Inspire Yoga

In yoga is it essential that you  respect and listen to your body . Allow the practise to be for yourself rather than to keep up with a class at large. If you feel exhausted or dizzy during the practise, child’s pose is great to rest in and it helps to renew your energy. If you have delicate ankles or knees sit on a block or place your feet on a cushion to provide more support. One of the Yoga Basic Poses That Can Renew Your Energy To set up the pose, bring your feet and knees together and sit your hips on your heels. If the front of your feet feel too push pressure, tuck your toes under on to the mat. You’re your abdomen on the top of your thighs and place your head on the floor. If you you’re your back is too rounded in this position, keeping your feet together separate your knees to the width of your mat, lengthening your back further in this pose. You may feel a slight stretch around your inner thighs, if this is the case, bring your knees to close together. You can a...

Downward facing dog is a basic pose that is accessible to most beginners, for advanced practitioners this posture is considered a resting pose! In setting up the pose make sure your arms are shoulder distance apart and your knees are hip-distance apart, tuck your toes under and actively push your hands and feet into the mat. Straighten your legs and push your hips upwards as your back cascades downwards. A Relaxing Yoga Positions for Beginners That Increases Stamina There are 3 stages of advancement of reaching the full pose: straight arms, straight back and straight legs. Take each stage as a prerequisite to moving on to the next; there is no point trying to straighten your legs if your elbows are bent and your back is rounded. If you feel tired do not compromise the posture by bending your arms and hunching your shoulders forwards, instead feel free to bend your knees and allow your back to lengthen further. Push your hands down into the mat with your fingers spread apart...

It’s a sad fact that today’s youth are plagued with pressure- high expectations to attain academic success, to excel in sports, hobbies and leadership positions and with the onslaught of social media minute by minute comparisons among peers exacerbates the problem. Isn’t childhood supposed to be the time in our life where we are carefree and adventurous? As a parent it can be a tough time supporting a child who isn’t coping well, instead of simply labelling it as a maladaptive behavior, anxiety or character traits, let’s do what we can to identify the problem and nurture our child in a holistic way so that they feel supported as they learn how to traverse the information overload of the digital age. Stress is epigenetic, it gets passed down as a behavior, then a habit than the normalization of being on high alert. Where do they pick this up from? They model what they see, at home and at school, it’s completely acceptable that adults are stressed on a daily basis, that they deal wit...

Ayurveda is the ancient science of Indian medicine. It seeks to bring longevity and a greater quality of life by delving into health and healing. Ayurveda determines the wholesomeness of one’s life by examining the harmony in which one lives with themselves and their surroundings. Any ailments on the physical plane is said to be rooted on the level of the mind, thus a healthy body starts with a happy mind. Ayurveda classifies each body according 3 categories (doshas), our bodies will have characteristics that are predominant in at least one of these doshas. The aim here is to know our bodies better and thus know what to avoid and how to nurture it. If we are out of balance, there is too much of one element dominating leading to poor health. The focus is to bring everything into balance, in a holistic fashion. Vata This is the first dosha, it relates to the elements of space and air. Its physical qualities are dry, cold, light and irregular. People who are vata tend to be ...

Many of us want to be more flexibile but pushing too much and too soon can be dangerous. Here are 5 tips on how to practice  deep stretching  in a safe and controlled manner. Here we explain what it means to respect and listen to your body to ensure your yoga practise does not cause any damage or excessive stretching. Pain in the best indicator of something going wrong This is a primal mechanism that we should not ignore. We know the difference between a gentle pull on the back of our legs during our first forward bend and the pain from a pulled ligament when we are prematurely forcing our head to our knees in a forward bend. If you feel any sharp pain- STOP! Slowly come out of the pose and alert your teacher. Stay in control Be sure to maintain the pose and be able to slowly move into another pose. Don’t jerk from one pose to another, even if you are flowing with your breath be sure your muscles are engaged at all times and are controlling the movement-...

Learning how to relax is fundamental to our physical and mental well-being. After a stressful day our bodies and minds may not be able to relax and when lying down to rest or sleep your muscles may continue to carry a certain amount of residual tension which over time can be a constant drain on your energy resources. Corpse pose, or Sivasana, helps to train our minds to consciously let go of any strain, mental and physical in order for us to reach a state of deep relaxation. When lying in bed tossing and turning to find sleep try lying flat on your back and tense up every muscle in your body, hold it for a few seconds and let it go, feel yourself sinking down into your bed and the tension drifting away. Another exercise you can try is to visualise any tension drifting away as you relax each part of your body from your feet up to your head feeling your whole body heavy and your mind completely calm, taking deep breaths in and long, slow exhalations. If this helps to relax you ...

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...

To practice YOGA means to choose to evolve and produce transformations in the being, that will quickly become healthy and purified because of the energies that pass through the body. Even though this passing of the energy is produced, without a proper awareness of the processes that are triggered in our inner universe – when we do our practice – effects on the body, our psyche and mind are much reduced and it takes a longer period of time until energies become visible in the physical plan. The awareness of energies, which are received in our being, will purify by transformations of the body and mind. Out of the whole complex of techniques and procedures that the YOGA system includes, the most well-known are ASANA-s, the body postures. During the practice of ASANA-s we will regard each body posture that we realize as a gate open towards profound spirituality. The practice of ASANA-s must be carried out in a perseverant, effortless and patient way. If the execution of each ASANA will...

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...

Mindful movements provide a productive outlet to release pent up energy that would otherwise make us feel aggressive and anxious, helping us to feel more relaxed and experience better quality sleep. Exercise decreases the risk of developing certain diseases especially high blood pressure and cholesterol. Chronic stress physiologically releases a hormone called adrenaline which contributes to increased risk of heart disease, signs of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, exercise decreases stress levels and regulates adrenaline levels keeping heart disease at bay. The mindful movement is an embodied learning, it releases endorphins but also forces us to pay attention to our breathing that promotes feelings of calm and wellness and frees us from the cycle of negative thought patterns.  The movement paired up with breath awareness releases stress, physiologically the release of hormones from the exercise decreases the risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol  from...

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 ...

Having come from a background of investment banking I saw my yoga practice as a time to dissolve tension from my body and release stress from my mind. I used to be a derivatives trader and coping with the time pressure of the job left me feeling very stiff and exhausted. It was then when I realized it was because my mind and body were so disconnected, my mind racing all day and my body completely sedentary at my desk. Yoga helped me to realign the connection by bringing mental stillness and physical agility. It made a tremendous impact on my energy levels and made me feel much more alert at work. I realized by address my body through stretching, strengthening and balancing poses I needed to focus on the subtle rhythm of the breath which in turn freed me from the mental inner chatter that kept me feeling so tight. In the ‘work hard, play hard’ environment of Hong Kong I wanted to be able to share this gift of inner calm and proper alignment with my colleagues who were burnt out and ...