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Your Yoga – Utkatasana (Chair Pose)

We already know about IQ and even EQ, but there is a new concept that is now drawing attention known as AQ, or adversity quotient. Stephen Cope refers to it in his new book, ‘Soul Friends’: “We might call it a measure of adversity intelligence that examines questions like these: How does one cope with, respond to, and ultimately, what does one do with life’s inevitable challenges… the capacity to come back again and again to complex problems is the most important temperamental component of adversity intelligence. ” Over time, it’s possible to strengthen our EQ and gradually build our resilience.

Yoga Blog Post about pratapana and doing yoga to stay warm

Your Yoga – Pratapana

The weather has transitioned to become beautifully crisp and cold over the last few weeks but as the temperature drops, it can sometimes feel challenging to get warm. While we can always wrap up in a warm blanket, sweater and socks, we can also find ways to move our energy from the inside and build up some heat from our center. When you feel warm on the inside, your whole body can soften, relax and feel safe.

Your Yoga – Season of Harvest

A few weeks ago we moved through the autumnal equinox, when day and night are of equal length. The equinox acts as a point of balance between the two solstices – summer and winter – and provides a moment to reflect as we find ourselves at a point of balance between day and night, light and dark, outward-moving and inward-moving energy.

Your Yoga – Santosha: Finding Contentment

As I have been exploring the practical meaning of the niyamas (or character observances), it occurred to me that I am searching for improvement. This seeking is an important part of the yogic process – having the urge to grow and expand our experience is a good thing. Read More

Your Yoga – Tapas: The heat & spice of your practice

As my children and I begin to bend our minds towards going back to school, we also know that routine and discipline are good for us and help us to be our best serves. Long, hot summer days can lead to less of a routine and daily schedule. ‘Tapas’ – translated as heat or discipline – is one of the yogic niyamas or character building inquiries. But what does it mean in our daily life?

Your Yoga blog by The Yoga Garden. Dirgha three part breath post

Your Yoga – Dirgha: Three Part Breath

Balancing Yin ang Yang Energy at the Yoga Garden blog post

Your Yoga – Balancing Yin and Yang Energy

June 20th marked the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the longest day and shortest night of the year. As summer moves towards its zenith, you may notice that your energy starts to feel a little frayed or dispersed with the last days of school, travel and graduation celebrations.

Your Yoga – Sun Salutation

Sunshine lifts our spirits and gives us energy, encouraging us to open the world around us, see things a little more clearly, and notice new possibilities. When we move through a sun salutation, we are recognizing and showing gratitude for the energy of the sun that supports both life and wellbeing. Sun salutations offer us a way to connect with the abundance of the natural world.

Your Yoga – Principles of Alignment

In yoga, we are working towards alignment of the mind, body and breath to arrive fully in the present moment. But compromised physical alignment, where we force our bodies, can be counter-productive leading to over stretching some areas or reinforcing structural imbalances.

The Yoga Garden Yoga Blog - How to do a proper Tree Pose

Your Yoga – Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

March 20th marks the Spring Equinox, when the day and the night are equally long, the mid-point between the Midwinter and Midsummer Solstices. It marks a moment of balance before we shift into a new season of growth: spring. Just as the rain we have been experiencing provides nutrients for the plants as they root down into the earth to grow, there is also an opportunity for us to connect with the earth and the new growth cycle that lies ahead, a time of birth and re-birth and upward moving energy.

By practicing Tree Pose (Vrksasana) in yoga, we can explore the sensation of expansion and upward movement and practice putting our trust in the support of the earth.

1. Begin by standing with both feet planted firmly on the ground. Explore the sense of balance by shifting your weight from one leg to the other and then coming back to center, connecting with the central axis of the spine and feeling the support of the ground as it comes up to see the feet. Close your eyes and visualize rooting down into the earth for support, all four corners of each foot pressing down.

2. Shift your weight over to your left foot and root down into this leg, without collapsing out through the hip. Bend the right knee and bring the sole of the right foot to your left shin or inner thigh (avoid the knee to protect the knee joint). As you do this, notice the tendency of the right hip to move out of alignment and see if you can draw the right hip forwards so both hips point straight ahead, as you press the right knee out to the side in line with the hip.

3. Bring your awareness to your standing leg and focus on rooting down through your left foot and left leg. Bring your gaze 45 degrees in front of you on the floor to keep your gaze steady. Slowly start to bring the sense of expansion and growth into the pose as you lengthen through the spine and press out through the crown of the head.

4. When you feel that you are completely supported through the left leg, expand your energy up through the arms and you raise your arms overhead, keeping the shoulders relaxed and the gaze steady on the floor.

5. Whenever you’re ready to come out, slowly release the arms back down, bring your hand to your right knee and draw your knee in front of you as you lower the right foot down to the ground. Shake both arms and legs out to release any tension. Pause and practice this again on the other side, this time shifting your weight over onto your right foot and placing the sole of the left foot onto the right shin or inner thigh.

Namaste,
Temple