Hi Everyone.

Because I have taken a break from teaching since Xmas, it’s been a while since I’ve seen many of you, but be assured, I’m still very much around. (In fact, I’m ’round’ in many ways as you can see from my current Facebook profile pic! Bub is due in just 4 weeks - eek!)

I’ve been plotting new classes on the timetable, speaking to some of you on the phone or via email, working with teachers to come up with classes and programs that will enrich your yoga practice (and your life) and setting up our new, improved Class Pass system (more on that in a couple of weeks).

Right now, I’m especially interested to hear what YOU want from Ten Toes and from our Blog and Facebook page.

(I’m also interested to hear if there are videos you’d love to see added to our YouTube Channel.)

So please submit your ideas by emailing me at rachel@tentoes.com.au or commenting below (WE WON’T KNOW UNLESS YOU TELL US!)

• Weekend Workshop topics?
• Asana Training?
• Yoga Philosophy?
• Ways to connect with other Yogis?
• New class ideas?
• Want to learn to meditate?
• Discounts for longer-term unlimited-class passes?
• Something you wish we sold at the studio?

Looking forward to hearing all your suggestions!

Love,

Rachel

Yoga props and other yoga products can really help support your yoga practice.  If using yoga props like a block, a particular mat or a blanket helps you to manage an injury or support an inflexible area of the body, then do it!  Yoga practice should always be a please process - yoga practice is not goal oriented.  If there are other yoga props or yoga products, like soothing or inspiring music, that help you get in the yoga practice zone, it’s worth a small investment.

I’m going to give you some recommendations and if there’s something you’ve found that really works for you, please share by commenting below!

MUSIC FOR YOGA PRACTICE

Music for Yoga and Other Joys - Jai Uttal and Ben Leinbach

Loveland - Jai Uttal and Ben Leinbach

Pranadance - Radiant Light Yoga (Available at the Studio)

MUSIC FOR MEDITATION

Yoga - Wayne Jones (Rachel's First and Favourite)

YOGA PROPS

Mats, Bolsters and Crescent Cushions are available from the studio.

(Coming soon…ScissorsRockPaper Fair Trade Yoga Gear.  You’ll want it.)

OTHER YOGA PRODUCTS TO SUPPORT YOUR PRACTICE

We have DVDs at the studio that can really help out when you’re starting out in a home practice.  You can also visit TenToesYoga YouTube Channel for FREE!

Thank you to everyone who patiently accepted the camera clicking in classes a couple of weeks ago.

A huge thanks to Matt Dalby, our esteemed photographer - love ya work!

The verdict is in - photos look great.  You can already see one on the Workshops & Courses page.  Here are a couple more…

Seated Moon

Forward Bend

A Home Yoga Practice is the main course - coming to yoga classes is just the gravy! Here are some key tips that came out of our recent “Establishing a Home Yoga Practice” workshop…

• It’s better to practice for a short time regularly than a long yoga practice once a week
• Having said that, it’s great if you can also find time at least once a week to give yourself plenty of scope to stay in poses longer and enjoy the journey of a longer practice
• If you’re finding it hard to get motivated, just commit to taking a few long breaths and doing some shoulder stretches (chances are, once you’re on your mat you’ll feel inspired to keep going!)
• Turn your phone(s) off before you start to avoid distractions
• If you need a challenge, you can find it in many forms: work on the details of your alignment, or focus more intently on your breath, or perhaps explore more advanced variations of the pose (wait for class to try new, strong variations for the first time so that you have your teacher’s guidance)
• Listen to your body and choose an appropriate practice for the day - deep floor stretching, energising flow, stabilising standing poses, rejuvenating restorative poses…tune in to your body and give it what it needs

SOME RESOURCES FOR YOUR HOME PRACTICE

Click here to download a suggested Home Practice Sequence

Visit Ten Toes YouTube Channel

Here’s a little video to get your started

LEARN TO MEDITATE COURSE at Ten Toes Brisbane

Since Ten Toes opened in 2007, I’ve been getting phone calls from people all over Brisbane looking for a meditation course.  Meditation courses seem to be thin on the ground in Brisbane!  So here it is, finally…Ten Toes Yoga’s very own beginners meditation course: LEARN TO MEDITATE

Here’s a quick look at what we’ll cover:

• what meditation is (and what it’s NOT)
• the uses of meditation
• some meditation methods/techniques
• tools for overcoming some common meditation challenges
• pranayama and asana practices that will directly support your meditation efforts
• accessing your intuition to find answers to the questions in your life

The course will be very interactive and relaxed, although we plan to cover a lot of ground over the four sessions.

A meditation practice can profoundly improve many areas of every day life.  It can help you develop the ability to concentrate on a task, to approach situations with greater mental clarity and objectivity.  On a softer note, it can bring deeper self-awareness and self-understanding; promote greater patience and help you find joy in each moment of your time on Earth, regardless of what is going on around you.

If you can relate to any of the following statements, meditation has a lot to offer you:

“My mind is often scattered and always busy.  I find it hard to relax.”
“The negative people around me really get me down.”
“I don’t understand my emotions at all.  Sometimes I feel like they run my life.”
“I wish I could be calmer under pressure and in a crisis.”
“How can I know what’s right for my life? Decision making is difficult.”
“My life is so hectic.  It would be great if everything was simpler.”

Visit the “Workshops & Courses” page of the Ten Toes website to check the dates for upcoming meditation courses.

Please comment below if there is something you would like included in the course.

AUM

Greetings from Sunny Bali everyone! Hanan and I are on Gili Trawangan, an even-littler island off the little island of Lombok (which is off the not-big island of Bali!).  We are eating healthy local food (let’s not also mention the pancakes and ice-cream), practising Yoga, getting plenty of sun and fresh air and enjoying a slower pace.

We strapped our yoga mats to our packs and roll them out each day to practise.

Changing my daily routine has been a great way to check that I really am staying ‘in the moment’ of my Yoga practice, rather than falling into habits.  Being in fresh surroundings has helped me to approach my practice with freshness.  Having less to fill my mind has given me the space to examine what my body really needs.

All this nourishing food, exercise and relaxation is reminding me of the demands I put on my body in the course of my busy Brisbane lifestyle.  Note to self: express gratitude to this body each day for all it allows me to do, the experiences it allows me to have…and give back to it what it needs.

Hanan sneaked a pic of me in a restorative pose on our terrace while we were in Kuta.  I improvised using a couple of pillows in lieu of a bolster.  If I can find a cable somewhere on the island, I’ll add it to this post.

Love to you all,

Rachel
OM SHANTI

Recovering from the flight to Bali with a restorative Supta Baddha Konasana

Don’t be fooled by looking at pics of yogis and yoginis contorting their bodies into beautiful pretzel shapes: Yoga is easy.  Many of the tools and techniques we use are SO SIMPLE and yet, can have profound effects on our physical health and state of mind.

My personal favourite is remembering to breathe!  Being mindful of my breath throughout the day, I learn so much about myself.  I’ve noticed that when I am feeling scattered, my breath is erratic and jagged.  When I’m sad or grieving, I notice that my body sighs.  When I am anxious my breath is shallow.   A sense of peacefulness and contentment is always accompanied by a smooth, easeful, deep breath.  Once my breath and emotional state is in my awareness, I’m able to work with my breath to change it - it works in reverse!

Yet, breathing deeply isn’t that hard.

The HARD part is remembering!  It’s as simple as practising.  The techniques themselves are easy.

QUESTION FOR YOU: What is your favourite ‘easy’ Yoga technique (asana, pose, exercise, concept, tool)?  Please share it by commenting below.

Beginners, I ask you to contribute - as someone who is exploring Yoga for the first time, you’re in a perfect position to share your discoveries and remind the rest of us about the bad habits we’ve formed and the benefits we might be now taking for granted.

Note to self: wash feet before taking yoga photos for Ten Toes blog

My favourite thing about Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend) is that it draws the attention inward.  When I hold the pose a long time, my breath becomes calm and I can tune OUT from the world around me and tune IN to my inner world.

- Rachel

What’s YOUR favourite thing about Paschimottanasana (or another forward bend)?