Inspire Yoga

This is an easily accessible pose to your body, the main challenge is holding your balance- thus this is a  great concentration exercise . However, if you have delicate ankles or have injured them previously please do not attempt the full pose, if standing on one leg is uncomfortable to feel free to place your toes on the floor.   Best Yoga Exercises That Improves Your Sense of Balance To set up the pose, simply stand up with you feet together, lift one foot up and place in the inside of your standing leg, be it your inner thigh or on the side of your shin. Your standing foot should be planted firmly into the mat and  the standing leg anchors the pose by actively pushing downwards . At the same time, the lifted foot is engaged by pushing into the standing leg and the standing legs resist maintaining equilibrium between the opposing forces. You want to imagine that your legs are hugging into the mid-line of your body. On the same token, your palms should push t...

As we welcome 2018 it is important to prioritize our long term health. It is common knowledge that yoga brings strength and flexibility. The importance of strength that yoga brings is accepted as developing your muscles to take the weight off your bones so your joints stay healthy in the later stages of life, we develop our musculoskeletal structure so we are able age well. However, there is a misconception that the modern man doesn’t need flexibility- that it is only for ballerinas and gymnasts! This article hopes to clear up that misconception once and for all. With flexibility and proper body alignment you will notice that most of your movements feel smoother and can be preformed with ease, with minimal resistance. The yogic ideal of movement encourages the body to move freely and increases your range of motion. By regular practicing asanas you will begin to experience your spine and muscles become more supple thereby preventing joint stiffening and muscle shortening that of...

Inspire Wellness is a 6 part series of lectures exploring the effects of lifestyle on our health and what we can do to slow down aging. Experts from some of Hong Kong’s largest institutions in health and wellness will be sharing their research and knowledge in the areas of sleep, stress management, brain health, movement, beauty, nutrition, mental and physical well being. You will be leaving with practical tips to gain control over your health now and prevent aging diseases in the future. Mark Your Calendars!  19 April – Nutrition 3 May- Stress 10 May- Move 24 May- Sleep 7 June- Learn 14 June- Beauty The talks are held twice each day, 10am-12pm OR 6:30pm-8:30pm at Alive Wellness in Central, Hong Kong Thursday 19 April: TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT? Clear the confusion on intermittent fasting and time restricted feeding. Learn what to eat and how best to nourish your body to slow aging. Experience shifts in your mental patterns that encourage he...

ositive psychology advocates meditations from the Buddhist concept of lovingkindness, where we consciously fill ourselves with positive emotions of harmony and gentleness. A clinical trial by Carson et al in 2005 published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing found that this meditation lead to a decrease in pain, anger and psychological distress in a study of patients with chronic lower back pain. When we bring the mind towards peace it finds it within ourselves. From this state we have the confidence to be authentic as we accept and love ourselves for who we are and not an unrealistic gold standard. This peace within radiates out enhancing our relationships as we connect from a place of harmony and not competition, Pema Chodron quotes “Compassion for others begins with kindness to ourselves”. The relationship we have with ourselves is a determinant factor in how we view the world, relate to others and deal with pressure.  Strong interpersonal skills begin with an intrapersonal...

Sleep is a fundamental to good health – but are we getting enough? In Hong Kong it is cited that 80% of the population are sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation is classified as getting 6 or less hours of sleep per night, we wait to aim for an optimal 8 hours of sleep every night. The seminar exposes the health risks involved in running a constant sleep deprivation. If you are suffering from any of the below symptoms it is important to address your sleep hygiene: -Low energy – Poor mood -Sluggish digestion -Erratic appetite -Sudden weight gain While we are asleep major repair works take place in the brain, cardio vascular system and immune cells. Waking up refreshed is important for your health as well as setting the tone of each day. The workshop provides practical tips around improving quality of sleep and what to do if you suffer from insomnia. Experiencing breathing techniques, meditation and basic yoga poses to help induce sleep if you suffer from restlessness and sp...

We spend so much time in front of our computers sitting, do you suffer from back pain as a result? Stiffness around your neck and shoulders? Poor blood circulation from the lack of physical movement? Occupational tension is a term coined from the physical stress placed on our body from our modern-day sedentary lifestyle. We will go through basic movements that can be done at the desk in your work attire to help relieve the build-up of tightness around the shoulders, neck, back, and hips from sitting for prolonged periods of time. We demonstrate the importance of posture to breathing, mood, and energy levels. Practical tips on the following topics will be outlined -Spine Mobility -Hip positioning while sitting -Feet alignment while standing -Protecting wrists from tendinitis The first step to making a change is to bring awareness of the problem, these seminars facilitate open discussion and reflection so we are more empowered to direct effort into healthier habits and ...

Have you ever noticed that sometimes your thoughts can run on autopilot? The incessant mental chatter is what is addressed in  stress management . Entertaining the same thoughts day in and day out which corroborate with our routinized behaviors and causing the same experiences as a result which feedback to reinforce the same thought patterns. This is a cycle of thinking, behavior, and results. The input takes place on a mental level and the output is experienced on a physical/material level. Have you ever dreaded a meeting? Thinking you can’t stand the person, the upcoming meeting that you’ve been resisting is stressing you out putting you in a bad mood (behavior), as a result the meeting goes terribly and this reinforces the initial seeded thought that this person infuriates you, do you see how this cycle of thought, behavior, and result is affecting so many aspects of your life? It can also be a beautifully  virtuous cycle , thinking “I am healthy” and the corresponding ...

Yoga Postures to release Tight Hips From an anatomical perspective, the hips are the site of coordination between movement in the back and legs. Our bodies are made to move, when we are waking we are biologically designed to have our muscles active, either by running, walking, standing or squatting. Or all these movements require fluid hip joints. However, what happens when we spend most of your lives slouched in a chair, either at our desks, in front of the TV, in the car or at a meal? The last 50 years have dramatically changed our lifestyle, due to automation very little physical labor is required causing a predominantly sedentary lifestyle especially in a city like Hong Kong. This is certainly less energy consuming and more comfortable in the short term but the inactivity is causing our muscles to waste away resulting in long term health ramification for the entire population. The first sign that you are sitting for too long is that you will feel a tightness in around y...

Feeling stuck on what to get mom for mother’s day? Does she always say ‘I don’t need anything’? Isn’t she always happy to see you? Why not share with her the gift of presence. Get quality time together, spend it in sacred silence where you are both investing in creating habits or health, harmony, and happiness. This is a perfect connection to our more peaceful feminine nature, whether we have a young daughter or an elderly mother, the bond between mothers and daughters is truly special and one worth celebrating more! We have seen relationships blossom, putting aside all differences and getting on the mat together, breathing together, sharing moments of strength together and deep relaxation together- isn’t this some more families need? We become much more aware of ourselves during a sincere yoga practice, it is a journey to dispel any physical discomforts, create space and freedom in our movements and finally to arrive at a frame of mind that encompasses peace, love, and joy. Wh...

Are you constantly watching air pollution to determine whether or not it’s a good idea to be outside with the kids? When PM 2.5 measure is high it’s said to be dangerous were going for an outdoor run may be more harm than good to your lungs, that’s a lot of chemical particles we are exposed to in Hong Kong.  We usually look to air purifiers to at least maintain clean air when we are indoors, do you have one at home? I do believe living in a highly sterilized environment thwarts our immune function as exposure to free radicals allows the body to metabolize the waste however if we are constantly breathing in polluted air when doing our lungs get a break, the body is so busy sorting out the dirt in the air that it puts vital functioning like energy directed to repairing the lungs on hold. Children  are especially susceptible to respiratory problems aggravated by the pollution, of course, adults are not spared either! Wouldn’t it be amazing if there was an air filtration s...

The Importance Of Sleep To know the importance of sleep we have to discuss the restorative benefits of sleep. According to the study of Stanford University sleep has 4 stages. Every stage of sleep has different benefits. Let discuss one by one 1.  Light Sleep —  Often defined by the presence of slow eye movements, this drowsy sleep stage can be easily disrupted causing awakenings or arousals. It’s a stage of light sleeping. 2.   Onset Of Sleep —  This is a stage in which muscle relaxes, body temperatures drop, heart rate slows and breathing rates slows. 3.   Restorative Sleep —  In this stage   of sleep, nervous system repairs and recover, new memory and information is processed, energy restored, blood pressure decrease, circulatory system repairs and recovers, blood flow muscles increases and growth hormones release and repair muscles, bones and internal system. 4.   REM Sleep  — It‘s also known as Rapid Eye Movement sleep, is most commonly k...