Yin Yoga to Balance the Chakras

This yin yoga series consists of 7 poses to balance the 7 chakras to sum up this 7 month  journey through the chakras! 

Find a timer to have by your side and a quiet place where you can practice. 

Surrender into the poses beginning from the root to the crown. Find your edge, find your breath and enjoy these poses to improve your energy flow by releasing  mental and physical blockages from the main energy centers in the body.

Photos by Saara Oinonen at Wasa Yoga Center

1. The Root Chakra. The pose for the first chakra is Butterfly pose. Begin seated with the soles of the feet touching. Either remain seated leaning back into the hands or if comfortable begin to lower don into a forward fold. Remain here for three minutes as you allow the body to become heavy. You can visualize roots anchoring you from your sit bones to the earth, keeping you grounded and safe. Keep your awareness at the location of the root chakra, at the base of the spine. 

2. The Sacral Chakra. Extend the legs out to the sides to target the hips and the second chakra in wide legged pose. Either remain seated or if comfortable begin to lower down into a forward fold. Allow it to take some time to nestle in to your variation of the pose, find your edge and remain there for three minutes. Keep your awareness at the location for the second chakra, between the pelvis and the navel. 

3. The solar plexus chakra. Lower down to lie on your back, place the right foot on the left knee and begin to lower the right knee down to the side into a twist. Allow the body to surrender into a twist rather than reaching deep into the pose. Extend the opposite arm out to the side and breathe here for three minutes before twisting to the other side. Rest your awareness in your core, the location for the third chakra, located behind the navel. 

5. The Heart Chakra. Come down to lie on the belly with the elbows under the shoulders into sfinx pose to open the heart. If this is too intense you can walk the elbows further away from you. To deepen the pose you can widen the distance between the hands and begin to straighten the arms into Seal pose. Relax the buttox and the legs. Remain here for 1-3 minutes keeping your awareness at the location for the heart chakra, in the middle of the chest. When your timer goes of slowly lie down on the belly to release the lower back for a couple of breaths.  

6. The Throat Chakra. Lower down to lie on the back and extend the legs up towards the sky. Begin to lift the hips of the mat and support the lower back with the hands, fingertips facing the sky and lower the feet towards the mat above the head into snail pose. If the toes don't touch the mat it is completely fine. Allow the spine to round and keep the chin towards the chest. Remain here from 1-3 minutes, lower down sooner if your body tells you to. Center your awareness at the location for the sixth chakra, at the base of the throat. 

6. The Third Eye Chakra. Come to sit on the heels and lower down the forehead to the mat into childs pose. Allow the spine to be rounded and the forehead to rest on the mat. Anchor your awareness at the point between the eyebrows, resting on the mat, the location for the third eye. Remain here for three minutes. 

7. The Crown Chakra. Lie down on your back into Savasana, final relaxation pose. Scan through  your chakras once again. Begin at the root chakra climbing up the chakra ladder all the way up to the crown of the head, the location of the crown chakra. Once you reach the crown of the head with your awareness remain here for atleast three minutes and surrender to the deep relaxation. Allow the energy, light and love to flow freely in your body. 

Before you awaken yourself, bring your awareness down one chakra at a time, from the crown of the head to the base of the spine to gather your energy and center yourself. Slowly open your eyes and thank yourself for practicing!

Namaste

FREE SUMMER YOGA IS BACK!

Increase your energy with yoga in the sunlight and connect to your body and your breath. 

Classes for all levels will be provided, if you've never done yoga before, get out of your comfort zone and try something new! If you already do yoga, shake things up outdoors and allow your practice to blossom! 

TIMETABLE AND DETAILS WILL BE UPDATED

Click on picture for link to facebook event!

Amandas Yoga in collaboration with Wasa Yoga Center

Intuitive Eating & Gratitude

For the other chakras you will find posts on what to eat to nourish your energy centers. The sixth and seventh chakra are more spiritual than physical and therefore they nourish more from other sources than food. The sixth and seventh chakra feed on subtle energy, such as love, gratitude, air and sun light. However, foods that are pure, such as non-GMO and organic foods help keep these higher chakras open and clear. 

Instead of taking food for granted, see if you can find a new appritiation for food by cultivating gratitude. Before you eat, take a moment to be grateful for what you have in front of you. Be thankful for all the people who have been involved in the food process from the farms to the stores, for the sunlight, earth and water, for having money to buy food and for all the nutritions in the food to keep you healthy...

Our bodies constantly send us signals on what we need to create balance. The more we begin to listen and respond to the body, the more signals you will receive in order to create balance and mind-body-soul harmony. So see if you can become more curious to these signals;
What is your body trying to tell you? 

Food and diet is a hot topic in media and often discussed with friends, colleges, family. Is it possible learn to eat more intuitively? Rather than swallowing other peoples facts and opinions take a moment to check in with what is true to you. 

As with everything else in yoga and every other aspect in life, 
You are your own guru. 

Even more importantly than what you eat, pay attention and become aware of how different foods effect your energy, how does it make you feel? 

Namaste

Meditation to Break Free

Kritan Kriya meditation, also called Sa Ta Na Ma meditation, is one of the most important and powerful meditations in Kundalini Yoga. Yogi Bhajan has said that if you are only going to practice one meditation, this is it! 

Effects: 

-Cleanses the subconscious mind

- Heals emotional wounds 

- Helps break negative habits and addictions 

- Reduces stress

- Supports mental and emotional balance

This meditation is 11 minutes long and you can either use a timer or find a song on youtube or spofify, by writing Sa Ta Na Ma, to help you keep track of time. To begin, find a comfortable crosslegged seat with the hands on the knees, palms facing the sky. 

- Chant Sa, touch thumb and index finger

 -Chant Ta, touch thumb and middle finger

- Chant Na, touch thumb and ring finger

- Chant Ma, touch thumb and little finger

- 2 Minutes chanting out loud

- 2 Minutes whispering

- 2 Minutes chanting the mantra silently

- 2 Minutes wispering

- 2 Minutes chanting out loud

Remain seated for a while and enjoy the stillness and the notice any effects of your meditation.

Namaste, the light in me sees the light in you!

   Photos by Saara Oinonen

Yoga for Exhaustion

Even though doing yoga might be one of the last things on your mind if you are exhausted, it can be exactly what your mind, body and soul need as it releases mental and physical blockages to increase the flow of prana, life force energy.

This series is an excellent example for a short yet uplifting practice to do on a regular basis, that you can do anytime during the day. If you are in a place in your life right now when you feel permanently exhausted yoga can be a holistic treatment for you and I recommend you try including yoga to a daily routine. 

Before you begin you can set an intention for the practice to create whatever it is you need the most right now. Your intention is your reason for the practice. You can take a moment to vizualize yourself in the state you wish to be in after your practice. Setting the intention for uplifting your energy levels, finding a state of balance or for increasing your flow.

Be gentle with yourself and bring your awareness inwards to whatever sensations you might experience throughout the practice. Honor your body for todays energy and try not to compare yourself on your mat. Breathe into the pose, breathe into the experience of being in the now and practice letting go of any expectations and judgmental thoughts. 

1. Cat Cow. Begin on all four, with the hands under the shoulders and the knees under the hips. Inhale to arch the spine, lift the gaze and exhale to round the back. Allow the movement to follow your breath as you begin to create greater circulation in the body. 10 rounds of cats and cows during 10 long deep breaths.

2. Cobra. Lie down on your belly and place the hands under your shoulders. On an inhale roll the shoulders back and press the ground away from you with your palms. Only rise up as far as feels comfortable in the lower back. Open the chest and heart and take 5-10 breaths in the pose before lowering don on the belly. 

3. Downward facing dog. On an exhale press the ground away, sending the sitbones up and back to create an upside down V with the body. Press the ground actively away with all the fingertips to create length in the spine and to open up the backs of the legs. It is completely fine if your heels don't touch the ground here. You can walk out the feet here if that feels good to settle into the pose and remaine in Downward facing dog for 5-10 breaths. 

4. Fish pose. Lie down on your back and begin to move side to side with the hips to place the wrists under your sitbones, palms towards the ground. Move the shoulders closer together. On an inhale lift up onto the forearms and lift the head of the ground. Exhale to lower the crown of the head to the ground, opening the heart and the throat for 5-10 breaths. On an inhale lift up onto the elbows and exhale to lower back down to lie on the back 

5. Knees to chest. Bend the knees up towards the chest to release the lower back and rock slightly side to side to massage the spine. Remain for 5-10 breaths hugging yourself, cultivating compassion and love for yourself. 

6. Twist. Extend the right leg and lower down the left foot on the right knee. Begin to lower down the knee towards the ground and extend the left arm out to the side. Allow the body to soften deeper into the twist on the exhales. See if you can find a surrendering approach to your pose instead of reaching into a deep twist to aim for relaxation and neutralization for the spine. After 5-10 breaths come into the twist on the other side. 

7. Savasana. Extend the legs straight, allow the legs to be apart and the feet to flop open. Arms rest away from the body with the palms facing the sky. You can rock the head slightly side to side to massage the back of your head until you find a comfortable position. Rest in Savasana for 5-10 minutes to allow the effects of your practice to deepen. Enjoy and experience of your life force energy, prana vibrating and flowing freely in the body.

Take care & Namaste!

You are Light and Love

Do you often feel jealous of other people and compare yourself to othera? Do wish you were less judgmental and critical towards yourself? Or do you experience never being or having enough? These are signs that your ego is in control. 

But don't worry, your ego can be tamed!

Try this powerful affirmation to unidentify with ego and connect to your true and higher self to live to your fullest potential and to be at peace with what is.

Repeat this affirmation as a mantra to yourself silently or out loud as you concentrate on the crown of the head, the location for the crown chakra.

3 Minute Lotus Mudra Meditation

In Buddhism the lotus flower is a symbol of the beauty that emerges from darkness. The lotus flower has its roots deep in the mud, from where it grows up to the water surface where it beautifully blooms. It represents awakening and awareness, to staying connected to your roots and to open your heart to light and love. 

Take three minutes for this lotus mudra meditation to awaken a 

free flow of energy in the body, an open mind and an open heart.

If you are new to this meditation you can begin with keeping the arms lifted for one minute and successively lengthen the time. If it becomes too intense to keep the arms raised above the head slowly lower down the hands in front of the heart center. If it just becomes uncomfortable see if you can push through the mental resistance. However, if you experience sharp pain lower the arms.  

• Begin in a cross-legged comfortable position, option to sit in half lotus or full lotus. 

• Fold the hands into the lotus mudra with the heel of the hands together, thumbs and pinky fingers toughing. Spread the fingers wide like a lotus. 

• Raise the arms up above the head with the elbows slightly bent and lower down the shoulders away from the ears. 

• Close the eyes and bring your awareness to your connection to the earth, the sitbones connecting you to your roots, feeling steady, secure and grounded. 

• Visualize a flower begin to emerge from your roots climbing its way up your spine. Move your awareness slowly up the spine all the way up to the crown of your head. 

• When your awareness reaches the crown of the head the plant begins to blossom spreading its petals, 

• Whenever your awareness drifts off, gently bring your awareness back to the visualization opening up to light and love.

• When the timer goes of, lower down the hands infront of the heart center, bring the palms together to meet in namaste and bow to yourself and to your inner light. 

Namaste

Chakra of the Month: Crown Chakra

The crown chakra, or in Sanskrit called the Sahaswara chakra is located at the crown of the head and is the center for pure awareness and absence of ego.

Beginning from the root chakra, keeping us grounded and connected to earth, the chakra ladder climbs up the spine with the crown chakra at the top. In order for the crown chakra to be open the lower chakras need to be in balance so that energy can travel up from our roots.

Balanced Crown Chakra: 

Ability to live in the present moment and trusting our intuition and inner knowledge, Spiritually aware and selfless, Strong nervous system, physical and emotional tolerant and integrated with spirituality, experiencing oneness.

Imbalanced Crown Chakra:

May occur as sensitivity to sounds and light, learning difficulties, skin problems, headaches and muscular disease. Feeling a lack of purpose. exessive worrying about the meaning of life and easily feeling like a victim. Depression, being stuck in sorrow, chronic exhaustion and fear of death. 

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How to balance Sahaswara Chakra: 

- Include "quit time" to your daily routine to turn inwards

- Eat garlic, onions and ginger the so called "trinity roots" to strengthen the meditative mind

- Meditate, meditate and meditate. A little meditation is better than no mediation at all!

-  Get inspired! Read inspiring books, watch inspiring movies or create a vision board

- Start a dream journal

- Difference between ego and self

- Help others for the sake of helping others, ask yourself how you can give more instead of get more 

- Head massages

- Wear purple clothes 

- Levendel essential oil

- Amethyst crystals

Yoga sequences, meditations, affirmations and more practical tips to strengthen the crown chakra coming up this month so stay tuned! :) Namaste!