Thursday 31 December 2015

Yoga for Willpower


Have you set your intentions for the new year? 

If not, take a moment to reflect over a couple of questions before doing this empowering Vinyasa Flow Yoga routine to strengthen the solar plexus chakra, the seat for your personal strength and transformation.

  1. What really matters to you? What do you feel passionate about and what is a "good life" according to your values?

  2. Are there any dreams deep within your heart that wish to be expressed? 

  3. Are there fears or limiting beliefs holding you back?

  4. Are there any areas in your life you wish were different? If so, how will you make change happen? When will you make it happen? 


Let your imagination run wild as you ask yourself these questions, dare to dream big as if there were no limits! After having written down or imagined your intentions and desires, enjoy this empowering flow to transform obstacles into challenges and to boost your willpower for creating whatever you desire!

Happy practicing & happy new year! 



Filmed and edited by Saara Oinonen
Click on photo to watch video

Sunday 27 December 2015

Detox Yin Yoga


Besides the importance of digesting food and detoxifying the fysical body, a yogic perspective also includes the mind and the importance of digesting thoughts and feelings.

This yin yoga practice is designed to boost your metabolism, aid digestion and has detoxifying effects on the fysical body, to release toxins from organs and tissues. This sequence also provides an opportunity to cleanse and detox the mind, to release any thoughts or emotions that have a toxic effect o your well-being, opening up the body and mind for new opportunities, positive energy and self empowerment.






1. Cat Cow. Begin standing on all four, hands under the shoulders and knees under the hips. Inhale to arch the spine and lift the gaze, exhale to round the back. Follow your own breath for 8 rounds of cats and cows as you create greater circulation in the body before the static yin yoga poses. 




2. Thread the needle. Return to a neutral spine, inhale to raise the right arm up, exhale to thread the arm and lower down the shoulder towards the mat. Either keep the left fingertips on the mat for support or to deepen the twist, inhale to raise the left arm up towards the sky. Remain in the pose for eight deep breaths before returning through neutral and switch side. 




3. Shoelace. Come into a seated position and bend in the right knee, stack the right knee on top of the left knee and find both sit bones on the mat, option to sit up on a folded blanket. If the lower knee complains, straighten the left leg on the mat into a half shoelace variation. If the top knee complains you can try placing a blanket or pillow between the knees. If nothing seems to help, skip this pose.

Inhale to raise the left arm and side lean to the right for four deep breaths.

Return to neutral and either remain seated or if knees and hips feel safe you can begin to lower down into a forward fold, remain in the pose for three minutes, staying connected to a smoothe and even breathe.






4. Twist. Keep the knees stacked, roll down to lie on the back and lower down the knees to the left. Extend the right arm out to the side to come into a twist. If this twist is too intense you can uncross the knees and straighten the bottom leg on the mat. Remain in the pose for 3 minutes. 

From this pose, rock up to seated and move through the sequence beginning from shoelace on the opposite side. 




5. Bananasana. Extend the legs and raise the arms up above the head. Begin to walk the feet to the right, only as far as your sitbones remain planted on the mat. Option to cross one foot over the other. Move the arms and the upper body to the right, creating the shape of a banana with the body. Option to take a hold of one wrist, the elbows or lower down the hands on the belly. Remain 3 minutes in bananasana opening up the left side body before returning through center and coming into the pose on the other side.


6. Savasana. Extend the legs, allowing them to be apart and the feet flop open. Rest the arms away from the body, facing the palms towards the sky. Take a couple of sighing, detoxifying exhalations through the mouth to let go of any last toxic tension or stress stored in the mind or the body and rest in savasana for at least 3 minutes.


Namaste

Monday 21 December 2015

Satisfy your Taste-Buds with Christmas Spices


Ginger Bread Smoothie

5 dl oat milk
1 banana
6 pitted dates
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground clove

Mix all the ingredients in a blender and garnish with chopped nuts or coconut flakes. 

Christmassy Raw Balls

2 dl oats
20 pitted dates
2-3 msk raw cacao

Ginger bread spices: 
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
4 cloves
pinch of vanilla powder

Mix all the ingrediants in a blender until smoothe, form the dough into balls and place them in the fridge to harden.





Heavenly Christmas Smoothie 

10-15 seedless dates
2 juiced oranges
5 dl coconut milk or oat milk
Christmas spices to taste: cardamom, cinnamon, clove, vanilla and saffron!


We made this heavenly smoothie in nutrition class for our christmas table and I advise you to try it too!

This recepie and photo is from my inspiring classmate Elle, check out and follow her intagram account, Therapykitchen for more healthy recepies and inspiration!


Saturday 19 December 2015

Meditation for Self-Acceptance


A meditation for self-acceptance, to strengthen the solar plexus chakra.
For more information on the solar plexus chakra, click here.


  • Set a timer for how long you wish to meditate, recommended time 10-20 minutes. If you're new to meditating, I advise you to start with shorter meditations and successively lengthen the time. 


  • Sit in a comfortable position, drop the shoulders down away from the ears and slightly lower the chin to the chest to lengthen the spine. 


  • Place your palms together, at the level of your navel. Keep the fingers straight with the fingers pointing away from you and cross the thumbs. 


  • Close your eyes to turn your awareness inwards. Take a couple of deep breaths to anchor yourself in this moment and allow the outside world to drift away. 


  • Begin to visualize a bright, golden yellow spinning wheel around the area of the navel, the location for the solar plexus chakra. 


  • Chant the mantra RAM silently to yourself to activate solar plexus. 


  • Accept the thoughts as they come and go, whenever you realize your mind has drifted away and gently bring your awareness back to repeating the mantra Ram, Ram, Ram, as you visualize the spinning wheel of bright sun golden energy behind your navel.


  • When your timer goes of, take a moment to visualize the golden yellow energy to spread from your solar plexus chakra into every cell, filling you with light, love and self acceptance. 


  • Gently open your eyes and bow to your inner light. Namaste. 

Friday 18 December 2015

Pre Christmas Digestion Boost


  • Warm water. Begin your day with drinking warm water to fire up your digestion, preferably half an hour before eating breakfast. Option to add ginger, lemon or tumeric to your water. Avoid cold drinks throughout the day as they are considered to slow down and damp the fire of digestion.

  • Yellow foods. Yellow foods are considered to strengthen the manipura chakra, the cakra associated with digestion. Foods such as corn, yellow pears, golden apples, oats, lemons, pineapples, squash and spices like ginger and tumeric can strengthen your digestion.

  • Sit on heels. Vrjasana is a benefital pose to sit in within 10 minutes after a meal since the blood flow to the digestive organs increases. Sitting on the heels also activates acupressure points on the feet that promote digestion. You can sit in the pose from  three minutes up to 30 minutes for maximal benefit.

Treat yourself with a simple yet delicious smoothie. Just add pineapple, lemon and ginger in a blender and you got yourself a detoxifying, digestive and immune strengthening boost!

Monday 14 December 2015

Inspiring Photography Blog!


Sending gratitude to talented and fabulous Saara Oinonen, for having the chance to work with her during photo shoots and in the making of the yoga videos! 





For more artistic photos, check out her stunning blog, 





Friday 11 December 2015


If your solar plexus chakra is out of balance (see previous blog post), this affirmation is for you to repeat daily either out loud or silently to yourself.

Say it as if it were true even if you might not believe it. Imagine what it would feel like to be confident, to live with integrity and at peace and imprint that feeling into every cell of your being!



Wednesday 9 December 2015

4 Minute Energy-Boosting Yoga Series


Especially this time of year when it is getting darker and colder you might experience energy levels dropping, in that case, this might be the cure for you! This short wake up series with powerful yoga poses from kundalini yoga, is recommended by Yogi Bhajan to practice every morning, to clear and increase your energy.


Photos by Saara Oinonen 


Breath of fire is a powerful breathing technique to increasing your energy flow. If you are new to this breathing technique you can try it in a seated position first with one hand on your belly. As you exhale draw the navel up and in and inhale to relax the abdomen. By focusing on the pumping the navel on your exhales, your inhalation will happen naturally as you breathe in and out through the nose. If you begin to feel lightheaded, take a couple of deep breaths normally before you continue. 



1. Stretch Pose. Begin lying on your back, reach the arms parallel to the body, unless you have any lower back issues then you can place the hands under the sacrum for support. Inhale to begin as you raise the legs (option to raise one leg at a time if the lower back begins to feel uncomfortable), feet, head and shoulders off the floor and hold the pose as you reach through your fingertips and activate the core. Gaze at your big toes and hold the pose for 1 minute using breath of fire. Exhale to lower down to lie on the back.

Benefits: Strengthens the abdominal muscles, prevents lower back problems, aids digestion, activates the center of power, increases willpower and patience.




2. Nose to knees. Bend in the knees towards your nose and wrap the arms around the legs. Close the eyes and use breath of fire for 1 minute. 

Benefits: Aids digestion and regulates the metabolism.

3. Spinal rocks. Begin to rock up and down the spine, from neck to tailbone, massaging the back. Breathing normally for one minute as you rock back and forth. 

Benefits: Relaxes the nervous system and reprogrammes it which allows you to let go of any old habits that no longer serves you. 




4. Ego-Eradicator. Rock up into a seated position and extend the arms out to 60 degree angle, fold the fingertips with palms facing forwards and extend the thumbs straight up. Keep the arms straight and relax the shoulders down away from the ears. Close the eyes and focus on your third eye, the point between the eyebrows and hold the pose, using breath of fire for 1 minute.  Inhale to and raise the arms up above the head until the tips of the thumbs meet above the head, hold the breath and exhale to slowly lower the arms, spreading the palms to clear and energize your aura.

Benefits: Increase your radiance and your mental clarity, increases lunkapacity and strengthens the heart. 



Set your intention for the day and keep this calm yet focused energy throughout your day.
Namaste

Sunday 6 December 2015

Chakra of the Month: Solar Plexus

The third chakra is the solar plexus chakra, also known as manipura, located in the middle of the abdomen, behind the navel. The element is fire and it is where we store our life force energy. Power is a key word for the third chakra as it is connected to willpower, personal power and power of transformation. 

Balanced Solar Plexus Chakra: Feeling of inner harmony, self-acceptance, emotional balance and self confidence. Ability to meet challenges, respect for yourself and others. High metabolism, high energy level, being optimistic and responsible.

Imbalanced Solar Plexus Chakra may occur as: Digestive issues, diabetes, gallstone, allergies, problems with stomach and liver. Low self esteem, lack of self-control,  poor ability to make decisions and taking actions, anger and control issues. Tiredness, difficulty concentrating, daydreaming, living in past or future. Behaviors governed by fear not love, unable to set boundaries, to say no and to stand up for yourself. Fear of rejection and criticism as well as depression or anxiety.



How to Balance Solar Plexus: 
- Find balance between activity and rest
- Be aware of who you spend time with, do they take energy, or give you energy?
- Spend time with people who appreciate you
- Declutter: get rid of things you no longer need
- Catch yourself if you talk badly about yourself
- When somebody gives you a compliment, practice saying thank you
- Eat yellow food
- Wear yellow clothes

Yoga sequences, meditations, affirmations and more practical tips to strengthen the Solar Plexus Chakra coming up this month :) Namaste