How To Practice Self Love: 7 Examples
Here are 7 examples of how to practice self-love and self-care:
there are countless ways to take care of yourself. Read on to find out how to create your own self-love ritual and self-care routine.
Sequencing Around A Spiritual Theme
The most advanced way of yoga sequencing is sequencing around a spiritual theme. This is because this technique requires you to be already solid and confident with yoga sequencing in general. So, its best to have mastered the other four ways of yoga sequencing before approaching this technique. Possible spiritual themes to base your sequence on could be the 7 Chakras or the 5 Elements of Nature.
If youre looking for some inspiration for a spiritually-themed sequence, check out Cristi Christensens workshop Soul Fire Elemental Activation. In this workshop, she created a Vinyasa sequence, a Pranayama and Mudra practice for each of the 5 Elements. This gives you a good idea for a well-rounded spiritual yoga practice.
We also have a Chakra Awakening Body & Soul workshop on TINT. Faith Hunter takes you on a carefully designed journey through the 7 Chakras.
Explore how Faith Hunter builds a yoga class sequence around the First Chakra.
These are only two examples of spiritual themes on which you could base your yoga class sequence. You can find a wide variety of other possible themes in traditional yoga writings such as Patanjalis Yoga Sutra or the Upanishads. Make sure you find something you can relate to and that resonates with you. This will make your teaching most authentic.
Learn how to become an even better yoga teacher in Barbra Nohs The Art of Teaching.
How To Keep Going No Matter What
So, what about those times when you dont feel well or when life piles up, making even a five-minute downward dog extremely unlikely? Get creative. At its heart, a yoga practice is an intention to observe your actions and reactions. It doesnt necessarily have to take a certain form, Pearce-Hayden says. How do you get better at yoga? Practice. Your practice today could mean watching your reactions at work, or while standing in line at the grocery store. It could also mean deciding to mother with total absorption during the next diaper change, or washing the dishes to wash the dishes, as Thich Nhat Hanh famously said in his book The Miracle of Mindfulness.
If you can breathe, you can do yoga, well-known Iyengar teacher Patricia Walden once said. Practice gentle pranayama exercises, or meditate, when youre laid up in bed or when youre on hold for a conference call. What really matters is your dedication. Anything thats a practice takes commitment, patience, and a certain level of generosity to yourself, Lee says.
Keep in mind that your commitment can take on a life of its ownthat a deeper part of yourself yearns for the connection that a regular home practice can provide. I know of this firsthand: those seeds my teacher first planted 16 years ago began sprouting on their own, despite my initial resistance.
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Mobile Apps Every Yogi Should Have
Imagine having a resource that tells you all about that yoga pose you were wondering about, shows you sequences involving that pose, recordings that talk you through it, timers, muscle group indicators and more? Well, a quick look through a few applications available for your mobile phone will show you this is a definite reality!
Heres a round-up of the best yoga apps around for both Android, iOS devices , Amazon Kindle Fire, Mac and Windows Phone. Some common features that many of them have include:
- The ability to build your own timed sequences
- A pose dictionary
- The ability to schedule reminders for your yoga practice sessions
- Muscle groups that are used are made visible
It Increases Flexibility And Balance Of The Body And Mind
Flexibility in yoga practice is not just about reaching your toes. Its about the journey towards your toesthe flexibility to be open-minded, and to release the ego and just be, shares Howe, who adds that balance in yoga should also be considered holistically, rather than just in terms of not toppling over when holding Tree pose. The emphasis on the mind-body connection in yoga helps develop physical balance and allows us to tune into our emotional needs and honor those needs. With that said, Howe notes not to diminish the power of improving your physical balance. On those days when balance aligns, and we can stand in Tree pose without wobbling, that rush of adrenalinethe confidence boostis amazing.
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Characteristics Of A Great Yoga Class Sequence
There are five key characteristics any yoga sequence should have. Make sure your sequences are informed, effective, efficient, beautiful, and integrated.
Informed means to use correct information and knowledge regarding the elements of the practice youre doing or teaching.
Effective means that the sequence is successful in achieving the aim intended for the practice while at the same time being safe, balanced, and healthy.
Efficient: Creating an efficient sequence means that you guide your students toward the intended aim in the most simple way. This will give your students the opportunity to gradually transition into a deeper and more rewarding yoga practice.
Beautiful: When the practice reflects the students inherent nature as a beautiful being, yoga becomes a source of beauty making it an elegant and deeply satisfying practice that just feels right.
Integrated: Finally, any sequence should be a complete and integrated practice that takes into account the whole experience.
You want to build yoga sequences that embody all of these qualities. Although each class may have a more specific focus on one or more of these areas.
How To Make Your Own Bikram Yoga Routine At Home
Have you ever wanted to exercise from your own home, but gave up because you didnt know how to do it? Thats what its all about when we talk about putting together your own Bikram Yoga routine at home . With just a few elements and a lot of dedication you can become an expert in the field, you just have to do your research.
To get the most out of this new activity, you must follow certain steps in order. Anyway, you should not be scared since it is so simple that everyone can try it.
If one day you cant get to the gym or you just dont have the strength to leave your house, we will give you the information you need to create your own Bikram Yoga at home .
Contents
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There Are Many Styles Of Yoga
If youre scrolling through what seems like an endless list of classes, all with titles that mean nothing to you , Howe has a few tips to ease your selection stress. Think of the reasons you want to start your practice, she says. If youve never tried yoga before, maybe avoid the Power/Ashtanga type classes and Bikram . Get to know how your body feels in a regular temperature class, she suggests. When in doubt, Try many different styles, many different instructors, Howe says. Youll know what works best for you. Theres something for everyone or a style or flavor for every day of the week. After all, theres even face yoga.
Love The Interface But
I have been doing multiple types of exercises like les mills, HIIT yoga for sometime now and explored this app as it had a giveaway open.Here are my thoughts it has a amazing interface, multiple options, educational about various poses but only drawback is it has everything parked and only exposed if you buy it. I have inly seen 1 yoga video, how can I judge that this app is best out there!
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Set Yoga Class Sequence
The 5 ways of yoga sequencing are intended to help you create a new sequence for every yoga class. Another option is to teach the same set sequence again and again in every single session.
In some yoga styles and traditions, such as Ashtanga Vinyasa or Bikram, the order of poses is set. It is the same order in every class no matter where in the world you practice this style of yoga.
The benefit of a set sequence is that the practice is a reflection of the practitioner. This is because the only thing that changes from one session to the next is the condition of the practitioner. The difference between two practices is not the sequence itself, but rather the person doing it. This gives them the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into their personal progress and development. This enables practitioners to better experience the self-transformation through yoga.
Another benefit of doing set sequences is that you know where youre heading. There are no surprises, no unforeseeable challenges and you can exactly determine your level of fitness.
However, one issue to be aware of when doing set sequences is the potential strain caused by doing repetitive actions. When you repeat the same monotonous movement again and again, the same muscles, joints and ligaments are used. This also prevents the body from learning and adapting to new stimuli.
Sequencing Toward A Peak Pose
One way to create a new sequence for your yoga classes is sequencing toward a peak pose. The peak pose is the most challenging pose in the class that requires thorough preparation so that the body is
1. strong and stable enough,
2. flexible and open enough, and
3. students have gained the knowledge and body awareness that is required to perform the peak pose.
To create a sequence that adequately prepares the body for the intended peak pose, there are three points to consider:
1. Which part of the body needs to be stabilized or strengthened?
2. What kind of flexibility or openness is required to do this pose?
3. What do your students need to know or understand? Or in other words: What are the most common misunderstandings or misalignments in this pose?
Examples for typical peak poses are Crow or even twisting arm balances, which you can practice with Mathieu Boldron on TINT. King Pigeon is another very popular peak pose that requires a well-rounded preparatory sequence. Matt Giordano created a 5-part workshop on TINT that prepares your body for this exact peak pose.
See how Mathieu Boldron builds a yoga sequence toward twisting arm balances.
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Staying Up To Speed With The Latest Yoga Poses And Guidelines
Even during your self-taught yoga routines, its good to keep your mind active and stay up to speed with the latest developments. Yoga is a wonderfully progressive journey, which means there are always new things to explore and learn. Working with an expert teacher can help you master those tricky new moves that youve been looking at to further develop your personal sequences.
VIVAYA offers live-streamed classes, personalized, one-on-one sessions for all abilities, including specialized workshops that can support your health, wellbeing, and more. Whether youre just starting your wellness journey or looking to take your practice to the next level, VIVAYA has an online safe and welcoming sanctuary of classes and community waiting for you.
You will receive carefully guided classes, covering all aspects of yoga and healing, at different abilities, allowing you to go at your own pace. All VIVAYA yoga & meditation instructors are experts in their depth of knowledge, compassion and patience, and intuitive dedication to working with you on your individual journey.
Try 14 days of FREE, unlimited yoga & wellness classes, and experience a new, welcoming online community.
How To Create Your Own Workout Plan: A Guide For Beginners
Lets be honest: trainers are expensive. The good ones are worth their weight in gold, creating awesome changes in a short period of time, but a dedicated trainer is still beyond most peoples budget.
That doesnt mean you shouldnt get the benefit of an intelligent, well-designed program. In this article, Im going to teach you how to create your own. Youll learn to think like a trainer and build an effective workout routine, one that gets you the results you want .
Below, youll find the five factors youll want to consider in building your plan, along with an example from the running world. Read on, and get some insight into what it takes to build your own program like a pro.
Jump to a section:
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Best For Computer Use: Yoga Class Plan
Yoga Class Plan is an intuitive drag-and-drop sequence builder with customizable poses and easily printable class plans. The free trial is available for 15 days and lets you explore the sequence builder to its full capacity. You can modify existing plans and create new routines very quickly. The tech support is also very helpful.
They also have a nice yoga directory with real human photos for teachers and students to reference online for free. Yoga Class Plan is primarily a computer-based platform and does not have a specific app for mobile devices.
Pros
- Higher price point
Kids Yogaverse: I Am Sun I Am Moon
Kids Yogaverse is an amazing series of apps for kids of different age groups. Its very colourful and attractive with hand painted backdrops and carefully crafted stories that introduce 19 different yoga poses.
There are some built in games as well, such as Find Ha, the Sun Warrior character from the main story, who hides among the artwork on the pages! Ha joins Tha, the moon princess, in a story which brings together the sun and moon salutations.
- Platform: iOS
- Price:£3.99
Youll enjoy this app if youre interested in partner yoga or acro-yoga. This app comes in two versions, beginner and advanced, with each forming a complete course.
The beginners version comes with three flows: First Steps, Front Flow, and Back Flow. The poses and sequences are illustrated with full HD video, resulting in a hefty 400MB application! Every move is also accompanied by a text description.
- Platform: iOS
- Price:£4.99
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Create Your Self Love Routine: 4 Steps
Your self-love ritual and care routine will be totally unique to you depending on your daily schedule. No matter what it looks like, learning how to practice self-love will be one of the best decisions you ever make.Grab a pen and paper and go through the following four steps to plan how to practice self-love. For each step, pick at least one self-love practice. By the end of the exercise, you should have at least 4 acts of self-love to get practicing every single day.
Dont Be Afraid To Create Your Own Adventure
Before you settle into a regular yoga routine, try out as many styles and formats first. This way, youll be able to find the best match for you.
If youre going to mainly perform your yoga routine at home, learn to listen to what your body needs on that particular day. Try to move and practice at your own pace and learn to develop intuition about the kinds of yoga poses you need to do the most on any day.
If youre feeling exhausted and fatigued, for example, try to do a restorative yoga sequence. If youre feeling full of energy, perform a more fast-paced sequence thatll channel that energy.
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Be Familiar With The Poses
Attending a class without prior research can be confusing as there are studios and instructors that use English or Hindi for the pose names.
Take time to review the most common poses and try to familiarise yourself with both their Hindi and English names. Study their basic forms as well.
For example, downward facing dog and childs pose are generally incorporated in every yoga class. Knowing these poses in advance can give you a good start in your lessons.
Ways To Create A Fitness Space
Creating a personal workout space can give you the motivation you need to work out. Fitness offers several benefits to your physical and mental wellbeing. Theres nothing quite like that mood-boosting feeling you get after completing a tough workout session. You can create your own fitness space with the space you have available. It doesnt need to cost thousands, and anyone can craft an at-home fitness space they love. Here are six ways to create a fitness space to kickstart your exercise routine and develop healthy habits for the whole year.
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Top 4 Yoga Sequence Builder Apps
These days theres an app for everything, but that doesnt mean theyre all functional and well-designed! The best yoga sequence building apps must be created specifically with us yoga teachers in mind. We sorted through the top yoga applications to find the best programs for Yoga Nomads.
When selecting a yoga sequence building app, here are a few questions you may want to ask as you peruse the available features:
- How many yoga poses are already in the program?
- Are cues included in the sequence builder?
- How much customization do you have?
- Can you add/delete props or flip poses to show different sides?
- Is there a library of pre-made sequences to build off of?
- Can you enter notes for yourself?
- What is the pricing of the app? Is it a subscription or flat fee?
- What platforms its available on
- How intuitive is the sequence builder?
