A gentle yoga practice to wind down after a stressful day (23min). You will need a bolster/cushion/rolled-up towel. Ideally, do this near a wall or chair/lounge so you can put your legs up. Enjoy, Monica x Need more help relaxing? Check out the Art of Relaxation Course in October. "It’s been two [...]
Could there be such a things as a super yoga pose? A pose with amazing healing and therapeutic properties? You bet. It's called Viparita Karani and it's a simple as raising your legs up the wall. What are the benefits of Legs up the Wall? Viparita means inverted and Karani means action. So the pose [...]
The thing I love about teaching yoga is seeing the transformations in people. Practice diligently for 12 months and it will change your life. But the question I get asked the most is "How exactly does it work"? What makes yoga so life changing compared to Pilates or the gym? Firstly, the yoga poses are [...]
Wrist pain sux. It can really ruin your yoga practice. But pain is a sign that something's not right so it's a good opportunity to check your alignment in poses that bear weight in the wrist: Down Dog, Plank and arm balances. Often wrist pain in due to poor shoulder alignment - the shoulders aren't [...]
If you've missed my classes lately you can practice with Elsie and I in this 10 minute Feel Good Vinyasa Flow.
First timers to yoga are often surprised by how much strength, especially in the upper body, is required even for beginner classes. Yes, yoga is so much more than being flexible, it requires a good deal of strength and body awareness too. Women in particular come to this realisation during their first few Down Dogs [...]
Harder, better, faster, stronger - or so we're often lead to believe. But in our fast-paced lives when we're in a hurry for everything, are there merits to slowing down, doing less, becoming soft? You bet. And that's what Yin yoga offers, the perfect antidote to stress, anxiety and general busy-ness of life. In my [...]
Many people have a love/hate relationship with Downward Facing Dog. It's the nemesis of beginners and can challenge seasoned practitioners for years. People are often surprised when I tell them that I find Down Dog hard. In my opinion, it ranks up there with Warrior 1 and Upward Facing Dog as a technically challenging pose. It's [...]
So many people come to yoga because they're tense or tight through the shoulders, the upper back and neck. And yoga can work wonders on tension in the upper body, but sometimes we need a more targeted approach to alleviate chronic tension. Good posture = less tension Upper body tension is often associated with [...]
There are just certain things you don't do like texting during a job interview, using the toilet at an open house, eating someone else's food from the office fridge and wearing shoes in yoga. At Cultivate Calm, we love introducing yoga to beginners. But just like life, yoga has its own etiquette. We want you [...]