On The Same Time Zone

Tag: yoga teacher

This Week…
…I took an evening flow yoga class, taught in Greek and in Russian. It’s always good to explore what’s out there. It was a nice class, with music too.
…Finland had her 99th Independence Day. I celebrated it at a reception where I met another yoga teacher. We talked about our respective teacher trainings and how we both like a slow practise.
…”My” Teacher Anna Zorzou is on the Island for the new YogaWorks 200 teacher training that started. I joined their 2 hour asana practise today and it was so good. I listened to Anna’s words with a complitely different awareness today than a year ago and that is the beauty of the whole practise: it works on so many different levels, just as well (even during those days when it does not feel like it.)
The L-pose, very good on working on having your wrists right under your shoulders and working the core (watch out for the lower back not arching, it happens very easily.) It is also very good strenght building exercise and a good way to start working toward handstand.
…It got cold enough to wear all black, all the time. I love wearing black but when you live on an Island where the sun shines pretty much all the time you cannot get away wearing it too much without looking a bit out of place (and melting in the heat.) I am definitely making the most out of this!
Feeling right at home in black. The pose is the king pigeon/Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
…I read about bullet journals and spent a LOT of time researching the concept. I have not had a proper calendar for few years (apart from the Outlook one in my ex-job…) but now it is the time to get one. The more I read about these bullet journals, the more I got into the idea. If you go on my Pinterest account I have a board for this stuff there and my very own one is ready for use as of tomorrow!
…I also read this article about the Art of Loneliness: it is a beautifully written piece about a topic that can be familiar to many of it, especially this time of the year. Something to reflext upon.
Tällä viikolla…
…Kävin flow joogatunnilla. Tunti oli kreikaksi ja venäjäksi. Puhun omilla tunneillani ~~pakon~~ tarpeen vaatiessa myös kreikkaa englannin lisäksi ja oli hyvä kuulla että käytän ihan oikeita fraaseja. Tunti oli hyvä, ohjaaja soitti musiikkia ja poltti suitsukkeita. Vaihtelu virkistää.
…Oli tietenkin Itsenäisyyspäivä. Kävin lähetystön järjestämillä kekkereillä joissa oli oikein mukavaa. Tapasin myös toisen suomalaisen joogaohjaajan ja keskustelimme jooganopetusohjelmistamme ja siitä, kuinka me molemmat pidämme hitaista harjoituksista.
…”Oma” opettajani Anna Zorzou saapui Ateenasta saarelle ja osallistuin tänään hänen tunnille/workshoppiin. Reilun kahden tunnin harjoitus oli todella hyvä, Anna on tiukka opettaja joka sopii minulle. Kuuntelin ohjausta ihan eri korvilla kuin vuosi sitten mutta tässä onkin harjoituksen hienous: sama asia/tunti voi toimia niin monella eri tasolla mutta aina yhtä hyvin (paitsi on sitten tietenkin niitä päiviä jolloin kaikki voi tuntua ihan hirveältä mutta tästä ehkä myöhemmin erikseen. Toimii se harjoitus silti.)
L-asennon perusversiosta eteenpäin. Lantio on neliönä (ts. ylhäällä oleva jalka ei aukea sivulle eikä veny pään ylitse vaan varpaat on seinää kohti ja jalkapohja osoittaa kattoa.), ranteet edelleen olkapäiden alla ja selässä ei ole mitään turhia mutkia koska keskivartalo toimii. Tästä voi sitten ponnistaa vaikka täyteen käsilläseisontaan.
…Saarella on vihdoinkin myös tarpeeksi kylmä että voi pukeutua kokomustaan saamatta lämpöhalvausta! Tämän ilon rinnalla ei haittaa edes se, että asunnossa ei ole lämmitystä (ei ollut edellisissäkään.) Tänään päivällä oli tosin +20C…
…Luin bullet journaleista ja pakkohan sellainen oli itsellekin askarella. Tästä mindfulness-askaretta koko ensi vuodelle. Kun hommaan pääsee sisälle siihen ei kuulemma mene edes kauheasti aikaa ja jos tämä vähentää 5 muistikirjan kantamista niin tämä voi toimiakin. Ehkä vuodesta 2017 tulee kaikkien aikojen tehovuosi, ilman stressiä tietenkin. Hyvin suunniteltu on puoliksi tehty..? Pinterest-tililtäni löytyy oma boardinsa tälle asialle jos haluat kurkata.
…Luin myös stressistä. Valitettavasti ei yllättänyt ja stressi ei ikää katso. Vaikka vauhdin hiljentäminen onkin usein vaikeaa siihen kannattaa satsata: jos kroppa sanoo että viikonloppuna pitää levätä sitä kannattaa kuunnella vaikka mieli tekisin ulkoilemaan/baariin/tms.
…aurinko laski taas tänään kun ulkoilutin koiraa mustissa vaatteissa. Koiralla on heijastintakki.
Tallenna
Tallenna
December 11, 2016
Yoga for Pregnancy
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:
1. 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 mental balance during time when emotions can run on the surface more than before.
2. Yoga develops and increases body awareness and acceptance during and through the pregnancy and labour. You can learn techniques to ease discomfort during pregnancy and labour, how to promote optimal featal position and helps to create a connection with the baby.
3. We cannot talk about any type of yoga without mentioning the breath: Just as breath is incorporated to every asana, it is also an integral tool of childbirth. Pranayama practises learned during pregnancy yoga can be also utilised during contractions, labour and birth.
4. Yoga offers a moment of relaxation and self-nurture, especially important during pregnancy. Yoga poses modified for pregnancy effectively relieve tension in neck, shoulders, upper and lower back, chest and hips.
5. A group pregnancy class promotes general wellbeing and health but also offer a bonding experience with others in the same stage of life: this can be a real community building experience
If you are pregnant, this got you interested AND you are in the Larnaca area in Cyprus I would love to hear from you! I am currently in training to obtain the Birthlight organisation’s perinatal yoga teacher diploma, in addition to my 200 hour yoga teacher credentials. Together with my yoga teacher colleague and a coursemate Ikonia we will be starting Birthlight perinatal classes in 2017 that is fast coming up! The classes will be held at the Evi Suri Russian Ballet School in Larnaca. The exact times will be confirmed once we have an idea how many people are interested. Any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch, we will be happy to answer!
Photo from Yoga with Ikonia FB page.
Featured image by Brian Tomlinson
Tallenna
December 8, 2016
Music during Yoga Class: Threat or Opportunity?
In all honestly up until few years ago I did not realise playing music in yoga classes was something that a) happens and b) is a preference for some. Now, I don’t mind either way. I sometimes practise at home with music on the background, and I have been to great yoga classes accompanied with well thought through music (think drum’n’base during a strong Jivamukti class at 7 am – it does wake you up!) For now I however choose not to use music in my classes and here is why:
- It’s a distraction. I find it easier to guide thoughts internally and focus on listening my body when the main sound I can hear is my own breath.
- There is already so much noise in this world and in our lives. Maybe this is a Finnish thing (we like our silence A LOT) but I really crave quiet time and want to offer that to the people who come to practise with me.
- Curating soundtracks sounds like too much work. If I was to play music I’d like it to reflect the stages of the class: pranayama, creation of heat, peak pose… whatever the order of the day is. Which cannot always be dictaded in advance. And then what? Call me perfectionist, this just shows I DO take my music very (too?) seriously.
- Music is a very emotive matter and you never know what memories a melody can bring up in people. The last thing you want is to play a tune that reminds somebody of their horrible break up or some other bad memory…
Over to you: music or no music during yoga class. What’s your preference and why?
A really grainy picture but it is the better one I have of ustrasana/camel pose // Suttunen kuva mutta tässä kameli-asanan (?) linjaukset on paremmassa kunnossa kun siinä priimakuvassa.
Vielä muutama vuosi sitten en ajatellut että musiikki voisi olla joillekin tärkeä osa joogatuntia. Itseäni musiikki ei varsinaisesti haittaa (yleensä) ja kotona voi hyvinkin soida jotain taustalla harjoitellessani. Olen myös ollut tunneilla joissa musiikki on palvellut harjoitusta loistavasti: Drum’n’base kello seitsemältä aamulla voimakkaan Jivamukti-harjoituksen taustalla kyllä herättää päivään siinä missä pari kuppia kahviakin. Alla kuitenkin syitä miksi en tällä hetkellä soita musiikkia omilla tunneillani:
- Se häiritsee keskittymistä. On helpompi hiljentyä ja keskittyä oman kehon tuntemuksiin kun isoin ääni salissa lähtee (ohjaajan lisäksi) omasta hengityksestä.
- Elämä on jo muutenkin ääntä täynnä. Yleensä joka paikassa (jopa täällä maalla) on kaikenlaista taustamelua ihan tarpeeksi. Itse kaipaan usein hiljaisuutta ja haluan myös tarjota mahdollisimman hiljaisen ympäristön heille jotka tulevat harjoittelemaan kanssani.
- Hyvän soundtrackin (puhumattakaan useamman) tekemiseen menisi varmaan hirveästi aikaa. Jos soittaisin musiikkia pitäisi sen sopia tempoltaan ja tunnelmaltaan tunnin eri osiin: Pranayama, lämmittely, pääasana… mitä sitten tunnilla tapahtuukaan. Jota ei voi aina etukäteen suunnitella. Ja mitäs sen musiikin kanssa sitten tekisi? Kuulostaa ehkä hieman täydellisyyden tavoittelulta mutta musiikki on vakava(hko) asia.
- Musiikki on todella henkilökohtaista. Ikinä ei tiedä mitä assosioita ihmisille tulee mistäkin biisistä. Olisi kurjaa jos jostain kappaleesta tulisi jollekin mieleen ero tai joku muu ikävä muisto.
Mitäs mieltä te olette: musiikkia joogan taustalla vai ei?
Music during yoga class is a bit like wall stickers: Not everybody’s cup of tea. (I am still on the fence re: stickers. And did Mark Twain REALLY say those words in that order?) // Musiikki joogatunnilla on vähän kuin seinäkoristetarrat: kaikki ei tykkää. Itse en ole vielä päättänyt mitä mieltä olen tarroista, lähinnä tässä mietityttää että sanoiko Mark Twain todellakin juuri nuo sanat juuri tuossa järjestyksessä.
November 30, 2016
About Yoga Mats
To practise yoga, you really do not need anything else but the willingness to be present in the now and the yoga mat as we know it is a rather new Western invention. However it can bring a new aspect to the practise by creating a space for your meditation and adding cushioning and stability for the asana.
These days there is a wide range of mats available, and the price range can be big. Therefore I decided to write about the mats I have used in my practise so far. The things I took into consideration are their grip (or slippiness), general durability, weight (important to those who travel or carry the mats with them a lot), cushioning and eco-friendliness. All my mats have measured more or less 185 x 61 centimetres although there are longer and wider mats available too.
The Basic Mat
What I call the Basic Mat is the mat that is the usually the cheapest one you can find. They all have more or less the same specs: Made of PVC (sometimes EVA, which is a lighter material), 2-5 millimetres thick and usually having a foamy ”grid” type of surface. You might want to buy the basic mat if you are new to yoga and not sure yet how much you can to commit to it. On the plus side these type of mats usually offer reasonable cushioning (if you have sore knees for example, go for a thicker mat) and they are easy to clean as both PVC and EVA are waterproof materials. At the same time they not the most durable ones, and tend to start shedding small pieces of plastic with the friction/elements the more you use them. They can also get slippy quite easily, especially if go to sweaty classes.
The Basic Mat. You see what I mean with the “grid”? The green one is from Lidl, the blue one I do not know. I call it the generic mat.
The price of the basic mat ranges usually from 10 to 30 euros, depending where you buy it and if it has some kind of brand label attached to it. I do not diss the basic mat as it will get you started just fine. If and when you have decided to commit to yoga more, here are some other mats I have used:
Drop of Mindfulness
DoM is a Swedish brand that making active wear suitable for yoga and also yoga mats. Unfortunately at the time of writing this text their website is under construction for Winter 2016 so I cannot tell if they still stock the mat I bought 4-5 years ago. This mat has however served me very well; it felt very grippy and sticky straight from the start and has kept these qualities to this day. The mat is on the thinner side (I’d guess 2-3 millimetres) so extra cushioning is sometimes needed for knees. The weight is reasonable at around 2 kilos. I recall reading that the mat is made of natural rubber but this needs to be confirmed once the website is out again, together with the retail price.
“My Drop of Mindfulness mat. MINE!”
MandukaEKO
Manduka has a great reputation among yogis and they have several types of mats to choose from. I have the MandukaEKO (5 mm thick) which is extremely sturdy. When I stepped onto this mat after having used the DoP for years the difference was big: I need no extra cushioning needed for this mat and it does not fly away in the wind either (yes this can be an issue when teaching outside, hehe.) I have two cons for this mat though: It is heavy (over 3kg) so even if you travel with a proper suitcase, it does take a lot from the luggage allowance and it is definitely not a hand luggage item. The other thing is that it can get a little slippery, especially in sweaty conditions. The Manduka website says that this means the mat is not ”broken into” properly but I did not notice this in the beginning so not sure where the reason for this is. Nevertheless, this is a good mat and ecological choice as it is made of natural rubber with a zero waste manufacturing process. It is also 99% latex free.
The MandukaEKO is the blue one at the bottom, notice the different texture. The purple one is the JadeHarmony and the green is JadeVoyager. The yoga blocks are just blocks although I could say few things about those too… Maybe later.
Jade Yoga Mats
JadeVoyager is my latest mat. I bought it from the MindBodySpirit festival in Nicosia last weekend. I’d been looking for a travel mat for myself for ages (airline luggage restrictions again!) Also my mum had sent me a photo of an ecomat she had seen in a magazine with the comment ”they don’t tell where I can buy one!” When I bumped into the lovely ladies from the Simply Green shop in Athens and saw the JadeYoga mats it they had it was a no brainer. I got the JadeVoyager for myself: you can fold it (rather than roll, although this is preferable for maintenance) and it weights just over half a kilo. With this weight it obviously has got no cushioning but it can definitely keep your practise going on when traveling. Orm you can use it over another, less grippy mat. For my Mum I got the JadeHarmony (Merry Christmas Mum, thanks for the gift tip!) which is about the same thickness than the MandukaEko. From the first touch it feels a bit softer and a lot more stickier. This can also be due to the open cell natural rubber JadeMats use (Manduka uses closed cell natural rubber) which translates as more grip, these ones will be put to test to find out more! The JadeYoga company also has a very eco-concious production cycle and they plant a tree (over one million so far!) for every mat sold.

From left to right: JadeHarmony, JadeVoyager,MandukaEko (mine is dark blue, you see the bottom side), Drop of Mindfulness and a Basic Mat in Blue.
When talking to fellow yogis and reading reviews the JadeMats are always rated on the top with Manduka ones. They both have very similar retail prices ranging from 40 (the travel mat) to 92 (the pro and extra long mats) euros so ultimately it is up to personal preference between these two.
Now, over to you: What is your favourite yoga mat?
PS: If you want to read more about the history of the yoga mat check out this Yoga Journal article.

November 18, 2016
Yoga Instructor’s Back Office
In few pictures and words things that happen when planning and preparing for a yoga class.
Muutama sana ja kuva siitä, mitä tapahtuu ennen joogatuntia.
I wash the yoga mats used. I use very mild soap (Ecover or similar) diluted in a lot of water. Otherwise you can end up with a slippery mat which we do not want (cue literal faceplant.) After the wash and rinse with plenty of water I spray the mats with a mix of tea tree oil (antibacterial) and lavender oil (calming), again diluted in a lot of water, and leave them out to dry.
Mattopesu! Pesen matot hyvin miedolla luontoystävällisellä saippualla (en kuitenkaan mäntysuovalla) ja runsaalla vedellä. Mattoihin jää helposti saippuanjäämiä jotka tekevät niistä liukkaita ja se ei ole tietenkään hyvä asia. Kun olen huudellut matot runsaalla vedellä suihkutan niihin vielä teepuu- ja laventeliöljysekoitusta, taas runsaalla vedellä jatkettuna. Teepuu on antibakteriaalinen ja laventeli rauhoittaa. Epäilyistäni huolimatta nämä kaksi öljyä myös sopivat yhteen hajuiltansa.
Continous learning. It is often said yoga is 1% theory and 99% practise but I do love magazines and to learn what is out there and how other people are doing it. From these ones I picked up some good modifications for some of the regular poses I use that I put to practise in yesterday’s class. The Yoga Magazine had also some adds for UK based websites that sell yoga clothes made from sustainable materials, such as recycled polyester and bamboo. I pinned some of my favourites on my Pinterest account as I really do not need to buy anything at this moment.
Jatkuva koulutus. Usein kuulee että jooga on 1% teoriaa ja 99% käytäntöä. Rakastan kuitenkin lehtien lukemista (ne kirjat onkin sitten vaikeampi asia) ja näistä lehdistä sain hyviä vinkkejä kuinka muuntaa tiettyjä asanoita joita käytän melkein joka tunnilla. Pistin nämä opit heti käyttöön eilisaamun joogassa. Yoga Magazinessä oli myös mainoksia Englantilaisista nettikaupoista joissa myydään ekologisista materiaaleista, kuten kierretystä polyesterista ja bamboosta, valmistettuja jooga- ja vapaa-ajan vaatteita. Koska en tarvitse tällä hetkellä kuitenkaan yhtä ainutta vaatekappaletta, tyydyin tallentamaan suosikkejani pinterest-tililleni.
Setting up the class. This is Cyprus and 9 am is not exactly the same 9 am as it is in the Northern Europe. Which is just as well as I always have time to prepare the mats and blocks so all people have to do is to show up and start clearing the mind.
Matot ja blokit paikoilleen. Saarella aamu-yhdeksän ei ole ihan sama käsite kuin Pohjois-Euroopassa joten järjestelyihin ja kuulumisten vaihtoon on aina aikaa. Kaikkialla.
And then we start.
Ja sitten itse asiaan.
October 23, 2016
Yoga Tourist in London / Joogaturismia Lontoossa
I’ve been spending the last few days in London, making the most of the yoga classes the City has to offer. My goal was to try different classes and get inspiration from different teachers.
Olen viettänyt pari viimeistä päivää Lontoossa. Muiden asioiden hoitamisen lisäksi suunnitelmani on ollut käydä erilaisilla joogatunneilla ja inspiroitua erilaisita opettajista ja heidän tyyleistään.
A friend and a fellow yoga teacher in Cyprus recommended TriYoga so that has been my first stop. I LOVE their Camden location (there are 3 other locations in the city) which has a relaxed and complitely non-pretentous vibe in it. Even more, it has four or five yoga studios and a ton of classes to choose from. My first stop after five hour flight was “Restore and Relax” community class during which we did not stand up once. Perfect!
TriYogan tunteja suositeltiin minulle joten suuntasin suoraan lentokentältä heidän Camdenissä olevan studion tiloihin (TriYogalla on kolme muuta studiota eri puolilla Lontoota.) “Relax and Restore”-tunti oli juuri oikea viiden tunnin lennon jälkeen! Tunnilla ei noustu kertaakaan seisomaan vaan kaikki liikkeet tehtiin lattialla maaten.
The next day I tried out Jivamukti. I have been curious about the system but had not had an opportunity to try it out later. The teacher came recommended so 7:45 morning class it was! I really enjoyed it, we started off with 7 minutes of breathwork, followed by some chanting and a physical practise. The sequence was pretty intense for the morning but I got some hands on adjustments that I found good. The instructor also played drum’n’base during the asana practise and savasana which was a nice a chance to what I have been used to lately.
Seuraavana aamuna menin 7:45 alkavalle Jivamukti-joogatunnille. En ollut aiemmin kokeillut tämän suuntauksen joogaa joten olin innoissani uudesta kokemuksesta. Tunti alkoi 7 minuutin hengitysharjoituksilla jota seurasi mantran laulu. Itse asana-harjoitus oli intesiivinen varsinkin tuohon aikaan aamulla mutta erittäin hyvä. Opettaja kiersi luokassa ja paransi linjauksia tarpeen mukaan. Taustalla soi drum’n’base musiikki josta pidin myös. En yleensä käy tunneilla joilla on musiikkia (enkä sitä kyllä oikein kaipaakaan) joten tämä oli mukavaa vaihtelua.
Yoga dogs chilling // Jooga-koirat ottamassa rennosti
I have also been observing few pregnancy yoga classes as this is a part of my ante natal yoga teacher training. Both teachers I contacted welcomed me with open arms to join in the class, much appreciated. The second class I attended was in this cute boutique gallery that runs different yoga classes also in the weekends.
Olen myös ollut seuraamassa muutamaa raskausajan joogatuntia joka kuuluu omaan antenatal-joogaopettajakoulutukseen. Opettajat joihin otin yhteyttä toivottivat minut kummatkin lämpimästi tervetulleeksi, on aina mukava saada positiivisia vastauksia pyyntöihinsä. Toinen tunneista pidettiin pienessä kauppa-galleriassa jossa on useita erilaisia joogatunteja iltaisin.
…and tomorrow there will be another new yoga class!
…ja huomenna vielä uudelle joogatunnille!
October 12, 2016
Good Yoga Reads Online
Here’s a round up of few yoga articles & sources I return quite often. Some of you have asked more information about the benefits of yoga and how does it compare to other physical activities so hopefully you’ll find these as useful as I have.
On Philosophy:
”The Eight Limbs, The Core of Yoga” by William J.D. Doran. Probably a two-three pager if you were to print this out, this is an easily digestable summary of the eight limbs and how they can translate to real life.
For an explanation and discussion about the Yoga Sutras I have not found any better than this website. There is actually a ton of material on this site even outside the sutras, AND a ”how to use this site” section. Much gratitude to Swami J for his site.
I’m a tree… no, a pillar!
On Yoga vs Other Types of Exercise
There is a growing number of interest in scientifically proving the benefits of yoga, both mentally and physically. The main issue with these is that with so many different types of yoga styles the studies made can have very varied outcomes. Nevertheless, here are few articles that I have found pretty informative and/or interesting, keeping in mind that it is usually advisable to mix up your exercise routine and interested rather than relying on one thing only.
Alisa Bauman wrote in 2007 about ”Is Yoga Enough to Keep you Fit?”
If you are a runner, you might want to read this.
And one about Bikram (hot yoga) and weight loss.
About the Muscles Used
Ok, some of these poses in this linke are not very accessible to even the most seasoned practiotioners but there are also some very common streches here. If you already have a practise, this might be interesting to see what musclegroups you strech. Just remember to incorporate your breath!
Chaturanga (the pose that looks like a plank that you then lower to the ground, arms by your body) is one of the hardest things in a yoga class in my opinion. It is so hard to get it right and the more vinyasa-style class you have, the more you do them. And the more tired you get, the chances are the less mindful you become about it. Here is a good article about how to get comfortable with your chaturanga in your head and here is a video of the physical aspects of it. You can always modify your chaturanga by placing your knees down on the ground.
Never easy but at least my wrists in line with my elbows and shoulders.
Tallenna
October 4, 2016
So what can yoga do for me?
Last week I wrote a piece about what yoga is (or can be.) I promised a follow up post on the benefits as well so here we go. You will not see flexibility on the list because it seems to be part of any other list of benefits/yoga discussion and I wanted to give space to all the other good stuff.
Before anything we have to do a small reality check: Yoga is not a miracle cure for anything. BUT, you can definitely start getting the benefits from the first class and a regular practise will help you to feel them on a deeper level. You will also not always eagerly skip and hop to every yoga class. Even long term practitioners have moments when they really have to drag themselves onto the mat. We want to be patient with yoga: it is as alive and evolving as everything else in life. But just consider this: Have you ever head anybody regretting going to yoga class?
To the point though. What’s there to gain?
1. Improved breath awarenes: We all know to how to breath, but there is a difference between breathing and breathing. In a yoga class you learn to focus on breathing with all your lungcapacity and lenghten your inhales and exhales. This in turn promotes the slowing of the heart rate, lowering of blood pressure and with this you get…
2. …lower stress levels!
3. Yoga moves your whole body: some poses move many different muscle groups, some just parts of your body. A yoga class is likely to be a combination of these micromovements and bigger ones, all contributing towards a…
4. …Improved body awareness. And awareness in general. Remember, you have started your class with breathing, calmed your mind so you are also more receptive to what is going on in your body.
5. Strenght building. This happens slowly but surely, as you work through the poses and hold them between 3-5 breaths.
6. Increased blood flow: Yoga poses together with the breath makes blood circulate better, bringing oxyganated to the cells. This in turn alleviates symptoms caused by poor circulation such as body fluid retention and/or swelling.
7. Improved immunity: Bluntly put, the breathing, twisting and getting in and out of poses you do in a class makes the fluids and organs inside us move, helping the lymphatic system to combat infections and to remove cellular waste.
8. Clarity of the mind, focus and relaxation: By know you understand that there is a lot going on during a yoga class, mostly on a subtle level. Your instructor will guide you with your poses and breathing, and after the final relaxation at the end you will feel lighter and rested…
9. Which means you will also enjoy a better sleep!
The list could go on and on… You can read more about the benefits here.
Let me know in the comments what benefits you have noticed coming up with your yoga practise?
Tallenna
Tallenna
September 29, 2016
Last Few Days in Pictures
Over the last weekend I attended a course on yoga for pregnancy and birth. It was so interesting and I learned a lot that I can incorporate even to non-pregnancy classes. 9 hour study days meant that everything else was left aside though so now I am catching up with everything.
Viime viikonloppuna osallistuin raskausajan jooga-kursille. Kurssia oltiin kehuttu minulle ja oikein hyvä se olikin. Sain 9 tunnin kurssipäivistä paljon ideoita joita voi käyttää myös ei-raskausajan joogatunneilla. Kaikki muut asiat ovatkin sitten viime päivinä jääneet taka-alalle, tietokoneen laturikin tilttasi ja uutta odotellaan… Onneksi aina voi siivota ja pyykätä.
Morning stretch // Aamuvenyttely

My breakfast of almost every morning: frozen berries, squeezed grapefruit, fibre powder that also contains vegan (rice?) protein and organic ginger powder (fresh ginger is also good, it keeps well in the freezer.)
Melkein joka aamuinen aamupala pakastinmarjoista, puserretusta greipistä, kuitusekoituksesta jossa on myös vegaaniproteiinia (riisi?) ja jauhetusta inkivääristä (tuoretta inkivääriä voi tietenkin myös käyttää, se säilyy hyvin pakastimessa.)
Some new books… That Iyengar book had some pretty ambitious pictures though.
Uusia kirjoja… Iyengar-kirjan kuvat yllättivät haastavuudellaan.
Sunset at home…
Illaksi kotiin auringonlaskua katsomaan…
…and a class of wine with friends.
…ja lasi viiniä.

The dogs demonstrating deep state of relaxation.
Koirat syvärentoutuneina.
Photo by Heidi Marttinen
Tallenna
Tallenna
September 27, 2016
What is Yoga?
I have been forcing kindly asking friends and family for some feedback on the blog. My cousin suggested I write about what yoga actually is and means, for those who see it as ”sitting on the floor in an uncomfortable position, being spiritual.” Which, of course, it should not be. So I took it upon myself to try and explain a bit what yoga is (or at least can be.) I do want to clarify the views are entirely mine and everybody is free to disagree with these – drop a comment below if you want
1. The word ”yoga”, in Sankrit (please do not stop reading yet! There will not be much Sanskrit!) means ”union” or ”connection.” In everyday terms we can interpret this as having a better awareness of ourselves in our lifes, be it by being more aware and in tune with our bodies and mind, or with our wider physical contect we live.
2. Some say yoga is ”the science of being here and now.” Otherwise we know this as trying to focus on being in the present and not worrying about the past or future. These days this is also called as “mindfulness.”
3. Yoga is also a journey. A journey to self-discovery, to learning patience, to (self-)acceptance. It is not a quick trip, it’s a ”process.” The good part is that doing yoga even once a week, or even 20 minutes at a time, will bring you benefits.
4. In every day speak, when we say ”yoga” we usually refer to the physical practise, asana (or yoga poses if you preferer.) However yoga is more than just movement, you can check out the eight limbs here if you want to read more.
5. There are many different types of yoga classes. Many focus only on the physical aspect and there no OM-ing or evident spirituality in sight. Some incorporate more philosophy, breathing practises and/or meditation. If you are complitely new to the system try out a class that clearly says it is for beginners, or a hatha yoga class. These classes will be gentle, not too sweaty or uncomfortable, even if you have not moved in ages.
6. You should not feel forced to do anything in a yoga class, even if you want to make an effort to the best of your abilities at that moment. We do not want is to get fixated in some end game or goal, but rather live and accept what is now. There is absolutely no need to be flexible in the body in any yoga class, but having a flexibility of the mind will help you.
7. Yoga differs from your regular stretching with its emphasis to breath. Ultimately, we aim to move to the rhytm of our breath and getting to feel a mind-body connection. No need to worry too much about this either, even yoga instructors confuse our inhales and exhales from time to time. It’s ok, this teaches us the art of ”letting go” in its own way.
8. Yoga is not a religion, it is a philosophy and a practise encompassing all aspects of life. You are not signing up to a cult by walking into a yoga class. Equally you do not need to be a vegetarian to do yoga. You are, however, better off not having a heavy meal right before a class, due to the twisting and bending that may take place – no different to any other exercise class.
9. Some classes have chanting. Don’t fear it, just maybe try not to laugh. You absolutely do not have to join in. You are most likely to hear the mantra OM (repeated 3 times) and/or the saying ”namaste”, meaning “the light in me honours the light in you.”
If this clarified some things about yoga, great. If not, ask. If still wondering, check out the post coming up early next week about the benefits of yoga.
Tallenna
Tallenna
Tallenna
Tallenna
September 22, 2016