Yoga

Postnatal yoga isn’t just for women who want to get rid of the baby belly, but also for those who want to strengthen their bodies and find a few moments of peace amid the newborn experience.

If yoga is anything, I guess it is showing up to the yoga centre and doing it. Or, perhaps not even that – just showing up to yourself, and doing your asanas at home.

On the weekend I did something that you’d assume would be relatively drama free. I went bush walking. I think the combination of my lankiness and tendency to trip over my own feet combined with a rouge stone or branch caused me to slip over. Now, I am resting, icing, compressing and elevating my foot due to a sprained ankle.

I was contemplating yoga celebrity the other day (not bitching) and I came across this little gem.

A friend from the yoga centre who has been helping me find yoga quotes for the blog dug this one out for me after my last post.

Surya namaskara is a sequence of yoga asanas, better known as the salute to the sun. In virtually any yoga class you attend you can be assured you will practise surya namaskara or at least some of its core postures.

“Yoga is the cessation of mind”
– Some Yoga wisdom from Patanjali

I know very little of Lao Tse, but I recognise something of value in this small yogic morsel.

“Meditation here may think down hours to moments. Here the heart may give a useful lesson to the head and learning wiser grow without his books. ”

“Thoughts can create such a barrier that even if you are standing before a beautiful flower, you will not be able to see it. Your eyes are covered with layers of thought… ”
– Another yoga wisdom gem from an unknown writer…

Yoga is great for cultivating arm strength. Many women, myself included, feel their strength is somewhat lacking when it comes to the arms. Yoga offers a way to gradually build up that strength. Although many of the yoga positions that are arm intensive may seem physically challenging at first, it’s important to stick with them. Even if you can only hold the pose for a few seconds, it’s a start. Practise will help you progress and gradually cultivate strength and endurance.

This is bad news for someone who has started a blog that promises to give you something to think about in yoga!