Emma Lovell Yoga

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Ode to the beautiful nude, Pablo Neruda

“Nakedly beautiful,
whether it is your feet, arching
at a primal touch
of sound or breeze,
or your ears,
tiny spiral shells
from the splendour of America’s oceans.
Your breasts also,
of equal fullness, overflowing
with the living light
and, yes,
winged
your eyelids of silken corn
that disclose
or enclose
the deep twin landscapes of your eyes.
The line of your back
separating you
falls away into paler regions
then surges
to the smooth hemispheres
of an apple,
and goes splitting
your loveliness
into two pillars
of burnt gold, pure alabaster,
to be lost in the twin clusters of your feet,
from which, once more, lifts and takes fire
the double tree of your symmetry:
flower of fire, open circle of candles,
swollen fruit raised
over the meeting of earth and ocean.
Your body – from what substances
agate, quartz, ears of wheat,
did it flow, was it gathered,
rising like bread
in the warmth,
and signalling hills
silvered,
valleys of a single petal, sweetnesses
of velvet depth,
until the pure, fine, form of woman
thickened
and rested there?
It is not so much light that falls
over the world
extended by your body
its suffocating snow,
as brightness, pouring itself out of you,
as if you were
burning inside.
Under your skin the moon is alive.”




10 Signs You Are A Modern Yogi… by Brea Johnson (Hearts and Bones Yoga)

1. You find yourself using the floor and household furniture in your practice (and throughout the day) more than a yoga mat.

2. You don’t know what to call the type of yoga you are teaching/practicing.

3. You have an insatiable appetite for learning all about the body.

4. You’ve broken up with yoga at least once

5. You’ve started strength training.

6. You geek out on things like the nervous system, range of motion and mobility.

7. You post more pictures of yourself in a squat in nature than you do yoga poses.

8. Small, subtle movements have become way more exciting to you than big, showy ones.

9. You have more questions than answers about yoga and movement.

10. You have a hard time going to a regular yoga class.

 

YES to all…

From here




Nearly there!

The time is fast approaching when I must bid you all a temporary farewell as I go on maternity leave.  Thank you to everyone who has come to my classes these past couple of years-  It has been a real pleasure to teach you and to get to know you.  You have taught me a huge amount and thank you for always coming to class with open-minds and a sense of fun!

I am still planning to teach until Friday 2nd December, however if this changes I will let you all know.  If you’d like to drop-in to any of my classes before I go on leave then do let me know and I’ll do my best to fit you in.

For those of you based in Salisbury, I have some lovely cover teachers taking over some of my classes from 5th December onwards.  These classes are:

Mondays 11.30-12.30 at Neal’s Yard (covered by Alison Sheeley)

Tuesdays 6-7pm at the Therapy Centre (covered by Lisa Mullineaux)

Wednesdays 11.30-12.30 at Neal’s Yard (covered by Lisa Mullineaux)

Fridays 11.30-12.30 at Neal’s Yard (covered by Lisa Mullineaux)

Fridays 9.30-10.30 Sport Direct Fitness (covered by Lisa Mullineaux)

Here’s a bit more information on the cover teachers:

Alison Sheeley  07766 544533 alison.sheeley@hotmail.com

Alison is a physiotherapist and spends much of her time teaching Pilates and Yoga as rehabilitation tools. She works at Sarum Physiotherapy Clinic and Amesbury Physiotherapy Clinic.  As well as providing cover for local yoga teachers at Parkwood Gym, she teaches her own beginners yoga class.  With a background in Ashtanga yoga, Alison teaches a flow class that is suitable for any ability. 

 
*****

Lisa Mullineaux lisamxyoga@gmail.com 07528805984.  

Lisa first practiced yoga over a decade ago and is a qualified Astanga and Hatha Yoga teacher, having completed her teacher training at the Himalaya Yoga Valley Centre in India (200 Hr). 

Accommodating all levels, Lisa’s inclusive teaching style creates an environment of acceptance by offering a range of options, and the use of props – with a focus on alignment and adapting each posture to the individual – allowing students the freedom to discover their own bodies at their own pace.  

 Lisa was first drawn to the healing powers of yoga to help reduce pelvic pain caused by endometriosis but – like many others who initially come to yoga for the physical benefits – found a deeper appreciation of the practice, leaving each class with a clearer mind and a stronger sense of self.

In a chaotic world, we have the tendency to speed through life and forget about our wellbeing so Lisa encourages a meditative practice that will slow you down and help you to release the tension stored from daily life. 

 Lisa has a passion to share all that yoga has to offer with her students, and her classes are designed to build strength and improve flexibility, flowing with the breath to connect mind and body, leaving you relaxed and ready to take on the world!

www.lisamxyoga.com/

*****

Classes will be drop-in from w/c 5th December until Christmas to give you a chance to try out the classes, and then the 6 week courses will resume in the new year.  Prices and timings will all remain the same.  If you’d like to come along to any of the classes do let the relevant cover teacher know so they can save you a space.

All other classes will be on hold until I come back next year.

I wish you all a very (early!) happy Christmas and 2017.  Keep up the practice, keep asking questions, and keep moving!




‘I teach self-care. I create environments for people to investigate themselves. I give them permission to touch their wounds, their blindness and numbness. I believe that deep self-knowledge is the path to healing and repairing the places where we’ve turned our backs on ourselves, where we were ignorant of our own body biases within our tissues and therefore our heart and soul. I help people find where they have unknowingly been at battle in their bodies. I teach this across fractured party lines. I teach people to empower themselves through body sensing and body-relating practices. And I believe that embodied self knowledge fosters compassion, understanding and better inter-relating to other humans. I want to know my neighbor, even if we disagree. I am prepared to do my part in repairing this country. I chose to not be at war with my own body a long time ago.

To my movement educator friends, let’s continue to hold space for people of all ages and stages, let’s honor them by hosting environments where they can find ease and peace. May we unify inside ourselves in order transform the anxiety and fear within society.’ Jill Miller




The best way to breathe…

‘The best way to breathe is the way that supports the activity that you are doing.’  Donna Farhi, The Breathing Book.

Kiki Smith – Ribs, 1987, terracotta, ink, and thread

It’s been all about the rib cage and breath in class this week.  Specifically focusing on how we are breathing with the thoracic cavity and aiming to create space and awareness in this area for a better quality breath.  Here’s biomechanist Katy Bowman explaining the mechanics of breathing and how the way you breathe affects the different pressure systems in the body:

Here are some movements you might want to try at home to help create space and release tension in this area:

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Side stretch

Walk hands and feet over to one side making sure pelvis and ribs don’t roll with you (they stay level).  You can cross one ankle over the other and take your wrist to make the stretch stronger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pec/chest stretch

Lay on your back and bend your right knee up roll it to the left until the knee and foot are on the floor.  Keeping the leg in place, reach your right arm up to the ceiling.  Slightly bend your elbow and then slowly lower the arm behind you.  Imagine your arm is drawing away from you as you lower.  You can move the arm up towards your ear or down towards your hip to find the best stretch for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Chest opener

Place a rolled blanket or yoga mat under the upper back.  The blanket should come out under the armpits and shoulders release to floor.  Add a blanket under the head and neck if needed.

 

 

 

Some more tips for better breathing:

Here’s a great video from Jenni Rawlings which aims to optimise rib cage breathing.

Consider your wardrobe- make sure your clothing isn’t restricting how you breathe- think tight waist bands, belts, ties, in fact any clothing that restricts your movement full stop is bad news for the breath.

Consider your belly- are you holding your belly in right now?  Contrary to what is often thought, constantly holding your belly in will actually cause the muscles to weaken rather than strengthen, and like any muscle that is never allowed to relax, will eventually cause a reduction in function.  Not only this, but constantly holding in your belly increases tension in the body and restricts your breath as the abdominal muscles are unable to move freely (among other unpleasant side-effects):

‘Most people have replaced deep, abdominal activity with “sucking their stomach in.” The belief held by most is that “sucking it in” constantly uses one’s abdominal muscles, but really, the sucking-in motion creates a pressure (like creating a vacuum) that pulls the abdomen’s contents up (not in). It doesn’t do anything for core strength (except weaken it over time) or back health (increases the loads placed on the intervertebral disks).’ Katy Bowman

Happy breathing!