December 2017 - Yoga Magazine

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Dec 31, 2017 - ONLINE MANAGER. David Choudry. PUBLISHER. Sam Rogers. UK & WORLDWIDE ADVERTISING. EXECUTIVE. Lesley M
EDITORS LETTER

Namaste

Dear Yoga Magazine Readers, Welcome to the December issue. This month we feature a brilliant Skandasana yoga sequence, that’s built around the side lunge to stretch the body, tone the core and prepare us mentally and emotionally for the start of a New Year. We also catch up with Jessica Smith, who provides some great poses to energise and relax from her Yoga Stretch DVD, and there’s essential advice for yoga teachers on the ‘Art of Adjustment’ to ensure students get more from their practice. Our guest teacher this month, David Lurey, guides on a sequence to Fly like an Eagle, and we meet Katie H. Willcox, who is on a mission to change perceptions on what is a healthy body image. Katie also provides a nice workout to ease the mind and de-stress. As we know, Christmas can often be a stressful period, so we have some yogic advice on how to get through it stress-free, and there’s some great advice to help us to reconnect to stop us feeling lonely. Plus there’s a wonderful beauty Christmas guide full of inspirational, organic goodies, and we feature a teaching from Zen Master Yoshida Kenko. And don’t forget to enter our competition where you can win a voucher to spend at PHB, the fantastic ethical beauty company. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your nearest and dearest, and I look forward to catching up with you next month! NAMASTE EDITOR

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contents

FEATURES

16 THE ART OF ADJUSTMENT

Essential advice for yoga teachers on adjusting students to develop their yoga practice

40 YOGA STRETCH WORKOUT

An interview with Jessica Smith alongside a routine to energise and de-stress

56 SKANDASANA FLOW

A wonderful sequence to stretch the body, build core strength, boost circulation and embrace the New Year.

DECEMBER 2017 ON THE COVER 12

WIN A PHB BEAUTY VOUCHER

40 YOGA STRETCH TO ENERGISE AND DE-STRESS 56

SKANDASANA FLOW SEQUENCE TO EMBRACE THE NEW YEAR

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SIMPLE YOGA TO COMBAT FESTIVE STRESS

NEWS & COMMUNITY

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Welcome to the December issue

NEWS

The latest yoga and health news from around the world

12 COMPETITION

Win a gift voucher to spend on natural and organic PHB products

14 CHARITY

The Rohan Yoga Education

READERS’ ASHRAM

22 ASK YOGI DR MALIK

Your yoga questions answered

24 MY STORY

From stilettos to barefoot

26 60-SECOND INTERVIEW Deva Premal & Miten

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CHARITY

35 FASHION

84 STUDIO REVIEW 4

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60-SECOND INTERVIEW

13/11/2017 15:20

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WHAT’S HOT NUTRITION

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TRAVEL

70 BEAUTY & FASHION

29 BEAUTY

A Christmas gift guide

35 FASHION

The latest yogawear and ethical fashion

MIND BODY SPIRIT

45 MIND

Feeling lonely? Disconnect to reconnect

48 BODY

Healthy is the new skinny

53 SPIRIT

A teaching from Zen Master Yoshida Kenko

NUTRITION

66 NUTRITION

Complements to the chef

TRAVEL

70 TRAVEL

The jewel in the Algarve

YOGA PAGES

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NEWS

78 YOGA PHILOSOPHY Is Buddhism yoga?

82 YOGA FOR HEALTH

Simple yoga to combat festive stress

84 STUDIO REVIEW Stretch, London

85 POSES SECTION 85 TEACHER’S PROFILE David Lurey 86 BEGINNERS POSE Ustrasana (Camel pose) 88 INTERMEDIATE POSE Natarajasana (Lord of the Dancer pose) 90 ADVANCED POSE Parsva Bakasana (Side Crow) 92 YOGA SEQUENCE Fly like an eagle

LIGHT READING

74 WHAT’S HOT

New products for your mind, body and soul

96 ASTROLOGY

Your Vedic stars for December

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BEAUTY YOGAMAGAZINE.COM

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Yogi Dr Malik EDITOR H Malik DEPUTY EDITOR

December Yoga Magazine is an independent journal and is not affiliated with any organisations or associations.

2017

The publishers do not accept any liability for errors or omissions. The views expressed in Yoga Magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or Publisher. All registered names and trademarks are acknowledged. Yoga Magazine does not take responsibility for any unsolicited manuscripts or photography sent its offices. Reproduction, in part or in whole, without written permission from the Publisher is prohibited. All rights reserved © 2005 ISSN 1478-9671. Yoga Magazine (ISSN:1478-9671, USPS: 5703) is published 12 times per year by Yoga International Magazine Ltd and distributed in the US by Asendia USA 17b S Middlesex Ave, Monroe NJ 08831. Peridoicals postage paid at New Brunswick, NJ and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to (Yoga Magazine) 17b S Middlesex Ave, Monroe NJ 08831. Health Warning: Yoga Magazine trusts you will benefit from the practice of yoga. However, nothing in this magazine should be construed as medical advice. Always consult your doctor before undertaking any exercise program. Neither the Editor nor Publisher can be held responsible for any injury, accidents or damage resulting from ideas or exercises discussed in Yoga Magazine.

FEATURES Caroline Shola Arewa THE ART OF ADJUSTMENT

Martin Gill ASSISTANT EDITOR

Jessica Smith YOGA STRETCH

Helena Rosas ART DIRECTOR

Sarah Kekus SKANDASANA FLOW

Scott Middler SOCIAL MEDIA & ONLINE MANAGER

CONTRIBUTORS

David Choudry PUBLISHER

Julia Jones 60-SECOND INTERVIEW

Sam Rogers UK & WORLDWIDE ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE

Hannah Anstee BEAUTY

Lesley McEwan SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGER

Katie H. Willcox BODY

SUBSCRIPTIONS [email protected]

Inner Space MIND

ADVERTISING [email protected]

Sarah Drai MY STORY

Yoga Magazine Ltd 233 BETHNAL GREEN ROAD LONDON E2 6AB

Abel & Cole NUTRITION

+44 (0) 20 7729 5454 [email protected] www.yogamagazine.com

Victor M. Parachin SPIRIT Jane Egginton TRAVEL Sue Fuller YOGA FOR HEALTH

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

Christopher Gladwell YOGA PHILOSOPHY David Lurey YOGA POSES

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Welcome to Devarya Wellness Imagine waking up to days filled with sunshine on your skin, the soothing sound of the sea, wholesome organic meals in our beach front restaurant, a swim in the ocean and of course, revitalising yoga. You’ll experience all this and more when we welcome you for a yoga holiday or retreat here at Devarya Wellness.

Why a yoga retreat or holiday? Because you deserve it! Whether you are too stressed out, tired of the everyday monotony or just looking to escape the daily grind of life, a yoga retreat or holiday is perfect for you. Located in the heart of a serene seaside Indian village in Goa you will find our Yoga Retreat Centre, Devarya Wellness. We have made sure we have something for beginners to seekers and yogis so that everyone may experience the goodness and mindfulness of a holistic yoga lifestyle. All of our luxurious room choices seamlessly blend the elements of a Goan Portuguese heritage with the aesthetics of Rajasthani royalty. Our international, skilled teachers and therapists with years of experience in a variety of yoga styles and holistic teachings have helped create a space where you can enjoy a relaxing yoga holiday.

For more information please visit www.devaryawellness.com YOGAMAGAZINE.COM

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EWSNEWSNEWSNEWSNEWSN MEDITATION MAY HELP TO LOWER HEART DISEASE RISK The American Heart Association has concluded that meditation may help to lower heart disease risk, but that adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle and adhering to medical advice should remain the primary prevention strategies. Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the research analysed existing studies which focused on the effects of various sitting meditation practices including mindful meditation, Samatha, Zen meditation, and Transcendental Meditation, and concluded that meditation may help to lower stress levels, reduce anxiety and depression, while improving quality of sleep and general wellbeing.

YOGA MAY REDUCE DISABILITY AND OPIOID USE IN MILITARY VETERANS A new US study looked at chronic low back pain (cLBP) among military veterans who were receiving cLBP treatment options that had limited benefits and side effects, in an effort to reduce opioid use and embrace non-pharmacological pain treatments. In a study of 150 veterans, those who practised yoga had greater reductions in disability and pain than those receiving usual treatments, while opioid medication use declined among all participants with no serious side effects.

EXERCISE CAN KILL Researchers at the University of Illinois claim that too much exercise can kill you, and white men who work out for at least seven-anda-half hours a week are twice as likely to suffer from heart disease than those who do a moderate amount. The study compared 25year exercise patterns and found very active white men are 86 per cent more likely to experience a build up of plaque in the arteries by middle age.

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SNEWSNEWSNEWSNEWSNE YOGA REDUCES STRESS AND CELLULAR AGEING In a new study published in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, researchers found that 12 weeks of yoga slowed cellular ageing. The program consisted of 90 minutes of yoga that included physical postures, breathing and meditation five days a week over three months. Researchers found indications of lower levels of inflammation and significantly decreased levels of cortisol. The study also found higher levels of BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic facto) after the yoga program, suggesting that yoga could have potential protective effects for the brain as well.

YOGA PANTS JOIN MUSEUM OF MODERN ART Officially classed as one of the most definitive wardrobe pieces of our time, the humble, stretchy yoga leggings are taking pride of place in the exhibition ‘Items: Is Fashion Modern?’ at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The exhibition explores the strong impact that certain items of clothing have had throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, and MOMA credits luxury athletic-wear label, Lululemon, whose Boogie yoga pants have racked up a cult-following since the brand’s founding in 1998. The pants join other sartorial items including Levi’s 501 jeans, a pearl necklace and a sari.

DAILY WALK CAN CUT DISEASE A new US study has found that a 20-minute daily walk can help you live longer by cutting the risk of cancer and heart disease.

HEALTHY SAUNAS A study has found that using a sauna regularly can cut the risk of high blood pressure by almost half. Finnish scientists identified a 24 per cent reduction in risk among middle-aged men who took a sauna two or three times per week, while for those going four to seven times a week dropped to 46 per cent. Experts believe the way that blood vessels expand when the body is hotter may explain the results.

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SNEWSNEWSNEWSNEWSNE

YOGA AND AEROBIC EXERCISE CAN HALVE THE RISK OF HEART DISEASE Researchers from HG SMS Hospital in Jaipur, India, presented the study at the 8th Emirates Cardiac Society Congress in collaboration with the American College of Cardiology Middle East Conference. The study looked at 750 patients who had previously been diagnosed with coronary heart disease. One group of 225 patients participated in aerobic exercise, another group of 240 patients participated in yoga, and a third group of 285 participated in both yoga and aerobic exercise, for three six-month sessions. The findings showed that aerobic exercise only and yoga only groups showed similar reductions in blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, weight and waist circumference. However, the combined yoga and aerobic exercise group showed a two times greater reduction compared to the other groups.

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TIBETAN YOGA REDUCES SIDE EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY A new study has revealed that practising Tibetan yoga (also known as the Five Tibetan Rites) can help patients manage the harsh side effects of chemotherapy treatments. Over 200 breast cancer patients were divided into three groups: one group participated in a Tibetan yoga program, one in a program that focused on simple stretches and one that did neither of the two. The yoga sessions lasted between 75 - 90 minutes and included visualisation, posture, meditation and pranayama exercises. During the yoga sessions, patients worked with an instructor and were encouraged to practise daily outside of their classrooms. Those who practised yoga reported long-term sleep benefits and experienced fewer daily disturbances than women in the other groups.

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NEWSNEWSNEWSNEWSNEW

BESS SHIPSIDE Yoga teacher, Strala guide, Catalyst ambassador. As I change and grow so will my experience of yoga, it is cool, interesting and of course, sometimes a bit scary. I am more confident, capable and creative, more generous and loving. Strala helps me have fun, to find fluidity and freedom. Catalyst clothes are fitting perfectly with my lifestyle.

Go to catalyst-activewear.com and get 10% off your first order with the code YOGAMAGAZINE

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WIN A GIFT

VOUCHER

TO SPEND ON NATURAL & ORGANIC PHB PRODUCTS

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PHB Ethical Beauty is a  pioneering British family business  with a revolutionary range of  award winning  ethical beauty  products.  We're home to the world's largest range of natural, vegan, cruelty free and halal certified beauty products. Our skin, hair and body care products are handmade in the UK  and we  DO NOT test on animals.  We are also palm oil free! Our range includes skin, hair and body care, organic and mineral cosmetics and male grooming products. Our products are so pure they make great natural remedies for sensitive skin and conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and acne!  Their journey started in 2010 when 20-year-old Rose Brown and partner John Tierney opened a cosmetics store in Birmingham, UK importing and selling beauty products. They quickly came to learn that many beauty products are made using cheap, toxic and animal derived ingredients. 

They awoke to some of the madness in the beauty industry, high-end lipsticks made from pig fat and crushed insects, sensitive skin products made using petrochemicals and baby care products with carcinogens. So they searched for alternatives, fuelled by their customers’ demands for increasingly purer beauty products. They researched and tested countless brands but struggled to find one that encompassed all they wanted to offer. That’s when they decided to ‘be the change they wanted to see’ and create their own product range.  PHB Ethical Beauty was launched in the summer of 2012 after 2 years of research, testing and perfecting our product formulas. The first PHB Franchise store launched just 9 months later. To win a £100 Gift Voucher to spend on natural and organic products at PHB Ethical Beauty, just answer this simple question:  

When was PHB Ethical Beauty launched? Enter online at yogamagazine.com Closing date: 31st December 2017

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CHARITY

The Rohan

Yoga Education Children’s mental health is a real concern these days because of near constant stimulation and other pressures. Whether at school, at home or on social media, it can be a very competitive, results-driven environment, fuelling higher stress levels. It is hard for them to express how they feel. Yoga is one place to learn to understand how we feel, who we are, why and how to deal with it. It is an incredible tool for the generations to come. Yoga being in every single part of someone’s life in the future, everyone will see the need of practising such discipline which opens up barriers, and teach to love, respect and accept and manage anger/frustrations. Founder of Yogamuni, Dipa Trivedi runs a charity called the Rohan Yoga Education where teachers and educational professionals can train, free of charge, to give yoga, meditation and visualisation to children aged 6 to 15, studying in state schools. The platform for learning is online so anyone can learn from any part of the world. So far we have trained students from London, Australia, South Africa and Spain. The aim of this program is to spread the benefits of yoga to children who do not access it. Dipa says, “The practice is aimed to free the children’s mind, to open up their third eye and their intuition mind, so that they are then able to visualise what their path is, without being conditioned or bullied in any way. This will also help children with anxiety, depression and stress at school.” “When you have gone through the stages of asanas, you start to go deeper into the layers of the subtle Self. What I mean by ‘Self’ is difficult to explain with words, one has to experience it.” For more information visit yogamuni.com/charity or email [email protected]

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THEOFART

ADJUSTMENT “To touch someone else you must first be able to touch yourself.” Roberta Delong Miller

Effective yoga adjustments are beneficial to body, mind and spirit. They can enhance a person’s awareness and really develop their yoga practice, some even consider them to be spiritual transmissions, like a form of Darshan, meaning a moment of connection, or insight into one’s Divine Self. Adjustments are both art and science. Knowledge of the body’s anatomy and physiology is essential, plus understanding the body’s range of movement and its limitations. These are general considerations, before taking into account the individuals unique anatomy and physical limitations.

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“I give thanks for the teachings I received that completely transformed my life and provided the foundation of my life and work ever since.”

I’m not writing about the science here; rather I’m focusing on the Art of Adjustment. The sensitivities required when making physical contact with students in a yoga class. I think we all know the difference between good touch you can relax into and, what I have heard called ‘ninja touch’, the painful one and abusive touch, which is just wrong. I relate these forms of touch to the three yogic principles called Gunas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. The three gunas are found in everyone and everything to a lesser or greater degree, they are qualities, Sattva is steady, constructive and harmonious; it has a pure energetic quality. Rajas is fast, active and chaotic, it is the busy energy we live in most of the time. A yoga class should not feel rajasic. Tamas is slow, destructive and incongruous, this energy in a yoga class creates doubt and suspicion and tamasic touch can add to existing trauma. I’m describing three kinds of touch, but the gunas relate to the whole class and how it is taught. It is good to create a sattvic environment and an overall feeling of peace, as well as utilising the quality of Sattva when making adjustments. The dictionary definition of adjustments is ‘to change something slightly.’ I personally break it down as, Add – Just – Ment, meaning to add in a sattvic manner, just what is ment, and nothing more. The intention is to make a slight change, and sometimes only a suggestion is needed and the student will respond with improved alignment and a deeper posture. I trained as a yoga teacher in Sri Lanka and India in the early 1980s with Swami Jyotimayananda, a master of Ayurveda and yoga, and Swami Vishnudevanada, a Master of Hatha yoga and Vedantic Philosophy. I give thanks for the teachings I received that completely transformed my life and provided the foundation of my life and work ever since. I also have a Psychology degree and taught therapeutic bodywork for many years, before eventually focusing my work on energy and wellness. I now train people to be Wellness Coaches.

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So I bring a broad perspective to the Art of Adjustment, I consider the physical, psychological and energetic aspects. Here I share ten guidelines to enrich your adjustments.

1. GIVE PERMISSION FOR PEOPLE TO OPT-OUT OF ADJUSTMENTS Let your class know you offer adjustments and ask if anyone has any injuries. Respect your students right to choose to be touched or not. Make it clear they do not have to receive adjustments. There are numerous reasons, personal and cultural why students may not want to be adjusted, all valid and not personal so don’t feel rejected, it’s not about you.

2. REQUEST FEEDBACK As you make contact and start to adjust, get feedback from students. Quietly ask, “How does that feel?” “Is that enough?” You will have a sense as you engage and get to know students, however nothing beats the accuracy of asking a question and listening to feedback.

3. HONOUR SACRED SPACE Consciously or unconsciously students are creating sacred space as they practise yoga. Plus all bodies are temples. Be conscious of this as you make contact. Be sure the posture is stable, and that they know you are approaching before adjusting. Be in their peripheral vision, or say something quietly. Sudden touch can be very startling, so always honour sacred space as you approach.

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4. Be Mindful Cultivate mindfulness in yourself; avoid being loud and rajasic. Adjust at a gentle, calming and steady pace. The energy of your hands should be felt before they rest. Even when time is running out, don’t rush adjustments, simply do less in your class, and maintain a sattvic pace.

5. Don’t grope, mount or hesitate I have seen teachers do all three, because they are ambiguous and not mindful. Yoga is not access all areas. So be careful where you place your hands and your body, operate with extreme awareness. Yes, when students know you well and request adjustments you can stand on their legs in Badhakonasana – Cobbler pose, but not appropriate for the inflexible newby in your class.

6. Be Compassionate There are several ways to show compassion when adjusting. Be non judgemental, encourage beginners and advanced students and don’t be intimidated by either. It’s easy to have a preference for beginners or advanced students with great postures. Try to be balanced as you teach and learn to adjust all levels. This takes a bit of awareness to see where your preference lies and then balance it.

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“Touch is our first language and the first sense to develop in the womb. So we are responsive and well versed in its subtleties.”

7. Maintain Balance

9. Be Patient

Speaking of balance be sure to adjust both sides, obvious I know, but when teaching it can be easy to get distracted and move on before adjusting both sides. Stay present with your student in order to maintain balance. Few things are as uncomfortable as your teacher disappearing, having stretched only one side.

Wait for students to do as much as possible themselves before adjusting. Some teachers are great at this, they hover for a moment, waiting and encouraging you to do your best, before they assist with an adjustment. Less experienced teachers may rush to offer support. Be patient.

8. Work with the Breath Be aware of your breath and that of your student. Deepening your own breath can instantaneously deepen your student’s breath and they become synchronised. This is called resonance. In physics, resonance is a phenomenon where one oscillating system drives another system causing it to oscillate in harmony with the first. In Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend) for example, make contact on the inhalation and apply gentle pressure with the exhalation, allowing the student to deepen into the posture with the adjustment.

10. Consider the Energetic as well as the physical Energetically, less is more. Sometimes all that is needed is a suggestion, a light directional touch that triggers muscle memory and automatically improves posture without applying any physical pressure. This is the case with the shoulders in Bhujangasana (Cobra pose) or the upper back in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog). Simply use your hands as another language gently whispering to the body.

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Touch is our first language and the first sense to develop in the womb. So we are responsive and well versed in its subtleties. Explore a range of touch, reaching from strong adjustments with the breath that gently pull students into advanced Matsyendrasana series (spinal twists), through to firm yet malleable touch used in inversions, such as Sirsasana (Headstand), all the way through to a light relaxing touch used in Balasana (Child’s pose), resting the hand with no pressure on the sacrum to melt tension and induce deeper relaxation. Always remember the rest of the class as you make adjustments, stay present with everyone and enjoy. Know that to touch and be touched is a profound gift.

KNOWN AS THE ENERGY DOCTOR, CAROLINE HAS TRANSFORMED LIVES WORLDWIDE FOR 30 YEARS WITH HER PIONEERING AND AWARDING WINNING WORK. SHOLA IS THE AUTHOR OF FIVE BOOKS AND THE VISIONARY BEHIND ENERGY 4 LIFE WELLNESS COACH TRAINING. SHE HELPS YOU GET YOUR ENERGY BACK AND YOUR LIFE ON TRACK. JOIN HER FREE WELLNESS REVOLUTIONARIES GROUP ON FACEBOOK FOR WELLNESS LEADERS. SHOLA.CO.UK

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WRITTEN BY

CAROLINE SHOLA AREWA

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Helmm Launch Seriously Stylish Yoga-Inspired Furniture Brit furniture brand, Helmm, has launched a range of posture-improving, yoga-inspired office furniture that promises to elevate wellbeing at work and make a serious interior style statement. Product designer, Sam Cranwell and his wife, Kia Cranwell, met at a yoga class 10 years ago, before setting up one of the UK’s longest-running co-working spaces. Little did they know that their interest in workplace wellbeing and passion for posture would turn into a covetable furniture brand a decade later. “It seems crazy that so many of us who practise yoga and Pilates, or those who regularly visit a chiropractor or osteopath, then go and reverse all that effort by slumping over a desk all day,” commented Kia.

“Research published in October found that good posture, flexibility and inspirational surroundings improve productivity, creativity and general wellbeing,” added Kia, who now writes for the health and wellbeing industry. “That was always at the forefront of our mind. We wanted to create something beautiful that also helped people work better.” Helmm’s standing desk converters and 2-in-1 laptop stands can be easily transported to turn any work surface into a posture-friendly desk, without the need for replacing existing furniture. The wooden designs are beautiful, touchable, sustainable and height-adjustable, and can be assembled without tools anywhere.

“Helmm came about because people who worked in our office were showing a growing interest in standing at their desk, following research that stated, ‘sitting for long periods was as bad for health as smoking,” explained Sam, who has a deep interest in workplace wellbeing and small office design.

The Helmm range is now available from helmm.co and Amazon.co.uk and can be delivered in time for Christmas.

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ASK YOGI DR MALIK

NEW YEAR ADVICE

Dear Yogi Dr Malik, With the New Year coming up, I’m already thinking about my New Year resolutions. Can you suggest any tips, poses or meditation exercises to help these resolutions stick? Sophie

Each month, our very own editor and yoga expert, Yogi Dr Malik will answer your questions relating to yoga. If you have a question you would like answering, email: [email protected]

Dear Sophie, Instead of thinking of these as ‘New Year resolutions’, just think of them as something you ‘need’ to do. Think of the benefits that will arise if you do practise these resolutions. That way you might actually stick with them. Regular practice of yoga will definitely help you keep yourself grounded. Sometimes we are on full alert and don’t know how to slow down the mind as modern life is very busy. If you practise meditation and yoga exercises authentically and with real purpose, you will find that you are more relaxed and are able to deal with any negative things in your life because you are thinking more clearly. Also you could incorporate positive affirmations and visualisations into your lifestyle to help you stick to your resolutions. Louise Hay’s work on this subject matter is excellent so you might want to check out what she has on offer. Whatever you decide I wish you all the best.

DAUGHTER DILEMMA

Dear Yogi Dr Malik, My daughter who is seven really wants to start yoga. Is she too young? Julie Hi Julie, No she is not too young. However, if she is experiencing any major health conditions then you will need to speak to her doctor and a specialist yoga teacher as to what kinds of yoga exercises are ideal for her. There are many good children’s yoga teachers out there, so I recommend you contacting them, and asking if you can bring her for an assessment.

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DETOX DEBATE

Hi Yogi Dr Malik, My girlfriend and I are doing a 5-day lemon detox at home, which involvescutting out caffeine, sugar, fried and processed foods etc. Can you recommend any poses we can practise together to help with the detoxing? Marty Hi Marty, I suggest pranayama (breathing exercises) to keep the body oxygenated. You should definitely practise nadhi sodhana (alternate nostril breathing). How to perform: Ŕ#FHJOJO&BTZQPTF 4VLIBTBOB PSDPNGPSUBCMF  crossed-legged position. Ŕ4JUVQTUSBJHIU CVUSFMBYZPVSCPEZ4PGUFOZPVS jaw and breathe naturally. With your right hand, bend your index and middle fingers, keeping your ring finger, pinkie finger, and thumb extended. Ŕ$MPTFZPVSSJHIUOPTUSJMXJUIZPVSSJHIUUIVNC Ŕ*OIBMFEFFQMZUISPVHIZPVSMFGUOPTUSJM At the top of your inhalation, close your left nostril with the ring finger of your right hand as you release the right nostril. &YIBMFUISPVHIZPVSSJHIUOPTUSJM Keeping the left nostril closed, inhale deeply through your right nostril. 4FBM ZPVS SJHIU OPTUSJM BHBJO XJUI ZPVS UIVNC  then release your left nostril. &YIBMFPVUPGZPVSMFGUOPTUSJM:PVTIPVMEOPXCF in the original position, with your thumb sealing your right nostril. This is one cycle. You should aim to balance your inhalations and exhalations so they are the same length through both nostrils. Repeat up to 10 full cycles, gradually increasing the number of repetitions as you gain experience. I wouldn’t recommend practising anything too heavy as a detox can have significant effects on your body. For instance as your body detoxes you may feel lightheaded and in such moments it’s not exactly the best time to be doing Headstand. Having said that, you can practise light to NPEFSBUF )BUIB ZPHB QPTFT TVDI BT 4BWBTBOB You can also practise mudras and meditation techniques.

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MY STORY

FROM

STILETTOS TO

BAREFOOT

Two years ago, after a long career in banking from Luxembourg to Bermuda Island, with eight years in NYC in the middle, I finally made the decision to let it all go for yoga. I was in London at the time and maxed out with the politics and ego massaging in the boardrooms. My enthusiasm for the corporate life was quickly disappearing whilst my passion for yoga was growing. I decided that the time had come to throw away my stilettos and suits in favour of going barefoot on the mat!

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My yoga journey started in the Bikram yoga studios of NYC and progressed to the next level when I crossed the mat of Stewart Gilchrist - who is still my main teacher today! I will always remember my first class with him and the only way I can describe it is to say it left me feeling ‘WOW’. Finally, someone had taught me how to breathe and ignite the hot room within myself. I signed up to Stewart’s teacher training course alongside another course by BRYCE Yoga. Each of the training courses was wonderfully different despite being on the same subject!

“This three-month trial soon became six months, and

These life-changing courses prompted me to undergo a three-month trial period of teaching yoga full-time. I knew that my career in banking would be waiting for me if I wanted to return to it, and this gave me the confidence to go full steam ahead. This three-month trial soon became six months, and before I knew it an entire year had passed. In fact, more than two years has now passed since I embarked on this journey!

before I knew it an entire year had passed. In

I have absolutely no regrets about becoming a full-time yoga teacher, but something was definitely missing for me… After booking my first on demand massage through an app in February last year, I was inspired that this would also be a great way to book yoga lessons! I will always remember that ‘light bulb’ moment when I was explaining my experience to my partner and literally at the same time we both said, “What about yoga teachers?” Just one month later I had a business plan in place and Yogi2Me was born.

fact, more than two years has now passed since I embarked on

By the end of October that same year we had launched the first version of the app. It was certainly a difficult experience at the start, but as with most things in life the hard work has now paid off.

this journey!”

Today Yogi2Me has nearly 50 teachers on board and our client base ranges from private clients to hotels and corporate businesses. I trust that the future of the wellness industry is going to be a much more positive one than that of the banking industry! Sarah x

WRITTEN BY

I have discovered that launching a tech start-up is a completely different experience to working the corporate jobs I was used to, and it’s exciting how varied my days have become. Sometimes you can find me in the office testing new features for the app, sometimes I’ll be out giving lessons to influencers or talking to investors. I also continue to teach yoga on a daily basis and I’m very grateful to all of my dedicated and passionate students!

SARAH DRAI

SARAH HAS JOURNEYED FROM BEING A BANKING EXECUTIVE TO BEING THE EXECUTIVE WARRIOR OF HER OWN COMPANY. AFTER LEAVING BEHIND HER CORPORATE CAREER TO PURSUE HER YOGA TEACHER TRAININGS, SARAH FOUNDED YOGI2ME, A START-UP THAT PROVIDES ON DEMAND YOGA TEACHERS AND WELLNESS SERVICES IN LONDON.

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09/11/2017 18:14

60 SECOND INTERVIEW

Deva Premal & Miten

Images by Rishi/PrabuMusic

You’ve just published a book called Mantra in Germany, and rumour has it that an English translation is due out in 2018. Can you tell us about the book? It’s in the style of coffee table book - beautifully designed - and we’re very happy that Arkana, a German publishing house, encouraged us to write it. We took 10 mantras and explained their meanings and properties, along with our own personal stories and our connections with each other and the mantras - plus many photos of our life on the road. We’ve already had offers to publish the book in Hungarian, Polish and Russian, and will be published in English within the next 18 months too.

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You’ve released dozens of albums to date, including your newest live album ‘Cosmic Connections Live’ and Miten’s album of songs, ‘Temple At Midnight’. Where do you get your inspiration? Good question! Temple at Midnight was our 21st release. The inspiration comes from staying in the moment and not creating any ambitious attitudes around the music. Our life together has been way more amazing than we could ever have imagined. It’s all based on freedom and respect for each other’s spiritual journey. This is the priority, which means we allow inspiration to arise organically - not out of ambition, or any kind of superficial concept. If life flows, then inspiration is always available - and this is where our music comes from. We meditate, we investigate and we share our experiences.

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What are your current creative projects? Our life is our current project. Whatever comes to us is material for transformation. Out of that, we continue to sing and share the mantras with people who enjoy them. Our tours are growing annually. More and more people are turning onto the fact that we need more than just superficial entertainment to sustain ourselves in today’s world. We need a basic foundation and meditation is the key. Many of us have found that mantras can open the door to this fourth dimension, where we experience ourselves, and the world around us from an altered perspective. Out of this comes our music, and the energy levels that we need to sustain our touring schedule - which we love, by the way. Sharing mantras and travelling the world is a great affirmation. Out of this comes the wish to record new music with inspired souls like the guys in our band: Rishi (on percussion), Joby Baker (on bass) and, of course, Manose (on bansuri). We are also working on a new mantra album, and there is a followup to Temple At Midnight in the pipeline! Where and when can our readers see you in concert or attend a workshop? Every year in Corfu, Greece we gather with 600 friends to celebrate the Gayatri Mantra for two weeks of chanting, meeting friends, celebration and meditation. We also go down to the retreat center Blue Spirit, in Costa Rica, for our annual Gayatri Festival and our special program for couples which we call ‘Tantra Mantra’. We will also be taking 150 people to the sacred valley of Peru to experience Shamanic wisdom - this is a program we do in conjunction with Alberto Villoldo, the founder of the world-renowned Four Winds Society and the Light Body School. We also tour the world annually, so you can check out our upcoming concert dates (as well as workshop dates) at DevaPremalMiten.com. What is your mission? We have never thought of our life in missionary terms, but as the world gets more and more insane, we have seen that our music and the mantras provide something of an antidote. Our concerts are based on the qualities of compassion, forgiveness and gratitude and we’ll continue to travel and share them until it becomes impossible for us to it, for one reason or another. What is your advice for those of us who would like to learn more about mantras and chanting? Take a step towards the mantras. They are available for everyone. Once you find yourself in their energy field, you become enchanted. Commit to a practice, because commitment always brings a breakthrough. Courage is the key. For more information, visit DevaPremalMiten.com

WRITTEN BY

JULIA JONES

JULIA IS A FREELANCE WRITER SPECIALISING IN YOGA, MEDITATION AND MUSIC.

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Listen to your heart song CONNECT WITH YOUR OWN DIVINE HEART RETREAT

Friday 26th January 3 p.m. arrival to Monday 29th January 10a.m. departure Venue: Fynn Valley Lodges in Suffolk Easily accessible from Ipswich train station Led by Ciara Jean Roberts, Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist, Yoga Teacher and Writer, this is a wonderful long weekend of luxury lodges, a variety of yoga and wholesome home cooked food. Price per person: £450 based on two people sharing a super king luxury en suite. Solo pros available at £650 per person. Prices include  accommodation, group yoga, all meals, a personalised yoga session for your room and a one-to-one reiki session. For more information, visit whollyaligned.com or email [email protected]

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BEAUTY

Christmas Wishes We’ve got you covered - so check out our fab gift guide.

Green People Forest and Fruit Gift Set This uplifting, organic botanical shower gel and body lotion gift set has a mood-boosting, citrus aroma and intensely hydrates the skin to leave it soft, smooth and supple. Infused with organic cypress and tangerine essential oils. A donation from the sale of each gift goes to Plantlife, a British conservation charity that works to save threatened wild flowers, plants and fungi. £22.95 available from greenpeople.co.uk

Myrtle and Maude – Mum-to-be Gift Set Botanicals Himalayan Infusion Introduce your skin to a bathing ritual like no other. Feeling sluggish, stressed or in need of a pamper? This set has an infusion for every mood. Gift box includes ‘Deep Peace’, ‘Wild Rose’ and ‘Lemongrass’ mineral soaks. £20.00 available from botanicals.co.uk

Perfect for any expecting mothers. Inspired by family heritage and traditional remedies to help combat morning sickness caused by pregnancy. The kit comes with an organic herbal tea, acupressure wristbands and vitamin B6 peppermint oil bonbons. £24 available from myrtleandmaude.com

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The Body Shop Values Gift Robot Money Box Who could resist this colourful character and all the fruity surprises inside? His sales help children affected by war to play in safe place for a year. But the giving doesn’t end there. He also turns into a money box – perfect for teaching little ones to save and donate to a great cause. Contains mango shower gel, mango lip butter, coconut shower cream, coconut lip butter, strawberry shower gel and strawberry lip butter. £20 available from thebodyshop.com

Mini Moderns Festival of Lights Scented Candle Collection PHB Gentle Skin Care Set Carefully formulated using hypoallergenic ingredients to care for sensitive skin and eczema. Also perfect for skin that is highly reactive and prone to redness or rosacea. Gentle organic extracts and pure butters combine to soothe and repair sensitive skin. Handmade in the UK using nature’s kindest ingredients to cool and calm skin, relieve redness and sensitivity and help purify and strengthen. Contains moisturiser, cleanser, facial tonic and serum. £52.95 available from phbethicalbeauty.co.uk

Celebrate four of Mini Moderns classic print designs with this set of sublimely scented candles - the perfect complement to any modern home and perfect to accompany a long hot bath. Contains ‘Whitby’ (Sea Spray), ‘Pavilion’ (Gin Fizz), ‘Darjeeling’ (Tea and Fig) and ‘Paisley Crescent’ (Eastern Orange Blossom). £26 available from minimoderns.com

Hairburst Mulberry Silk Pillow Case For the girl who has everything. Sleeping on the new Hairburst mulberry silk pillowcase will help keep that bed head under control. The natural properties of silk reduce friction on your hair which often causes damage. Wake up with silky soft hair, revitalised skin and looking gorgeous. £34.99 available from hairburst.co.uk

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Skinny Dip Carmex Unicorn Pot This magical black unicorn pot contains all you need for a very merry Christmas. With a limited edition heavenly sugar plum scent - this makes a great stocking filler for all those who have a bit of unicorn in us. £2.69 available from Superdrug

Maria Nila Head & Hair Heal Gift Box

Shampoo and conditioner with an exclusive ginger hand wash. Offers dandruff relief and promotes hair growth. As always with Maria Nila, these products are sulphate and paraben free, contains 100% vegan ingredients and the packaging is 100% CO2 compensated. £35 available from sallyexpress.com

Antipodes Skin-Plumping Minis A great little stocking filler for girls-onthe-go, Antipodes has taken its most popular skin-plumping products and given them a miniature makeover. The Hosanna H20 intensive skin-plumping serum and rejoice light facial day cream have paired up and gone pocket-size, making them perfect for travelling or storing in the smallest of handbags or makeup kits. £14.99 Available from feelunique.com

Floris London Luxury Miniature Bath Essence Collection An indulgent selection of aromatic bath essences that will leave skin feeling silky soft and lightly scented. Includes 15ml of ‘Stephanotis’ - a distinctive green floral fragrance evocative of the intensely fragrant stephanotis blossom; ‘Rose Geranium’ - notes of geranium are enhanced by fresh citrus nuances and a hint of rose; ‘Lily of the valley’ - leafy green top notes blend with lemon to add sparkle to the dominant floral accord of lily of the valley, and ‘Limes’ - a vibrant burst of lemon accompanied by a freshening heart of lime blossom and neroli. £70 available from florislondon.com

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BEAUTY EDITOR’S CHOICE

For the gorgeous men in your life Green People Tree & Seed Gift Set This deeply hydrating, botanical shower gel and moisturiser gift has a refreshing, minty aroma that revives tired skin, calms irritation and energises the mind. Infused with the refreshing aroma of eucalyptus and mint, soothing aloe vera calms irritation and revives tired skin.A donation from the sale of each Modern Botanicals gift goes to Plantlife, a British conservation charity. £24.95 available from greenpeople.co.uk

Tweezerman Gear Moustache Scissors with Comb Magnitone - The Clean Sweep

HANNAH ANSTEE

HANNAH IS A FREELANCE TRAVEL AND WELLBEING WRITER BASED IN HEBDEN BRIDGE. TWITTER @HANNAHANSTEE SOMEHANNAHSTHINKDIFFERENT.COM

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WRITTEN BY

The 30-second daily cleansing brush for strong, clear and resilient skin. Designed by men, for men. Showcasing Vibra-Sonic™ technology, The Clean Sweep moves at 15000 RPM to deep cleanse, exfoliate and condition the skin, even under facial hair. £85 available from magnitone.co.uk

These sharp, straight blades cut and shape moustaches and beards with precision and micro serrations keep hair from slipping. Includes a grooming comb. £20 available from Boots

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10/11/2017 21:28

B U N N I E S A N D Z E N . C O M

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FASHION

ANA HEART

Ana Heart is a high-end yogawear brand founded by French designer Amanda Ibgui and American yoga teacher and nutritionist, Rachel Novetsky. The creative pair met in London over a decade ago at Rachel’s yoga class, where they discovered a mutual love of fashion, design and a dedication to the ancient art of yoga. What began as a personal project between friends swiftly grew into a successful international clothing line operating across the UK, US, Germany and France. Ana Heart’s activewear collections reflect the diverse personality of its founders and their respective backgrounds. The brand philosophy is a feminine mix of minimalist, Parisian street style with Miami boho and a rebellious rock’n’roll edge reflected in their yoga clothes. Discover modern and comfortable loungewear with ontrend and effortlessly cool pieces that can be worn both in and out of the studio. Made with high quality, durable materials, lines include basics like yoga tops, bras and leggings, as well as yoga equipment and accessories. anaheart.co.uk

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BUCKLE AND SEAM

Manufactured by skilled craftsmen using carefully selected premium quality leather, Buckle and Seam have created a line of beautiful business and travel bags. With raw yet classy designs, the bags can be customised with a choice of inner linings and are perfect for both work and everyday life. The business bags fit both 13” and 15“ laptops whilst the travel bags are designed to fit everything possibly needed for weekend trips without having to compromise on style or comfort. Each bag can also be further personalised by adding initials if desired.

The leather is carefully selected from the north of Pakistan and is incredibly robust with an average thickness of 1.8–2mm (twice that of most bags). While most of the world’s leather is tanned involving harmful chemicals, the leather used in a Buckle and Seam bag is processed through a vegetable tanning technique. By purchasing a Buckle and Seam bag customers can also help change a girl’s life in the region by sending her to school, giving her direct access to literacy and education, as Buckle and Seam will donate a part of each bag sold to a school they partnered with in Karachi. buckleandseam.com

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BAM

BAM, the UK bamboo clothing company, has an innovative collection of yogawear this winter. Luxuriously soft against the skin, it is the natural properties of bamboo that results in the most comfortable, high performing and easy to wear range of yoga clothing you will find. Bamboo fabric provides exceptional moisture wicking; it is thermo controlling and breathable keeping the skin warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot; it is anti-static so doesn’t cling and it’s anti-bacterial so is great for sensitive skin. Super soft, the clothing is as comfortable for just relaxing in as it is for working out. BAM’s collection offers stylish and fun designs; from leggings to crop tops, flattering t-shirts to the warmest post exercise hoodies. For ideal Christmas presents there is also a range of great accessories including socks, headbands and neck tubes. bambooclothing.co.uk

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K-DEER

K-DEER is an innovative activewear brand best known for its unique and stylish prints. Leggings, capris, shorts, and tops made of bright, bold patterns and high-performance fabrics are worn and coveted by celebrities such as Elle Macpherson, Lena Dunham and Candace Cameron Bure. The collection offers flattering fit and comfort, allowing for uninhibited movement for any indoor or outdoor workout or sport. The highimpact reinforcements at the inseams make the leggings, capris and shorts ideal for workouts of any intensity. The moisture-wicking fabric keeps skin cool while the UPV 50+ protects you from the sun. With high-performing features including waistband pockets, figure contouring side panels and more, the popular pants easily transition from any workout, to brunch - and beyond. K-DEER is proudly made in the USA under strict environmental standards, using ecofriendly fabric and dyes and finishings. They’re committed to positive change through their transparent business ethics that foster social responsibly. They support over 20 causes, raising awareness and serving communities in need. K-DEER supports a diverse, body positive community offering an inclusive size range from XS-4XL. k-deer.com

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YOGA STRETCH

WHAT IS YOGA STRETCH? Our yoga stretch program offers two different routines to help anyone begin a regular yoga practice without the use of chanting or Sanskrit terminology that can be intimidating when you are first getting started. The DVD includes two complete 30-minute AM and PM practices - one is a relaxing flow designed to help deeply stretch and release tight and sore muscles and the other an energising flow designed to build a foundation of strength and stamina.

WHY DID YOU WANT TO CREATE A YOGA DVD? Though it’s been around for thousands of years, yoga has become more popular in today’s busy world as we become increasingly stressed both physically and mentally. Our bodies are constricting due to all the sitting we’re doing, and as we age we start to place more emphasis on finding movement that

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makes us feel good and perform better in all areas of our lives, and yoga does that. While there are a ton of yoga DVDs out there, I wanted to create a DVD that wasn’t intimidating for someone new to yoga to try yet still offered options for them to progress as they practise. I also wanted to film it outdoors as science has shown that even simply viewing greenery and nature on a screen can help increase feelings of enjoyment and relaxation.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD PEOPLE PRACTICE THESE ROUTINES? We always encourage users to listen to their bodies and add them in as they see fit, but these routines can be done daily if desired. Many of our fans like to alternate between the AM and PM practices daily, or every other day as part of their complete, weekly fitness routine.

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Can you tell me 3 poses that will energise you from your morning routine, and what do they do for you? Here are 3 great moves that help build energy and wake up the body:

Bridge Pose This spine opening pose helps turn on the muscles in the back and the abdominals together, an important combo for an energising posture. TO DO IT: Lie face up with knees bent, hip width and feet flat, with arms extended by sides, palms facing up. Draw abdominals in towards spine and engage pelvic floor to slowly lift hips off the floor, trying to keep glutes relaxed [A]. If you feel ready for more, try walking up onto shoulder blades to draw hands together, clasping palms, pressing arms down firmly against the floor; making sure to keep knees pointing forward in line with toes. [B]. Hold the pose for 30-60 seconds, breathing deeply and during each exhale, draw the navel in closer to the spine to further contract the abdominals.

A

B

Opposite Arm and Leg Balance The coordination of the breath and movement of this total body exercise helps wake up the brain and challenge your balance and key core muscles that help stabilise the spine.

A

TO DO IT Begin on hands and knees, with spine neutral, abdominals engaged and hands directly under shoulders, knees under hips [A]. Take a deep breath in and slowly extend left leg behind hip and right arm in front of shoulder [B]. Keep eyes focused on the floor to avoid neck strain and help with balance. As you exhale, return to start, drawing abdominals in deeper towards spine. Repeat on opposite side, using your breath to guide the speed of the movement. That’s one rep. Do 10 reps in total.

B

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A

Downward Dog Hover This dynamic core stretch pose helps open up the body and build energy and strength.

Can you tell me 3 poses that will relax you after a hectic day? What do they do for you?

B

TO DO IT Begin on hands and knees, with spine neutral, hands directly under shoulders, knees under hips. Press shoulders down and draw abdominals in towards spine and slightly lift knees off the floor (without raising hips in the air) to hover above the ground about an inch or two [A]. Take a deep breath in and slowly extend into Downward Dog pose by straightening legs, lifting hips up and back, pressing chest towards thighs until body resembles an upside down letter ‘V’, pressing heels as close to the floor as possible [B]. Modify by bending knees or lifting heels as needed. Exhale and return to hover position, drawing abdominals in as tight as possible as knees bend towards the floor. Repeat for a total of 10 repetitions, using your breath to guide the speed of the movement.

These 3 moves can help you wind down from a stressful day or simply stretch out soreness:

Stress Shake Off This move is designed to help you literally shake out the stress of a long day and release tension in the wrists and upper body (perfect for anyone who types or texts daily). TO DO IT Stand with feet hip width, knees soft. Bend elbows and begin to shake hands from the wrists as quickly as possible. Imagine literally ‘shaking off’ your stress, breathing deeply while you continue to shake your hands for 30-60 seconds, and then stop suddenly, observing the tingling in your hands after you finish moving.

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Side Stretch Open up the sides of the body and restore length in the spine with this gentle, standing stretch.

A

B

TO DO IT Stand with feet hip width and knees soft, take a deep breath in and extend arms overhead, palms facing in [A]. Exhale and lower right arm, reaching fingertips towards outside of right knee, looking up to left hand [B]. That’s one rep. Repeat to opposite side. Do 10 alternating reps in total.

Chi Circles Exhale away stress and tension while drawing in a calm, focused energy to help restore and re-energise your body.

TO DO IT Stand with feet hip width apart and knees soft, take a deep breath in and swing arms in front of body, bringing palms together [A]. Continuing with the momentum of the swing, raise arms overhead with palms still pressed together and bend elbows, dropping hands behind head [B]. Exhale fully and swing arms down and back, separating hands as arms swing behind body [C]. Repeat, using your breath to guide the speed of your movement, aiming to breathe deeper each time, 10 times in total.

A

B

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TELL ME ONE THING YOGA HAS BROUGHT TO YOUR LIFE THAT OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE HASN’T? Yoga has created a better balance of energy in my life. I’ve always loved exercising, but found that as I was getting older, I didn’t have the same high-level energy all the time because I was wearing myself out by working hard both at work and at the gym. Yoga helps me calm my mind, restore my energy and increase my flexibility, all of which helps me perform better not only during my other workouts, but in my daily life as well.

WHAT IS THE ONE POSE YOU PRACTISE MOST OFTEN? Savasana (Corpse pose) is my most favourite simply because it requires me to do absolutely nothing; something that is much harder than it sounds! I do it at the end of every yoga practice I do, and it’s the ‘pose’ that’s offered me the most benefit. Without darkness there can be no light, and similarly, if you don’t take time to empty your mind and let it rest it’s harder to continue to perform at your highest level.

JESSICA SMITH

WRITTEN BY

AS SOMEONE WHO STRUGGLED TO LOSE WEIGHT FOR YEARS, JESSICA FOUND THAT THE KEY TO HER OWN 40-POUND WEIGHT LOSS WAS MAKING SMALL, HEALTHY CHANGES THAT LED TO BIG, LASTING RESULTS. NOW AS A CERTIFIED WELLCOACH, FITNESS INSTRUCTOR AND PERSONAL TRAINER, SHE HAS SPENT THE LAST 15-YEARS HELPING STUDENTS AND CLIENTS REACH THEIR GOALS. JESSICASMITHTV.COM

Yoga Stretch for Beginners and Beyond DVD is available from Amazon.co.uk

PHOTOS BY VANESSA ROGERS PHOTOGRAPHY VANESSAROGERS.COM

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MIND

FEELING LONELY? DISCONNECT TO RECONNECT

Do you feel lonely sometimes? Even when you’re ‘in a crowd’? Even when you come into contact with so many people - at work, on your commute, socially or even online? How is it possible to feel lonely in a world of billions? Well, no matter how many people we’re surrounded by and connected to, we can still feel emotionally isolated and disconnected. The reasons for loneliness can be many, but one reason may be because we are over-connected to our digital world and a little too consumed by it all. Of course technology makes life easier, efficient and enjoyable, but it becomes a problem when it starts to affect our real life connectivity and wellbeing. Unplug Re-examine your relationship with the digital world. Rethink how to use it, how not to use it, and how to make the relationship healthy. So, come on, put those digital devices aside. Not forever. Simply, unplug now and then. Decide what you want to unplug from, when and for how long. Just take short breaks from it all and reduce the time you spend online. Disconnect from the digital world to make better connections with everything and everyone around you, including yourself. Tips for digital breaks: Ŕ /P QIPOFT GPS  NJOVUFT EVSJOH ZPVS lunch break . Ŕ/PTDSFFOTNJOVUFTCFGPSFHPJOHUPCFE Ŕ6OQMVHGSPNUIFQIPOF MBQUPQ 57 HBNF consoles for 2 hours at the weekends.

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Reconnect With Others Boost Existing Relationships: Take an inventory of your personal and professional relationships. Determine how to nurture the connections that need nurturing and actively build stronger relationships. Tips for sustaining relationships: Ŕ4UBZJOUPVDI%SPQBMJOF TFOEBOPUF BUFYU B DBSE PS NFFU VQ  /PU CFDBVTF ZPV IBWF UP  CVU because you want to. Ŕ&BUUPHFUIFS"UIPNFPSBUXPSL NBLFUJNFUP FBUUPHFUIFS*UNBZOPUCFQPTTJCMFBMMUIFUJNF CVU whenever you can. Ŕ5BLFUIFDPVSBHFUPCFPQFOBOEIPOFTUJOZPVS DPOWFSTBUJPOT *G UIF SFMBUJPOTIJQ JT DPNQMJDBUFE  be friendly but not too open. Make New Connections: 4UFQPVUPGZPVSTPDJBMDPNGPSU[POFBOEHFUPVU UIFSF BOENFFUQFPQMF#FNPSFBQQSPBDIBCMF TP UIBUQFPQMFDBODPOOFDUXJUIZPV"OECFHFOVinely interested in what makes people tick.

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Tips for creating new connections: Ŕ4NJMFNPSF4NJMFTJODFSFMZ4NJMFBOENPTUMJLFMZ  the other person won’t be able to help but smile back. Ŕ "TL RVFTUJPOT "TL UIFN BCPVU UIFJS IPCCJFT  UIFJSHSFBUFTUBEWFOUVSF UIFJSNPTUQSPGPVOEMFTson in life or their latest plans. Ŕ#FGVMMZFOHBHFE.BLFFZFDPOUBDUBOENBLFFWery effort to be absolutely present in your conversations. Find a Way to Help Others: 8IFO ZPV IFMQ TPNFPOF  ZPV IFMQ ZPVSTFMG  CFDBVTF ZPV NBLF JU MFTT BCPVU ZPV "OE OPU POMZ does the person at the receiving end feel good but it also makes you feel good! Tips for reaching out to others: Ŕ(JWFZPVSUJNFUPBOFMEFSMZOFJHICPVS7PMVOUFFS in your community. Lend a helping hand at your local food bank. Ŕ #F LJOE UP UIF TUSBOHFST ZPV FODPVOUFS 8IFO ZPVTFFBMPTUUPVSJTU HJWFEJSFDUJPOTPSPŢFSTPNF local knowledge. Ŕ4FOEDPNQBTTJPOBUFUIPVHIUTUPBUSPVCMFETQPU  or to someone you know who is going through a tough time.

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Reconnect With Yourself Alone, Not Lonely: Loneliness can be as much about being disconnected from our own self as it is about feeling disconnected from others. So, create some alone time to reconnect with yourself. Alone does not mean lonely. Spending time alone is healthy but feeling lonely isn’t. To get better at being alone without feeling lonely, get more and more comfortable in your skin, and really feel that you are enough. Accept yourself as you are. Accept that you feel lonely. Don’t ask why, don’t wonder how, don’t fight it and don’t put yourself down for having these feelings. Accept your feelings and this will help you to release it or work through it. Then start to affirm your strengths and qualities, your inner beauty, positivity and power. Start getting to know and like yourself. Because you will never feel lonely if you like the person you are with, YOU.

Finally Not always, but often what works well when we’re caught up in feelings of loneliness, is distraction. Interrupt and redirect your attention by distracting yourself in a healthy way, just try not to overdo the distraction. Feeling good about your life can also ease a little bit of the loneliness. So daily scan for the positives and feel more grateful, more content about all the things in your life. Simply put, it’s about developing a healthy balance between solitude and socialising, spending time with others and time alone, being active and reflective, enjoying your own company as well as the company of others.

INNER SPACE

INNER SPACE, BRAHMA KUMARIS IS A MEDITATION AND SELF-DEVELOPMENT CENTRE IN COVENT GARDEN, VISIT WWW.INNERSPACE.ORG.UK OR CALL 020 7836 6688.

WRITTEN BY

Tips for spending time alone: Ŕ%POPUIJOH$BSWFPVUUJNFGPSTPMJUVEF.FEJUBUF and become quiet and still, just for a little while. Take stock of where you are and where you are IFBEFE$SFBUFOFXESFBNT Ŕ%PTJNQMFUIJOHT(PGPSBXBMLBOEFOKPZOBUVSF Find an exercise routine you like and get active. Listen to soothing music or turn on upbeat, uplifting music. Paint, write, read, cook... Ŕ%PGVOUIJOHTBMPOF(PPVUCZZPVSTFMGBOEEP things that you would normally do with others. Travel solo. Or go for a movie, a concert or a meal at your favourite restaurant...

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BODY

HEALTHY

IS THE NEW

SKINNY

I am an author and public speaker and passionate about improving the health and wellbeing of girls and women. My focus is on media manipulation and body image. I started an online social media movement called ‘Healthy is the New Skinny’, which aims to empower girls and women to choose their personal health over the beauty ideal implemented by the media. After writing my first book ‘Healthy is the New Skinny: Your Guide to Self-Love in a ‘Picture Perfect’ World’, I have worked to continue my message and to even dive deeper into the concept of creating a healthy sense of self outside of my physical form. I am a first time mom to my 10-month old daughter True and my husband Bradford and I run our company ‘Natural Model Management’ in Los Angeles, California. I was inspired to begin this movement through my years of experience as a model in the fashion industry and as someone who has struggled with this issue as a child and teenager. The messages we all receive is that ‘skinny’ is better. So it leaves the majority of women feeling that in order to be valued or lovable we must look how the media says we should look. That thought process leads so many of us down an unhealthy road where we don’t value ourselves or our health, we only seek to perfect our bodies and be validated by others. I experienced this myself being every size from 6 to 14 and everything in-between. It wasn’t until I started to value myself and most importantly my health did I realise just how damaging the media’s focus on female beauty and the skinny beauty ideal really is to our society. As a model I would constantly hear other models say “I have to get my measurements down.” I would look at these extremely thin models and think “What? Where are you supposed to do that?” I was thinking out loud and said, “That is ridiculous they shouldn’t force models to be skinny, they should be focusing on their health…. Healthy should be the new skinny! And ‘Healthy Is The New Skinny’ was born.

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Balance is always difficult because we are made to believe that we can spend most of our time in a state of perfect balance, but that isn’t realistic. In real life, there are many variables that affect our state of balance. As a result, we actually spend most of our time going back and forth hoping to find a happy medium. Understanding this has made all the difference in my world because I now focus on my intuition, which tells me when I have gone too far in one direction and need to pull back instead of setting myself up for failure and always trying to have the ‘perfect’ balance. My idea of balance is also different now that I’m a mom. Just as I was typing this, our daughter climbed up on the living-room table because we looked away for two seconds! So we take each day at face value and there are really great productive days and then there are days when you are happy with simply showering. My advice to other mothers is that you are a human and it is okay to allow yourself the opportunity to not be perfect. It feels good to let that go and just be grateful for what you are able to get done today. When it comes to authentic health and wellness, it is important that we allow ourselves to opportunity to discover what works for us. Instead of trying a new diet with outlooks such as ‘I am fat and need to fix myself’, we can change our mentality to one that is more compassionate and loving like, ‘What does my body need to operate optimally today?’ Our health consists of so many variables like sleep, stress management, being around positive people, eating healthy food we actually enjoy, finding enjoyable ways to move our bodies and so on. When we get stuck in the mentality of ‘diet culture; (which is based in deprivation and restriction), not only do our bodies suffer, our spirits suffer as well. I made the choice to go on that journey and make healthy the new skinny because my choices drastically changed when my health became the priority over forcing my body to look a certain way. I invite you to take some time to evaluate how your choices might change by choosing health over the culture’s depiction of beauty. When we find our healthy place we also find our sense of self, confidence, and freedom we have been longing for.

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Here are my top yoga poses to ease the mind and de-stress:

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UTTHITA PARSVAKONASANA

(EXTENDED SIDE ANGLE POSE) Stand in a neutral position and extend your legs into a triangle. Bend your front knee and lower your body placing one hand on the ground with the front leg. Twist and extend the opposite hand into the air. Stretch and breathe.

SUKHASANA

(EASY POSE & EXTENDED EASY POSE) Sit in a neutral position with your legs crossed. Find your centre. Let your hands extend or sit naturally at your knees. Inhale for 5 seconds, hold for 5, and release for 5.

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4 3 VIRABHADRASANA I

SIDE ANGLE BEND Being in a neutral stance bringing one leg behind you. Bend your front knee and extend one arm up and one arm to the ground. Stretch, inhale, and exhale.

(WARRIOR I) Being in a neutral stance bringing one leg behind you. Bend your front knee and extend your arms to be parallel to the ground. Stretch, inhale, and exhale.

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VRKSASANA

5

(TREE POSE) With your body centered, bring your hands over your head and your left foot to the inside of the opposing knee. Find your balance. Hold to your level of comfort, breathing in and out.

TRIKONASANA

6

Sit in a neutral position bringing one foot into the inside of your opposite knee. Stretch your arm out to the extended foot and stretch. Inhale and extend your stretch with each exhale.

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8 BALASANA (CHILD’S POSE) Begin in a neutral kneeling position, find your centre, bend slowly forward extending your arms, feeing your body sink into the ground. Take deep breaths and relax.

KATIE H. WILLCOX WRITTEN BY

FORWARD BEND

(TRIANGLE POSE) Begin in a neutral stance and spread your legs to shoulder width. Bend your body forward, lean to one side, and stretch forward with one hand to your ankle. Breathe through each stretch and hold for 15 seconds.

KATIE IS THE FOUNDER OF HEALTHY IS THE NEW SKINNY AND CEO OF NATURAL MODEL MANAGEMENT, THE TOP WEST COAST MODELLING AGENCY FOR MODELS WITH CURVES. USING HER 13 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE MODELLING INDUSTRY, WILLCOX STRIVES TO CHANGE THE GAME OF BODY IMAGE BY GIVING PEOPLE THE TOOLS TO CHALLENGE THE BEAUTY IDEAL IMPLEMENTED BY THE MEDIA. HEALTHYISTHENEWSKINNY.COM PHOTOS BY BRADFORD WILLCOX

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SPIRIT

“SEVEN KINDS OF PERSONS WHO MAKE BAD FRIENDS” A TEACHING FROM ZEN MASTER YOSHIDA KENKO

In everything, no matter what it may be, uniformity is undesirable. Leaving something incomplete makes it interesting, and gives one the feeling that there is room for growth.

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Yoshida Kenko was born sometime in 1283. As the son of an administration official, he received an education becoming an officer at the Imperial Palace of the Emperor. The decades of his life were a time of turbulence in Japan with various internal struggles for power. Perhaps weary of the intrigues and complexities of palace life, Kenko quit his prestigious position distancing himself from all things political. At his cottage, he found the time to meditate, read, reflect and write. He shared the pleasures of this life when he wrote: “The pleasantest of all diversions is to sit alone under the lamp, a book spread out before you, and to make friends with people of a distant past you have never known.” His writings, which some have described as a ‘stream of consciousness’, move from one topic to another intuitively and unconcerned about systematic order. Kenko’s words reveal a person who delights in life’s simplicities. One example is his view of a person’s house: “A man’s character, as a rule, may be known from the place where he lives. A house which multitudes of workmen have polished with every care, where strange and rare Chinese and Japanese furnishings are displayed, and even grasses and trees of the garden have been trained unnaturally, is ugly to look at and most depressing. A house should look lived in, unassuming.”

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At other times, his thoughts and writings reflect Buddhist themes of naturalness, meditation, humility, and restraint, all applied to daily life. His Essays include, for example, the Buddhist wisdom on the importance of having spiritual friends and companions on life’s journey. There he identifies “seven kinds of persons who make bad friends.”

THESE SEVEN ARE: The man of lofty position. The young man. The man of robust constitution who has never known a day’s illness. The man fond of liquor. The fierce soldier. The liar. The miser.

His listing offers the following spiritual wisdom about the people whom we choose as our friends and companions in life: the man of lofty position can create in us a desire to use and manipulate for him our personal gain; the young man may cause us to become a careless risk taker; the man of robust constitution who has never known a day’s illness may generate arrogance and intolerance in us for those who are sick or suffer in others ways; the man fond of liquor could lead us into alcohol addiction creating destruction and chaos in our life; the fierce soldier may increase our appetite for violence; the liar may tempt us to become deceitful and dishonest; and, the miser, may induce us to reduce and limit our generosity. Yoshida Kenko is believed to have died 1350, on his 67th year.

WRITTEN BY

When the 91st emperor of Japan (Go-Uda) was displaced and driven into exile, Urabe Kaneyoshi, one of his faithful guards at the Imperial Palace, retired from his position, became a Buddhist monk, changed his name to Yoshida Kenko and withdrew to a small cottage. There he brushed his various thoughts on bits of paper pasting them onto his cottage walls like an enormous collage. After his death, one of his good friends, General Imagawa Ryoshun, discovered them arranging his wisdom into a book. Those writings, ‘Essays in Idleness’, are one of the most popular and quoted works of medieval Japanese Buddhist literature. Though some scholars question the legend, the reality is that Kenko’s essays were written, discovered, published and continue in print. Their popularity is due, in part, to the wide variety of topics he covered - nature, beauty, love, literature, writing, friendship and pieces of practical advice for troubled times.

VICTOR M. PARACHIN

VICTOR IS A YOGA AND MEDITATION TEACHER IN THE USA. HE IS ALSO THE AUTHOR OF NUMEROUS BOOKS ON EASTERN SPIRITUAL PRACTICES. HIS LATEST BOOK ‘U BUDDHA’ IS AVAILABLE FROM ULYSSESPRESS. COM AND AMAZON

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WORDS OF WISDOM FROM YOSHIDA KENKO “To sit alone in the lamplight with a book spread out before you and hold intimate converse with men of unseen generations - such is pleasure beyond compare.” “Leave undone whatever you hesitate to do.” “It is a great error to be superior to others.... It is such pride as this that makes a man appear a fool, makes him abused by others, and invites disaster.” “Why is it so hard to do a thing Now, at the moment when one thinks of it?” “If you must take care that your opinions do not differ in the least from those of the person with whom you are talking, you might just as well be alone.” “Abuse will not bother me; I shall not listen if praised.” “Things that seem too common: too many furnishings where one is sitting; too many brushes around an inkstone; too many Buddhas in a home chapel; too many stones and trees and bushes in a garden courtyard; too many children and grandchildren in a house; too many words used when talking to people; too much praise for oneself in a written petition.” “Even a false imitation of wisdom must be reckoned as wisdom.” “He is of low understanding who spends a whole life irked by common worldly matters.” “If life were eternal all interest and anticipation would vanish. It is uncertainty which lends its fascination.” “Blossoms are scattered by the wind and the wind cares nothing, but the blossoms of the heart no wind can touch.” “Ambition never comes to an end.” “ It is well for a man to be frugal, to abstain from luxury, to possess no treasure nor to covet this world’s goods. Since olden times there has rarely been a sage who was wealthy.”

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SKANDASANA

Flow

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This sequence is built around the side-lunge, Skandasana (confusingly also the name of an advanced forward bend from the Ashtanga third series, where one foot is hooked behind the head!) I first experienced Skandasana as a dynamic transition when attending a ‘Liquid Flow’ masterclass by Simon Park, who led us in whirling arks from the front to the back of our mats, clockwise and anti-clockwise. Simon’s creative use of Skandasana proved addictive; I was instantly hooked and have been practising and teaching this hip-opening transition ever since! Skandasana offers a deep stretch to the adductors and hamstrings whilst also helping to build core strength. But more beguiling to me is the way Skandasana can be used to initiate direction changes so we are naturally drawn around our mat in a mandala. Circular flows are absorbing, keeping us on our toes and dancing on our breath. This can be energising whilst also embodying the turning wheel of our lives - perfect as we approach the close of one year and the start of another. The following sequence offers a warming flow, great for boosting circulation during the winter months. Mentally and emotionally, continuously flowing in changing directions, motivates and challenges us to experience all three planes of movement leaving us more open to the possibilities that life offers us and ready to embrace the start of a new year.

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PRASARITA BALASANA

(WIDE-KNEE CHILD POSE) Kneel at the back of your mat, taking your knees wide. Fold from your hips, resting your forehead on your mat with arms stretched out. Spread your fingers and press the palms into the mat. Inhale, press into your hands and shift your weight forward. As you exhale draw back. Repeat until you feel you are flowing with your breath. On an exhalation, press through your hands and tuck your toes to lift your knees lift off your mat.

ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA

(DOWNWARD FACING DOG) Start with knees bent and draw your chest towards your thighs. Keep the right knee bent and press the left heel to the floor. Drop your right hip to deepen the twist and then reverse. Rise onto your tip-toes before slowly pressing both heels to the mat. Deepen your pose by externally rotating your shoulders whilst pressing inner elbows towards each other. Exhale and draw your navel towards your spine whilst pressing through palms so hips move back and heels drop.

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ALANASANA

(HIGH LUNGE PREP) Draw your right knee into your chest and simultaneously rise onto your left toes. Engage core muscles to draw your knee higher. Shift your weight forward until shoulders are nearly above the backs of your hands and then lightly step your right foot by your right hand. Press your left heel downwards and, as you inhale, pull your navel towards your spine, bowing your head towards your right shin. As you release the breath, sink your hips and offer your chest forwards, lifting your gaze. Repeat this breath flow several times to gain more depth in the pose, using each exhalation to deepen the stretch in your inner left thigh. If your adductors feel tight then keep your finger tips on your mat, otherwise, on an inhalation, slowly lift your torso and pelvis to vertical coming into the full pose for a few breaths.

PARIVRTTA ANJANEYASANA

(TWISTING LUNGE) Exhale and lower your left knee to your mat. Roll onto the outer edge of your right foot so your right knee starts turning out too. At the start of an inhalation reach forward with your right arm and then reach skyward as you start rotating your torso. Stay here or reach back with your right arm on an exhalation to deepen the twist. To come out, drop your right foot back onto the mat and lower your right hand, placing it alongside the inside of your right foot. If you have had knee surgery or regularly experience knee pain take extra care to turn out from the hip so the knee is not twisting.

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UTTHAN PRISTHASANA

(LIZARD POSE) Reach your hands a little beyond your feet and on an inhalation lift your left knee off your mat. Strengthen your foundation by pressing through your left heel as you continue to reach forward with your hands.

Keep reaching forward to deepen the stretch.

Start lowering your right forearm to the mat and, if this feels okay, drop the left forearm as well to come into a deeper pose.

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On an inhalation press into your left hand and start lifting your torso. As you release the breath start rotating your torso and lift your gaze to your right hand.

Inhaling sweep your arm forward and then deepen your twist by extending your arm behind you as you exhale.

Repeat this breath flow until you are deeply rotated, turning towards the bottom of your mat.

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SKANDASANA

(DEEP SIDE LUNGE POSE) On an inhalation sweep your right arm forward energetically using the momentum to lift your hips and rotate your body left. Keep turning until you sink over your left heel lifting your right toes.

SKANDASANA FLOW Start shifting your weight from heel to heel; lifting your hips as you inhale sinking down over alternate heels on an exhalation. If the thighs start to fatigue simply stay higher, using your hands to support some of your weight.

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PRASARITA PADOTTANASANA

(WIDE-LEG FORWARD FOLD) Inhale to lift from your back heel and turn your toes towards each other so feet are parallel. Inhaling, lift your chest, lengthening your torso and as you exhale, fold deeply from your hips. Activate thigh muscles, draw in your stomach and shift weight into your toes to help bring your hips directly above your ankles. Keep your neck relaxed and lower the crown of your head towards your mat or place on folded arms.

SKANDASANA WITH EXTENDED ARMS Sweep the arms wide, lift your hips and whirl around to return to the top of your mat.

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PARSHVOTTANASANA

(INTENSE-SIDE STRETCH) Take a deep inhalation to lengthen the spine and then, keeping your gaze slightly ahead of your toes, lower your chest on an exhalation. Work with your breath to gradually deepen the pose until you can drop your back heel (rotating it slightly inwards). Exhale and step your right foot back, keeping feet hip-width apart.

PHALAKASANA

(PLANK) Press your hands firmly into the floor, fanning out your fingers. Draw inner elbows towards each other and engage core, pulling navel towards spine. Press your heels towards your mat and roll thighs inwards to strengthen your foundation. To relax your neck drop your gaze to your mat, slightly in front of your finger-tips, and soften your jaw.

VASISTHASANA

(SIDE PLANK) Start turning your heels to the left and on an inhalation raise your right arm coming into side plank. Push yourself away from the mat, by pressing firmly through your left palm, and then lift your gaze to your right hand. Release the pose by dropping your right hand back to the mat so you return to Plank. Push back to Down Dog before stepping through with your left foot and repeating steps 4-13 on your left side.

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WRITTEN BY SARAH KEKUS

SARAH IS THE FOUNDER OF THE HEALTH ARCHITECT, A LAKE DISTRICT-BASED CONSULTANCY DEDICATED TO HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS. SPECIALISING IN HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMMES AND RETREATS, SARAH COMBINES NUTRITION, YOGA AND LIFESTYLE COACHING TO CONSISTENTLY ACHIEVE AMAZING RESULTS FOR HER CLIENTS. SARAH ALSO TEACHES A VARIED YOGA TIMETABLE, INFUSING TRADITIONAL ASHTANGA AND VINYASA FLOW WITH 21ST CENTURY FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT AND BODY CONDITIONING PRINCIPLES. THEHEALTHARCHITECT.CO.UK

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Plant-based Protein powders & Snack bars

www.purplebalance.co.uk Purple Balance-Yoga Mag-276x210mm-2015-02-18.indd 1 7 •Contents_MAR16.indd ALL MAGAZINE DEC 17.indd 15

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18/02/2015 16:15 02/02/2016 21:23 20:28 10/11/2017

NUTRITION

Compliments

Chef

to the

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We’re living in a day in age where we’re absolutely spoilt by the choice of food around us. There’s a veritable smorgasbord of flavours and cuisines that are waiting to be discovered, and more often than not they’re all within eyeshot of each other. Fantastic food markets and pop-ups are sprouting up more frequently than ever before and the culinary diversity we now have at our fingertips is something to revel in, and it’s something to embrace, for what’s life without some discovery and exploration? Especially when that means all new taste bud sensations to indulge in. And while this freeness to discover new food makes the times we live in as exciting as ever the convenience of having so much food at our fingertips is also something that should make us all a little more vigilant as well. Sure, we’re quick to jump at opportunities to try new food when the occasion arises, as we should, but let’s not forget that everything we put into our body will affect us. It’s never been more important to know what goes into your food, and more importantly, what doesn’t. If you look in the right places you’ll be able to get your hands on food that’s as real as it gets. That’s naturally delicious, through and through.

At Abel & Cole, they’re of the mind that good food should and can also be good for you. They’ve been around for almost 30 years now, delivering an evergrowing range of organic food to doors up and down the country. Doing things the green way runs right through all they do. There are no delivery times so they can average an amazing 70 deliveries a day, and they’re only in one area once a week to keep their carbon footprint on the low end. They box up all their lovely organic fare in recyclable, foldable boxes that they reuse as often as possible. And the people they work with? They all do things the right way, using just their know-how and their hands to grow, make and bake. You can think of Abel & Cole as your one stop organic shop, a dreamy place where you can find everything from everyday staples like eggs, milk and bread, to the freshest seasonal fruit and veg and the highest quality organic meat. Plain and simple: It’s the place to go if you’re after the finest organic fare around, that’s as healthy as it is downright delicious.

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"These earthly delights are where the Abel & Cole adventure began after all; the humble spud was hand-delivered from door to door in the early years."

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And while we’re on things healthy and delicious, let’s take a moment and tip our hats to amazing veg. These earthly delights are where the Abel & Cole adventure began after all; the humble spud was hand-delivered from door to door in the early years. It’s no secret that having veg in your everyday life is good for you. Especially when that veg is organic. But ask around and you’ll find that most of us don’t eat it enough in our day-to-day lives. It’s not a conscious decision, and it’s not that we actively want to avoid veg, but with jam-packed weekly schedules filled with the rigours of work, where all you can do at the end of the day is crash onto your couch – or into your bed even – and weekends are spent just catching up on life – it in itself a stressful endeavour – free time has become a precious commodity. Between that, finding the time to get in the kitchen to chop up some fresh veg and rustle up a hearty meal is becoming rarer and rarer. And then, of course, there’s the constant fight against our own desires, to reach for the ever-appealing batch of Jaffas or that packet of salt and vinegar crisps for a mid-afternoon snack. Why not grab some snappy sweet carrot sticks and partner them with a little hummus? They’re a duo perfectly capable of satisfying your late-in-the-day hunger. So how do we get back to eating what’s good for us? How do we reintroduce that all-important veg back into our lives? Well, there is in fact a solution. As brilliant as Abel & Cole’s kaleidoscopic array of veg is, and as fun as it is picking out what you fancy, they know that not everyone has the time for that in these times of on-the-go living. But what if all the ingredients you needed to plate up brilliantly healthy and delicious meals came in one box delivered to your door? And what if alongside all of those ingredients you’d get handy recipe cards that make cooking up those meals no sweat at all? Almost sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? But these organic foodie pioneers have just gone and done it. They’ve indeed come up with a nifty way to make eating fresh seasonal veg, and whole hearty meals for that matter, the most convenient thing ever, in the shape of their recipe boxes.

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And just like that, with Abel & Cole’s clever recipe boxes, you’ve not only brought all-healthy veg back into your life but you’re putting together entire meals that are absolute stunners. And it’s as convenient as could be; no pushing your way through supermarket aisles, no lingering in queues, and there’s no chefing experience required. All you have to do is make your selection out of 12 marvellous meals every week and Abel & Cole will take care of the rest. Cooking from scratch has never been easier. Let’s get choppin’!

"The great thing is, even though the three set recipes in your box will already be heavenly, you can mix and match between all of the boxes." WRITTEN BY

With four recipe boxes to choose from each with three different recipes every week, they cater to all sorts of different wants and likes. There’s fresh takes on old favourites in the Simple recipe box, dishes to impress in the Foodie recipe box, meals for the vivaciously herbaceous in the Veggie recipe box, and those with less than 500 calories per serving in their Light recipe box. The great thing is, even though the three set recipes in your box will already be heavenly, you can mix and match between all of the boxes. With a total of 12 recipes to choose from every week, you’ll be sure to find something that takes your fancy. In fact, you’ll be putting together the most impressive menu in the neighbourhood. But that’s not all folks. It gets better. Abel & Cole have recently introduced their latest gem: The one-meal recipe box. It’s the only single meal organic recipe box around. Truly one of its kind. After you’ve made the painstaking choice of which of the 12 weekly recipes you’ll be rustling up, you’ll get all you need to cook up that one show stopping meal. Perfect for those extra busy weeks, or when you get home after an evening yoga session in need of some reinvigoration. It’s also just the ticket if you’re looking to impress on that next date night.

OLI KUSCHER

OLI IS A FULL-TIME COPYWRITER AT ABEL & COLE AND INDULGER IN ALL THINGS GOOD, HEALTHY, AND DELICIOUS. HE IS A SELF-PROCLAIMED BUDDING CHEF.

Recipe Boxes start at £12 per recipe. For more information, visit abelandcole.co.uk or call 03452 626262

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TRAVEL

The Jewel in the Algarve Georgia Keal visits Anantara’s new resort in Portugal and discovers the perfect family holiday.

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The Anantara have shimmied over from Asia and the Middle East to launch their first resort in Europe, nestling itself in Portugal’s glamorous neighbourhood of Vilamoura, on the sparkling southern Coast. The welcome drink sets the tone for the 5 star, authentic Portuguese experience at Anantara Vilamoura. On plush sofas in a beautiful lounge we sipped the sweetest sun-kissed orange juice and tried an innovative and delicious carob water with figs and almonds. All local produce, all beautifully served. This theme of authentic Portuguese experience all wrapped up in the lap of luxury permeated our trip. We enjoyed family time together; having fun in the hotel pools and exploring the local area and culture whilst balancing it with quality time with my husband while the kids had a blast in the world-class kids club. Everything about the hotel is gorgeously chic, from the pools to the rooms to the restaurants. Even the yoga deck is glamorous, looking out over the Oceanico Victoria golf course that tumbles down to the nearby coast. After our welcome drink we were whisked off to lunch at The Ria, a poolside restaurant that offers relaxed seafood dining, showcasing the freshest catch of the day, cooked delicately with Portuguese flair. We tried delights such as clam’s sautéed with lime and coriander and squid skewers with Ria’s famous secret sauce, while the kids dipped their toes in the pool between courses. Bliss. We stayed in an interconnecting family room, one of the 280 rooms and suites, with ample space for us all and two bathrooms stocked full of Elemis goodies. Our super luxe room was completed by a sprawling, cosy day bed on each of the balconies, the perfect spot to soak in the last of the sun’s rays with a good book. The sweet treats delivered at the evening turn down were presented in a chic terracotta dish from the Tasa store. Tasa works with young designers to create contemporary homeware using traditional techniques which are created by craftsmen. Many of Tasa’s coveted crockery are used in the hotel and can be purchased in the onsite store as the perfect souvenir. Each family room comes with a complimentary session at the Adventurers Kids Club which is superb. Kind and enthusiastic, highly trained British staff kept the kids entertained in the newly purpose built kids club with craft activities, cooking, games and not to mention all the great toys. There is also an interactive outdoor playground that you can pop along to at any time for a play and a kid’s pool. There is a fantastic football academy and dance academy and the top class childcare extends to a babysitting service. The wonderful Rachael, that the kids knew from the club, came and babysat for us one evening so we could enjoy a romantic meal together at the EMO restaurant. Such a golden treat on a family holiday! We had a wonderfully memorable evening at the wine orientated restaurant

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the balcony and were guided through our innovative meal by our ‘Wine Guru’, Antonio, who skilfully paired a different wine with each course, peppering our meal with little gems of his vast wine knowledge throughout. One afternoon, whilst the kids played happily in the Adventurers kids club, we headed to the tranquil seclusion of the adults only Cascades pool to lounge undisturbed sipping a cool drink delivered by one of Anantara’s sunshine butlers. You can upgrade your relaxation here to one of the Verve Clique cabanas to sip bubbles poolside. There are 4 other pools; 2 outdoor pools flanked by elegant cabanas and sun loungers, a children’s pool and an indoor pool at the spa, which is an oasis of pure indulgence and relaxation. The spa draws on a unique Ayurvedic philosophy complimented by Algavian healing that is unique to this region. Each treatment begins with a deeply relaxing milk and coffee footbath. Coffee granules are massaged into the feet to draw out toxins and stimulate the feet before being submerged in a warm footbath as nourishing milk is poured in. I tried Anantara’s signature massage and found a deep state of relaxation that continued for days afterwards. The scenic yoga deck is accessed from the spa’s pool. Morning yoga sessions take place here overlooking the green landscaped golf course, a stunning natural backdrop to watch the sun slowly rise as we did our Sun Salutations with Carolina, who taught a wonderful Ashtanga inspired class. Carolina guided us through an expansive class where we mindfully connected the movements of the body with the breath. In our relaxation as we lay in Savasana at the end, she beautifully connected our bodies with the earth: “Inhale and draw up energy from the earth beneath you, exhale and release back in to nature.” A truly grounding and balancing way to start the day. Breakfast is in the Victoria restaurant and every morning we dined on the terrace outside. There is a choice for everyone here, the kids enjoyed pancakes, my husband had a fry up and I indulged in one of the many healthy options of bircher muesli topped with seeds, local honey and a side of their fresh ‘ABC’ juices (apple, beetroot and carrot). There are mountains of freshly baked pastries, tropical fruit, local yogurt, a rainbow of fresh juices and a live cooking station. We came back to the Victoria restaurant as part of ‘Spice Spoons’, our immersive culinary adventure organised by one of Anantara’s ‘Experience Guru’s’. Chef Dale took us to a traditional market in Loule, where he bought local produce to cook back at the

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hotel. Before heading back we took a stroll around the cobbled streets, lined with colourful houses with grand, old wooden doors whilst dipping in and out of galleries and artisan stores. Back at the hotel we sipped prosecco as we helped Dale prepare the sea bass in a cataplana, a traditional copper steamer. We enjoyed the fruits of our labour on the terrace, paired with a local wine and finished the meal with the peaches from the market that we caramelised in local honey and thyme from the hotel's herb garden. This really was one of the highlights of our trip. We had such a wonderful time and learnt so much and it was all topped off by a delicious lunch. The ‘Experience Guru’ also organised a Tuk Tuk tour for us to the picturesque local beaches, which was such a fun and explorative trip. Much giggling and whoops of joy erupted from the children as we cruised around the local area in the sunshine yellow Tuk Tuk. Children’s seats are provided in the Tuk Tuk and in the complimentary shuttle service that runs from the hotel to Vilamoura and local beaches. The Algarve is famous for its golf courses with the Oceanico Victoria being one of the best. The hotel has direct access to the golf course, with their own changing rooms and lounge. The hotel’s ‘Golf Guru’ is also on hand to help perfect your game. You can visit some of the best luxury hotels in the world and have no real sense of which country you are in. Anantara Vilamoura breaks this mould by championing the Portuguese culture and wrapping it up in a luxurious bow. We enjoyed the perfect family holiday and all felt more connected by the rich experiences and fun we had at Anantara Vilamoura.

Anantara’s nightly rate starts from €255 in a Delux room for two on a B&B basis. For more information, visit vilamoura.anantara.com or email [email protected] or call +351 289 317 000

WRITTEN BY

GEORGIA KEAL

GEORGIA IS A YOGA TEACHER AND TRAVEL WRITER. TRAVEL AND YOGA GO HAND IN HAND FOR GEORGIA, AS HER OWN PRACTICE AND TEACHING GAINS DEPTH AND RICHNESS THROUGH HER TRAVEL AND WORKING WITH INTERNATIONAL YOGA TEACHERS ACROSS THE GLOBE. FOLLOW HER ON INSTAGRAM @YOGATRAVELWRITER FOR YOGA AND TRAVEL RELATED GEMS.

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WHAT’S

HOT!

ION8 QUENCH

This is a wonderful water bottle that’s suitable for hot and cold drinks, and fits bike bottle holders. The flip top can be opened with one finger, and seal closed again in an instant without an annoying screw top or tough nozzle. The Quench has an extra large 1000ml capacity, and is extra sturdy with a vented, smooth liquid flow for rapid hydration. It’s also 100 per cent leak proof and BPA free, and has a soft feel for easy grip and a carry strap. £11.94 available from Amazon.co.uk

REAL HAPPINESS

BY SHARON SALZBERG

BLACK AND BLUM LUNCH POT

This is a functional, yet very stylish lunch pot made up of a small and large, stackable watertight pots and there’s a spork included so you can eat your snacks and meals on the go. The smaller compartment conventiently nests inside, and the rugged carry strap lets you easily transport it in style. It’s perfect for breakfasts such as porridge, lunches of soups, stews and noodles and healthy snacks like fruit and nuts. The lunch pot is also BPA free, and is microwave and dishwasher safe. £19.95 available from

boxappetit.co.uk

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An effective, approachable guide, that begins with simple breathing and sitting techniques to witness the transformative powers of meditation. With over 30 years’ experience, Salzberg shows you how to start and maintain an effective meditation practice, with clear lessons on mindfulness, concentration and loving kindness to help you achieve lasting benefits from just only 20-minutes of practice per day. (Hay House) £12.99

YOGA IN THE TRADITION OF SRI K. PATTABHI JOIS BY PETRI RÄISÄNEN

Räisänen is one of the privileged teachers who prasticed alongside the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the man who popularised Ashtanga around the world. In his second comprehensive book on Ashtanga, he demonstrates the Intermediate series positions, asanas to purify and strengthen the nervous system and energy channels throughout the body. It features rare interviews with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and his family, alongside over 100 stunning photographs, where asanas are presented both individually and as a complete training system. Highly recommended. (YogaWords) £19.99

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NATUR BOUTIQUE’S MORINGA TEA

The leaves, flowers, fruit, seeds, and roots of the moringa tree are all used traditionally throughout Asia for a host of claimed health benefits, and new research shows that it could help our bodies and liver protect themselves. This is one of the only organic teas available and uses the leaves to create a rich and robust drink that is 100% pure and free of additives, flavourings or preservatives. £3.99 available from naturboutique.co.uk

NĀKD GLUTEN-FREE BREAKFAST BARS

The perfect on-the-go snack that will keep busy people full through to lunchtime. Made from just oats, fruits and nuts smooshed together, the range is made with 100% natural ingredients. These soft and satisfyingly slices are all less than 100 calories, making it the ideal way to get one of your five-a-day. Available in four scrummy flavours: ‘Banana Bread’, ‘Cocoa Twist’, ‘Apple Danish’ and ‘Berry Bliss’. 75p each / £2.49 for a pack of four. Available from major retailers.

SLEEPPHONES®

KINETA COLD BREW MATCHA

These tasty drinks contain one of the most powerful superfoods - ceremony grade mathca, the highest quality matcha available. Each bottle is made up from Devonshire spring water, is less than 99 calories, vegan friendly, fat free and doesn’t contain any artificial colours, preservatives or additives. Available in three delicious flavours: ‘Green Apple’, ‘Sicilian Lemon’ and ‘Peruvian Ginger’. Delicious! £2.29 available from good retailers and ilovematchatea.co.uk

These headband headphones have been specifically designed for sleeping, and help block out snoring, noisy neighbours, busy traffic and other disruptions. Designed with ultra-slim, removable stereo speakers hidden inside a cozy, soft headband made of hypoallergenic, machine washable fabric. Unlike standard headphones, you can sleep comfortably on your side, and these won’t fall out of your ears whilst you sleep. Available in either classic wired version to connect to a variety of audio devices, or a Bluetooth wireless version for cord-free listening. £29.99 available from

sleepphones.co.uk

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WHAT’S

HOT!

NEWBY TEAS FESTIVE TEA CADDY

This is a great gift to celebrate those born in the Year of the Dog, and of course for tea connoisseurs and animal lovers. The caddy holds Newby’s signature black Festive Tea, a limited edition and irresistible blend of Newby’s award-winning Assam tea imbued with the subtle taste of the finest almonds. The beautifully designed caddy features four distinguished characters, each with its own unique illustration. Simply delicious! £15 available from newbyteas.com

DREAMS OF CHRISTMAS BY RUSSELL SHAW FEAT. THE PINEWOOD SINGERS

This excellent new album from BAFTA nominated and award-winning composer Russell Shaw, is an arrangement of 17 of the best known traditional Christmas carols including ‘Silent Night’, ‘Once in Royal David City’ and ‘We Three Kings’. The carols are beautifully sung by the ladies of the Pinewood Singers, worldclass vocalists who have featured in many productions including Hollywood movies, The Proms and the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. (Goes Like This Ltd) £10.15 Available from iTunes, Amazon Music and Google Play

SILATHA JOURNAL

This is a gorgeous meditation journal to help you record your wellness journey. It will help grow a more balanced life full of happiness with daily tips and space to write in your favourite poems, set your intentions and also diary space for your most beautiful moment of each day and memories. Also includes a meditation app. Highly recommended. £30 available from silatha.com

HONESTLY SUGAR FREE BAKING BY CAROLYN HARTZ

The book is packed with recipes that have helped her on her sugar free journey, and includes chocolate brownies, fudge and even cheesecakes. The recipes don’t include hidden sugars, in the form of honey, maple syrup or agave, but instead use the natural alternative xylitol, which, with a consistency just like granulated sugar, makes creating sugar free versions of everyday classics possible. Each recipe has also been created without the use of gluten. Highly recommended. (SweetLife Austrailia Pty Ltd) £18.39 available from

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ODYSEA ORGANIC GREEK EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Extracted cold within hours of the olives being harvested means that this fabulous oil retains its rich aroma and high nutrient value. Produced exclusively from organically grown Koroneiki olives from the Chania region of northern Crete, an area which is globally acclaimed for the production of top quality olive oil, and studies have even indicated that extra virgin Koroneiki olive oil may reduce incidences of breast cancer £6.25 available from Sainsbury’s

COFFEE GATOR FRENCH PRESS

Need a coffee in the morning to get you going? Well this fantastic coffee press is guaranteed to get your taste buds tingling, and as it’s made from premium stainless steel, with a vacuum insulated double skin it will also keep your coffee hot for longer. It also has an easy pour spout with a double filter for a cleaner cup, and it comes with a free mini canister for storing your coffee. £39.99 available from

Amazon.co.uk

SUN ELEUTHERO

Eleutherococcus senticosus (ES) is a plant found wild in mountain forests in East Asia, where it’s traditionally used in Chinese medicine. Several exciting studies have shown that it could help lessen the impact on your body of alcohol and fatty foods, help prevent a number of diseases, aid recovery, give you younger looking skin and even improve your sex life. This ‘miracle’ plant is now available in easy to swallow tablets that uses ES from wild plants, grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides, and comes in easy to swallow tablets. £21.95 available from

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SACRED POWERS BY DAVIDJI

Award-winning author, meditation teacher and stress management expert davidji has written an excellent book that offers his five time-tested secrets to awakening transformation so you can find yourself, gain clarity, make life-affirming decisions, step into your power, own your impact and soar. The overriding theme of the book is that we are never stuck in life, we can always plant the seeds of a new direction and use our thoughts, words and action to journey back to wholeness and ultimately our dream life. (Hay House) £12.99

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PHILOSOPHY

Is Buddhism

Yoga?

Many people think of Buddhism as a religion and it both is and it isn’t. The only belief in Buddhism is really that people are inherently and originally good, and that we become distorted into unkind behaviour through fear, delusion and unhelpful conditioning. Buddhism could also be called a ‘religion of method’; it’s rich in practical instructions as to how to understand ourselves and how to understand suffering and the freedom from suffering. This is in essence what yoga is and does too.

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From this view there are many schools of yoga within the folds of Buddhism. The three main strands of Buddhist practice and teaching are the Hinayana, the Mahayana and the Vajrayana. ‘Yana’ means ‘vehicle’. The ‘Hina’ is ‘small’, ‘Maha’ is ‘large’ and ‘Vajra’ is ‘diamond’. The lesser vehicle, the great vehicle and the diamond vehicle. A vehicle leads one along a path. Each of these strands of thought and practice contain vast expanses of differing method and philosophical view. However, all of the schools agree on the following core views. THE THREE JEWELS Buddha: The teacher, is also the innate nature of each of us. Dharma: The natural law of awakening that permeates existence. Sangha: The community of practitioners and realisers. * The Four Noble Truths 1) There is Suffering Birth leads to being conditioned. Being conditioned leads to ignorance, attachment, aversion, indifference and self-contraction. Self-contraction into the illusion of being a separate ‘thing’ is as a result of fear. Fear leads to aversion, craving-attachment, indifference and seeking love and security externally in the elements (the skandhas). Birth and life lead inevitably to old age and death. Old age leads to bodily decay and suffering. Death is fearful. Being pushed into what one does not like, through life, is suffering. Being in what one likes, leads to the fear of loss of this delight, since all things change. To be separated from what we like is also suffering. In short, all contact with phenomena that leads to attachment (fixation), withdrawal or ignorant indifference leads to deeper ignorance and suffering. This is pretty much what Patanjali and most yoga teaches. Remember Buddha was a yogi. 2) Suffering has an origin Desire is rooted in ignorance and attachment and leads to rebirth of the self-contraction in every moment. Being the self-contraction, the one who believes it is in charge of action and consequence, is accompanied by pleasure, pain and suffering. The appetite for more sensory experience as a panacea for suffering with its concomitant craving, aversion,

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indifference, pain and suffering that rises from this leads to more suffering. This is samsara. This is what yoga also teaches. Patanjali simply takes the root of the issue as one step deeper than desire into ignorance of who we really are, whilst schools of Tantric Buddhism do exactly the same.

“The illusion of a self, which we think we are, is created by the conjunction of these five skandhas.”

3) Suffering can end Cessation of fixation, cessation of the doer, cessation of craving-attachment, aversion-withdrawal and indifference. Renouncing this activity, not attaching oneself to the fruits of activity ends suffering. This is remarkably similar to Karma yoga, the yoga of action. The is an eight-fold path that leads to the end of suffering, which includes: Ŕ$MBSJUZPGWJFX Ŕ$MBSJUZPGJOUFOUJPO Ŕ$MBSJUZPGBDUJPO ŔClarity of speech. Ŕ$MBSJUZPGMJWFMJIPPE Ŕ $MBSJUZ PG FŢPSU UP BWPJE GBMTF BOE VOIFBMUIZ ideas, to transcend harmful tendencies in oneself, to acquire necessary skills and qualities, effort to maintain ones healthy state. Ŕ $MBSJUZ PG NJOEGVMOFTT NJOEGVMOFTT PG CPEZ  feelings, sensation and thought, all internal phenomena and the workings of the mind. Ŕ $MBSJUZ PG NFEJUBUJPO BQQSPQSJBUF NFUIPE GPS that practitioner with their needs and strengths, as given by the teacher and to be practised with diligence The Two Truths The cyclical bondage of conditioned existence with all its suffering is called ‘Samsara’. Samsara is our conventional identity represented by the selfsense, the ‘I’ that is resident in and attached to the world of flowing appearances and trying to find safety and make everything work. There is also the realm of freedom from all causes, all conditions, all concepts and all fixations. This is Nirvana. Nirvana is the realm of our absolute identity, Buddha nature. It is the Eight Fold path that leads from Samsara to Nirvana. Buddhist Yoga sees our basic body-mind as made up of the five skandhas. The illusion of a self, which we think we are, is created by the conjunction of these five skandhas. They are impermanent and empty of any separate existence. Seeking security on any aspect of these five skandhas leads inevitably to suffering.

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These five skandhas are: Ŕ 'PSN PS NBUFSJBMJUZ 5IF ŤPX PG FMFNFOUT BOE FWFSZGPSNBSJTJOHPVUPGUIFN Ŕ 4FOTBUJPOT  GFFMJOHT BOE UIF QFSDFQUJPO PG UIF TFOTFT Ŕ $PODFQUT BOE BMM UIF OPUJPOT UIBU GPSN UIF DPOTDJPVTJOUFMMFDU Ŕ 5FOEFODJFT BOE QPUFOUJBMJUJFT PG UIF NJOE JODMVEJOHUIPVHIU CFMJFGBOEJNBHJOBUJPO Ŕ $POTDJPVT LOPXMFEHF  EJTDSJNJOBUJPO BOE UIF GBDUPGCFJOHDPOTDJPVTPGTPNFUIJOH /POFPGUIFTFBSFTFFOBTPVSUSVFOBUVSF5IJTJT WFSZTJNJMBSUPUIFUFBDIJOHTPGZPHB #VEEIJTU ZPHB IBT 'PVS *NNFBTVSBCMFT UIBU DIBSBDUFSJTF#VEEIB/BUVSF UIFOBUVSBMTUBUFPGBMM CFJOHT5IFSFJTŌNBJUSJō NFUUB PSŌMPWJOHLJOEOFTTō Ō,BSVOBōPSŌTQPOUBOFPVTGSFFŤPXJOHDPNQBTTJPOō JTBOPUIFSRVBMJUZ BTJTŌNVEJUBPSBQQSFDJBUJPOPG PUIFST KPZō Ō6QFLTIBō PS ŌFRVBOJNJUZō JT UIF MBTU JNNFBTVSBCMF #VEEIJTU ZPHB BMTP UFBDIFT UIF TJY QBSBNJUBT QFSGFDUJPOT UIBUDIBSBDUFSJTFUIFRVBMJUJFTOFFEFE JOBQSBDUJUJPOFSBOEUIFPVUDPNFTPGHPPEQSBDUJDF 5IFTFBSFŌEBOBōPSŌHFOFSPTJUZō ŌTIJMBōPSŌEJTDJQMJOFō  ŌLTIBSUJō PS ŌQBUJFODFō  ŌWJSZBō PS ŌIFSPJD FYFSUJPOō  ŌEIZBOBō PS ŌNFEJUBUJWF BCTPSQUJPOō BOE ŌQSBKOBō PS ŌUSBOTDFOEFOUBMXJTEPNō +VTUMPPLJOHBUUIFTFXFDBOTFFUIBU#VEEIJTNJT B SFMJHJPO PG NFUIPE BOE UIBU JU JT B EJŢFSFOU BOE TPNFTBZDMFBSFSUBLFPOZPHB 5IFŌ4FBMUPQSBDUJDFōBMTPTIPXTUIFDPODFSOUIBU #VEEIJTU ZPHB FWJEFODFT GPS UIF XFMMCFJOH PG BMM UIBUXFBMTPţOEJOBVUIFOUJDZPHB .BZBMMCFJOHTFWFSZXIFSFCFXFMMBOEIBQQZ NBZ UIFZLOPXUIFSPPUPGIBQQJOFTT .BZBMMCFJOHTCFGSFFGSPNTVŢFSJOHBOELOPXUIF SPPUPGTVŢFSJOH .BZBMMCFJOHTDPOTUBOUMZSFTUJOHSFBUHPPEGPSUVOF BOEQSPTQFSJUZ .BZ UIFZ EXFMM JO UIF HSFBU FRVBOJNJUZ GSFF GSPN UPYJDQBTTJPOT GFBS BHHSFTTJPOBOEEFMVTJPO .BZBMMCFJOHTCFMJCFSBUFEJOUIJTWFSZNPNFOU .BZBMMCFJOHTEXFMMJOUIFPQFOIFBSUFEPDFBOPG MPWF GPS POFTFMG  GPS FBDI PUIFS BOE GPS BMM CFJOHT FWFSZXIFSF

CHRISTOPHER TEACHES CONTEMPORARY YOGA-TANTRA UNDER THE NAME OF ENGAGED YOGA. CHRISTOPHERGLADWELL.COM

constantly rest in great good fortune and prosperity.”

WRITTEN BY

CHRISTOPHER GLADWELL

“May all beings

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YOGA FOR HEALTH

SIMPLE YOGA TO COMBAT

Festive Stress

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High levels of stress during the festive season are extremely common, and finding the time to roll out your yoga mat might be challenging. But, don’t wait for January or your New Year’s resolutions to get back on your yoga mat; try to find time during this busy month for even just 15-minutes of yoga, it is during times of stress that yoga can be of the greatest benefit. Yoga brings so many benefits and the wonderful thing is, is that really anyone can practise some form of yoga. Yoga is not just for the flexible. Yoga is allinclusive, and as Krishnamacharya said, “If you can breathe then you can do yoga.” Yoga is such a big umbrella and contains practices suitable for everyone. Even taking 10-minutes out to breathe slowly and completely, will make a huge difference to stress levels and help to clear and calm a restless mind. Yoga brings balance to our whole self, although stress can be positive and will help keep us to remain motivated, too much stress can be dangerous. During these busy and stressful times we can draw on all the techniques that we have learned whilst on our yoga mat and apply them to our everyday lives.

Here are a few simple techniques to try to help reduce festive stress Set your alarm just 30-minutes earlier than usual to allow for a short asana practice before breakfast. Include postures like Majaryasana (Cat), Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog) and a selection of Virabhadrasanas (Warriors) before concluding with a nurturing spinal twist like Jathara Parivartanasana (Belly Revolving Twist).

breastbone. As you breathe slowly notice the warmth of your hands delivering love and understanding. When you are ready, relax your arms alongside your body with your palms facing up and continue to breathe slowly in and out through your nose. Each time you exhale feel your body sink and become heavy. Continue to breathe slowly in and out through your nose working to release tension with each exhalation for as long as you feel necessary.

Just Breathe If you find the volume of shoppers a little hard to handle this simple breathing technique can be performed anywhere as and when required. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose, retain the breath for a comfortable length (a natural pause is fine for those with high blood pressure or if you are pregnant) and then exhale as slowly as you can through your nose feeling all stress and tension leaving your body. Repeat at least five times.

Further Considerations Stress can greatly affect our sleep patterns which at these busy times can be extremely detrimental to health and wellbeing, especially when the immune system is working hard to fight off those first winter ills and chills. Make sure you get plenty rest and eat a healthy well-balanced diet. Yoga can help us to maintain healthy stress levels and brings clarity to help us get everything done with a clear and calm head.

Here is an easy relaxation technique to practise at the end of the day During this busy time it is important that you make time for yourself, a short relaxation performed prior to bed will help you sleep well and provide you with the time and space to clear the mind and balance your emotions.

SUE IS A LEADING YOGA TEACHER AND

WRITTEN BY

Lay on your back with both hands lightly resting just above the navel and below the breastbone. Close your eyes and begin to breathe slowly in and out through your nose. Concentrate on the area of your body beneath your hands and then notice that your hands rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale. Continue to breathe slowly focussing on this area. After a few minutes, move your hands to your chest with the palms lightly resting on the centre of your

SUE FULLER

ENCE. SUE IS THE CREATOR OF THE YOGA YOGA CLASSES THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUG H ALL MAJOR BOOKSELLERS AND

FOR 20% ALL YOGA 2 HEAR CLASSES ENTER THE CODE YM20 AT THE CHECKOUT.

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STUDIO PROFILE

STRETCH Nestled in the bustling and creative heart of London’s East End you will find Stretch. For the last 5 years husband and wife team Carl and Sophie have steered this unique community yoga studio from it’s humble beginnings in a simple warehouse space, to a large two-roomed studio just off Broadway Market, plus their little sibling Stretch on Columbia Road, a cosy boutique studio a few minutes down the street in Shoreditch. Each of the Stretch studios has their own character that reflects their local community, but both studios offer a warm yet minimal feel. The unimposing nature of the spaces are mirrored in the programming. The team at Stretch opt for an inclusive and non-dogmatic approach to yoga, eschewing ‘brands’ and gimmicks to the point that some classes are simply described as ‘yoga’! Carl’s 10 years teaching has led to Stretch’s very own teacher training program, specifically catering for busy Londoners in a semi-intensive fashion. And when even this urban oasis isn’t soothing enough, you can book onto one of their many yoga excursions to Southern Spain, Ibiza, Goa, Puglia, Barcelona and Somerset to name a few.

When not on the yoga mat, Stretchers can be found hanging upside down from gymnastic rings, getting to grips with kettlebells and TRX machines, but also coming together for discussions on body image, meditation, men’s groups and women’s groups, or even trying their hand at life drawing. Carl and Sophie truly believe that yoga is all about community, and can be found most days at the studio with the teachers and their managers Toni and Rachel having a good old chat and plenty of laughs after class. The team here are also behind the annual yoga and movement festival Exhale, incorporating not just yoga but wild-running, calisthenics, breathwork, ice baths, hot tubs and a good old fashioned raveup in a barn! 0207 249 1733 stretch-london.com [email protected] Broadway Market 6B Ada Street London E8 4QU Columbia Road 59 Columbia Road London E2 7RG

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DAVID LUREY

TEACHER OF THE MONTH For more information, visit findbalance.net davidlurey. bandamp.com DavidLureyYoga

A student of yoga since 1995 and teaching since 2001, self-titled ‘Global Yogi’ David Lurey shares a variety of yoga practices as a way to fulfil his purpose of Opening Consciousness and Vitality. David began with ‘The Rocket,’ a power yoga sequence in 1995 in San Francisco, CA and was quickly immersed in all the cliché’s about yoga as they became more and more real to him. His first teacher training in 2001 opened the doors to this path where integrated philosophy, dynamic sequences and poses with groovy music all came together. From 2001-2006, he was co-director of Greenpath Yoga in San Francisco. Around 2003, he began a life of a travelling yoga teacher when that was still a fairly new phenomenon. In these travels, he was invited to teach in Mallorca, Spain where in 2008 he met his most profound teacher, who is now his wife and co-teacher, Mirjam Wagner. They live together in Palma de Mallorca and awaken each day with gratitude for life. With many teachers and influences along the way, David is now an experienced yoga teacher whose programs focus on full integration of body, emotion, intellect and spirit. He is also a musician and is known for creating experiential programs that can be truly life transforming. With aspects of Vinyasa flow, alignment practices, exploratory practices, AcroYoga, Green yoga and group facilitation work, students are invited to find balance in the many ways we can approach life as each situation calls for a unique response. He teaches online at Ekhart Yoga, leads a 200hr Training in Brazil each year, Advanced Trainings on Mallorca and Ibiza, as well as retreats and workshops around Europe. Through the summer, you can find him at festivals playing music, teaching and laughing a lot.

Photos by Alex Amengual alexamengual.com

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BEGINNERS POSE

USTRASANA

CAMEL POSE

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How To Perform

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Benefits

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Modifications

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Contraindications

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INTERMEDIATE POSE

NATARAJASANA

LORD OF THE DANCER POSE

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How To Perform

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Benefits

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Modifications

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Contraindications

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ADVANCED POSE

PARSVA BAKASANA

SIDE CROW

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How To Perform

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Actions in the pose

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Benefits

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Modifications

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Contraindications

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SEQUENCE

Fly LIKE AN

Eagle Cultivating focus and balance, building courage and power while learning to fly high even in difficult times. This sequence of poses can awaken the qualities of an eagle so that we can embody them and learn from this wise bird that has much to offer us. Standing poses set a steady foundation, shoulders opening ‘spreads the wings’ and balancing on one leg awakens presence like the majestic eagle in nature. In a printed sequence, there is no space for transitions so my invitation to you is to use these poses as an outline and like an eagle gliding through the sky, trust yourself to get from one pose to the next with total awareness. (And extra style points if you include The Steve Miller Band soundtrack!)

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1) Tadasana (Mountain pose) Preparing for Take-off Begin standing with the feet the distance of your sitting bones. Lift the centre of your chest, close your eyes and become present to where you are. Notice all the sounds, smells and whatever your eyes see. Take 3-5 slow deep breaths and imagine yourself preparing to take flight. Spread your shoulder blades across your back, relax your face and observe the beauty of all that is there.

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2) Anjanayasana (Lunge) The Leap of Faith Step the right leg way back, place the right knee to the floor and lift onto your fingertips. Bend the left knee while keeping the left heel to the floor and send the chest forward. Open the throat while lifting the belly button up towards the chest. Look with the eyes forwards and up with great focus. Hold for 7-10 breaths with some gentle tension on the front of the right leg.

3) Baddha Parsvakonasana (Bound Side Angle) Shifting Perspectives From forward fold, step the right leg back and turn the right heel to the floor at a slight angle. With the left knee bent to 90° bring the left arm inside the left leg. Fold the left arm under the knee reaching into open space behind you. Reach the right arm to the sky and then behind you. When possible, hold the right wrist with the left hand and roll the chest open to the right. Keep the neck and head where it feels safe and a relaxed face. Hold 5-7 breaths.

4) Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III) Finding Balance Standing in Tadasana, shift the weight to the right leg. Bring the hands to heart centre, lean the chest forward while lifting the left leg behind you into open space. Keep one straight line from the top of the head to the left foot while balancing on the right leg. Soften the eyes to the floor in front of the right foot and keep the right knee soft. Extend the arms forward when appropriate. Keep the back of the body engaged to support the lifted leg and draw the belly button in and up for additional inner power. Hold 5-7 breaths.

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5) Marichyasana (Bound Seated Twist) Opening the Wings Sitting with the legs forward, bend the right knee and place the right foot touching the inner left thigh. Reach the right arm to the sky and fold forward reaching towards the baby toe side of the extended left leg. Hold for 2-3 breaths there. Rotate the right thumb towards the floor to reach around the right shin as low as possible. Bring the left arm behind and catch the left wrist with the right hand. Modify this by using a belt to secure the hands behind you. After the hands are clasped, shift the weight to the right until both sitting bones are on the floor. Lift the centre of the chest, twist the spine to the left. Stay for 7-10 breaths with a soft expression on the face and the shoulders moving towards the back. 6) Gomukhasana (Cow Facing Pose) Building Inner Power From seated position, bend both knees and cross the left knee over the right knee. Use support under the sitting bones if this is too challenging or feels awkward to the hip joints. Align the knees to both face forward as much as the hips allow. Reach the right arm to the sky, fold at the elbow and bring the right hand between the shoulder blades. Bring the left arm down and behind to meet the right hand, using a belt in the hands if they do not reach each other. Rotate the right triceps forward with the shoulder blade moving away from the spine. Lift from below the belly button and centre of the chest while rooting the sitting bones down. Hold 7-10 deep breaths before changing sides.

7) Eagle variation Soaring From Tadasana, shift the weight to the left leg and bring the right foot to Half Lotus high on the left thigh. Slightly bend the left knee to ‘catch’ the right foot and fold forward with the right heel in the abdomen. Extend the arms to the side with thumbs and pointer fingers touching each other. Rotate the upper arms internally as much as possible and reach out through the fingers. Steady the eyes to the floor or forwards and feel yourself soaring like an eagle. Hold 7-10 breaths and continue to the next pose before changing sides. *If there is any knee pain, skip this pose and the next!

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8) Ardha Baddha Patmotanasana (Half Bound Standing Lotus): Self-Reflection From Eagle variation pose, reach the right arm behind the back and catch the right big toe. Exhaling, fold forward and bring the left hand to the floor by the left foot. Hold for 5-7 breaths with full concentration on the experience. Inhaling, lift to the left fingertips and exhale there. Inhaling come all the way to stand on both legs for a moment to integrate these two poses before changing sides.

9) Garudasana (Eagle) Focused Intention Standing in Tadasana, bend both knees and shift weight to the left foot. Pick up the right leg and cross the right knee over the left. If available, hook the right foot around the left calf. Extend the arms to the sides and then cross the right arm over the left while bending at the elbows. Sit low into the hips and lift the elbows in front of the face while keeping the shoulder blades down the back and away from the spine. Fly like an eagle... to the sea...Fly like an eagle... let my spirit carry me... Take 7-10 slow breaths in full awareness.

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VEDIC ASTROLOGY WORDS BY YOGI DR MALIK

DHANU (SAGITTARIUS)

MEENA (PISCES)

November 23rd to December 21st Sometimes in life we have many choices to make even for the basic of tasks. You would be well advised this month to make your own decisions and learn to trust them. Be sure to invest your time on projects that will uplift your life and that of your loved ones and the wider community. December will close on a peaceful vibe and allow you to look confidently ahead.

February 20th to March 20th December starts on an auspicious note, and you will find time to explore new hobbies and activities. The sixth chakra may be active and this is perfect time to work with meditation practices to keep you grounded. Love is particularly emphasised this month, so share unconditionally with others that you know are deserving of it. The month progresses on a peaceful note.

MAKARA (CAPRICORN)

MEESHA (ARIES)

December 22nd to January 20th Domestic and work issues may keep you busy, but occupy your free time with aspects of your life that are worth investing in. You will receive strength and motivation from your family and friends. You will also be encouraged to spend some quality time to beautify either your immediate environment or yourself. December closes with an auspicious vibe.

KUMBHA (AQUARIUS) January 21st to February 19th This month there will be plenty to keep you busy, on the work or career front. Research, learning, reading and study should be on your agenda. There is promise of interesting activities, new friends, joint ventures and projects that require your creative input. You will be lucky in love and finances, and a windfall or a gift will be the perfect treat to spoil yourself, as well as to share with loved ones. The month closes on a happy note.

March 21st to April 20th A great end to the year is promised as your social standing improves significantly and you enjoy the success that comes with it. This will give you the chance to connect with like-minded people and open new doors of opportunity including exciting job options. There is also emphasis on collaborations, creativity and relationships. December closes with auspicious and festive vibes.

VRISHA (TAURUS) April 21st to May 21st Commitment and passion are the highlights of the opening days of December. The future rewards you will gain will be immense. A positive outcome to a problem that arises at home will materialise for you. If you have a career or are working on some home projects then you will definitely make some excellent progress. The month closes with peaceful vibes.

“Be sure to invest your time on projects that will uplift your life...

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MITHUNA (GEMINI)

KANYA (VIRGO)

May 22ND to June 21ST December will be a splendid month for you. Your strength and motivation is coming from your family connections – both present and ancestral links. You will also be encouraged to spend some quality time to beautify things that are special to you such as your home or a loved one’s personal space. This is a festive month full of surprises and plenty of exciting opportunities for self-development. The month closes on a happy note.

August 23rd to September 23rd There is promise that you will enjoy financial stability, but be sure to read the small print before you sign anything. You deserve the luxury of treating yourself without feeling selfish or guilty. Your kindness to others deserves applaud, but ignoring your own needs is not acceptable. The lower chakras will be active and you will be feeling ready to tackle just about anything that comes your way. The month closes on a peaceful vibe.

KARKATA (CANCER)

TULA (LIBRA)

June 22nd to July 22nd December is a perfect month to relax and enjoy the festive spirit. Friends and family are a good source of strength and to share your hopes and dreams with. Your social standing may also improve significantly and you will enjoy the success that comes with that. This is also a great time to work with colour therapy. December closes on a welcoming and happy vibe.

September 24th to October 23rd December is a perfect month to catch up with friends and acquaintances you never seem to have time for, so enjoy the power of friendship. Contracts, business ventures and projects are highlighted and you will spot some great opportunities to make money. Use this month to spend time helping on local community and charitable causes, as it will keep you grounded and focused. The month closes on a joyful vibration.

SIMHA (LEO)

VRISCHIKA (SCORPIO)

July 23rd to August 22nd A pleasant start to December improves your financial investments. Try hard to make time for you just to relax and enjoy the festive season. In love you will be extremely lucky as it is particularly emphasised in your ‘house’, and engagements, weddings, relationships, love and romance are all highlighted. The month ends on a jovial and peaceful vibe.

October 24th to November 22nd December promises to be an exciting month, but make sure you spend time talking and listening to your peers as they can provide you valuable insights into your strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately you have created your circumstances, and only you can change them if you have the right commitment and dedication. The month is packed with interesting ideas to help you improve your social skills. The month closes on a peaceful vibe.

...and that of your loved ones and the wider community.”

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