The Science of the Moon
The Science of the Moon Each cycles takes between 27 and 29.5 days. Some months have two full moons or two new moons. This leads to a black or blue moon. This is quite a rare occurrence hence the phrase, once in a blue moon! The moon is very powerful and controls the tides, so it makes sense that it has a huge influence on us with our constitution being 50-60% water. The very high and very low spring tides are when it is a full or new moon, with neap tides, where there is little variation in the tide heights in between spring tides. Previous PostNext Post
O-U of Holly’s Harmony Yoga
O-U of Holly’s Harmony Yoga O is for Online YogaEven though weekly classes are back face to face there is still an online yoga option where you can still practice yoga even if you cannot make the physical classes.Not only that, weekly classes are recorded and you are able to access them again and again if you are booked into the weekly classes or just have access to them if you miss a class as life happens. P is for Prenatal and Postnatal YogaI have specially trained with Sally Parkes to be able to offer Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga to support others during this amazing transition in their lives.I returned to yoga during my first pregnancy and continued with it through all 4 pregnancies. I struggled with pelvic girdle pain in each of my pregnancies, the pain was so severe I was on crutches. The yoga really helped.I also enjoyed returning yoga after having my children to help heal and nurture my body, focusing on gentle movements to support the altered posture, abdominal separation and pelvic floor. You is so amazing for every stage of life.Now I am offering 1-2-1 or small group prenatal and postnatal classes to support you in a safe and supportive environment. Q is for Quieting the MindIn my yoga classes I tend to work towards quietening the mind as thoughts will inevitably arise. We work on acknowledging the thoughts and releasing them or focusing the mind elsewhere to give your brain a break from the constant thoughts racing through your mind. I often like to think of the mind like wild horses and your are trying to tame them and reign them in. It takes a lot of time and patience and it happens in stages. Be kind to yourself. If I ask you to not think about horses, what will you inevitably envisage? Horses, the same works with stilling the mind. R is for Royal PigeonThere are many variations of pigeon pose which is one of my favourite poses in yoga. It is great for opening the hip and helping with sciatica. Royal pigeon is with your head up high as opposed to Lazy pigeon where you rest the head down. How do you do yours? S is for SavasanaThis is the delicious part of the yoga practice where your body absorbs and processes all of the poses. Simply lie down on your back. If you have lower back issues then bend your knees allowing your feet to be as wide as the mat with the knees dropping in, alternatively lie flat allowing your feet to drop out to the sides, palms either face up to receive the goodness of your practice or down to help you feel grounded. Allow the eyes to close or the gaze to soften and notice your breath. Enjoy! T is for TadasanaThis is Sanskrit for Mountain pose. Feet are roughly hip distance apart. Start by rocking back and forth through your feet to really feel your balance. Once you find a nice stable point, pause, lift and spread your toes, feeling length through your spine, shoulders back and down with arms resting by your side. Feels as strong and stable as a mountain. U is for Understanding YourselfTune into your own body and learn to understand yourself. Yoga is very much about listening to what your body is telling you on any given day and time. You will not arrive on the mat each day feeling the same, life throws use curve balls, so listen to where you are today. Take the practice at your own pace. Each side of your body will probably be different in each pose and that is perfectly normal. Be kind to yourself. Previous PostNext Post
H-N of Holly’s Harmony Yoga
H-N of Holly’s Harmony Yoga Hatha yoga is the original form of yoga that I trained in. It is the most common form of yoga in the West as it has been adapted and created for Westernised society. It has a range of poses with their English and Sanskrit names. A Hatha practice of yoga includes yoga poses (Asanas), breathwork (Pranayama) and meditation (Dhyana). I – Indus Valley Civilisation The first evidence of yoga was found in the Indus Valley in the form of a Yogic Seal. The Indus Valley Civilisation was about 3000BC. They have found these yogic seals with yoga postures on as the first evidence of yoga existing. It has come a very long way since then with it moving from the Indus Valley, now Pakistan to the West to become the Westernised form of yoga we see and practice today. J – Janu Sirsasana Head-to-knee pose, this is one of my favourite cool down poses. I usually team it up with a wild thing to make a gorgeous cool down flow. In my classes I ask everyone to listen to their own body and work to their own range of movement. For me I will never get my head to my knee as I have too much other stuff in the way! K – Kali Mudra In a lot of our yoga classes we use mudras, hand symbols or gestures which channel our energies or prana as it is known in the yoga world. Same as Chi in Chinese medicine. The Kali mudra I feel looks a bit like the Charlie’s Angels hands. Kali is the Hindu goddess of destruction. Especially the destruction of evil. She is usually pictured with sharp teeth and a blood red tongue with a belt made of human arms and a necklace of severed heads. She is strong and powerful when facing evil forces. L – Lotus Mudra I love the Lotus Mudra and often use a Lotus mudra flow as a gentle warm up for my classes. The lotus flower grows up through the deep dark murky waters and arrives on the surface to emerge as this beautiful, pure flower. The lotus flower then retreats again each night to emerge pure the next morning. I feel this symbolises our lives. We may move through pretty muddy and rough times but we always come out beautiful. Life is not linear, it is a rollercoaster and I am here alongside you at each step. M – Moon Yoga I offer Moon Yoga around the open fire at Butser Ancient Farm. This helps us connect with the moon’s energies and focus on its cyclical nature. At the new moon we set our intentions for the moon cycle ahead and then at the full moon we practice forgiveness in order to come back to our intentions with a clear heart. N – Nature I feel that our lives are very cyclical in nature, and we have moved so far away from our connection to nature that it is leading to burnout and poor health. In many of my classes I refer back to the seasons, moon cycles, day and night and the tides to help us connect with the world around us to help nurture that side of ourselves we often neglect. I do this through offering outdoor yoga, goat yoga and nature based guided relaxations. Previous PostNext Post
A-G of Holly’s Harmony Yoga
A-G of Holly’s Harmony Yoga E – Everyone!!! Yoga is for everyone!!! I have people in my classes from 15-80. Even my 5 children at home from 3-13 enjoy practicing yoga with me. I teach people of differing shapes, sizes, movement ranges, backgrounds, beliefs and conditions. You do not need to be flexible before you start yoga, but week on week you will become a little bit more flexible. The journey isn’t linear, you may have some weeks where you can barely reach your knees and that is ok. It is your own yoga journey and I am here to support you on it! F – FriendshipWhere my class sizes are so small and it runs in blocks, it means that each class builds up its own little community. The weekly classes have a beautiful supportive feel with me and others there to chat to and support you through your practice. We have a WhatsApp group for each class where you can ask questions and have a general chit chat as well as me putting up links to different things you found helpful in the class. I really feel like we have all become friends and look out for each other. G – Guided Meditation A lot of us will find it almost impossible to clear the mind when someone tells you to empty your mind. This is why in the yoga classes I offer guided meditation and meditation techniques to help focus the mind. Just practice this by counting your breath. Inhale 1, Exhale 2, Inhale 3, and continue up to 10. Once you reach 10, start again at 1. If the mind strays do not worry, just bring your focus back to 1. Previous PostNext Post
🌳BALANCE🌳
🌳BALANCE🌳 🧘♀️ To prepare, squeeze the core and the glutes. 🧘♂️ Come onto the toes on the right leg. Keep a small micro bend in the supporting leg.🧘 Move the knee out to the side. You may stay here or bring the foot onto the calf or the thigh. Make sure you do not rest the foot on the knee.🧘♀️ Focus the gaze on a still point on the horizon for balance. 🧘♂️ Hands can come to the heart in prayer position or arms can come overhead as if they are tree branches.🧘 Root down to rise up. Imagine roots are growing down from your feet to stabilise you. With a strong core and trunk, and the branches spreading out overhead, blowing in the breeze.Gently and with control release out of the pose, bringing the right foot to the ground and try on the other side. Always listen to your own body! Hold a wall or a chair for stability if needed. Previous PostNext Post
The Full Moon in Aquarius.
The Full Moon in Aquarius. The Full Moon is a time of high energy, hence where the term Lunacy comes from. This is a brilliant time to let go of anything in your past which holds you back. Maybe you are doing something you no longer want to do or your life wants to head in a new direction. Work out how you can change these things, what can you let go of? It is also a brilliant time to work with forgiveness, forgiving yourself and others as you move forwards. It is tougher to set your new moon intentions with lots of baggage and carrying an old wound. Let it go! Previous PostNext Post
