c Blog - Page 3 of 3 - Yoga With Elizabeth

With life so externally focused on fast-paced survival do you really take the time to truly rest, nourish and recharge yourself?

Often our idea of “down time” is slouching on the sofa, scrolling through Instagram or Facebook and watching TV.

What if you took time to really rest and recharge yourself without external influences?

If we take the time to really nourish ourselves then we are in a better place to deal with what life chucks our way!

By using guided relaxation techniques and dedicated breath-work we directly stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system (also known as “rest and digest”. Therefore decreasing our blood pressure and heart-rate and letting the digestive system do its job. All from laying on the floor in a yoga class!

What a simple concept!

Here are some of my recent workshop attendees @thelondonwellnessstudio taking the opportunity to really rest and restore their bodies and minds with some simple breath-work.

Chair Yoga at your desk

11th July 2018

Stuck in the office all day? Or work from home?

Feeling stiff and achy?

Chair yoga has your back! Seated cat + cow. A simple exercise to combat the strains and tension of sitting at a desk or staring at your phone for too long (guilty!!)
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Seated towards the edge of your chair, feet flat on the ground. Bring your arms out in front of you palms flexed towards you. As you inhale draw the hands towards your shoulders take the gaze up and feel the middle of your back gentle arching, letting the abdomen be soft.
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As you exhale push your hands in front and away from you, tuck the chin towards the chest, squeeze in your tummy and push your back towards the back of the chair.
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Repeat
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Practice slowly and safely, listen to your body and take responsibility for your own movement. Have fun 🙂 ????

Elizabeth teaches chair based office yoga at locations in the UK. For further information or to book Elizabeth for a session please get in touch via the contact page.

What is “Hatha yoga”?

20th February 2018

| H a t h a Y o g a |

Hatha refers to the balance of sun and moon, activity & rest, masculine & feminine, yin yang.

This balancing act neutralises the extremes of rajas guna (movement) and tamas guna (lack of movement) allowing us to enter into the state of sattva guna (balance/mode of goodness) “this state of balance serves as a doorway to our true being, which is beyond the gunas.” ~ integrative yoga therapy.

It is said in the hatha yoga pradipika in the commentary by swami Muktibodhananda (2012) “hatha yoga is to be practised for the sole purpose of preparing oneself for the highest state of raja yoga, i.e. samadhi”.

The word samadhi can be roughly translated to enlightenment, or one who has transcended the gunas/ modes of nature.

So next time you are in your silky yoga pants, remember that yoga is SO much more than just a physical exercise.

If you have any questions please do ask me at a class or comment below 🙂 (this is just a snippet of info into hatha yoga and the gunas.)

Come and increase your sattva guna at yoga classes in Warwickshire:

Weekly yoga classes in Warwick:

Wednesday hatha flow- 1:30-2:30pm

Friday Lunchtime yoga 12:30-13:30pm

The Studio, 21 Old square Warwick, Warwickshire, CV34 4RU

Cacao date snack bites

6th February 2018

I made these little snacks for a retreat recently and they were a big hit! Only a few ingredients, really easy to make, no added or refined sugars and totally delicious!  

Want to know how to make these delicious treats?

Take around 10 soft dates. Rinse them and then place in a bowl.

Take out the stones and break the dates in half. Cover with hot water (enough to just cover them).

Measure 1 cup of oats and place in a DRY blender or grinder with 1 heaped tablespoon of cacao powder. (The blender must be completely dry!)

After blending the oats and cacao it should look like flour / powder:

Place this in a bowl. Now put the dates with the water they are soaked in, into the blender. Pulse until a thick chunky caramel consistency.

Add this date sauce to the oat flour…

And mix. Use your hands to form a dough with the mixture like this…

Break into small pieces, roll into balls and cover with coconut or cacao.

Say a little prayer of gratitude before serving to loved ones. Enjoy!

Healing cacao elixir

5th February 2018

 

| F l o w e r s & C a c a o |

After running a retreat this weekend with my dear friend Janey, I am spending time recharging. Fresh colourful flowers always give me a boost of energy and I made this delicious elixir to boost emotional well-being.

This drink is a great all rounder for women’s health, all the herbs are also suitable for men.

All the ingredients are optional and can be left out if you can’t find them 🙂

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Ingredients:

1 heaped tsp cacao

1/2 tsp shatavari

1/4 tsp ashwaghanda

A pinch of vanilla

1/4 tsp maca

1 mug-ful oat milk

1tsp almond butter

A tiny pinch of cinnamon and cardamom.

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Method:

Gently heat 1 mug of your choice of milk and then place in a blender with all the above ingredients and whizz up to a frothy consistency. Sweeten as needed.
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Say a little prayer of gratitude / thanks before serving.

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How do you recharge after an event or long week? Let me know if you make this super delicious drink!

Yogic Dal Recipe

5th January 2016

In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna speaks about the three modes of material nature or gunas; goodness (sattva), passion (rajas) and ignorance (tamas). Everything we do in life can fall into one of these categories or modes. From what we eat, to how we spend our free time. By trying to include more qualities of sattva in our lives, it will enable us to practise yoga and meditation more comfortably.

The qualities of sattva (goodness) are goodness and it brings about happiness, illumination and well-being.

The qualities of rajas (passion) are desire, passion, action, binds with attachment to work.

The qualities of tamas (ignorance) are darkness, laziness and binds itself to forgetfulness and sleep.

For anyone wanting further information about the material modes of nature, I will be covering these topics in our upcoming retreat and also will do a more detailed blog post on this.

The following recipe uses no onion and garlic as they are considered to be in the mode of passion (rajas) and heating which impedes meditation and yoga practise. Please do feel free to use garlic if you want to.

 

Sattvic Yellow Split Mung Bean Dal

Serves 2-3 as a main

Ingredients:

1 cup split mung dal soaked in water for two hours (soaking can also be skipped and cooked for longer)

1 regular sized tomato chopped into chunks (vine/salad etc)

1 inch of ginger grated or finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

6 fresh curry leaves (can use dried also)

¼ teaspoon of aesofitida (hing) -you can get this at all Indian grocery stores. If you eat garlic, you can use ½ -1 clove.

¼ – ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 dried red chilli

½ tsp salt

Fresh coriander leaves – small handful

Half a lime

 

Method:

Rinse your split mung beans well under warm water (I generally go for 3 rinses total)

Heat a large saucepan and then add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once warm add in the mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter. Then add cumin, hing, curry leaves, chilli, ginger and turmeric (in that order). Fry for a minute to infuse the oil.

Place the washed split mung beans in the pot with the 3 cups water and bring to the boil

Once it starts to boil, turn the heat down to a low simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes. Add water as needed for desired consistency. Your mung beans should look well-cooked, almost mushy. You can make it as thin or as thick as you like it.

Add in the chopped carrots and tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked well.

Season with salt, pepper, lime and sprinkle in the coriander.

Say a prayer of gratitude before serving with fluffy rice or chapatti.

Scrub Away Salt Scrub

4th January 2016

I recently landed back from India.

I always struggle with long haul flights and the after effects. One thing I make sure I do now is to try and nourish my body, mind and soul after flying. One of the ways I do this when I reach home, is to make this salt scrub. If like me you struggle with long haul flights and the after effects of travelling, whip up a batch of this scrub!

In a small bowl or glass jar add 3 heaped tablespoons of rock salt and top with 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil. Add 5 drops of essential oil ( I love lavender and ylang ylang especially after a flight!) and mix well.

In the shower or bath, take a small amount in the palms of your hands and rub together. Take a moment to breathe in the smell and gently scrub the body. Pay extra attention to hands and feet.

Shower off the excess salt but do not use soap (apart from where needed). Imagine the water washing away any tension. Gently pat the skin dry with a towel. Wrap up in warm Pjs and enjoy a soothing cup of chamomile tea before sleep.
Unlike table salt, rock salt has many minerals and is great for removing toxins from the body.