Today is the much awaited solar eclipse, a moment when the Moon nips in between the Sun and the Earth & steals the show.

To mark this in my drop in Summer classes this week we’ve been practising Chandra Breath – Chandra means Moon in Sanskrit. It’s a very effective simple breathing practice that is gentle and soothing for the nervous system, making it a brilliant technique for managing stress and anxiety.

To practice Chandra breath sit comfortably with a straight spine, close your eyes. Bring your right hand to rest on your nose so you can close your left nostril with your little finger & ring finger, and your thumb can close your right nostril. Take a few slow breaths here following the breath in both nostrils.

When you are ready, close the right nostril and breathe in through the left, close the left nostril and breathe out through the right. This is one round. Continue breathing in this way, inhaling slowly though the left & exhaling slowly through the right. Aim for 8 to 12 rounds. When you have finished take a moment just to sit and notice how you feel.

Enjoy the Eclipse.

Namaste x

Take a moment to stop & notice your breathing. Let your breath start to slow down. Breathe in for a count of 4, breathe out for a count of 6.  After a few rounds see if you can breathe out for 8. Carry on breathing for a few more rounds with a longer exhale.

Breathing with a longer exhale lowers your heart rate and soothes the nervous system, it’s a really effective way of reducing anxiety. The next time you remember, take a moment to stop & lengthen your exhale, Your nervous system will thank you for it. Namaste x

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August has arrived so if you’d like to get on your mat and practice some yoga with me next week, my Summer drop in classes start on Monday! Everyone is very welcome.

• Mon 3rd – 7pm to 8.30pm – Stockleigh Pomeroy Village Hall
• Tues 4th – 10am to 11.30am – Stockleigh Pomeroy Village Hall
• Thurs 6th – 10am to 11am – on Zoom

Inperson classes £8.50, Zoom £7.50. Message me to book – 07766 562025

See you on the mat!

Vivien

I will be running some Drop In Classes in August, all my in person classes are in Stockleigh Pomeroy Village Hall. Dates are:

Mon 3rd Aug – 7pm to 8.30pm, Tues 4th Aug – 10am to 11.30am, Thurs 6th Aug on Zoom – 10am to 11am

Mon 10th Aug – 7pm to 8.30pm, Tues 11th Aug – 10am to 11.30am

Mon 24th Aug – 7pm to 8.30pm, Tues 25th Aug – 10am to 11.30am, Thurs 27th Aug on Zoom – 10am to 11am

In person classes are £8.50, Zoom classes are £7.50. Please message me  yogaforlife.devon@gmail.com or call 07766 562025 to book.

Namaste.

Vivien

Sunday 21st June is the Summer Solstice, a date when here in the Northern Hemisphere we celebrate the sun and the longest day. It’s also International Yoga Day, a day when yogis around the world celebrate the remarkable gift that is yoga.

Yoga in all its forms helps us return to the self, to connect with others, and to cherish the world around us and all the possibilities it offers us. Most of all, yoga teaches us that we’re not broken or needing to be changed, sometimes all we need is a chance to breathe and a gentle steer to find ourselves again

I prayed for guidance and learnt to trust myself – Rumi

Wishing you a very happy International Yoga Day

With warmth and light.

Vivien

The date of my Summer Workshop is now confirmed as Saturday 4th July, 10am to 1pm in Stockleigh Pomeroy Village Hall.

More details to follow soon, but if you’d like to reserve your place early, please get in touch at yogaforlife.devon@gmail.com

Places are £25 for enrolled students, £30 for non enrolled which includes refreshments and homemade treats.

Namaste,

Vivien

My Spring Workshop ‘ Embracing the Spring’ is on Saturday 14th March, 10am to 1pm in Stockleigh Pomeroy Village Hall.

As we move away from the darkness and into the light, this workshop will release blocks in the body and encourage us to embrace the new season with openness and optimism. Places are £25 for enrolled students, and £30 for non enrolled.  Teas, coffee and homemade treats are included.

Get in touch with me at yogaforlife.devon@gmail.com if you would like to book your place.

Namaste,

Vivien

As the new year begins it’s helpful to focus on all we are doing well in our lives, knowing that we can build on the resources we already have within us. Yoga teaches us we don’t need to change or be fixed, our bodies and minds are incredible, we have all the resources within us to feel contented and whole if we are patient and kind to ourselves.

If you can do one thing for yourself this year, dust off a mat and explore some yoga, your mind and body will thank you for it.

Wishing you a very happy year.

All the time our warmth and brilliance are right here. This is who we really are. We are one blink of an eye away from being fully awake. Pema Chodrun

Namaste,

Vivien

As the year starts to draw to a close, it’s so helpful to slow down and take a moment to pause as we approach the huge transition that is the Winter Solstice. It’s a time to reflect, with compassion, on the year that has almost ended, and decide what wisdom you will be taking with you into the new year.

After the Solstice it’s as if the sun stands still for a few days, in Latin ‘sol’ literally means sun and ‘sistere’ means to stand still. Very gradually, day by day, the light will start to return as we move away from the darkness of Winter. At this time we can draw inwards and rest awhile, approaching the new year with hopefulness, knowing that the Sun has been reborn.

In the depth of Winter, I finally learned that within me lay an invincible Summer – Albert Camus

My Autumn Workshop this year is on Saturday 29th November, 10am to 1pm in Stockleigh Pomeroy Village Hall.

We will explore the grounding energy of root chakra to engage with the quieter, darker time of year. This workshop will explore sequences to ground the body and soothe the mind, and will incorporate simple chanting and breath work to encourage a sense of balance and calm.

Places are £25 for enrolled students, £30 for non enrolled which includes refreshments and home made treats. To book your place please email me at yogaforlife.devon@gmail.com

Namaste,

Vivien