over 5      16:45 - 17:15 A great time to share this fun experience with your child… They have so much pressure during the school hours and yoga allows them to explore their inner beings.  With so many benefits that can support them : Confidence, releasing anxiety, maintaining their flexibility, posture, co -ordination , balance , core, breathing, interacting and sharing, relaxation and time with you. The Tree of Yoga has been spreading her branches over the last year ,introducing other teachers to share their energies. Aline Lemos has been a student of mine for many years. A former infant  school teacher and holds a certification for Star Child teacher training. Her recent love is Anabel and she has inspired Aline to nurture other children and to explore her teaching away from the school environment. Having observed Aline’s teaching the last few months, I know she will create a safe and enjoyable environment for your child and yourself.                                     GONG BATH  It is with pleasure that Ben and Clare are returning 15th april 2016  Wanstead United Reformed Church  So, what is a gong bath? Quite simply, it's sound therapy. You lie on a mat in a darkened room filled with other 'gong bathers'. The person or people giving the session play the gong, sound bowl, wind chimes and various other instruments for over an hour. The vibrational sound and frequency of the gong takes you into a deep meditative state. Once finished you chant and leave feeling energised and cleansed. If you think that sounds amazing, there's more. The gong bath takes you into such a deep meditative state, strange things start to happen. I felt like I had been blown across the floor by the first crescendo of the gongs. I hadn't, but such is the power of the sound bath. My meditation involved a lot of water. I saw fast flowing water and concentric circles galore. The gongs kept going. I felt trippy, euphoric and like I was taking part in some shamanic ritual. I felt like I wanted to get up and dance. And then we started to come down. The gongs were less frantic, we were brought back into the room. The gongs ended. We sat up and chanted. It was over.  Things you need to know if you get the chance to take part in a gong bath: wear warm and comfortable clothing as your body temperature seems to drop considerable when you are in such a deep meditative state (one woman had a duvet with her, I understand why, now). Be prepared to relax, let go and just go wherever it takes you - you won't be disappointed. Spaces will be limited so secure your space, as we are moving the GONG BATH to the side room ( Nightingale Lane Entrance ) 20:00 - 21:30. Please e mail for bank details cost £25.00                                  Pregnancy  The pregnancy classes are thriving and I am pleased that the after class talks are back   Thank you Nissa for sharing your knowledge . Mid wife at St Thomas, Natal hypnotherapist  and has set up a forum of local east London holistic practitioners. to support positive pregnancy, birth and early parenting. Providing a wealth of free info and resources. “Nurture Collective East London Birth And Parenting” Contemplation  “Life is our learning ground. We need to be fearless in this life”

Opening ourselves out to Face the World

Opening ourselves out to Face The World View this email in your browser

Ustrasana yoga  - Camel Back bending Asana - Turning ourselves out to face the world.They are stimulating and extroverting. As they expand the chest , they encourage the inhalation to embrace life. These are dynamic postures require strength and energy to move towards them Contraindications and Cautions     •    High or low blood pressure     •    Migraine     •    Insomnia     •    Serious low back or neck injury Beginner's Tip Beginners very often aren't able to touch their hands to their feet without straining their back or neck. First, try to turn your toes under and elevate your heels. If this doesn't work, the next thing to do is to rest each hand on a block or chair legs with the seat towards your waist. Position the blocks just outside each heel, and stand them at their highest height (usually about 9 inches). If you're still having difficulty, get a chair. Kneel for the pose with your back to the chair, with your calves and feet below the seat and the front edge of the seat touching your buttocks. Then lean back and bring your hands to the sides of the seat or high up on the front chair legs. Benefits     •    Stretches the entire front of the body, the ankles, thighs and groins,     •    Abdomen and chest, and throat     •    Stretches the deep hip flexors (psoas)     •    Strengthens back muscles     •    Improves posture     •    Stimulates the organs of the abdomen and neck Modification and Props Ustrasana can be a very difficult pose for the neck, especially if your shoulders are tight. Use blocks or a chair.. In pregnancy use a chair with the seat next to the sacrum, arms holding the legs and open the heart centre. Theraputic Applications     •    Respiratory ailments     •    Mild backache     •    Fatigue     •    Anxiety     •    Menstrual discomfort Preparatory Poses     •    Bhujangasana     •    Dhanurasana     •    Salabhasana     •    Setu Bandha     •    Supta Virasana     •    Urdhva Mukha Svanasana     •    Virasana Follow-up Poses     •    Dandasana     •    Dhanurasana     •    Sarvangasana     •    Setu Bandha     •    Sirsasana     •    Urdhva Dhanurasana     •    Virasana         Before practicing come in touch with your foundation and with this asana will be your knees. I like to place the long side of a block on my sternum to encourage the cage ( thoracic spine supporting the block lightly with your hands) to open and the the lumber spine not to contract too much. With back bends we need to open the cage, therefore Ujjiah breathe is important here. Backbends require exhalations to move into. As you breathe towards the block the cage opens as the sternum lifts, starting the beautiful and safe arch of the spine. Step 1 Kneel on the floor with your knees hip width and thighs perpendicular to the floor ( can use a blanket under the knees). Rotate your thighs inward slightly, narrow your hip points, and firm but don’t harden your buttocks. Keep your outer hips as soft as possible. Press your shins and the tops of your feet firmly into floor. At this stage use the block to access how you are feeling, the inhalation towards the block allowing the cage to widen. If all ok. Repeat with out the block, but visualise that it is still there and move to step 2. Remember to use child pose as a modification when needed Step 2 Allow the hands to rest along side the body, can practice with toes tucked under. Use the breath to guide you as you allow the sternum  and tail forward towards the pubis. Make sure though that your front groins don’t lean backwards. To prevent this, can use a block in between thighs back. Inhale and lift your heart by pressing the shoulder blades against your back ribs. Step 3 For the time being keep your head up, chin near the sternum, and your hands, either in pray next to Anahata , over the head to encourage the flanks of the body to open or arms along side the body. When you feel you are ready ,allow the hands to move toward your feet. Can have the toes tucked under, flat or to have a chair behind you and allow the hands to touch the chair legs. Beginners probably won’t be able to drop straight back into this pose. With the inhalation move towards touching the feet ,simultaneously while keeping the thighs perpendicular to the floor. Step 4 See that your lower front ribs aren’t protruding sharply toward the ceiling, which hardens the belly and compresses the lower back. Release the front ribs and lift the front of the pelvis up, toward the ribs. Then lift the lower back ribs away from the pelvis to keep the lower spine as long as possible. Press your palms firmly against your soles (or heels),or chair, with the bases of the palms on the heels and the fingers pointing toward the toes. Turn your arms outwardly so the elbow creases face forward, without squeezing the shoulder blades together. You can keep your neck in a relatively neutral position, neither flexed nor extended, or drop your head back. But be careful not to strain your neck and harden your throat. Step 5 Stay in this pose anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute. To come out bring your hands away from your feet, props ,apply mulha and Uddiyana Bandha. Inhale and lift the head and torso up by pushing the hip points down, toward the floor. If your head is back, lead with your heart to come up, not by jutting the chin toward the ceiling and leading with your brain. Take your time.  Rest in Child’s Pose for a few breaths. Deepen the Pose You can increase the challenge of Ustrasana by performing the pose with your thighs, calves, and inner feet touching.