Many of you might not know, but I, along with my husband get to look after, love and nurture many of the dogs in Exmouth whilst their beloved owners go away on holidays, I think we have a total of about 30 dogs and 3 cats and our pack of furry ones expands every year. It is always saddens me when we lose one of our pack. This post has been dedicated to Harley who was just shy of her 15th Birthday. We will miss her terribly, she brought so much joy and laughter into our lives. Helen Keller writes " What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose, all that we love deeply, becomes part of us" The memorable times spent with Harley will remain imprinted on our hearts.
Animals can remind us to live in the here and now, savouring every moment and every experience, they can remind us: To live simply To love unconditionally To be patient To be strong To be courageous To never judge ourselves or others To embrace life with zest and enthusiasm To be curious and inquisitive To learn the art of relaxation To be our true self In Yoga, animal wisdom has been and still is a precious inspiration, one fifth of all the yoga asanas come directly from either stretches or shapes of animals. Be grateful every day for the animals in your life - their love, wagging tails and for showing us that life can be fun and carefree. Be inspired by their unconditional love, zest for life, strength, patience and courage. What is your favourite animal Yoga pose? Just leave a comment in the comment box. Miles of Smiles Naomi
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7/12/2015 2 Comments yoga nightcapI often have trouble drifting of to sleep, it seems as soon as my head hits the pillow a light switch in my mind flicks on. Just as I want too snuggle under the rugs and be lulled into dreamland my mind wants to keep the lights on and continue working, thinking, planning and creating new ideas
I call this, my light switch moment, and sometimes it drives me nuts. I am pretty sure a light switch moment happens to us all . After a busy day it is sometimes very difficult to switch those light bulbs off and relax, even if we are exhausted and dead tired sleep seems to elude us. A Yoga night cap, a 15 to 20 minute yoga practice just before you go to bed is an excellent way to release any tension and great way to unwind and relax. These are a few of my favourite night time poses, they release tension in the hips and shoulders, bring about a sense of calmness and peace especially if you practice them with mindfulness and awareness Legs up the wall Childs pose Melting heart Sleeping Pigeon Reclined butterfly pose Savasana - Relaxation pose In all the poses consciously relax the muscles with every out breath Take time in every pose don't rush through the poses Meditate on the breath, or sensations within the body whilst you relax in every pose Practice in room that is warm, cosy and has diffused or soft lighting ( candles ) Play relaxing, soothing music to accompany your practice Use a eye pillow, filled with lavender and place over your eyes whilst resting in reclined butterfly, savasana or any of the reclined poses Use a bolster or pillow under the knees in savasana and place a blanket over you to keep you warm and toasty Go to bed after completing your yoga night cap and drift away into the serene world of slumber land Another little tip is to eat a handful of Walnuts before going to bed, walnuts contain Melatonin, an antioxidant that naturally occurs in the body that makes you feel drowsy at night. Walnuts are not my favourite nut but I found I can make them a little more palatable by dry roasting them in the oven at 160 degrees for about 20 minutes or so, you can also coat them lightly in salt or maple syrup just prior to roasting if you wish. Just keep an eye on them whilst roasting so they don't burn. Let me know how you go, leave any comments in the comment box below and if you have any tips on how to turn off the light switch at night, I would love to hear about them. Miles of Smiles Naomi Need a little inspiration to practice Yoga? Need to get and about and explore new places? Need to beat the winter blues? Hatha Yoga Flow invites everyone to join the Flow and Glow Sun Salutation Challenge over the month of August.
This challenge has a little twist !!!!!! Aim to complete a total of 108 Sun Salutations over the month of August Aim to practice somewhere different every time, somewhere unusual or inspiring Take a photograph and share it to inspire others Your reward will be a boost in your energy levels as you tap into your solar energies. The joy of sharing your experience with others and the feeling of deep satisfaction knowing that you are doing something positive to boost your health and wellbeing. IF YOUR INSPIRED AND WHAT TO JOIN NAOMI ON THIS WONDERFUL JOURNEY OF SALUTING THE SUN SEND AN EMAIL REGISTERING YOUR INTEREST TO [email protected] OR REGISTER YOUR INTEREST IN THE COMMENTS BOX BELOW YOU WILL BE ABLE TO LOG YOUR SALUTATIONS BY EMAILING NAOMI AND ATTACHING YOUR PHOTO AND A COMMENT WHICH WILL THEN BE POSTED TO THE SUN SALUTATION CHALLENGE GALLERY RISE, SHINE AND SALUTE Miles of Smiles Naomi On Monday night Hatha Yoga Flow celebrated its inaugural yoga class at its new premises. This lovely photo was taken after the Rest & Restore class and it captures beautifully everybody's inner yoga glow. I really do believe the yoga leaves the heart smiling on the inside. Thanks to everyone who came along on Monday night and I look forward to sharing many Yoga classes with you all.
"Let my soul smile through my heart, and let my heart smile through my eyes and lips, and may my smiling eyes and lips bring happiness and joy to somebody else's heart and soul" Naomi Miles of smiles Naomi 7/9/2015 0 Comments Hatha yoga flow has movEdALL HATHA YOGA FLOW CLASSES WILL NOW BE HELD AT THE OLD DURACK TAFE BUILDING, MAIDSTONE CRES EXMOUTH. CLASS TIMETABLE REMAINS THE SAME. THE AVAILABLE SPACE IS A LITTLE SMALLER BUT IT WILL A REFRESHING CHANGE TOO PRACTICE YOGA IN A NEW PLACE. I AM SURE WITH ALL OUR POSITIVE AND HAPPY ENERGY POURING INTO THE ROOM IT WILL BECOME A WONDERFUL AND PEACEFUL PLACE TO BE. OUR NEW PREMISES WILL BE BRIGHTER AND LIGHTER AND THERE IS ALSO A LOVELY GRASSED AREA OUTSIDE SO WE HAVE AN OPTION TO TAKE OUR YOGA PRACTICE OUTDOORS. "WE KEEP MOVING FORWARD OPENING NEW DOORS AND DOING NEW THINGS BECAUSE WE ARE CURIOUS AND CURIOSITY KEEPS LEADING US DOWN NEW PATHS" Walt Disney WALK THE NEW PATHWAY'S LEADING TOO NEW DOORS AND I WILL BE THERE TO GREET YOU WITH AN OPEN HEART AND ARMS AS WE CONTINUE OUR YOGA JOURNEY TOGETHER. Miles of Smiles Naomi |