About yoga classes, stand up paddling, injuries and moving in general
It is 100% true that to practise yoga all you need is the willingness and the patience to do so. The yamas and the niyamas are accessible everywhere, and there is no “wrong” way of practising them. Equally breathing techniques, pranayama, can be incorporated into everything, because well, it’s breathing! As for asana practise, a minimum amount of flat space is of course desirable but after that, the…
July in Cyprus has been insanely hot (as in, A LOT hotter than the average 36-37C degrees) and humid. I still keep my yoga classes going (with great attendance as well so big bravo for everybody showing great dedication) but I have slowed down the rhythm of them somewhat. Focus has been on breath, some more detailed yoga philosophy and anatomy conversation and revisiting the basic poses, really…
Since 2015 the 21st June has not only marked Summer Solistice but also the International Day of Yoga, as agreed (by an unprecedented consensus) by the United Nation’s General Assembly in December 2014. The idea to observe Yoga Day came from India’s Prime Minister Narenda Modi who at the time stated: “For us in India, respect for nature is an integral part of spiritualism. We treat nature’s bounties…
It can be just as daunting as it is exciting to start a new activity and yoga is no exception to that. Whether you start to practise in a fancy yoga studio or at a more down to earth community centre, here’s a list of few unwritten rules that most yogis around the word follow. The physical yoga practise is individual yet collectively done and observing the yoga…
Iyengar yoga is one of the most widespread yoga styles in the world, yet it is not as familiar to many as other yoga styles, such as hatha and asthanga. My first experience with Iyengar yoga was three years ago on a surf and yoga camp in Portugal, where I rocked up with a dislocated shoulder I had gotten the day before the camp started. Annoyed with myself,…
Originally I had planned to go to an advanced level vinyasa class on my last full day in Paris. With all the walking done over the days (and long dinner on Tuesday on Tuesday evening) I however started feeling like something mellower would be a better fit for the day. As mentioned I had really like the energy at Studio Keller the day before and I quick look…
There is a real yoga scene in Paris and as I was due to visit my old hometown over few days I naturally wanted to check out what is on offer. Cue a message to the “Finnish people in Paris” Facebook page (note to self, 1am on a Saturday morning is probably not the best time for any question) and googling along the lines “best yoga classes in…
Since I have several pictures of my chairpose, utkatasana, from the past few years I decided to share them to illustrate how the learning never ends. Even the seemingly simple poses can reveal themselves having multiple layers to be discovered. This is one of the reasons why I enjoy a slower practise these days as it allows the time to really focus on how a particular asana feels…
I started this blog because I like writing and I did not find (m)any blogs about yoga combining the physical and more spritual aspects of it. I’ve been using Instagram for several years because I like taking and looking at photos. Insta also proved to be a great tool when I was recovering from my dislocated shoulder few years back. It allowed me to follow my progress that…
Yoga can be very beneficial during pregnancy for several reasons. In addition to the “general” (in the absence of a better word…) benefits I talked about earlier here, here’s a few pregnancy specific points that are interesting: An asana practise can be very grounding both physically and emotionally: It can literally improve balance as the centre of gravity of the body shifts during pregnancy. It also offers hightened…