Grounding with Yin Yoga

Silence

Many times, simply sharing a space in quietness has a tremendous healing power. I am sure that silence and quietness is needed more than ever in this time that we are living in, especially if you stay in the city far away from natural sounds like the sound of water, wind and fire. 

When the mind is up in the sky : )

Recently I've been busy and I've been feeling ungrounded. Too much Vata-energy and I can feel that it is strongly connected to the life-style of being in a city. So to deal with this inner turbulence of mine I knew that Yin yoga would be the best antidote.

Yin Yoga

I found a Yoga studio in Stockholm that offered 1hr 45 minutes of precious, heartful and graceful Yin yoga. Thank you! Can you imagine something more nourishing than Yin yoga when you feel this way?

The practice totally saved me! Instead of doing it at home, I am so happy to have taken the time to go there and squeeze in my mat between the 30 other Yoginis and Yogis. Together we could breathe, rest, open our deep tissues and stay quiet. Observing the currents of Prana and the movements within. Yin yoga is a great way to start practicing Pratyahara.

Pratyahara

Pratyahara, the 5th limb of Ashtanga(8 limbs) yoga, needs more explanation so next time I will talk about that!  I will talk about what we choose to stimulate our senses with and what exactly does the ordinary definition of Pratyahara mean? Withdrawal of the senses... ?

To be continued...

Hari Om to you all!

Love and Light

Join our Sugarfree month!

No sugar, please

Two days ago, I started on an other sugarfree month together with my brother and his girlfriend. I have done it before and I know that it is better for my body this way. 

So why don't you join us and try to cut out all the white sugar and sweets, candy, chocolates, sodas, jams and see what happens?

Practicing Tapas

Say no to sugar is a perfect way to practice Tapas. Tapas as in yoga and not as the spanish food : )

Tapas is a great way to develop inner strength, radiance and willpower! When we perform some kind of tapas, we are giving up something in order to reclaim the power of ourselves and not be slaves under impulses from the senses.

Let's give this as a sacrifice to the deep fire within our heart. This way we begin to burn old Samskaras, habitual negative patterns that bind us to the law of Karma.

Experimenting...

I like these kind of personal experiments. They always teach me something about myself and it makes me look upon my actions, thoughts and emotions- sometimes with a totally new angle but sometimes it just gives me more confidence of something I already knew.

What do you have to loose?

Come on, just give it a try! Cut out the sugar for some time and let your bloodsugar-level take a rest.  Nobody will punish you if you can't make it, so really, you don't have anything to loose! And remember, completing one day is always better that no day!

Good luck!

Lots of Love and Namaste to you all.

Morning yoga

Last night I decided that it's about time to get some routine again after Christmas and New Year!

Just doing my own yoga practice combined with catching a slow winter's cold made me not take a class in something that feels like for ages.  So with all the outward directed energy around Christmas and New Year, it is now time to breathe, feel, observe, smile and move again!

Therefor I will start this monday morning, this week and this day-after-fullmoon with taking a Hatha yoga class in Stockholm.

How will you start your day?

Hari Om and Namaste!

Happy New Year to all sacred beings

It is the 1st of January and the first day of 2012. The past year has been a year full of unexpected and sometimes turbulent happenings for me on a personal level but also very much on a worldly level. Hopefully I and the rest of us have absorbed the lessons from our past experiences and that we now can enter an era with more harmony and peace.  Let's do our best to create harmony and diminish suffering in this world, this year as well!

Yesterday I went to a hill in the forest behind my house. It was the first day that it was actually pretty cold and we had frost on the ground. From the hill I could witness the most beautiful sunset!

It was great to spend that last day of 2011 in the nature with the sun setting behind the forest. It made me remember and feel with my heart that no matter what is happening during a year, the sun always rises and always sets. There is something so calming and grounding in truly feeling that.

Whatever happens, the Nature has its rhythms, giving us earth and support to our, at many times, spaced out societies and ways of living!

Blessings and a very Happy new year to all sacred beings living on this earth together!

Catching the wave

Some days are just magical and Life is playing vividly within you. It feels like catching a big wave, finding the exact balance and then just ride along, trusting the ocean to be supportive and to bring you to your perfect place. Those days are like tuning in to a certain frequency and feeling the equilibrium within that current. 

Those are the days when the heart and mind is open and anything is possible. Interesting meetings occur and at the end of the day you'll go to bed with a big smile knowing and feeling with every cell in your body and every space in your heart, the (in)visable connection between all meetings and happenings in Life. 

The year when it all changed

Last year, by this time, I was still in Japan. It was autumn, just like now here in Sweden. It was the harvest season and naturally there was a strong focus on food! Well, in Japan food is always important! I remember I enjoyed making natural sweets out of steamed Sweet potatoes adding some coconutmilk and chopped walnuts.  They look pretty yummy no?

The photos below used to make me happy but now when I look at them I get very mixed feelings. The pictures are taken a year ago from a local farmer's market in Nasu, situated in north Tochigi prefecture just beneath Fukushima prefecture. 

Recently I saw news that a couple of months ago, beef from Tochigi was banned due to high contamination levels. That means, beef from four prefectures now have been banned. So how about the rice, vegetables, fruit and water? Are they safe? How about all the innocent children eating this every day?

Looking back at last year's bountyful autumn makes me happy for the past. That we could live a life taking so many things, especially food for granted.  It makes me feel how rich yet innocent we were. Not knowing what was going to come. Not knowing how fragile life actually is and how one happening can change everything. 

Even if it sometimes feels like we can't do much to change the situation from the other side of the world, we can take a look at how we live. What kind of energy-sources are we supporting and what do we want to support? Are we ready to give up some comfort to create a more sustainable future? What kind of world do we want to create? What kind of world and lifestyle can we with confidence show and teach our children? 

While contemplating that, sending our love and healing to the people, to the nature and to this world that are suffering is a strong support more  than doing nothing at all. This is a great way to develop compassion. 

I pray for healing. I also pray for the correct information to be revealed in order for people to be able to make active choices. 

I pray for the children to have a bright future with a healthy nature to play in.

In the mood for autumn

The past few weeks have been filled with small projects. I have been doing everything and nothing at the same time! You could say that there has been a focus on being in the nature, reflecting upon nature, picking edible mushrooms in the forest, cooking and making crispy bread, making a sourdoughbase  and then sourdough breads, making wild yeast, spending time with friends, family and meeting new people. On top of that the usual stuff like practicing yoga, studying Ayurveda and working. You could say it has been a typical autumn so far. The only thing I miss, is sitting by the fire, waiting for the なべ (japanese stew/soup) to get ready. In my heart I share those moments with my japanese family and  friends. I miss you all and send you lots of love.

Nature's camouflage!