3 Ways to be More Generous

In this month of December, we at Essential Yoga Practice are offering our readers The Generosity Series, and hope that you might join us in a dialogue on how to give of ourselves along the way of refining the yogic practices of becoming more present in our aim to enjoy life.   This time of year when we are seeking meaningful and memorable ways to experience the holidays, sharing is especially important when we perceive a limitation. There are many ways to share of ourselves, and perhaps the outcome will be the potential within each of us to inspire others to be generous too. What and how can we give?

1.    The one thing that we all value is having “time.” To be present to each part of your day allows you to give yourself to the experience, to understand and appreciate the people, the situations and opportunities in front of you, and to participate in the how and why you are present.   Consider being more generous with your time by being generous with yourself.  Try not to rush so that you can have clarity for the course of your day and make sure you have some down time for yourself too – meditation and yoga are ideal daily practices.   Consider sharing your time by how you spend time with others, enjoying their company while lending a hand or sharing a mutual endeavor.  Call someone you have missed for a while just to chat, find ways to volunteer, …the sky is the limit!

2.    Pare down and contemplate the quality of your generosity.  Give without expectation or attachment of the outcome – give from your heart and with full intention of leaving a positive imprint for the recipient.  The ripple effect is the greater value and only time will tell of the continued generous effects that come from “paying it forward.”

3.    Be willing to share your gifts.  We are each blessed in so many unique ways.  It is flattering when people seek you out for your expertise, your advice and your opinions based on your gifts and life experiences.  Be willing to share, to help someone grow, and perhaps you might learn along the way as the effect contributes to an improved community.  You will be seen as a leader, not just as a compassionate and generous person.  You will allow others to build on your efforts with their inherent gifts. Let’s see what happens when we combine our intellectual currency.

Let’s give of ourselves and open our hearts to all the ways we can be more generous.  How you are willing to give is a reflection of who you are. Be kind and generous with yourself and then you will be able to tap in to your inner light, which will shine the way to your ability to give.

The essential oil that encapsulates abundance is Wild Orange.  Use that in your yoga and meditation practices this month, and share your observations. One winner will receive a bottle of Wild Orange!

Gratitude Series Yoga Practice

We used a blend called Joy:  4 drops Bergamot, 3 drops Wild Orange, 2 drops Geranium and 2 drops White Fir in a 10 ml roller bottle with Fractionated Coconut Oil as the carrier. Use on pulse points, behind the ears, between the palms and inhale deeply.  The affirmation: " I am grateful.  I allow joy to fill my entire being.” Enjoy this practice of a Classical Sun Salutation, followed by Warrior I, Revolved Side angle Pose, Warrior II, Triangle, Side Angle Pose, Powerful Pose, Volcano Pose, Mountain Pose, and Happy/Easy Pose with a Twist. Enjoy your practice!  

There are still two more days to be eligible for this month’s giveaway, a bottle of Peppermint and a bottle of our Joy blend.  What essential oil(s) have you been using in your practice?  Like, comment and share to be eligible to win!

9 Reasons We’re Grateful for Essential Oils and Yoga

1.  Essential oils (EO) and yoga have been used for centuries. Yoga is the oldest form of “exercise” on this earth, about 5,000 years old. Essential oils have existed as long as there have been plants on this earth. Having access to what is “tried and true” provides a great foundation to grow our wellness practices. 

2. They support the body's healthy functions. Essential oils are the perfect wellness supplement since they are created in nature. Unlike nutritional supplements, essential oils work on a chemical level, which gives them the ability to support cellular structure and function, the very building blocks of our beings. There are so many oil choices and ways to use essential oils, that this type of wellness support can be completely personalized. Practicing all the eight limbs of yoga provides a means to build resilience in body, mind and spirit, and can also be tailored to the needs of the student. In addition, the sister science of yoga, the medicinal practice, is Ayurveda and is equally 5,000 years old.

3.  Both EOs and yoga focus on the “individual” as we are all such unique beings. Individuals who are new to the concept of incorporating essential oils into daily living are often surprised at the vast number of choices available for supporting specific wellness goals. This is because most essential oils have at least several constituents, and some essential oils have hundreds of compounds. The variety of choices allows us to experiment and explore, not only with which essential oils we best respond to, but we can also tweak how much, how often, and the method of application.  We also learn if we personally benefit more from using the oils topically, aromatically or internally—or a combination of the three. In yoga practice, we can tailor how to use all 8 limbs to include asana (poses), pranayama (breathwork), meditation, spiritual study, our yogic quest to understand the self as we learn how to serve our dharma, the purpose of our life.  In starting a new practice, it is wise to find a well-experienced yoga teacher, schooled not just in yoga but in yoga therapy. It is likewise ideal to work with someone experienced in using EOs when targeting specific wellness goals.

 4.  Both teach us to honor the body as a temple. We have one life to live in this vehicle that is our body.  It was given to us by God and it is our responsibility to take care of it.  In doing so we have freedom to live the purpose of our life, to honor God.

5.  Both are tools. Both explain that although God gave us everything we need on this earth and in our bodies to nurture ourselves, EOs and Yoga are tools to enhance the body’s capacity to support healthy functions.

6.  Both can affect emotional well-being. Aromatherapy is a science on its own, using the olfactory system to connect with the body’s limbic system so as to pull us out of emotional potholes.  Yoga uses restorative poses to calm the central nervous system, and standing poses and inversions to energize and empower us, pulling us away from negativity and helping us feel the potential of our own strength in many ways.

7.  Both are a “practice.” We practice to understand ourselves and our world better, to see where our efforts can be helpful and useful.  We practice to learn much more than how to be strong and healthy physically, emotionally and spiritually.  We practice to learn to be better human beings everyday, to affect positive change and to make our world a better place. And, as with the idea of what the word practice means, we must work at using these tools consistently, so that we refine what we are able to do and evolve along the way.   

8.  The exponential value of using the two together!

9.  That we get to share our passion for both, yoga and essential oils, with YOU!

Reverse Engineering Your Gratitude

As we enter this season of heightened gratitude, try on new lenses to actively appreciate all the blessings in your life. Most of us routinely overlook all the effort and collaboration that goes into the wonderful blessings we enjoy. So we invite you to try a practice that is new to most by reverse-engineering your gratitude. 

What does reverse - engineering gratitude look like? Let's use an example to illustrate this principle: say you have gone to lunch with a friend, and you are enjoying a delectable salmon salad and scrumptious roll. What had to happen for that meal and experience to take place? First of all, a whole crew most likely had to sail in treacherous waters, leaving behind family for several days at a time to participate in commercial fishing. Then someone had to process and pack the fish,  someone had to transport it, someone arrange for purchase, and finally someone had to prepare it, and serve it. Wow! And we can be grateful for the effort that goes into each step. In most scenarios, we can easily identify 10-20 or more individual components that we can reverse engineer. 

When it comes to yoga poses, we can notice the intricacies and synchronicity of the myriad of actions within each pose, and the overall comprehensive cultivation of strength, stretch, balance and dedication required to perform it.  In tree pose, Vrksasana, we must use our eyes for a focal point, to help the brain in how our nervous system is designed to help us balance, we need the foundation of our body, our legs and pelvis for stabilization, we need the mobility of our spine for the constant readjusting to anything that affects where we are are in space, and the way our nerves work for quick reaction time to help maintain us upright against gravity.  We can take this a step further and think about the oxygen we breathe to help all the cells involved in this kinetic chain and the heart that beats to send it around the body, and so on. We can consider a hand mudra like anjali (prayer position), for the energy it taps into and invokes.  

If you have children, this is a fun "game" to introduce that helps create heightened awareness and gratitude. 

While you are walking yourself through this exercise, diffuse frankincense and peppermint to help heighten your cognitive processes and focus. 

We'd love to hear about some of the results of your reverse - engineering processes, so we are going to do a few giveaways… We appreciate you all, and we love hearing your responses, as your voices join ours in this movement to share yoga and aromatherapy!   In every month, we enter the name of each person who is commenting and sharing and tagging friends from our social media posts, into our monthly giveaway.  During this gratitude series, we look forward to giving away a roller bottle duo:  1. Peppermint to help you “come present” and enjoy the many blessings of the season, and 2.  a blend we called “Joy," a combination of Wild Orange, Bergamot, White Fir and Geranium.  We are eager to hear from you! Namaste EYP friends!

What You Appreciate, Appreciates!

This second week in our gratitude series is an encouragement to your mindfulness practice of recognizing the many people, opportunities, and things in your day that you are fortunate to have in your life: from people who bless your day, to shelter and clothing, to the many gifts of the earth like sunshine, rain, fresh air and plants.  Then, use your words…to create a mantra for your yoga practice that refines your mindful practice of gratitude, to begin your faith practices with words of gratitude, to thank people around you, and to write down the gratitude on your heart. Journaling is a healing process.  Words on sticky notes, on your mirror, on your water bottle, on your lunchbox, or at the front of your yoga mat, bring your attention to realizing the positivity in your life that comes from gratitude. Focusing on gratitude keeps us connected and ready to be human together, a great sadhana (Sanskrit for daily practice)!  

Our challenge to you:  Start your yoga practice with this ideal and notice that you are inclined to practice poses that open the heart, chest and shoulders:  Cow face pose, Camel, Warrior I, Locust, and the many more backbends whether subtle or deep.  Use citrus and flower essential oils to invoke happiness and lift your heart. Share with us what you will write to remind and inspire your practices of gratitude. Enjoy this sadhana! 

Week One: Essential Yoga Practice Gratitude Series: Heart Meditation

Our First EYP Gratitude Series:  As we enter the month of November, as the fall and winter holidays are fore-front on our minds, we at Essential Yoga Practice cannot help but begin with our first “Gratitude Series.” In this month of Thanksgiving, we want to focus on the mother of all virtues, ‘Gratitude.”  This is the foundation of any practice. It is an interesting thing to note that anytime we begin a journey, at some time we return to recognizing how all of our forward steps are because of someone or something that supported us, and our heart center, our heart chakra swells with deep appreciation.  In this month, we encourage you to start or continue with a meditation practice as part of your “Dinacharya,” your morning routine, focusing on “Gratitude.”  Meditate on the heart center to get in touch with the concept that gratitude lives there.  Then shift to an asana practice to become more aware of the shoulders, chest, and heart.  While in each asana, build time by concentrating on the breath and heart center, to go deeper, to note what arises deep within the heart. 

There are different seeds of gratitude in your heart, with you since the time of your conception, and they are compassion, love, and kindness.  Practice some of these heart and shoulder opening asanas to allow these seeds to come to fruition in your life:  Warrior I, Locust, Bow, Wheel, Cow Face Pose, Eagle, Camel, Shoulder stand, and pranayamas like Ujaai, and Viloma I.  Stay with your heart, knowing that gratitude is there, and the seeds will sprout to all areas of your life:  Family, friends, work, community… Rest your focus on this during your meditation practices this month, and your understanding of how you are supported will deepen. 

What is the fragrance of gratitude?

Essential oils that support the focus on gratitude include:

•   Equal parts Wild Orange & Frankincense

•   Douglas Fir

•   Helichrysum

•   Rose

Try this meditation:

Rest your mind on the field of gratitude.  It comes from deep in the heart. You don’t have to do anything, just sit with this thought and feel what happens when your mantra, your one-pointed focus is “gratitude.”  Stay with this as long as you like, bring your hands to your heart in anjali mudra, (hands in prayer) and bow your head to the Divine within you, around you and through you.  Do this practice regularly to grow those seeds of gratitude and you will enjoy not only feeling supported but recognizing that is a sweet responsibility to support others. 

On this year anniversary, what are we thankful for? 

     -   Divine Grace

-       The gifts of Yoga, a 5,000 + year old practice of wellness

-       Aromatherapy from around our world, gifts of the Earth

-       Our families who supported us while we worked on this creation of Essential Yoga Practice book, DVD, tear-sheet class teaching guide, Essential Yoga Sangha online course, website and SM platforms.  We’ve come a long way!!

-       The many people who came into our lives to help create it all, and

-       YOU, our audience! We can’t wait to get to know you more! Now we want to hear from you, what are you thankful for? 

The Seventh Chakra - Sahasrara

The Crown Chakra, also known as the Sahasrara Chakra, is the 7th Chakra and is aptly named since it represents our connection to our Higher Power. It has to do with inspiration, connection to the divine, receiving insight and information, and our overall integration with God and/or universal consciousness. When our Crown Chakra is in balance, we are able to be 100% present, we have discernment – meaning that we are able to see truth as it really is, we are unified not only with ourselves but with our Higher Power…we are satisfied that we are on track to fulfill our divine purpose as we live here on earth.

White is the color associated with the Crown Chakra, spirit is the element, and it is connected to the Central Nervous System. The yoga identity associated with the Crown Chakra is Universal Identity, and Vrksasana (Tree Pose) and Padmasana (Lotus) are yoga asanas that can be helpful to balance the Crown Chakra. Frankincense and Lavender are essential oils supportive to a healthy Crown Chakra.

Excess energy in this chakra can manifest itself as consistent frustration, feelings of depression, migraine headaches, wild mood swings/personality traits, manic/depressive features or psychotic-type mental illness. Deficient energy may manifest as loss of self, lack of inspiration, feeling overwhelmed or helpless, feeling like a victim, not connected to meaning or significance in life, and no aspirations. Yoga asana, meditating on honoring the body as the temple of the radiant soul, and essential oils are a few ways to help us return to balance for a healthy Crown Chakra balance and divine connection. 

As we finish our focus on Chakras, let’s also talk about some general ways you can maintain healthy and balanced chakras so you feel better and resonate with positivity:

·         Pray

·         Meditate

·         Use pure aromatherapy

·         Participate in regular yoga practice

·         Spend time in nature

·         Breathe

·         Journal

·         Use affirmations

·         Nourish yourself in body, mind and spirit on a regular basis

·         Make a joy list and consistently do activities on it

·         Eat organic produce, recognizing that you can strengthen/balance a chakra by eating colored foods representative of the chakras (processed, junk and fast foods tend to clog chakras, and make them sluggish and deficient)

·         Get enough sleep

·         Pay attention to your dosha type, and participate in recommended self care

·         Drink enough water

·         Exercise

·         Manage your emotions

·         Forgive

·         Get fresh air and sunshine

·         Reduce your toxic load

·         Listen to positive music, specifically classic music

·         Use stones, gemstones and/or crystals (see pages 30-31 Essential Yoga Practice)

·         Live intentionally; you can create the life you want to live!

For more information on chakras, self-care and inviting the synergistic benefits of combining yoga with essential oils, join us for our Essential Yoga Sangha in November. Yoga Alliance members can receive 10 CE credits by participating. For more information, click here.

The Sixth Chakra - Ajna

Chakras are subtle energy centers along the spinal column, which govern areas of human anatomy and embody themes of human development from primitive urges to faithful spritual growth. They are symbolic of Divine forces manifested in mantras, geometric patterns, and crystal energies. Through various yogic practices, one is able to explore inner awareness and cultivate connection to these centers of concentraton, thus tapping into personal growth toward the goal of yoga, Samahdi.  Though all chakras play a dynamic role in cultivating the use of meditation, the 6th or Third Eye Chakra deepens our focus on this part of our yoga practice.  Known as the Ajña Chakra, this mind center holds the energy of consciousness.

A balanced 6th chakra presents as one with common sense, quick to learn, good memory, spiritual grounding, follows intuition, and uses intelligence. Imbalance in the Ajna chakra presents as one who is not sympathetic, over-thinks, lacks common sense, has sleep/nightmare issues, is forgetful, does not follow intuition, and is judgmental.

Yoga asana to support delving in the 6th chakra include:  Dolphin pose, Peacock pose, Warrior I, Warrior III, Eagle pose, Crow, Crane, Child’s Pose, and sitting in Happy or Easy pose for meditation. 

Pranayama that corresponds to the 6th chakra is Nadi shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing, which creates balance between the right and left hemisphere of the brain, an enhanced sensitivity to the breath and uses the inner focus to the eyebrow center necessary for meditation.

Essential oils that support the third eye chakra are those that carry the highest energetic frequency and are considered sacred oils. They are often used for meditation as they are both grounding and uplifting. Included are: Sandalwood, Frankincense, Rose, Jasmine, Clary Sage, Cypress, Patchouli, Palmrosa, Peppermint, Myrrh, Vetiver and Immortelle (Helichrysum italicum).  Complimentary oils to blend with them include:  Lemon, Basil Rosemary, Marjoram, Juniper, and/or Neroli. 

Want to learn more? Sign up for our Essential Yoga Practice Sangha, our 2 week online course designed to delve deeper into the practices of using yoga and aromatherapy.  Yoga Alliance teachers will receive 10 CEC hours. Next course is November 6 – 18, 2017.  Sign up here

The Fifth Chakra - Vishuddha

The fifth chakra, the throat or Vishuddha chakra, is associated with the color blue and clear communication. The throat and ear (hearing) are part of this chakra. This energy center is the conduit connecting our intuitive or spiritual-focus chakras (the 6th and 7th chakras) with the chakras rooted in our physical body. When it is open and balanced, we are able to communicate freely, we feel centered and content, and we’re able to be honest with ourselves and others.

An excess imbalance of the throat chakra could look like arrogance, dishonesty, manipulation and/or self-righteousness. Deficient energy could look like fear of speaking your truth, feeling timid, being inconsistent or unreliable, having difficulty communicating your needs to others.

Ether, the yoga identity associated with the Throat Chakra, is also referred to as space, and is the essence of “emptiness.” Being still and silent through meditation is especially advantageous in helping us purify and strengthen our throat chakra, the connection between heart and mind. Try utilizing “Mouna Meditation”, wherein you choose a time of day when you can keep silent and abstain from intellectual focus (ie reading, TV, music, etc.) in order to increase external and internal silence.

Newcomers to meditation might notice a number of random concerns break through consciousness, such as a phone call that needs to be made…allow these thoughts to dissipate without becoming distracted or involved, and as this silent practice quiets your mind and soothes anxious feelings, you’ll be better equipped to allow these benefits into your daily living practices, such as thinking before you speak and saying only that which is necessary and true.

Yoga asanas to open the Throat chakra are also heart and shoulder openers. Examples are Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I), Purvottanasana(Long Bridge), Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Supported short bridge),  Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand), Dhanurasana (Wheel), and Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose).  Pranayamas that supports the Throat Chakra are Ujaai, and Bhramari.

One of the best essential oils to use to support clear communication and the throat chakra, is lavender. It is interesting that this essential oil which is so well known throughout the world, is one that can evoke a sentiment of love or extreme distaste in those who try it. It is an oil that encourages us to speak our truth, and therefore can feel uncomfortable to those with an imbalance in this chakra. If you find yourself having an aversion to lavender, ask yourself what emotions you have that need to be expressed, what your truth is, and how you are voicing it honestly to yourself and those around you.

The Fourth Chakra- Anahata

The Anahata chakra, the heart center, is the 4th of 7 chakras, and is considered the core of our being. It is the seat of our intuition and our emotional health. A balanced heart chakra affects our ability to give and receive love in a healthy way, to be content, joyful and compassionate.  We are also better able to cope with sadness, grief, depression, lonliness, and loss.

In the past weeks we have been studying the lower “earthly” chakras and now we journey to the balance point between the physical realm, our earthly desires, and the subtle realm, our spiritual journey. Once we connect with and awaken the energies of the first three chakras, we can use our intuitive persuits to benefit the understanding of Self. We can emerge from our stable base toward a greater acceptance of the larger sense of who we are in relation to others and to the universe. We become more accepting of others and of circumstances, and we see God in all. Recognizing our Divine nature brings us closer to understanding our life’s purpose and acknowledging the Divine in others helps us appreciate their gifts and the importance of community. Incorporating scriptural study is one of the pillars of the Yoga Sutras, and encouraged as part of daily practice toward each person’s unique spiritual journey. Through the heart chakra, love is our motivation in our relationships with others, nature, and with ourselves.

The heart chakra is physically associated with the heart, lungs, arms, hands, the sense of touch, the thymus gland, and the immune system. Many mudras support the heart center, to include Anjali (hands in prayer), Chin,  Gayan, and Prana Mudra.  Supportive asanas include chest and shoulder openers like Gomukhasana (Cow Face pose), Garudasana (Eagle), Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I), Dandasana (Staff), Purvottanasana (Long Bridge), Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand), and Viloma I Pranayama.  The alignment of arms in these poses helps to create an open, stable connection between the heart and the head, neck, and shoulders and the lower rooting chakras.  The air element is related to this core chakra, thus the use of aromatherapy is quite effective. Essential oils that support the heart center are:  melissa, rosemary, marjoram, sandalwood, jasmine, rose, neroli, chamomile, lavender and geranium.      

Anahata in Sanskrit means “unstruck.” Many yogis believe that the constant rhythmic beat or vibration of the heart correlates to the heart beat of all creation. As we move through a more heart-centered time for humankind, many of us are turning our reflection inward, connecting with our heart-centered intuition for guidance, and experiencing a deeper understand of Self through this 4th chakra. The importance of communication coming from the heart chakra is a valuable tool to find unquestioning love for yourself, others, and the Divine. 

To learn more see the chakra chart on pp. 30-31, in your copy of Essential Yoga Practice: Your Guide to the New Yoga Experience with Essential Oils.    Join us for a two week online course, starting November 6, 2017, “Essential Yoga Practice Sangha”, to deepen your yoga and aromatherapy practices,  Click Here.  Though this course is for both new and experienced yogis, yoga teachers will receive 10 hours of Yoga Alliance continuing education credit!

The Third Chakra - Solar Plexus

This week’s focus is on the third chakra, also known as the Solar Plexus Chakra or Manipura.  It is associated with the color yellow and the element fire. The digestive system is part of this chakra; it is known as our power center, and rightfully so as we consider how the digestive system has a massive impact on so many other body systems. The Solar Plexus is has to do with our individuality, self-will and self-esteem. This is where we embrace the uniqueness about ourselves, and it is connected to how much we allow ourselves to receive. 

As we consider the delicate balance pertaining to the Solar Plexus, “too much” could indicate excess ego, selfishness, lacking emotional warmth or difficulty relaxing. “Too little” can indicate frustration, feeling depressed, lacking confidence or needing to please others. Keeping our chakra energy clear and balanced is important to our healthy mind, spirit, body connection. 

The yoga identity associated with the Solar Plexus is the Ego Identity. When meditating to strengthen and balance this chakra, focus on one’s inner light and opportunities to radiate that light. What messages might the universe give us to embrace and expand on who we are, learn what our special gifts are and how we can use them to give back?

Essential oils can support our power center, they can enhance the love we feel for ourselves and choose in to who we are called to be. Some essential oils supportive to this chakra are Juniper Berry, Lemon, Neroli and Peppermint. As you breathe in the rich aroma of the essential oil(s) of your choice, do any yoga pose of your choice and think about how who you are resonates with the attributes that inspire you. What are those attributes? Love, peace, kindness, empathy, service … ask yourself: Why am I ____________ (love)? This question inspires your brain to search for evidence, and it’s a marvelous way to support your Solar Plexus chakra.

The Second Chakra - Svadhishthana

September 21 is known as the Fall Equinox and signifies the transition from summer to fall.  From an Ayurvedic perspecitive,It is also a transition into the season of Vata dosha, the energy that governs movement. It's an ideal time to tune into your authentic self and use the change in season as a means of self-study. On this day, there are equal hours of daylight and night.  As we turn our attention inward, we can reflect on the intentions of the spring, the seeds we sowed personally, and connect to the fruit of the labor as we nurtured those intentions throughout the summer.

The Fall Equinox aligns well for our chakra series. This week we focus on the second chakra, svadhishthana, the energy center represented by the water element, which expresses the unconscious depths of our desires. Here is where the life force begins to express itself and is responsible for our outward movement of vitality and potential reach into the world. We are either in touch with our needs and wants and can satisfy them in a healthy way, or if this chakra is out of balance, our energy is dissipated and we are attached to the pleasure and the gratification of our cravings.  To stay healthy here, we need to define boundaries and to strengthen our physical and emotional resilience.

Thus, in your daily practice, work against the dryness of the season by oiling and massaging the body (abyhanga) to remove toxins before showering and after bathing, lubricate the body again with warmed carrier oils like coconut, sunflower or sesame oil, infused with essential oils like lavender, chamomile, sandalwood, geranium, eucalyptus and rosemary.  See pp. 23 and 24 in Essential Yoga Practice book.  Massage the belly in clockwise fashion to aid healthy digestion/elimination and massage the joints too!  In addition, incorporate healthy fats into your diet and eat seasonally.  In your yoga asana practice, create balance in both the mobility and the strengthening of the hips with poses like Baddha Konasana, Bound Angle pose, stabilizing standing poses like Trikonasana, Tree, and all Virabhadrasanas, Warrior poses.  Cultivate core strengthening with poses like Salabhasana,  Locust pose and Navasana, Boat pose.  End with a counterbalancing pose like Jathara Parivartanasana, Revolved Stomach pose and a restorative like Balasana, Child’s pose.

The literal meaning of svadishthana is “her own abode,” the abode of Kundalini energy, which implies that the goddess Kundalini, when awakened from her slumber in the muladhara, the root chakra, resides here, and our desire is one and the same as Divine desire. When we are healthy in our svadishthana chakra, we are no longer ruled by personal likes and dislikes, but rather, we are instruments in the hands of the Divine, connecting to our “purpose” at the deepest level of our being.

Want to learn more? Sign up for our Essential Yoga Practice Sangha, our 2 week online course designed to delve deeper into the practices of using yoga and aromatherapy.  Yoga Alliance teachers will receive 10 CEC hours. Sign up here:  https://essentialyogafall2017.eventbrite.com

Root Chakra

There are signs of change all around us.  The coming of the fall equinox marks a pivotal time in the practice of Ayurveda as we are entering Vata season. Seasons of change are an especially good time to be grounded.

Let us turn our attention to the seven chakras, energy centers located along the spine. These energy centers are connected to nerve, artery and vein meridians, and represent different parts of our identity. (For more information about chakras, see pages 26-31 of Essential Yoga Practice). Each week for the coming weeks we will spotlight a different chakra.

Today we are starting with the Root, or Base, Chakra, also called Mulahadra. It is associated with the color red and the element earth. The legs, spine and adrenal glands are part of this chakra. The Root Chakra has to do with our feelings of security and survival instincts, it links us with our family history and heritage. In yoga, it is known as our physical identity.

Keeping our chakras balanced is essential for a healthy mind, body, spirit connection and the ability to operate as our highest and best self. Balance indicates that there is neither too much, nor too little. For the root chakra, “too much” could indicate greed/selfishness, excess ego, clouded judgment, and/or lack of empathy towards others. “Too little” can indicate feelings of shame, embarrassment, lack of confidence, feeling unlovable or not good enough.

The Root Chakra is an especially important chakra, because it is the foundational energy upon which the other chakras build; if this chakra is sluggish, blocked or out of balance, it is difficult for the other chakras to fully balance.

Both yoga and essential oils provide a unique approach to chakra balancing. Through certain movements, asanas and techniques, yoga allows us to reach up and out and progress in our abilities and understanding…only if we are firmly anchored into the ground. It allows us to feel the support and presence of the earth as a springboard for ourselves and all that we wish to create and contribute. The next time you practice yoga, allow yourself to focus on feeling rooted and grounded as a way to lay a foundation for holistic wellness in your life.

Essential oils can help us train our brain and emotions to think and feel the reality we want to live in, especially if our current reality might contain some residual “lesser desirables.” The chemical constituents in essential oils can support emotional centers of the brain, and we can also associate aroma with specific intentions and situations that can help us anchor and be active participant in our own lives.

Try this: Put a drop of essential oil in the palm of one of your hands, rub your hands together, cup your nose and inhale. Think of a specific intention you have to help you get grounded/centered. Then do any yoga pose of your choice, paying specific attention to the support the earth gives you so that you can reach up or out. Allow yourself to experience and express deep appreciation to your higher power for the gift of the earth as you get more rooted and grounded.

Namaste --

doTerra Global Convention

This week we are at the at the doTERRA Global Convention 2017 in Salt Lake City Utah!    We will be back next week with our weekly blogpost.  For now follow us on our social media platforms : Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter  to see what we are up to.    Comment and share/retweet to be entered in our daily giveaways.  We will be signing books at Aromatools and at the Oil Life tent in Salt Lake City, showcasing our new tear sheet pads that go along with our book and DVD, Essential Yoga Practice.  Follow the social media prompts on Face Book, Instagram and Twitter by Midnighton Wednesday to be eligible to win a bottle of Respiratory Blend or the yoga straps on Thursday am.  Participate similarly on Thursday by midnight to be eligible to win a bottle of Grounding Blend or eye pillows on Friday.  And, participate on our social media platforms by midnight on Friday to be eligible to win  malas or a bottle of Lemongrass on Saturday!

Cultivating a Meditation Practice

In this technology driven world, we often feel over-stimulated and among many mind-body tools which can provide us some grounding and clarity is meditation.  Meditation practices are not a one size fits all however; there are so many different styles to choose from, and perhaps to combine.  The style of meditation you choose may depend on your personality, habits, what time of day you can incorporate a practice, and intention.  Be open to trial and error, allowing yourself several opportunities to experience any of these or other meditative techniques, so that you become familiar with the outcome for you, and can rely on that to help dictate when/if to use that particular style practice in the future. Here at Essential Yoga Practice we say that “everyone has a place in yoga” and therefore everyone can find a meditation style that aligns with their unique personality.  In the world of yoga therapy we hear, “if you can breathe, you can do yoga” and thus meditate!

Many people already meditate unknowingly in their day, if we consider that every meditation practice is based on four main steps: focus, let go, think, repeat.  Most people shy away from trying meditation because they think the idea is to empty the mind and that seems too far out of reach. That is a misconception.  The ideal is to have a “one-pointed” focus, so as to give the mind a break from the jumping around, and that practice is worth cultivating. We can learn to train the mind to slow down this energy draining habit and then to be able to be more focused throughout the day.  Anything that we practice becomes something we can do well. So let’s get started with 5 different meditation techniques, though there are many more. 

1.  Focus on the breath.  This is the most traditional way yogis meditate and there are many variations under this big umbrella of breath-centered meditation.  You can make it so simple as to deepen both the inhalation and the exhalation, which has a calming effect on the central nervous system, improves lung capacity, tones the diaphragm and the accessory muscles of breathing, and can be done in any position. 

2.  Mantra – repeating a sound, especially “healing sounds” or one that has meaning is very soothing and intentional. In Sanskrit there are “bij” mantras, sounds/syllables that are considered healing, and have exponential healing when combined in certain ways. “OM” is considered the universal mantra, on a macro level it is the residual sound of the big bang, on a micro level it is the sound of electrons spinning; it is considered by many to be the sound of the universe, thus a tie that binds us. 

3. Guided Imagery – some people cannot seem to pare down their focus so guided imagery is the step in the direction of learning to meditate on one point.  Whether you have a teacher providing the calming vocalized story or a CD or DVD, this method still manages to block out the usual worry or racing behavior of the mind and can be very quieting for both body and mind.

4. Loving Kindness Meditation – is a wonderful way of cultivating self love and love for others. The idea here is to focus on love and acceptance, the positive energy that comes from good intentions, care and compassion, for self and others.  Praying falls into this category too and is very soothing and freeing for the soul.

5. Walking Meditation – many people find it hard to lie still, let alone to sit still, and if that is the greatest hurdle then using a walking meditation practice is a wonderful way to develop focusing skills.  It is useful to combine mantra here, repeating the chosen sound with each step, and to walk along a defined path to allow the mind to not have the decision work of choosing direction (consider a labyrinth or park path).  And, there extra advantages: being out in nature and enjoying fresh air!

Note that meditation, or Dhyana, is the 7th limb of yoga, considered the “game changer,” of yoga practice. Asana, or practice of postures, is the 3rd limb, and considered to have the purpose of strengthening the body, especially the spine, to be able to sit for long periods in meditation.  When meditation is new, and for many yogis, the preference is to have a reclined meditation practice, where the back body is supported.  It is a different experience to be able to sit upright with good posture for an extended stretch of time, in meditation – it requires more strength and more diligence to stay the course. Start with what keeps you comfortable, that you are able to apply Dhyana,  the 6th limb or concentration, stay the course of your intended practice, and reap the fruit of the labor:  Delving deep to the inner self, and thus toward the 8th limb, Enlightenment, Samahdi!  Want to take meditation to another level?  Add aromatherapy!  Check out last week’s blog.  Get your copy of Essential Yoga Practice:  Your Guide to the New Yoga Experience with Essential Oils book and DVD.  Opt in to our website to hear our latest news.  And, join us on social media: like, comment and share to be entered into the monthly giveaways! Enjoy your practice!

Using Essential Oils on and Off the Mat!

There are five different groups of essential oils and this blog will discuss how to use them on and off the mat!  

Participate, share and win your copy of the DVD, Essential Yoga Practice!

Once it becomes a habit, there's nothing quite as relaxing as aromatherapy infused into your yoga practice, whether at the beginning, middle or end of your class/practice.  After many years of studying and teaching yoga and using aromatherapy, we have found that aromatherapy supports the well-being of the mind, body, and spirit,… just like yoga! Aromatherapy is effective whether one diffuses essential oils or through direct application onto the skin.  Remember that “less is more” when you have a pure essential oil, it is rather potent so it is always best to blend essential oils with a carrier when applying onto skin.  For more information, refer to your copy of Essential Yoga Practice:  Your Guide to the New Yoga Experience With Essential Oils. 

Order here. 

Regardless of application, essential oils aid the efficiency of all body systems to function optimally, promote a positive emotional state, and provide mental clarity. Here are some suggestions of essential oilsenhance your yoga practice and positively affect your overall health and wellness:

1. Ginger, sandalwood, vetiver, frankincense, myrrh, cedarwood, white fir are all very grounding. These aromas will support balance, stability, and intention in asana practice and deepen your meditation practice.

2. Peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, melaluca, petitgrain, cardamom, and arborvitae will clear airborne pathogens, open the airways, and support mastering the art of deep, steady breathing, pranayama practice and the clarity that comes from focusing on the breath.

3.  Lavender, spikenard, chamomile, marjarom and geranium are calming scents used to promote relaxation and quieting the mind, especially during restorative poses and savasana at the end of yoga asana.

4. Wild orange, lemon, bergamot, grapefruit and lime all boost positive emotions and allow a lighter spirit and outlook, another way to maximize on how your yoga practice can boost your energy and sense of happiness.

5.  Neroli, rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, and geranium help lift the heaviness from the heart, connect us to each other and encourage spiritual growth, all ways to help us transcend stuck patterns and improve outlook.

Now that you are beginning to understand which aromatherapy choices your yoga teacher is making, now that you understand the effects of certain aromas, begin to use essential oils as you build your own yoga practice as well as in other parts of your day. As you combine aromatherapy to help make your yoga experiences and practices more holistic, please share your choices and experiences!  Join us in this movement and let’s journey together!  We look forward to hearing from you!  From the responses, we will randomly choose a winner to receive a DVD that accompanies our book!  Need essential oils?  Message us at www.essentialyogapractice.com

What is Yoga Sangha?

Yoga and aromatherapy students and teachers have been asking us…what exactly is Essential Yoga Sangha? We thought the blog would be a perfect forum to give you a much more in-depth view of exactly what it is and why it’s such an amazing course!

Description: Essential Yoga Sangha is an interactive 2-week online course that allows participants direct access to Mona Flynn and Asti Atkinson (creators of Essential Yoga Practice)…and also to each other. It’s a prerequisite for those who want to join our affiliate organization, an organization created for yoga teachers and aromatherapy educators who like collaborating with other professionals on the best ways to teach their students to combine yoga and essential oils. It’s also ideal for beginning yoga and essential oil students, since they’ll get great step-by-step instruction on how to personalize Essential Yoga for their own practice. And there is a supportive forum so participants can ask questions and celebrate successes along the way. The class is set up so participants have complete flexibility on timing … so it will work for everyone.

Since we are in a supporting role for those directly teaching yoga and essential oils, we work with studios and teachers to promote and edify you to your own students. The benefits of both yoga and pure essential oils are so thoroughly documented, that we foresee mainstreaming the combination of these two ancient practices as one of the best services we can provide in helping people to take charge of their own healthy lifestyle and personal wellness. Therefore, yoga teachers participating in the Sangha will receive extra instruction each day specific to teaching their students, including how to start incorporating essential oils in your offering and classes if you haven’t started yet, or how to deepen your use of essential oils if you’ve already started using them in your classes. Best of all, we are approved with Yoga Alliance to provide continuing education credits for yoga teachers!

Participants can plan on approximately 1 hour of instruction per day; the instruction comes in the form of multiple videos and text, so you can work the education into your schedule a few minutes at a time. Participants have up to a month to complete the course, making it incredibly easy to fit into any schedule.

Benefits for students:

·       Learn about the characteristics that comprise a pure and effective essential oil – something that has a direct effect on the quality and results of your experience

·       Learn how to choose particular essential oils (ie peppermint or lavender?) to achieve a targeted result

·       Experience different methods for essential oil application

·       Learn how to incorporate essential oils with various parts of your yoga experience

·       Experience several ways to expand your yoga experience and understanding of yourself (including doshas, chakras and meditation)

·       Learn to reduce toxins in your immediate environment as you care for your space and yoga equipment naturally – natural-care recipes provided

·       Learn why using a diffuser in your practice (and daily life) can bring such powerful benefits

·       Receive many diffuser recipes to benefit your practice

·       Learn to pair essential oils to enhance your restorative yoga practice

·       Learn how to get synergistic benefits for your pranayama practice (breathing exercises)

·       Receive a list of powerful essential oil pairings to use in your practice

·       Receive specific tips regarding internal use of essential oils, and how this can affect your yoga practice and life

·       Learn about mudras (hand & finger gestures) and how you can use them to benefit your dosha-type

·       Get an introduction to Ayurveda and the 5 great elements that are part of everyday life, and how they affect your practice and life

·       Learn ways to incorporate principles of Ayurveda into your yoga practice    

Benefits for teachers:

·       Receive CE credits through Yoga Alliance

·       Learn practical steps for introducing essential oils to your students

·       Consider pros & cons of carrying essential oils in your studio, as well as some tips if you choose to do so

·       Use diffusers powerfully to expand the yoga experience you offer

·       Targeted instruction for enhancing your 1:1 yoga sessions

·       Learn to avoid over-complicating addition of essential oils to your practice; less is often more

·       Learn special considerations for teachers regarding internal use of essential oils

·       In order to reduce toxic load of your studio (to raise vibration & enhance the experience), receive a shopping list of items to keep on hand. Natural care of your studio is easier than you think!

·       Learn how to teach your students about the important of reducing toxic load & help them feel amazing in your studio

·       Get tips for teaching doshas to your students, and for incorporating them into your seasonal yoga practice in a way that will help your students improve in – and out – of their yoga practice

·       Receive a helpful chakra summary as you incorporate chakra awareness into your yoga practice

·       Learn to do an ayurvedic face massage

·       Learn tips for incorporating meditation (together with aromatherapy) into your yoga practice

·       Join a network of like-minded individuals to share ideas, ask questions, receive clarity, and enhance your offering to your students

 You truly do receive an incredible education and experience by joining us in the Sangha … we hope to collaborate with you in the very near future!

Win our 2 week Essential Yoga Sangha course!

The ancient sages taught that plants were gifts from heaven. The evolution of our biosphere is initiated by the evolution of plants to survive disease causing toxic chemicals and situations.  What plants do in the biosphere, they do in our bodies too! We are connected to all living things on both a macro, and a micro level. Aromatherapy uses distilled oils and essences of plants to allow us the most concentrated forms of protection and prevention in how plants can contribute to our wellness practices.  Essential oils allow us to breathe in health and bask in the aromas that represent vitality.   

Did you know that it takes 50,000 jasmine flowers to create 5 ml of jasmine essential oil?  We should respect the potency of using pure essential oils and practice using them with the ideal that “less is more.” 

In the practice of yoga and Ayurveda, the quality of prana, or life force, is linked to the quality of living in a pure way: eating clean, living clean, seeking truth, being honest and respectful, having good intentions,  serving others, and growing spiritually. 

Want to learn more?  Join us in the upcoming Essential Yoga Sangha, based on the book, Essential Yoga Practice: Your Guide to the New Yoga Experience With Essential Oils. We will deepen our understanding of what essential oils are and how Ayurveda is a plant based wellness practice that gives us direction in how to use essential oils and  aromatherapy in yoga. We will learn how prana links the inward conscious to the outer world, and how this helps us to understand ourselves better, the cornerstone of the journey of yoga.  Come join us!  Get your copy of Essential Yoga Practice.  The next 2-week study of Essential Yoga Sangha begins August 14!  Sign up here .  “Like, comment, and share” this blog post on Face Book, Instagram, and Twitter to be entered to participate for free!  Yoga teachers will receive 10 CECs with Yoga Alliance. 

Yoga Sangha- Live Clean and Practice Clean

1. Live clean, and practice clean, join us on that journey in enhancing yoga with aromatherapy:

We all know that Yamas (restraints) and Niyamas (observances) are foundational in the lives of yogis.  We can apply them both on and off the mat. But when our practice falls into the repetitiveness of our habits, our samskaras,, how can we find new ways to live our own practice with personal growth so that we can lead as yoga teachers?  The answer lies in another word that is synonymous with the word yoga, and that is “awareness.”  How do we cultivate the practice of awareness so that we can learn from being present, for ourselves and our students?  How can we practice being present more effectively? The answer:  By using our senses! If we live clean, and use the ideals of the niyama called saucha, cleanliness, then it is a clean environment that helps us to stay physically healthy as well as to clear our mind and focus on what is really in front of us.  Being present allows us the opportunity to learn and thus to evolve. 

Join us in a two- week online learning experience, Essential Yoga Sangha,, that is fun, and interactive!

First: get your copy of Essential Yoga Practice:  Your Guide to the New Yoga Experience With Essential Oils.  Second: sign up for Essential Yoga Sangha at   Together we will dive a little deeper to understand some of the benefits of pairing these two ancient practices, aromatherapy and yoga:

·      Learn what essential oils are, and how they work to improve the function ofbody systems

·      Become a smart essential oil consumer

·      Learn how to use your favorite essential oils

·      Experience for yourself the benefits of incorporating aromatherapy into your yoga practice

·      Understand how to safely clean your mat, yoga class and practice space in a way that removes toxic load, is inexpensive, and effective

·      Align with Ayurvedic principles on aromatherapy

·      Experience asana, pranayama and meditation on a whole new level by adding aromatherapy.

·      Receive 10 CEC hours with Yoga Alliance upon completion (half of the bi-annual requirement)

2.  Live your practice:  Yoga, Aromatherapy and Ayurveda

3.  Calling all yogis, take your practice to a new level (yoga teachers get 10 hours Yoga Alliance CECs).

Sign Up Here

6 Tips to Build Your Meditation Practice

Meditation is a buzz-word these days, and there is so much direction on how to meditate.  Don’t get confused, know that the simple ideal of a “one-pointed” focus is the cornerstone of building a meditation practice. If we do just that,  we give the mind a break from the racing or jumping around that happens all the time in our over-stimulated technology driven world.  Just as the constant flow of information from technology trains our minds to race with thoughts, we can also train the mind to “quiet.” Here are a few ideas to rein in your mind’s energy, andtherefore gain the advantage of allowing that focused energy to give you a more relaxed nervous system that leads to clarity and better understanding your true calling. 

1.  Decide if your meditation practice will be sitting , standing, or reclined.  People who find it hard to be still can do a walking meditation so that the body’s nervous energy can be worked off as the mind learns to quiet. 

2.  Turn your reflection inward to and give your practice an intention.  This is unique to you, every time.

3.  Decide what the one-pointed practice will be:  your breath (the most traditional way of yogis in meditation,” a mantra, a sound, a picture, ….

4.  Every time your mind wanders, don’t get frustrated.  Simply bring your focus back to the one point.  With practice, you will find progress. 

5.  Use a mudra, a hand gesture especially, to tap into the meridian energy systems of the body:  this will affect mood as well as energy.

5.  Use aromatherapy:  try a drop of an essential oil in your hands for your mudra practice, behind the ears, at the nape of the neck,  on the soles of your feet, or in a diffuser.  Experiment with aromas to recognize that your life experiences will drive the effectiveness of certain aromas but be open to the science behind using pure essential oils. Peppermint and/or citrus oils will energize,  resins such as frankincense and myrrh, and other tree oils will help quiet the nervous system, rosemary and peppermint will help with focus, and eucalyptus and peppermint will deepen breathing, thus quieting the body even more.

6.  Set a time to meditate and try to build us to a daily practice. 

Want to learn more?  Get your copy of Essential Yoga Practice book and DVD on Amazon!  Opt in to our website to receive our weekly blog and hear about upcoming events at www.essentialyogapractice.com.  And, join us for the next 2 week on-line training which starts on August 14, Essential Yoga Sangha, a fun, interactive way to learn how these two ancient practices, yoga and aromatherapy, enhance each other. 

Sign up here