Did you know that when you smile you are doing mouth yoga?
Yes, really. It’s not an April Fool’s joke! I learned it from one of my Buddhist teachers, Thich Nhat Hanh.
Click here to watch my short video on mouth yoga! Enjoy!
OM #YogaMonday OM!
PS: If you would like to read about my yoga journey, check out my memoir That Which Awakens Me on Amazon.com. It is available on Kindle
My debut novel Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One features a main character who works as a yoga teacher in Washington, D.C. Click here to visit the Love’s Troubadours’ Pinterest board which contains some great information about the novel. You can purchase it on Amazon.com.
Have you ever heard of The Yoga Sutras by Patanjali?
Pantanjali was a great sage that lived thousands of years ago. He is responsible for codifying the practice of yoga in The Yoga Sutras. They consist of 196 verses that contain knowledge, instructions, and wisdom that have inspired and informed yoga practitioners for centuries.
The Secret Power of Yoga
The Secret Power of Yogaby Nischala Joy Devi is my favorite interpretation of The Yoga Sutras. Devi offers a heart-centered, intuitive, and feminine perspective. Click here to watch my short video review of her book.
PS: If you would like to read about my yoga journey, check out my memoir That Which Awakens Me on Amazon.com. It is available on Kindle
My debut novel Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One features a main character who works as a yoga teacher in Washington, D.C. Click here to visit the Love’s Troubadours’ Pinterest board which contains some great information about the novel. You can purchase it on Amazon.com.
Faith Hunter and Ananda at Embrace Yoga Studio in DC
Happy Yoga Monday!
Interviewing yoga teachers is one of the things I enjoy doing. It gives me a chance to learn more about their journey and practice. My yoga mentor Faith Hunter, founder of Faith Hunter Yoga and Embrace Yoga Studio, is always fun to chat with. Click here to listen to my 2010 interview with her. You will learn more about Faith and how she inspired me to teach yoga.
Faith Hunter on 2010 cover of Yoga Journal MagazineFaith Hunter on 2011 cover of Yoga Journal Magazine
Last year, Black Enterprise interviewed Faith about being a yoga entrepreneur. I really appreciated her comments about treating yoga as a business. Her business philosophy is holistic and offers her studio and teachers an opportunity to serve others and earn income with open hearts.
Faith is an amazing writer and podcaster. She has written for Origin (“Sea of Uncertainty” and “For the LOVE of God”) and other publications. Her Faith Hunter All the Way Live Podcast offers free yoga classes. Click here to find a class to take. Her podcasts will rock your yoga world!
OM #YogaMonday OM!
PS: If you would like to read about my yoga journey, check out my memoir, That Which Awakens Me on Amazon.com. It is available on Kindle
My debut novel Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One features a main character who works as a yoga teacher in Washington, D.C. Click here to visit the Love’s Troubadours’’ Pinterest board which contains some great information about the novel. You can purchase it on Amazon.com.
I am a book lover who has a serious crush on yoga books. The first yoga book that I had a crush on was Opening to Spiritby Caroline Shola Arewa. I discovered it in 1999. It is filled with yoga and chakra wisdom that influenced my healing arts practice and artwork. Watch my short video that mentions the book.
Do you have any favorite yoga books?
OM #YogaMonday OM!
PS: If you would like to read about my yoga journey, check out my memoir That Which Awakens Me on Amazon.com. It is available on Kindle
My debut novel Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One features a main character who works as a yoga teacher in Washington, D.C. Click here to visit the Love’s Troubadours’ Pinterest board which contains some great information about the novel. You can purchase it on Amazon.com.
Yoga is a Sanksrit word that means union or connection to all things. It begins with the breath. When I practice yoga, it helps me slow down. It makes me more mindful and allows me to make better choices. Click here to watch my yoga video that includes breathing exercises. Enjoy!
What does yoga do for you?
OM #YogaMonday OM!
PS: If you would like to read about my yoga journey, check out my memoir That Which Awakens Me on Amazon.com. It is available on Kindle.
My debut novel Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One features a main character who works as a yoga teacher in Washington, D.C. Click here to visit the Love’s Troubadours’ Pinterest board which contains some great information about the novel. You can purchase it on Amazon.com.
Yoga and meditation go hand in hand in my life. I love using heart meditations and deep breathing in my yoga practice. Whenever I do a heart meditation that allows me to place my hand on my heart, I feel a deep sense of gratitude. Click here to learn about a heart meditation you can use in your own yoga practice.
Take some time today to watch a video of my Opening Your Heart yoga class. Have fun! Enjoy!
OM #YogaMonday OM!
PS: If you would like to read about my yoga journey, check out my memoir That Which Awakens Me on Amazon.com. It is available on Kindle
My debut novel Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One features a main character who works as a yoga teacher in Washington, D.C. Click here to visit the Love’s Troubadours’ Pinterest board which contains some great information about the novel. You can purchase it on Amazon.com.
Today I am focused on my heart chakra and opening my heart with yoga poses. The heart chakra is the fourth chakra. Chakras are energy centers in the body.
The heart chakra governs the heart, upper chest, and upper back. It ensures that harmony and balance exist in the body. When it is in balance, you feel open and give love and are able to connect with others in a peaceful, harmonious way.
The Fish pose is a great heart-opener. I can do it on my bed which makes it even sweeter. Click here to learn more about it.
Yoga in Bed, one of my favorite books
I am huge fan of yoga poses that I can do in my bed. A few years ago I purchased Yoga in Bedby Edward Vilga. What a great book! It has helped me incorporate several poses into my home yoga practice and classes with clients.
Have you ever tried yoga in your bed?
Which poses work best for you when you practice in your bed?
Enjoy your day!
OM #YogaMonday OM!
PS: If you would like to read about my yoga journey, check out my memoir That Which Awakens Me on Amazon.com. It is available on Kindle
My debut novel Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One features a main character who works as a yoga teacher in Washington, D.C. Click here to visit the Love’s Troubadours’ Pinterest board which contains some great information about the novel. You can purchase it on Amazon.com.
Practicing and teaching yoga by candelight is yoga yummy!
Happy Yoga Monday!
Today, I am celebrating the beauty of my Yin Yoga practice. Yin Yoga consists of poses that stretch the connective tissues of the body including the hips, thighs and lower spinal area. These types of tissues stretch and exercise the bone and joints areas of the body. Yin Yoga poses are slow and steady. You hold each pose for several minutes which allows your muscles to relax so you can focus on lengthening and strengthening the connective tissues.
I’ve been a lover and practitioner of Yin Yoga for many years. My Yin Yoga love affair started during my yoga teacher training at Flow Yoga Center in 2005. That’s when I learned about it and purchased yoga teacher Paul Grilley’s DVD.
Yin Yoga DVD
Through her studies with Grilley and Sarah Powers, my yoga teacher Yael Flusberg (a fabulous yoga therapist, coach, Reiki Master, poet, and writer) has given me a deeper appreciation for the various poses (including Swan, one of my favorites) and how they connect to the energetic flow of my chakras and meridian points in my body. Her teaching style has influenced the way I share Yin Yoga with my clients.
My yoga teacher/life coach/copy editor Yael Flusberg, a poet/writer/coachYael practicing yoga in nature
This year, I gave myself the gift of regular yoga classes at Tranquil Space. One of my favorite classes is Candelight Yin taught by Danielle Polen. The class helps me release the concerns of my day, settles my mind chatter, and opens my heart.
Yin Yoga by Paul Grilley
Yin Yoga has been a true blessing. It works magic in my creative life. Whenever I have writer’s block, I love to do a series of poses because they CHILL me out. They get me out of my mind and into the present moment. The NOW! That’s where all of the juicy creativity lives which makes it possible for me to write and publish books. Click here to read a Yoga Journal about Yin Yoga. Enjoy!
What type of yoga do you practice?
What does yoga do for you?
PS: If you would like to read about my yoga journey, check out my memoir That Which Awakens Me on Amazon.com. It is available on Kindle
My debut novel Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One features a main character who works as a yoga teacher in Washington, D.C. Click here to visit the Love’s Troubadours’ Pinterest board which contains some great information about the novel. You can purchase it on Amazon.com.
Happy February! Happy Black History Month! Happy Heart Health Month! Happy Love Day/Month! Happy #YogaMonday!
It’s a lot of happy going on today! Why? I am very excited about sharing reflections and resources that celebrate my yoga passion, practice, and services as a yoga teacher on Mondays. This month, I’m sharing yoga reflections and resources that promote an open and healthy heart on my blog and social media platforms (search #YogaMonday on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter for my yoga goodies).
Do you practice yoga?
What are your favorite poses?
How does yoga make you feel?
What kind of music do you like to listen to while practicing yoga?
Love Is Space by Deva Premal
One of the things I love to doin my personal yoga practice and in my sessions with clients is chant mantras. Mantras are words or phrases that create energy-based sounds when they are repeated over and over again during meditation and yoga. Devi Premal has a beautiful collection of mantras I use to open my heart. Her Love Is Space DVD is one of my favorites.
I fell in love with her rendition of Om Mani Padme Hum which means “Hail, the jewel in the lotus.” Click here to listen to it. I use the mantra to open my heart to the practice of compassion. I love to chant it before I do several rounds of cat and cow yoga poses (great heart openers). Yoga Journal has some great instructions on how to do the poses: cat pose and cow pose. Many of my clients enjoy using the online resources too.
Here are some of heart-related quotes I am using this month as reminders to keep an open heart and practice compassion as I move through my life.
“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” Oprah Winfrey
“A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love.” Mother Teresa
“Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it.” Braveheart
“Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions, then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart.” Author Unknown
Click here to read Renita Weems’ post with 21 quotes to open your heart on BeliefNet.
Mudras is one of my favorite yoga books
Did you know you could practice yoga with your hands? This kind of yoga is called mudras. They are hand gestures and seals that can help improve flexibility and coordination in your fingers and hands. When you use them with breathing exercises, they can stimulate an opening to your lungs and heart and open your joints and relieve tension in your head, neck, and shoulders. They can also help cultivate a specific state of mind during your yoga and meditation practice. I use them in my yoga practice and sessions with clients. The lotus mudra is one I use to open my heart.
Ananda practicing the lotus mudra
Click here to watch my video on the lotus mudra. For more information, check out Yoga Journal’s article on mudras. Enjoy!
OM #YogaMonday OM!
PS: If you would like to read about my yoga journey, check out my memoir That Which Awakens Me on Amazon.com. It is available on Kindle
My debut novel Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One features a main character who works as a yoga teacher in Washington, D.C. Click here to visit the Love’s Troubadours’ Pinterest board which contains some great information about the novel. You can purchase it on Amazon.com.
Ananda Leeke 