Living Intentionally

Attention:  

Being intentional requires paying attention. 

This means paying attention to intuition, emotions, prana/energy, and all of these aspects come from within.  Focusing on our external environment only keeps us living from a reactive perspective, always on the defense, and does not let us connect our true nature to life’s journey. Therefore, living intentionally has as its foundation to live authentically, to be able to tune in to our true self so as to understand where and how we align with the outside world, and therefore to better understand our direction in life. From a yogic perspective, we use the following tools to tune in:  Meditation, breath work and yoga asana. 

Meditation allows us to observe our thoughts without judgment and to reel in our wandering mind as an exercise. With a meditation practice we build focus, self-awareness, and compassion. We can understand ourselves better so that we steer away from stress and anxiety to becoming better listeners, less judgmental, and more open and kind individuals.  

Paying attention to breath allows us to recognize where we habitually hold tension and what that tension might be connected to. Focusing on the quality of our breath during yoga asana shows us what we are arriving with to our practice, both emotionally and physically. Perhaps then we can begin to understand how to let go of things that do not serve us. Paying attention to when we hold our breath helps us to break the habits that are connected to stress and anxiety.  

Yoga asana is designed to help us learn about ourselves as we learn how to tune in to the unique structure and alignment of our bodies, the action within the alignment of asana practice, and how our body opens up with specific postures, preparations, and transitions of movement between postures. We typically focus on the physical body and then learn over time, with practice, to tune into the energetic and then perhaps the subtle body, as we begin to understand ourselves better. 

When we pay attention to what goes on within, we are more perceptive to what goes on around us and can improve how we are able to evolve personally so that we play an effective and proactive role in helping our world community evolve as well.  In order to affect positive change in our world, we must pay attention to all the signs and messages, from deep within ourselves to the far reaches of the universe. There is joy in learning this interconnectedness. Paying attention is the key to learning. Be willing to look with the eyes of a beginner, every day you step onto your yoga mat, so that you might learn something new about yourself, and then take that lesson with you into your daily life!

What have you learned recently from your yoga practice? Share your experiences and share our blog to be eligible for this month’s giveaway.

9 Whole-You Practices to Come Back to Center

As life gets more and more harried, pulling us into seemingly millions of directions, the term “whole” has been tugging at the minds and hearts of many. While we are feeling fragmented with electronic and word bombardment, a myriad of processed and fast food choices, and a fast-pace of life in general…the idea of coming back to center by getting back to the basics sounds better and better. So, what are these practices that help us to find that balance in our lives, that help us carefully fit the pieces back into our whole?

1.       Pranayama, or breath work. There is something solid about focusing on one’s breath, on the inhale and the exhale. Breath work brings a tranquility and peace, and an awareness of our body and the living essence inside of it. It helps us release our minds from the millions of details we sometimes become attached to, and instead, focus on the greater whole inside us and around us.

2.       Aromatic use of essential oils interacts on a chemical level with the limbic center of our brains, and in a very real fashion, uplifts and fortifies emotions and paradigms.

3.       Topical use of pure and potent essential oils works with our cellular structure to help us center and come to balance, thereby supporting all the systems in the body.

4.       Healthy sleep helps us replenish, restore and rebuild on a physical and emotional level. 

5.       Proper hydration helps EVERYTHING in our bodies to function properly. 

6.       Regular aerobic exercise supports a healthy cardiovascular system.

7.       And of course, foods high in nutrition as well as high-quality supplements help give your cells the building blocks they need to thrive.

8.       Practicing daily meditation and gratitude help quiet the mind and put us in a space to balance giving and receiving.

9.  Yoga asana to have intentional postures/sequences that open body, mind and spirit to being receptive to change from a place of grounding. 

We’d love to hear more about YOUR whole-you practices. Please post on our Essential Yoga Practice Facebook, Instagram and Twitter page!

Breathing is the New Meditation: 4 Ways to Use Your Breath in Yoga

Yoga in the west is ever-growing with attention to embracing more than just asana practice, the third of the 8 limbs.  Wellness trends of 2018 show us that focusing on the breath is gaining great attention as both novice and seasoned yogis alike are learning and refining this rather powerful tool. In the practice of yoga we say that we need a one-pointed focus to be able to come to the present moment, and whether we use mantra, healing sound, aromatherapy, chanting, or breath, it is ultimately the focus on the breath that takes the crown as the greatest of all these tools.  Breath allows us to access awareness (blogposts on awareness and attention will be topics in February, stay tuned) and is considered the foremost tool because we can always tune in to the breath, it is always with us.  We can focus on the breath in every aspect of our yoga practice.  Here are some examples:

1.  Use focusing on breath as the foundation of a meditation practice – in yoga we say that “the breath is the home-base of the wandering mind.”

2.  Focus on the breath in asana practice, to deepen the experience of the pose we focus on the breath to see where does that take take our awareness, where are we holding unnecessary tension, where is our body opening, what comes up for us to learn when our breath allows us to be more present.

3. The art of breathing is the foundation of a pranayama practice:  There are hundreds of pranayamas, breathing exercises, to be learned in yoga.  They allow us to strengthen our cardiorespiratory system, build lung capacity, affect bold pressure, heart rate, make the respiratory system more resilient, and most importantly cultivate a refined connection of mind and body. For more on pranayama, see Essential Yoga Practice:  Your Guide to the New Yoga Practice With Essential Oils

4.  Apply the habit of finding refuge in breath awareness throughout the day – this is how we take our yoga practice “off the mat,” and into our daily life. Our breath mirrors our state of mind, so to steady your breath will allow you to steady your mind. This comes in handy when the mind is stressed or overwhelmed. To be able to do this is a refinement of a true yogi, aiming for the goal of being able to stay present while life revolves around you, so that you get to appreciate and learn from what is happening and thus to have an opportunity to evolve based on how you learn to control your reaction to life unfolding. Working from a breath-centered practice can help to dissolve the habits that become our obstacles to learning new habits that serve us better.  Holding back from habitual reaction by taking time to take a deep breath, allows the body to soften, creating clear pathways in the subtle energy channels of the body. Then the life force can flow freely, unobstructed, and decisions may come with clarity, from an unhurried reaction. The results may be more positive, though intangible, yet at times rather noticeable. Feeling more sure, acting from a positive outlook radiates a healthy mind and body connection, and the prana, life force comes from one’s true nature.

So how does focusing on the breath really work? Conscious breathing activates the diaphragm and stimulates the vagus nerve, effectively shifting the body from sympathetic, anxiety filled overdrive to the parasympathetic relaxed stage. Using specific breathing exercises, one can affect personal chemistry and well-being, and even take a shortcut to meditative states.  When we learn to control our breath, we can ease anxiety by turning our attention inward and access our intuition and true nature. 

Aromatherapy allows is to enhance using breath as a tool in the following ways: Essential oils like eucalyptus, ravinsara, cardamom, laurel, fir, myrrh, will open the respiratory tract and allow us deeper breathing. Essential oils like peppermint will support wake up the mind as well as support the opening of  respiratory channels.  As you focus on breath you can use aromatherapy to calm and soothe,  energize,  or assist in a myriad of ways to help you address challenges you might be experiencing. For example, if honest communication may be difficult, use lavender together with pranayama to bring light and awareness to your communication patterns. If you are feeling rushed or have anxious feelings, use a citrus oil such as wild orange to help you ease the pressure you are placing on yourself. Breath paired with intentional aromatherapy is a powerful tool.

A Simple Breathing Exercise:

Sit in a comfortable position in a quiet, uninterrupted place.  Apply a drop of essential oil from the above mentioned suggestions, to your hands, and bring your hands into Lotus mudra, at your heart.  Using this “personal diffuser,” take a deep breath. (If you want access to pure essential oils, please reach out to us). Notice the depth of your breath, the tension that you hold, the places your breath “goes.” Notice how your body begins to quiet from just one deep breath and how in turn, your mind begins to quiet. Continue with slow deep breathing for several minutes. Every time your mind begins to wander, come back to your breath. This is a practice of using the focus on your breath to help deter the habit of your mind from always racing. With practice, you will find less tendency of the racing mind in your daily life. And, when the overwhelming aspect of the mind’s scattered habit reappears, simple return to this simple breathing exercise. “Breathing is the new meditation” because it is accessible and effective!  We would love to hear about your experiences with breath work and aromatherapy. What essential oils work for you? What is your favorite pranayama?

Comment and/or share to be eligible for this month’s giveaway, a bottle of Grapefruit essential oil.   

Essential Yoga Sangha

As most people look forward to and start a new year, self-care comes foremost to mind. Weight loss, healthy eating, exercise, and living with a focus more centered in gratitude, service and joy are some of the topics freq, uently visited. Why do we tend to reflect on these things? Because these activities clear us, help us connect better to the people and activities most important to us, and help us raise our personal vibration.

Raising vibration, awareness and learning to be present (our only true moment of power) are results that both focusing onyoga and essential oils can bring. We invite you to join us for our  2-week Yoga Sangha, March 12, 2018…gift yourself this experience for self nurturing. In this Sangha course, you’ll deepen your knowledge about essential oils and how they can benefit your yoga practice and daily life, you’ll learn to identify your Ayurvedic constitution and apply the information for a higher level of self-care, you’ll review chakra balancing, you will learn how to live and practice yoga in a toxin-free environment, and more.

Yoga Alliance registered teachers can opt to receive 10 CE credits upon completion of thisSangha course, and will receive additional training on incorporating essential oils into their yoga studio and classes. Best of all, all Sangha participants have direct access to Mona and Asti and can get questions answered in a fun, supportive environment. 

We hope you put this experience on your bucket list for this year!

Essential Yoga Practice for Healing and Transformations

Yoga Asana , the sequence of yoga poses that you practice are tools to use to undo the stresses of life that are held in the body.  Many mind body practices agree that the body is a reflection of the state of the mind and of emotions.  When we begin a yoga sequence, it is very useful to use aromatherapy to bring the mind to a present state.  The aromatherapy could be chosen to compliment the theme of the practice,  to deepen the breath by relaxing the respiratory passages, to counter negative emotions or invoke positive emotions, to help the ease stress or simply to clear the air of airborne pathogens.  But once the mind has a “one-pointed” focus, then both the mind and body will quiet. 

Next comes the attention to the breath, which in turn allows the mind to relax, to allow the student’s own Divinity to connect to what is at the surface.  Starting with light asanas or preparations that begin to warm the muscles, tissues, joints and glands is typically a methodical way to allow a centering effect.   We use asana to strengthen the body as each asana is profound in its ability to unfold the constrictions that we place on the mind, and then the mind imposes restrictive habits on the breath and body. So we use asana practice to invite an opening of the body which is healing, and that becomes a habit as it replaces the habits of constriction.  So then, we do asana to unfold the beauty of the mind, the heart, the joy, the self.  We turn our reflection then inward, as we end with restorative asanas, to see where the breath needs to be, so that it does not come from the surface, or from stress or negative emotions.  A natural, organic unfolding begins and we cannot help but want to practice more. 

Want to learn more?  Get your copy of Essential Yoga Practice:  Your Guide to the New Yoga Experience Using Essential Oils, buy the DVD of 6 essential sequences and a lecture on the use of essential oils, and join us in our online course, Essential Yoga Sangha, where we will interact and build dialogue around this movement.

Our Essential Yoga Practice

We started Essential Yoga Practice 4 years ago, and published our book and DVD two years ago, because both yoga and aromatherapy have had a great, positive impact on our lives, on our wellness, and we wanted these practices to help you too!  We wanted to start a movement across the yoga community of the west that it is not just ok, but very traditional to use aromatherapy in yoga because yoga’s sister science, Ayurveda, gives us direction on how and why to do so.  Wellness is a key word and “the” word for 2018! As a western society we have come so far in learning about integrative mind-body practices, yet we have so far to go. There is a great, growing gap between those who have access to fresh food and herbs, education, clean water, and health care.  Mind-body practices like yoga, are ever growing and accessing pure, organic food and plants for self care, and health care is ever so important too.  We grew Essential Yoga Practice to include an online course called Essential Yoga Sangha (tribe/community), to educate you and to continue to grow together, understanding the many limbs and facets of the 5,000 practice of yoga, Ayurveda and incorporating aromatherapy and essential oils. This course is meant to help yogis and essential oil enthusiasts to deepen their wellness practices, yet yoga teachers will get 10 hours of continuing education credit. Join us by opting in to receive our weekly blog and then, share and comment, help us build a dialogue, and be entered into our monthly giveaways. Join us by introducing our book  and DVD to your favorite yogi or yoga teacher.   Join us in Essential Yoga Sangha, a fun interactive way to learn more and grow our wellness practices. Let’s evolve as yogis and help transform ourselves and our world to a more healthy and happy 2018!

Our giveaway this month, Grapefruit essential oil,  an aroma that helps us to feel grounded as well as ready… to take on the world, to enjoy life!

A Year in Review

Thank you to everyone who has supported us this year! It's been a great one and we can't wait to see what 2018 has in store. Here is a video of what this year has meant to us. Enjoy!

We are helping you to gift your favorite yogi (that might be you)!

Gifts for our Essential Yoga Practice community!  Reflecting on this year we are certainly grateful for our growing community of followers who share our passion for yoga and aromatherapy and our quest to learn more about yogic and Ayurvedic traditions for deepening our understanding and our practices.

The forward steps of this year have included a two-week online course which helps our audience delve deeper with us, and a tear sheet pad (carried by Aromatools.com and oillife.com, meant for people looking to build an essential oil business in the company of yogis).  This course was written for all yogis and essential oil enthusiasts, and is approved by Yoga Alliance for 10 hours of continuing education credit for yoga teachers.  As you look ahead into your 2018 journey, consider joining us for the next “Essential Yoga Sangha,” which begins January 15.  The prerequisite for this course is to have a copy of our book .  Purchase a hard copy  or the Kindle version here and receive the Centering Sequence, a sequence on practicing various Sun Salutations, and a Chair Yoga Sequence too!  Purchase the Essential Yoga Sangha course and receive a copy of the DVD that goes along with our book ($11.99 value)!  Simply forward your purchase confirmation/email receipt to us at essentialyogapractice@gmail.com, with your address, so we can send these gifts to YOU!

In addition, share or tag (or retweet) to be entered into this months giveaway, a bottle of Wild Orange essential oil, the oil of generosity. Namaste friends and Happy Holidays! 

Give Yourself the Gift of Generosity

Would you think it ironic to read the phrase, “Give yourself the gift of generosity this year?” Give yourself the gift of generosity? It seems to be common knowledge for most that generosity makes us feel good…but it goes much further than that.

Studies are actually finding that generosity gives us benefits so great that it may be one of the major keys to living a happy and healthy life. On a physical level, generous living enhances our physical health, lowers blood pressure, fights depression, reduces stress and even enhances our lifespan! On an emotional (& mental health) level, it helps us connect to our purpose, helps us feel better about ourselves, boosts our confidence and combats tendencies towards self-hatred and/or self-sabotage. Socially it provides a sense of connection and well-being, it enhances relationships, allows us to love those we serve even more than before, encourages us to see the best in others and allows us to bask in a sense of community.  

What’s encouraging is that we don’t have to go into generosity “hyperdrive” in order to experience these benefits. We can do simple acts, such as smiling at someone, making someone cookies, giving up our seat, visit someone who is lonely, or do any other number of small actions. As long as our brain and heart are active in planning and carrying out generous acts, we benefit….and it’s the ultimate gift because it causes a ripple effect.

People are more likely to serve others once they’ve experienced some type of generosity, their feelings of love increase for the person who serves them, and literally helps us “spread sunshine” everywhere we go.

We love partner yoga as a representation of how powerful generosity is. With partner poses, we learn that giving by committing more deeply to the pose actually creates greater stability for us and the person we are partnering with. It is a great reminder that when we are more isolated, working on our own poses we must be much more tuned inward to focus on balance and technique. And certainly individual practice is beautiful, relaxing and benefits personal meditation practices. But partner yoga enhances connection, fun, and stability as we allow ourselves to learn the fine art of giving and receiving.

We’d love to hear how your practice of partner yoga has taught you lessons about generosity you are able to carry into other areas of your life.

Generosity Sequence

As we enter our second week in our generosity series. We wanted to share a practice sequence with you! We hope this sequence helps to enhance your practice and to be more generous this month. Enjoy

3 Ways to be More Generous

In this month of December, we at Essential Yoga Practice are offering our readers The Generosity Series, and hope that you might join us in a dialogue on how to give of ourselves along the way of refining the yogic practices of becoming more present in our aim to enjoy life.   This time of year when we are seeking meaningful and memorable ways to experience the holidays, sharing is especially important when we perceive a limitation. There are many ways to share of ourselves, and perhaps the outcome will be the potential within each of us to inspire others to be generous too. What and how can we give?

1.    The one thing that we all value is having “time.” To be present to each part of your day allows you to give yourself to the experience, to understand and appreciate the people, the situations and opportunities in front of you, and to participate in the how and why you are present.   Consider being more generous with your time by being generous with yourself.  Try not to rush so that you can have clarity for the course of your day and make sure you have some down time for yourself too – meditation and yoga are ideal daily practices.   Consider sharing your time by how you spend time with others, enjoying their company while lending a hand or sharing a mutual endeavor.  Call someone you have missed for a while just to chat, find ways to volunteer, …the sky is the limit!

2.    Pare down and contemplate the quality of your generosity.  Give without expectation or attachment of the outcome – give from your heart and with full intention of leaving a positive imprint for the recipient.  The ripple effect is the greater value and only time will tell of the continued generous effects that come from “paying it forward.”

3.    Be willing to share your gifts.  We are each blessed in so many unique ways.  It is flattering when people seek you out for your expertise, your advice and your opinions based on your gifts and life experiences.  Be willing to share, to help someone grow, and perhaps you might learn along the way as the effect contributes to an improved community.  You will be seen as a leader, not just as a compassionate and generous person.  You will allow others to build on your efforts with their inherent gifts. Let’s see what happens when we combine our intellectual currency.

Let’s give of ourselves and open our hearts to all the ways we can be more generous.  How you are willing to give is a reflection of who you are. Be kind and generous with yourself and then you will be able to tap in to your inner light, which will shine the way to your ability to give.

The essential oil that encapsulates abundance is Wild Orange.  Use that in your yoga and meditation practices this month, and share your observations. One winner will receive a bottle of Wild Orange!

Gratitude Series Yoga Practice

We used a blend called Joy:  4 drops Bergamot, 3 drops Wild Orange, 2 drops Geranium and 2 drops White Fir in a 10 ml roller bottle with Fractionated Coconut Oil as the carrier. Use on pulse points, behind the ears, between the palms and inhale deeply.  The affirmation: " I am grateful.  I allow joy to fill my entire being.” Enjoy this practice of a Classical Sun Salutation, followed by Warrior I, Revolved Side angle Pose, Warrior II, Triangle, Side Angle Pose, Powerful Pose, Volcano Pose, Mountain Pose, and Happy/Easy Pose with a Twist. Enjoy your practice!  

There are still two more days to be eligible for this month’s giveaway, a bottle of Peppermint and a bottle of our Joy blend.  What essential oil(s) have you been using in your practice?  Like, comment and share to be eligible to win!

9 Reasons We’re Grateful for Essential Oils and Yoga

1.  Essential oils (EO) and yoga have been used for centuries. Yoga is the oldest form of “exercise” on this earth, about 5,000 years old. Essential oils have existed as long as there have been plants on this earth. Having access to what is “tried and true” provides a great foundation to grow our wellness practices. 

2. They support the body's healthy functions. Essential oils are the perfect wellness supplement since they are created in nature. Unlike nutritional supplements, essential oils work on a chemical level, which gives them the ability to support cellular structure and function, the very building blocks of our beings. There are so many oil choices and ways to use essential oils, that this type of wellness support can be completely personalized. Practicing all the eight limbs of yoga provides a means to build resilience in body, mind and spirit, and can also be tailored to the needs of the student. In addition, the sister science of yoga, the medicinal practice, is Ayurveda and is equally 5,000 years old.

3.  Both EOs and yoga focus on the “individual” as we are all such unique beings. Individuals who are new to the concept of incorporating essential oils into daily living are often surprised at the vast number of choices available for supporting specific wellness goals. This is because most essential oils have at least several constituents, and some essential oils have hundreds of compounds. The variety of choices allows us to experiment and explore, not only with which essential oils we best respond to, but we can also tweak how much, how often, and the method of application.  We also learn if we personally benefit more from using the oils topically, aromatically or internally—or a combination of the three. In yoga practice, we can tailor how to use all 8 limbs to include asana (poses), pranayama (breathwork), meditation, spiritual study, our yogic quest to understand the self as we learn how to serve our dharma, the purpose of our life.  In starting a new practice, it is wise to find a well-experienced yoga teacher, schooled not just in yoga but in yoga therapy. It is likewise ideal to work with someone experienced in using EOs when targeting specific wellness goals.

 4.  Both teach us to honor the body as a temple. We have one life to live in this vehicle that is our body.  It was given to us by God and it is our responsibility to take care of it.  In doing so we have freedom to live the purpose of our life, to honor God.

5.  Both are tools. Both explain that although God gave us everything we need on this earth and in our bodies to nurture ourselves, EOs and Yoga are tools to enhance the body’s capacity to support healthy functions.

6.  Both can affect emotional well-being. Aromatherapy is a science on its own, using the olfactory system to connect with the body’s limbic system so as to pull us out of emotional potholes.  Yoga uses restorative poses to calm the central nervous system, and standing poses and inversions to energize and empower us, pulling us away from negativity and helping us feel the potential of our own strength in many ways.

7.  Both are a “practice.” We practice to understand ourselves and our world better, to see where our efforts can be helpful and useful.  We practice to learn much more than how to be strong and healthy physically, emotionally and spiritually.  We practice to learn to be better human beings everyday, to affect positive change and to make our world a better place. And, as with the idea of what the word practice means, we must work at using these tools consistently, so that we refine what we are able to do and evolve along the way.   

8.  The exponential value of using the two together!

9.  That we get to share our passion for both, yoga and essential oils, with YOU!

Reverse Engineering Your Gratitude

As we enter this season of heightened gratitude, try on new lenses to actively appreciate all the blessings in your life. Most of us routinely overlook all the effort and collaboration that goes into the wonderful blessings we enjoy. So we invite you to try a practice that is new to most by reverse-engineering your gratitude. 

What does reverse - engineering gratitude look like? Let's use an example to illustrate this principle: say you have gone to lunch with a friend, and you are enjoying a delectable salmon salad and scrumptious roll. What had to happen for that meal and experience to take place? First of all, a whole crew most likely had to sail in treacherous waters, leaving behind family for several days at a time to participate in commercial fishing. Then someone had to process and pack the fish,  someone had to transport it, someone arrange for purchase, and finally someone had to prepare it, and serve it. Wow! And we can be grateful for the effort that goes into each step. In most scenarios, we can easily identify 10-20 or more individual components that we can reverse engineer. 

When it comes to yoga poses, we can notice the intricacies and synchronicity of the myriad of actions within each pose, and the overall comprehensive cultivation of strength, stretch, balance and dedication required to perform it.  In tree pose, Vrksasana, we must use our eyes for a focal point, to help the brain in how our nervous system is designed to help us balance, we need the foundation of our body, our legs and pelvis for stabilization, we need the mobility of our spine for the constant readjusting to anything that affects where we are are in space, and the way our nerves work for quick reaction time to help maintain us upright against gravity.  We can take this a step further and think about the oxygen we breathe to help all the cells involved in this kinetic chain and the heart that beats to send it around the body, and so on. We can consider a hand mudra like anjali (prayer position), for the energy it taps into and invokes.  

If you have children, this is a fun "game" to introduce that helps create heightened awareness and gratitude. 

While you are walking yourself through this exercise, diffuse frankincense and peppermint to help heighten your cognitive processes and focus. 

We'd love to hear about some of the results of your reverse - engineering processes, so we are going to do a few giveaways… We appreciate you all, and we love hearing your responses, as your voices join ours in this movement to share yoga and aromatherapy!   In every month, we enter the name of each person who is commenting and sharing and tagging friends from our social media posts, into our monthly giveaway.  During this gratitude series, we look forward to giving away a roller bottle duo:  1. Peppermint to help you “come present” and enjoy the many blessings of the season, and 2.  a blend we called “Joy," a combination of Wild Orange, Bergamot, White Fir and Geranium.  We are eager to hear from you! Namaste EYP friends!

What You Appreciate, Appreciates!

This second week in our gratitude series is an encouragement to your mindfulness practice of recognizing the many people, opportunities, and things in your day that you are fortunate to have in your life: from people who bless your day, to shelter and clothing, to the many gifts of the earth like sunshine, rain, fresh air and plants.  Then, use your words…to create a mantra for your yoga practice that refines your mindful practice of gratitude, to begin your faith practices with words of gratitude, to thank people around you, and to write down the gratitude on your heart. Journaling is a healing process.  Words on sticky notes, on your mirror, on your water bottle, on your lunchbox, or at the front of your yoga mat, bring your attention to realizing the positivity in your life that comes from gratitude. Focusing on gratitude keeps us connected and ready to be human together, a great sadhana (Sanskrit for daily practice)!  

Our challenge to you:  Start your yoga practice with this ideal and notice that you are inclined to practice poses that open the heart, chest and shoulders:  Cow face pose, Camel, Warrior I, Locust, and the many more backbends whether subtle or deep.  Use citrus and flower essential oils to invoke happiness and lift your heart. Share with us what you will write to remind and inspire your practices of gratitude. Enjoy this sadhana! 

Week One: Essential Yoga Practice Gratitude Series: Heart Meditation

Our First EYP Gratitude Series:  As we enter the month of November, as the fall and winter holidays are fore-front on our minds, we at Essential Yoga Practice cannot help but begin with our first “Gratitude Series.” In this month of Thanksgiving, we want to focus on the mother of all virtues, ‘Gratitude.”  This is the foundation of any practice. It is an interesting thing to note that anytime we begin a journey, at some time we return to recognizing how all of our forward steps are because of someone or something that supported us, and our heart center, our heart chakra swells with deep appreciation.  In this month, we encourage you to start or continue with a meditation practice as part of your “Dinacharya,” your morning routine, focusing on “Gratitude.”  Meditate on the heart center to get in touch with the concept that gratitude lives there.  Then shift to an asana practice to become more aware of the shoulders, chest, and heart.  While in each asana, build time by concentrating on the breath and heart center, to go deeper, to note what arises deep within the heart. 

There are different seeds of gratitude in your heart, with you since the time of your conception, and they are compassion, love, and kindness.  Practice some of these heart and shoulder opening asanas to allow these seeds to come to fruition in your life:  Warrior I, Locust, Bow, Wheel, Cow Face Pose, Eagle, Camel, Shoulder stand, and pranayamas like Ujaai, and Viloma I.  Stay with your heart, knowing that gratitude is there, and the seeds will sprout to all areas of your life:  Family, friends, work, community… Rest your focus on this during your meditation practices this month, and your understanding of how you are supported will deepen. 

What is the fragrance of gratitude?

Essential oils that support the focus on gratitude include:

•   Equal parts Wild Orange & Frankincense

•   Douglas Fir

•   Helichrysum

•   Rose

Try this meditation:

Rest your mind on the field of gratitude.  It comes from deep in the heart. You don’t have to do anything, just sit with this thought and feel what happens when your mantra, your one-pointed focus is “gratitude.”  Stay with this as long as you like, bring your hands to your heart in anjali mudra, (hands in prayer) and bow your head to the Divine within you, around you and through you.  Do this practice regularly to grow those seeds of gratitude and you will enjoy not only feeling supported but recognizing that is a sweet responsibility to support others. 

On this year anniversary, what are we thankful for? 

     -   Divine Grace

-       The gifts of Yoga, a 5,000 + year old practice of wellness

-       Aromatherapy from around our world, gifts of the Earth

-       Our families who supported us while we worked on this creation of Essential Yoga Practice book, DVD, tear-sheet class teaching guide, Essential Yoga Sangha online course, website and SM platforms.  We’ve come a long way!!

-       The many people who came into our lives to help create it all, and

-       YOU, our audience! We can’t wait to get to know you more! Now we want to hear from you, what are you thankful for? 

The Seventh Chakra - Sahasrara

The Crown Chakra, also known as the Sahasrara Chakra, is the 7th Chakra and is aptly named since it represents our connection to our Higher Power. It has to do with inspiration, connection to the divine, receiving insight and information, and our overall integration with God and/or universal consciousness. When our Crown Chakra is in balance, we are able to be 100% present, we have discernment – meaning that we are able to see truth as it really is, we are unified not only with ourselves but with our Higher Power…we are satisfied that we are on track to fulfill our divine purpose as we live here on earth.

White is the color associated with the Crown Chakra, spirit is the element, and it is connected to the Central Nervous System. The yoga identity associated with the Crown Chakra is Universal Identity, and Vrksasana (Tree Pose) and Padmasana (Lotus) are yoga asanas that can be helpful to balance the Crown Chakra. Frankincense and Lavender are essential oils supportive to a healthy Crown Chakra.

Excess energy in this chakra can manifest itself as consistent frustration, feelings of depression, migraine headaches, wild mood swings/personality traits, manic/depressive features or psychotic-type mental illness. Deficient energy may manifest as loss of self, lack of inspiration, feeling overwhelmed or helpless, feeling like a victim, not connected to meaning or significance in life, and no aspirations. Yoga asana, meditating on honoring the body as the temple of the radiant soul, and essential oils are a few ways to help us return to balance for a healthy Crown Chakra balance and divine connection. 

As we finish our focus on Chakras, let’s also talk about some general ways you can maintain healthy and balanced chakras so you feel better and resonate with positivity:

·         Pray

·         Meditate

·         Use pure aromatherapy

·         Participate in regular yoga practice

·         Spend time in nature

·         Breathe

·         Journal

·         Use affirmations

·         Nourish yourself in body, mind and spirit on a regular basis

·         Make a joy list and consistently do activities on it

·         Eat organic produce, recognizing that you can strengthen/balance a chakra by eating colored foods representative of the chakras (processed, junk and fast foods tend to clog chakras, and make them sluggish and deficient)

·         Get enough sleep

·         Pay attention to your dosha type, and participate in recommended self care

·         Drink enough water

·         Exercise

·         Manage your emotions

·         Forgive

·         Get fresh air and sunshine

·         Reduce your toxic load

·         Listen to positive music, specifically classic music

·         Use stones, gemstones and/or crystals (see pages 30-31 Essential Yoga Practice)

·         Live intentionally; you can create the life you want to live!

For more information on chakras, self-care and inviting the synergistic benefits of combining yoga with essential oils, join us for our Essential Yoga Sangha in November. Yoga Alliance members can receive 10 CE credits by participating. For more information, click here.

The Sixth Chakra - Ajna

Chakras are subtle energy centers along the spinal column, which govern areas of human anatomy and embody themes of human development from primitive urges to faithful spritual growth. They are symbolic of Divine forces manifested in mantras, geometric patterns, and crystal energies. Through various yogic practices, one is able to explore inner awareness and cultivate connection to these centers of concentraton, thus tapping into personal growth toward the goal of yoga, Samahdi.  Though all chakras play a dynamic role in cultivating the use of meditation, the 6th or Third Eye Chakra deepens our focus on this part of our yoga practice.  Known as the Ajña Chakra, this mind center holds the energy of consciousness.

A balanced 6th chakra presents as one with common sense, quick to learn, good memory, spiritual grounding, follows intuition, and uses intelligence. Imbalance in the Ajna chakra presents as one who is not sympathetic, over-thinks, lacks common sense, has sleep/nightmare issues, is forgetful, does not follow intuition, and is judgmental.

Yoga asana to support delving in the 6th chakra include:  Dolphin pose, Peacock pose, Warrior I, Warrior III, Eagle pose, Crow, Crane, Child’s Pose, and sitting in Happy or Easy pose for meditation. 

Pranayama that corresponds to the 6th chakra is Nadi shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing, which creates balance between the right and left hemisphere of the brain, an enhanced sensitivity to the breath and uses the inner focus to the eyebrow center necessary for meditation.

Essential oils that support the third eye chakra are those that carry the highest energetic frequency and are considered sacred oils. They are often used for meditation as they are both grounding and uplifting. Included are: Sandalwood, Frankincense, Rose, Jasmine, Clary Sage, Cypress, Patchouli, Palmrosa, Peppermint, Myrrh, Vetiver and Immortelle (Helichrysum italicum).  Complimentary oils to blend with them include:  Lemon, Basil Rosemary, Marjoram, Juniper, and/or Neroli. 

Want to learn more? Sign up for our Essential Yoga Practice Sangha, our 2 week online course designed to delve deeper into the practices of using yoga and aromatherapy.  Yoga Alliance teachers will receive 10 CEC hours. Next course is November 6 – 18, 2017.  Sign up here

The Fifth Chakra - Vishuddha

The fifth chakra, the throat or Vishuddha chakra, is associated with the color blue and clear communication. The throat and ear (hearing) are part of this chakra. This energy center is the conduit connecting our intuitive or spiritual-focus chakras (the 6th and 7th chakras) with the chakras rooted in our physical body. When it is open and balanced, we are able to communicate freely, we feel centered and content, and we’re able to be honest with ourselves and others.

An excess imbalance of the throat chakra could look like arrogance, dishonesty, manipulation and/or self-righteousness. Deficient energy could look like fear of speaking your truth, feeling timid, being inconsistent or unreliable, having difficulty communicating your needs to others.

Ether, the yoga identity associated with the Throat Chakra, is also referred to as space, and is the essence of “emptiness.” Being still and silent through meditation is especially advantageous in helping us purify and strengthen our throat chakra, the connection between heart and mind. Try utilizing “Mouna Meditation”, wherein you choose a time of day when you can keep silent and abstain from intellectual focus (ie reading, TV, music, etc.) in order to increase external and internal silence.

Newcomers to meditation might notice a number of random concerns break through consciousness, such as a phone call that needs to be made…allow these thoughts to dissipate without becoming distracted or involved, and as this silent practice quiets your mind and soothes anxious feelings, you’ll be better equipped to allow these benefits into your daily living practices, such as thinking before you speak and saying only that which is necessary and true.

Yoga asanas to open the Throat chakra are also heart and shoulder openers. Examples are Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I), Purvottanasana(Long Bridge), Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Supported short bridge),  Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand), Dhanurasana (Wheel), and Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose).  Pranayamas that supports the Throat Chakra are Ujaai, and Bhramari.

One of the best essential oils to use to support clear communication and the throat chakra, is lavender. It is interesting that this essential oil which is so well known throughout the world, is one that can evoke a sentiment of love or extreme distaste in those who try it. It is an oil that encourages us to speak our truth, and therefore can feel uncomfortable to those with an imbalance in this chakra. If you find yourself having an aversion to lavender, ask yourself what emotions you have that need to be expressed, what your truth is, and how you are voicing it honestly to yourself and those around you.

The Fourth Chakra- Anahata

The Anahata chakra, the heart center, is the 4th of 7 chakras, and is considered the core of our being. It is the seat of our intuition and our emotional health. A balanced heart chakra affects our ability to give and receive love in a healthy way, to be content, joyful and compassionate.  We are also better able to cope with sadness, grief, depression, lonliness, and loss.

In the past weeks we have been studying the lower “earthly” chakras and now we journey to the balance point between the physical realm, our earthly desires, and the subtle realm, our spiritual journey. Once we connect with and awaken the energies of the first three chakras, we can use our intuitive persuits to benefit the understanding of Self. We can emerge from our stable base toward a greater acceptance of the larger sense of who we are in relation to others and to the universe. We become more accepting of others and of circumstances, and we see God in all. Recognizing our Divine nature brings us closer to understanding our life’s purpose and acknowledging the Divine in others helps us appreciate their gifts and the importance of community. Incorporating scriptural study is one of the pillars of the Yoga Sutras, and encouraged as part of daily practice toward each person’s unique spiritual journey. Through the heart chakra, love is our motivation in our relationships with others, nature, and with ourselves.

The heart chakra is physically associated with the heart, lungs, arms, hands, the sense of touch, the thymus gland, and the immune system. Many mudras support the heart center, to include Anjali (hands in prayer), Chin,  Gayan, and Prana Mudra.  Supportive asanas include chest and shoulder openers like Gomukhasana (Cow Face pose), Garudasana (Eagle), Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I), Dandasana (Staff), Purvottanasana (Long Bridge), Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand), and Viloma I Pranayama.  The alignment of arms in these poses helps to create an open, stable connection between the heart and the head, neck, and shoulders and the lower rooting chakras.  The air element is related to this core chakra, thus the use of aromatherapy is quite effective. Essential oils that support the heart center are:  melissa, rosemary, marjoram, sandalwood, jasmine, rose, neroli, chamomile, lavender and geranium.      

Anahata in Sanskrit means “unstruck.” Many yogis believe that the constant rhythmic beat or vibration of the heart correlates to the heart beat of all creation. As we move through a more heart-centered time for humankind, many of us are turning our reflection inward, connecting with our heart-centered intuition for guidance, and experiencing a deeper understand of Self through this 4th chakra. The importance of communication coming from the heart chakra is a valuable tool to find unquestioning love for yourself, others, and the Divine. 

To learn more see the chakra chart on pp. 30-31, in your copy of Essential Yoga Practice: Your Guide to the New Yoga Experience with Essential Oils.    Join us for a two week online course, starting November 6, 2017, “Essential Yoga Practice Sangha”, to deepen your yoga and aromatherapy practices,  Click Here.  Though this course is for both new and experienced yogis, yoga teachers will receive 10 hours of Yoga Alliance continuing education credit!