Anyone who has attended my classes will be able to tell you that without a doubt my favourite yoga posture is adho mukhasvanasana – downward-facing dog. Spending a week with me at lotus yoga lodge for sure you will be hitting double figures of down dogs by the time we reach our final savasana of the week. […]
My favourite pose: downward facing dog Read More »
That is what I love about yoga: no matter where my travels take me, with my yoga mat attached to my backpack I can make my practice part of my adventures. I have managed to find some weird and wonderful yoga spots along my travels so far, from breathtaking beaches at sunrise, balconies with snow
SUP Yoga – where the water is your yoga mat Read More »
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives,” says Pulitzer-winning writer and painter Annie Dillard. I couldn’t agree more with Annie. How we spend 24 hours does define our lives. I have a diverse group of friends. A few keep me inspired with the amount of life and work they manage
Daily rituals to stay motivated for your mind, body and soul Read More »
Back in July Azul ran a competition to win a stay at the retreat. Here one of the competition winners shares her story… I was 25, in a new relationship and working 12-hour days when I found out I was 16 weeks pregnant. Some would say we were silly to marry. I like to think
Guest story: life begins again Read More »
The shoulder stand, sarvangasana in Sanskrit, is known to be the ‘queen of all the asanas.’ Sarva translates into ‘all’ or ‘entire’, anga into ‘body’. Therefore sarvangasana literally means ‘the pose of the entire body’. This asana is widely known for its beneficial effects on the body and has been described by BKS Iyengar to be
A shoulder stand a day keeps the doctor away Read More »
Preparing for the pose I feel light and confident. It feels natural. It is how my body wants to move. Pushing up there is a flicker of doubt and a slight hesitation in my arms before resolve kicks in and I’m going higher, reaching into the sky in a backward arch and my thighs, stomach,
Beginner’s mind: the wheel Read More »
1. Fresh air Being outdoors, you don’t get the stale smell of sweat which is associated with being in a gym. Instead you have the fresh and familiar smell of the beach, the woods, cut grass or flowers. Air comes in through your nose, down your airways into the lungs and is distributed around the
Top 5 benefits of exercising outdoors Read More »
There are various motivations we can focus on during our yoga asana practice, drawing our awareness to our physical body, or bringing our focus within, on a deeper energetic level. The Taoists hold the theory that there is a polarity of two energies that are ultimately inseparable. They can be understood as the + and
Azul hatha yoga instructor Sally Goldfinger will be going to India to lead a special two week hatha yoga and ayurveda retreat in Kerala this January. Here she tells us more about the ayurveda aspects of the retreat. As many of you know I am deeply passionate about the tradition and spirit of ayurveda and
Experiencing Ayurveda in India with Sally Goldfinger Read More »
Within the fundamentals of yoga we follow both the Yama – guidelines for our daily living – and the Niyama – philosophies that focus within our own bodies to maintain harmony and balance. These are daily philosophies which we should bring not only to our asana practice but hold within us in every action and
