2/23/2015 0 Comments TEA TIME AND CONTEMPLATION I always love to get up each morning and sip on my favourite herbal tea. Aromatic vapours rise upwards gently awakening my senses, I sip the amber coloured fluid and it begins to warm my heart and gently light the fire in my belly. There is nothing better than to take the time every morning to sip on a cuppa, contemplate and dwell in a moment of peace and serenity before you move forward into your busy day. A cup of tea should never be rushed, meditate on its aromas, enjoy its warmth and savour the flavours. Enjoy the sensation of just sitting quietly drinking tea and doing nothing else. Finally take a moment to hold your finished cup of tea, feeling the appreciation and gratitude of it as a gift to being alive. Think of your early morning cuppa as meditation practice. Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment. Only this moment is life. Thich Nhat Hanh My favourite brew at the moment is a real immune booster Tumeric, Goji berries and Ginger Slice of Ginger Slice of Tumeric Teaspoon of dried Goji Berries Place all ingredients into a tea strainer (I use my Manatea, pictured above) Place strainer in a cup and pour in boiled water (Just off the boil is best) Brew for about 5 minutes BLISS Here are a few benefits Goji berries Is a powerful antioxidant Helps digestion Supports the immune system Increases energy levels and stamina Read more: http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/goji_berries_and_goji_juice#ixzz3SLapuRH3 Tumeric Detoxifies body and liver Boosts immunity by improving liver function Protects liver tissue Cleanses and purifies the blood Eases symptoms of coughs and colds Improves circulation in the body Read more http://www.primallyinspired.com/turmeric-tea-liver-detox/ Ginger Motion Sickness Remedy: Ginger has been shown to be an effective remedy for the nausea associated with motion sickness. Reduces Pain and Inflammation: One study showed that ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and is a powerful natural painkiller. Cold and Flu Prevention and Treatment: Ginger has long been used as a natural treatment for colds and the flu. Many people also find ginger to be helpful in the case of stomach flus or food poisoning, which is not surprising given the positive effects ginger has upon the digestive tract. Read more http://lindawagner.net/blog/2014/02/goji-detox-tea/index.html Miles of Smiles Naomi
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2/15/2015 0 Comments yoga and the heart This week we have been focusing on connecting and opening our heart centre, as we celebrated Valentine’s Day. Our yoga practice centred on giving our body, mind and heart some good loving. All the week’s classes included some lovely and nurturing restorative poses where we gave ourselves time to connect and gently open our heart, shoulders and belly. Poses such as Reclined Butterfly pose, Cobra pose and Modified fish pose pictured above are great heart opening asanas. Physically stretching the muscles in your chest, shoulders, and belly can create a deep emotional release, helping you to appreciate and honor yourself and your loved ones. These poses also bring a feeling of lightness and contentment. I also introduced Ganesha Mudra – mudra for strengthening and energizing the heart Ganesha Mudra is dedicated to elephant god, Ganesha. Ganesha is said to be the remover of obstacles, although he’s also known to place obstacles in our path so that we may overcome them and grow stronger within ourselves. This gesture strengthens the heart energetically and physically, and focusing on the meaning of the mudra brings us the strength we need to overcome obstacles we’re faced with. Ganesha Mudra has many benefits
Enjoy these heart opening practices Miles of Smiles Naomi 2/10/2015 0 Comments precious soles and toes Last Sunday I was blessed with small and glassy waves at Dunes, which was just great because I could get out on the SUP - short for Stand up Paddle Board for all you non-surfing Yogi’s. A very low tide meant that wearing booties would be required to protect my precious soles and toes. Like Yoga, it is best to ride a SUP with bare-feet, Having my feet enclosed I lost my sense of connection with my board and I found that I struggled somewhat, to remain stable and balanced, despite the odds I managed to stay afloat and catch some perfect right handers in the company of a few schools of baitfish and a couple of turtles . Waiting for the sets to come gave me a little thinking time, and what sprang to mind was the importance of our feet in our Yoga Practice. Those who practice yoga with me are constantly reminded as we move through our asanas particularly the standing poses to ground down through the feet, spread the toes and create a solid base to support your entire body. The alignment of our feet and how distribute our weight through them will affect our overall body alignment and how our energy flows through our knees, hips and shoulders, developing awareness of our feet is the first step in attaining proper balance and body alignment in our yoga practice, so we always start from the feet up especially in poses like Tadasana (Mountain Pose) or Virabhadrasana 1, 2 and 3 (Warrior poses) or any of our balancing poses such as Vrkasana (Tree pose) Nancy Gerstein from her book Guiding Yoga’s light says that the average person takes 10,000 steps a day. The feet are our foundation, if the foundation is weak, problems may arise in the rest of the body. Many aches and pains in the lower legs, back and even the shoulders can be traced back to the feet. Reflexologist Susanne Enzer quotes “Everything that happens in the being is reflected in the feet. And everything that happens in feet is relayed to the body” Much like the roots of a plant, the feet are essential for connecting and grounding us to the earth. They are our physical foundation – in daily life, and, as importantly, when practicing yoga So give your feet a little love and attention, toss away the shoes, spread your toes, massage the soles, mindfully walk bare foot, connect, feel the earth under your feet, as your feet awaken so will your entire being. Miles of Smiles Naomi Welcome everyone one to my new blog site, I hope that it will inspire and keep you up to date on all Hatha Yoga Flow news. February is the month when we are reminded about love, Valentine’s Day is almost upon us it is a time where we express our romantic love to our partners, husbands and wives. On 14th of February take the opportunity to not only express love to others but to yourself, send a Valentine’s Day card to yourself, write in it everything that you love about yourself Fill it with positive affirmations and things that you can do to celebrate your love to you “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection” ~Buddha A Yogi’s Valentine: V is for flowing vinyasa’s, while A is for Ahhhh relaxing in savasana L is for loving my body just the way it is E is for equilibrium and finding harmony. N is for no judgments, while T is about finding time In the morning, and evening to do Yoga Namaste Everyone This week we will focus on asanas that open our hearts as we celebrate, love and honour our unique selves. Miles of Smiles Naomi |