Rachel Foster Yoga
My Blog
My Blog
An ongoing series of informational entries, thoughts, and ideas!
An ongoing series of informational entries, thoughts, and ideas!
Take care of yourself
Take care of yourself
Blocks, straps, blankets, meditation stools, & eye-bags are all wonderful adjuncts to our yoga practice. In one form or another they nurture our bodies and help us relax! When we use them, it sends a message to our body that it's O.K to let go and to release, in a safe and supported way. In doing so we give ourselves the gift of compassion and we are practicing self -care.
How you come to the mat is how you do your life, so be curious next time you step onto your mat, and make an intention to have compassion for yourself and in turn you will have greater compassion for others..
Right movement is life changing!
Right movement is life changing!
I started yoga in my 40s and have been practising asana for twenty years now, and and certainly more flexible than I was when I started!
Over the past decade, I noticed that my body was changing and there were more and more aches and pains, that were interfering with my function, to the point where I wondered if I could continue for the next how ever many years!
Like many people, I ended up at my physicians office, bemoaning my fate, and the fact I had lost 2 cms height. What was going on? Tests were started, and I head off to Calgary for a 6-day yoga immersion to build on, and learn more about a therapeutic approach to yoga.
What I learned has changed my body, my life and my way of teaching yoga! I was moving in ways that I had no idea! using parts of my body that I shouldn't be moving
Through the intelligent and mindful application of my sight, biomechanics, movement, and props, I relieved my pain, and gained back my 2 cms! I feel free again in my body, and have the tools to keep it that way.
I am excited to bring hope and healing to all my students!
Taming the Inner Monkey- Helping kids find their ‘Ohm’ space
Taming the Inner Monkey- Helping kids find their ‘Ohm’ space
I found this article I'd written for a local rag a few years ago, and thought it was relevant enough to share agin as the summer holidays are upon us.....
Every Monday Tamsyn arrives at the church hall ready to embark on a journey with her mom, a journey of breathing, body awareness, stretching and relaxation, a journey of Yoga – her yoga. A bright, bubbly eight year old who weaves in and out of her yoga colleagues, all her mom’s age and older - watching, copying, inventing her own poses and every once in a while following along.
Clutching her doll in one arm, and a children’s yoga book in the other, she drops to her mat to settle down. Quiet for a while, she focuses her attention on the job at hand - breathing – then in a flash she is off again, wandering and handing out yoga props as needed. Next she’s back at her mom’s side to offer support and lay her hands on her moms back as she moves into the next pose and concentrates on her breathing. Tamsyn knows there is work to be done – body work, energy work – and offers encouraging words, softly spoken. Little by little the bubbles dissipate, she calms, settles and lies on her mat. Cozy under a blanket the words of relaxation reach her ears; she follows the guiding voice, and drifts into the distance still sleeping long after the class has finished.
As adults we come to know yoga for a myriad of reasons whether to relieve stress, heal our physical bodies, learn a new form of exercise, or to create a peaceful space in our world. Suddenly we realize that we are calmer, more flexible, can concentrate better and are more focused. Everything around us is brighter, more colourful, and for some reason things don’t bother us as much as they did before. We can even sit quietly without having to do!
Imagine now giving that gift to give to our kids, to help them tame their inner monkey so that it’s outer mischief is quieted for a while. Perhaps giving them the tools to handle their stress and frustrations, to help them sit still for more than two minutes to listen, or even new skills to study more effectively. Maybe in your home it’s just helping them to fall asleep.
I believe that the key to balanced, calm, healthy family life is balanced, calm and healthy parents and children, and yoga is a wonderful strategy to have in your parenting and grand-parenting toolbox.