Sneak peak into my home practice
If you've missed my classes lately you can practice with Elsie and I in this 10 minute Feel Good Vinyasa Flow.
How to build upper body strength in yoga
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 [...]
Join the Yin crowd
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 the general busyness of life. In [...]
Downward Facing Dog – old dog new tricks
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 [...]
How to release shoulder tension for good
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 [...]
No-no’s for newbies – a guide to yoga etiquette
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 [...]
A funny thing happened in yoga…
Yoga is just like life. Embarrassing things happen and we need to laugh them off. Here's a list of embarrassing things that happen in yoga and what to do if it happens to you. 1. Farting It happens all the time. Not a day goes by when someone doesn't fart in class. All that twisting [...]
5 essential yoga poses for beginners
To be honest, I don't know how many yoga poses there are. Probably thousands when you consider all the modifications and variations. But there are some basic yoga poses that everyone, including beginners need to know. I've chosen these as they are some of the most common and they also provide a foundation for a [...]
7 common yoga mistakes (and how to avoid them)
No one starts out being good at yoga, it takes practise. And part of that practise is learning from mistakes. So why not learn from the most common yoga mistakes that I've both made and see regularly in class: 1. Holding your breath The number one mistake people make in yoga is holding their breath. [...]
Yoga shmoga – which style is best for me?
There are so many yoga classes in Brisbane, how do you find one that's right for you? Some people have never done yoga before and have no idea where to start and which style is best suited to them, others are addicted to just one style. Even though it's all just yoga, there can be [...]