The sacrum, often overlooked, plays a vital role in both spinal health and overall movement. It's not just a single bone but a fusion of five vertebrae that occurs as we age, usually completing the process in our 20s. Despite this fusion, the sacrum is part of a dynamic system that requires awareness and movement to stay healthy.
Yoga and creativity share a special connection. Both require us to move beyond the confines of the familiar, to explore the unknown, and to embrace the perspective of a beginner—a fresh lens through which we see the world. This convergence of yoga and creativity is a catalyst for inspiration, opening doors to new ideas, perspectives, and ways of being.
Yoga therapy is fundamentally about empowering you to take an active approach to self-care through the tailored application of yoga. Unlike general group classes, which aim to benefit a wide range of participants, yoga therapy offers a personalized and evolving practice that addresses specific health challenges and promotes overall well-being.
iRest Yoga Nidra can be perceived as resting, especially since rest is in the name, and we all are not people who rest. Resting can even be a bit scary. It is easy to wonder: Will everything be OK if I slow down and rest? What if I told you that iRest Yoga Nidra is active resting? You are doing something. You are actively listening to a voice, following the prompts, re-wiring your brain, and improving your health.
Emotion is the experience of energy moving through the body, according to social psychologist Barbara Frederickson, Ph.D. In its essence, energy is fluid and is meant to be felt and released; the same is true for emotions. Emotion is not inherently good or bad, rather it’s our physiological response to emotion that is perceived as positive or negative. Emotion is felt as a sensation that often manifests as contraction or expansion in both the physical and subtle bodies.
We invite you to explore the meaning of Hope in our upcoming mindfulness retreat The Heart of Hope: Wisdom from the Garden on Saturday, October 29 from 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the NC Botanical Garden. Feel inspired by nature to explore your own inner landscape through the practice of mindful movement, meditation, and creative journaling.
Join us as we honor the season and slow down in Slow Flow! Starting Thursday October 6th, Ainslee will be guiding a weekly Thursday evening Slow Flow yoga class at 5:45 pm. In this class we will move through each asana sequence slowly and mindfully. We will explore the transitions between poses with curiosity while deeply strengthening the body and investigating the felt sensations of the body and the breath.
Since attending my first yoga class a little over a decade ago, I have become a healthier individual. I am stronger. I digest my food better. I am more confident and connect better with others. I am more aware of how I move and have maintained my flexibility. I have found my sense of spirituality and embrace opportunities to be in community. I have learned to accept my emotions and noticed that I am more balanced. I make myself a priority and don’t overextend myself. I continue to become healthier each day despite continuing to age. Yoga is not the only factor that enhanced my overall wellbeing. However, yoga was the catapult that promoted me to start making changes.
People often tell me that they can’t meditate because they have a monkey mind. However, the two aren’t mutually exclusive. A monkey mind can’t stop you from meditating nor does meditating stop the monkey mind. For most people it is present. As Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche so eloquently says, “The monkey mind is neither good nor bad.” Monkey mind is neutral. It is your relationship with the monkey mind that determines its label. Meditation is the perfect time to explore our relationship with our monkey mind and how to befriend the monkey mind.
Osteoporosis affects 24 million Americans. The most common injury related to osteoporosis is bone fracture, which is especially common in the spine and hips. Yoga practices move the spine and hips in all directions, therefore it is important to learn about and experience movements that do not load your spine so you can continue practicing yoga safely even if you experience bone loss.
There is space for the online option of our Osteoporosis and Yoga Workshop happening this Saturday.
I enjoy getting my feet dirty as I play in the dirt and pretend to garden. I plant seeds, water them and let them grow wild. I enjoy the connection I have when I go out into the yard. And occasionally, I tend to the plants. After being on a vacation for two weeks in June, I was surprised that my overgrown garden turned into a garden of weeds. Why was I surprised that the weeds returned? I knew I wasn’t going to be able to clear all the weeds in one day, but I could clear a little section each week. So I put on my crocs and started to pull weeds. As the sweat poured down my face, the yoga analogies of thoughts being seeds made so much sense.
![Sunrise [or Early Morning] Yoga at the Garden!](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/554983c9e4b043f083f0264f/1661609587868-VQMXUS3668EM8GXOAA3Q/pexels-vlada-karpovich-8939954.jpg)
