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February 3rd, 2012
Dec. 6, 2011
11 weeks pregnant
Sometimes at the best of times we don’t feel like practicing yoga or any other exercise we normally enjoy; we can be tired, busy or just not in the mood. It can be even more of a challenge to keep up a regular practice when you are pregnant. Pregnancy exhaustion, cramps and moodiness can be huge deterrents to making it to the mat the gym or the great outdoors. Exercising is an important part of a healthy pregnancy (if given the go-ahead from your doctor). It can increase energy, reduce aches and pains, reduce stress and increase your self image while your body goes through major changes. Keeping up some sort of routine, even if it is a scaled back version of your usual workout, can be very helpful in having a comfortable pregnancy.
For those of us who are given the green light by their doctor to continue regular exercise, pregnancy is a time to maintain your fitness regime. Whether you are practicing yoga daily, running, hiking or doing Zumba, you should be able to continue as usual. This is not the time to up your weight levels at the gym or begin training for a marathon. Exercise at this time in life is for the benefit of you and your babies health, not to out-do yourself. If you are more of an adventurous athlete, pregnancy is a time to tone things down and perhaps try something new. Activities such as surfing, snowboarding and mountain biking are probably not the best for your body and that of your tiny growing child.
For me, the past 5 weeks since I found out I am pregnant have been a struggle as a yogini. Within the first few days of knowing I was “with child” I was told not to do anything but rest. What?!! How is that even possible when I have to teach a class, finish painting my kitchen and unpack my entire house? Well, when your Dr. tells you to rest, you rest. Even though many things are left undone at home, I have been very busy building a baby. Accepting this, and that things will never be quite the same can be quite difficult. Acceptance, however, is a major teaching in yoga. Being able to accept where you are in your practice on a given day, not giving in to competition and being at peace with the way things are is key to living a happy and healthy life.
Luckily even though I am resting, I am still able to teach my restorative yoga classes here at Anamaya . We are continually running yoga retreats and one of my favorite things in life is teaching yoga to our guests. I find that even though I am not able to practice asanas right now, I can continue practicing certain breathing techniques, relaxation poses and also practice teaching with just my words and very minimal demonstration which is always a challange!
I am very excited to be pregnant and to be able to share some of my experiences with you, if you have any questions or would like to find out more about our yoga retreats or yoga teacher training programs here at Anamaya please feel free to contact me here by email at mandy@anamayaresort.com
Tags: Anamaya, prenatal yoga, yoga retreat
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February 3rd, 2012
 Purna yoga is said to be the “complete” yoga and it will help you build the skills and tools your will need to transform yourself and begin healing. Purna yoga provides a source of wisdom and yoga teacher training provides techniques that will connect the body and mind with your spirit. Being able to use awareness, precision and your concentration, Purna yoga brings us closer to our Divine Self. Be able to stop and love yourself by living from your heart.
Through the practice and yoga teacher training of Purna yoga you will concentrate on alignment based asana, pranayama, and meditation used to align your inner energies for transformation. You will also be taught nutrition and a yoga philosophy that we can adapt to fit into our lifestyles today. Like tuning a piano, Purna yoga will give you the ability to align your body with the vibration of truth and the Divine essence that we find all around us. Read the rest of this entry »
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February 2nd, 2012
 Purna Yoga retreats offer you a chance to live in the moment and fully immerge yourself into a constant state of gratitude for the gift of life and to be able to listen to your heart as a guide on how to live your life. Purna yoga is the practice of asana, meditation, yoga philosophy with ancient and modern nutrition factors.
Taking the time to go away to a yoga retreat will help guide your practice of Purna Yoga and enhance your intuition and release anxiety so you can move towards a refreshed way to live. You will have yoga teachers that guide your though asana sequences, pranayama, mantras, kriyas, nutritional talks, and philosophy which will help nurture your inner awareness. Read the rest of this entry »
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February 1st, 2012
 Purna yoga is a style of yoga that nurtures all the aspects of the being-emotional, physical, spiritual and mental. This style puts emphasis on all facets of life as a way for potential growth. The true practice of Purna Yoga is not done on the yoga mat but by including it into our daily existence and our thoughts, actions, and words. If this yoga does not change the way that you live then we do you practice? Yoga teacher training teaches you that it is a transformation of your consciousness to the highest level possible and brings you harmony and peace. Read the rest of this entry »
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January 31st, 2012
 As we get older we start to notice that our joints are not as healthy as they used to be. We begin having stiffness, popping sounds, cracking soreness and more pain in our joints especially as the day ends. Even people that have a regular exercise routine begin to notice changes because they may not take a lot of time making sure their joints are healthy. Yin Yoga is a slow and calm way to practice yoga and the focus of this style are the joints, ligaments and connecting tissues in your body. It is a natural way to rejuvenate your joints and make you feel better. Yoga teacher training brings a focus on this style for those that need to make sure their joints do not break down before their bodies.
Yin yoga focuses on the cooler and slower aspects of practice. Yin yoga teacher training explains why it tends to separate itself from the muscular practice and falls into a firmer, less flexible area of your body. The deeper, internal yoga practice of Yin Yoga is often connected to the Moon and is a lunar practice. Read the rest of this entry »
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January 30th, 2012
 Our busy world is slowly reviewing different styles of yoga and what type of yoga fits their needs the best. Yin yoga is something that more people are exploring every day. Yin yoga is a more relaxed style of yoga that practices floor postures for up to five minutes at a time. A yin style of practice puts focus on the connective tissues of your joints such as your hips, pelvis, thighs, and lower spine. This practice prepares your body and mind for a longer meditation practice. It will help you guide your awareness away from your muscles and move deeper into the bones until a deep level of relaxed focus is accomplished. Yoga teacher training is taking off because sometimes people are looking for something that is not as quick for relaxing and stretching when they live in a fast paced world. Read the rest of this entry »
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January 28th, 2012
 It is time to pause, reclaim your power, identity and rediscover WHO you are at a yoga retreat! For women, we need to learn to reclaim our feminine strength and we must trust our intuition as we calm our minds and heal our bodies. Men, you need to embrace who you are and get in touch with your feminine side which will improve your relationships with others as you learn to relax and let go of all your stress. Yin Yoga is the way to go and is the best vehicle to guide you to give yourself permission to feel it, so you can heal it. Read the rest of this entry »
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January 27th, 2012
 Most of the yoga styles that we follow tend to be more a Yang nature. They styles are active, build heat in your body and builds muscle strength. Yin Yoga is the opposite style and follows a slow and steady pace with a sense of calm and ease. This does not mean that the style is easy in any way. Yin yoga presents different challenges because poses are held for longer periods of time. The length of the pose is to target the connective tissues and deep ligaments while most of the postures are done on the ground. Yoga teacher training views this as a yoga that anyone can do forever. Read the rest of this entry »
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January 26th, 2012
 Yin yoga is a style that works with your connective tissues such as tendons, ligaments, cartilage and fascia. This style works deeply to heal joints and to increase your flexibility through gentle, slow and controlled traction. Yin yoga tries to focus on slowly stretching out the connective tissues around your joints which at the same time will help strengthen them. Yoga teacher training is using this style for helping athletes avoid injury.
Yin Yoga poses also focus on the connecting tissues but they also emphasize the meridians that are in the lower body such as the liver, kidney, gall bladder, spleen, urinary bladder, and stomach meridians to support a balance within our bodies and their energy. Yoga certification will teach you exactly which poses play a role with what areas in your body. Read the rest of this entry »
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January 25th, 2012
 Kriya Yoga is such a great style of yoga and is effective because it works hand in hand with the source of your growth and the spiritual energy that lies deep in our spines. All yoga styles and techniques work using this energy normally on an indirect approach. Yoga postures can help you open the spinal channels and bring balance and energy into your spine. Your yoga breathing exercises can also help you open the doors to that energy. Yoga teacher training is focusing on this style in a way to connect spiritually and in a healthy balance with physical health. Read the rest of this entry »
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