NAMASTE! YogaLife is delighted to co-host together with the Consulate General of India, Perth, a FREE YOGA CLASS to celebrate International Yoga Day 2023 to spread awareness of the many benefits yoga has brought to the world.

Since 2014 the United Nations has established the 21st of June as International Yoga Day, and each year has a theme for the special day. The theme for this year is ‘Humanity’ which is a GREAT celebration in itself, and integrates beautifully with the teachings of Yoga. 

Come celebrate with us this special day and stretch your body and relax your mind like never before on International Yoga Day on June 21.

When: Wednesday 21st June 
Time: 7:15pm (1hour yoga Class) 
What to bring: just yourself! (mats and props provided at studio)
What to wear: Comfy, lose clothes
Experience level: ALL LEVELS welcomed! From absolute beginners to advanced! 

BOOKING REQUIRED: If you would like to attend make sure to reserve your spot as places are limited! Booking here: https://internationalyogaday2023.eventbrite.com.au
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We look forward to welcome you and celebrate together!

It was such a pleasure to visit the Naala Djookan Healing Centre today, where I volunteered offering Yoga to the wonderful women of the centre.
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The Naala Djookan Healing Centre seeks to simplify access for women affected by family and domestic violence by providing trauma informed therapeutic services, offering a range of integrated and evidence-based services in one safe, inclusive, culturally responsive and welcoming location.
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I am deeply inspired by organisations like this one who strive to contribute value to our society by enriching women and childrens lives for a better future. I am forever grateful to all those involved in this fairly new project founded in early 2021 and thank you for the opportunity to be a part of it today.
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#naaladjookanhealingcentre #yogalife #cityofstirling #yoga

So Yoga is so much more than ‘stretching’ but many of us are first drawn to this amazing practice because of the physical benefits such as ‘stretching’, and the way it makes us ‘feel’ by the end of the session.
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Harvard Medical School has recently released the following article sharing Why Stretching is Important (see link below) and why its 'proper execution is important'.
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https://www.health.harvard.edu/.../the-importance-of...
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If you are considering to practice more stretching in your life consider attending classes by a Certified Iyengar Yoga teacher.
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I run Foundation Yoga courses in Karrinyup, WA and also offer online recorded series so you can learn yoga from the comfort of your home. Visit www.YogaLifeaustralia.com or contact me for more information.
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Contact me if you would like more information to begin stretching more and be prepared to not only stretch your body but also your mind!
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I would love to hear your thoughts on stretching please comment below.
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#yoga #stretching #harvardmedicalschool #yogascience

🧡Pune reflections:
Talking with a friend yesterday I shared how although I had never been to the institute before there was a familiarity about the place. Also about the people I met. It felt like I was home. Geetaji scold like a mother. The sharpness and intensity of her scolding was like one of a mother minding her children! At one stage she even said ‘you think I shout a lot? If you see your child drowning you don’t whisper to them!’ It’s clear her strictness comes from a place of care. Her deep compassion for us as her students - as her children.

​I also shared with my friend how it was thanks to the new friends I made at the institute that I got a wonderful welcome and felt right at home. These new friends represented siblings. As an only child I’ve never had siblings, but I imagined them to be just like these new friends I made who admittedly told me on the first day they saw me as the new, lost girl whom reminded them of their first trip to Pune...😂👌

The community Guruji has created is no doubt an extension of his deep desire for each of us to fully blossom and develop into compassionate, intelligent and caring human beings. I know I will return ‘home’ again some day to the welcome and guidance of my dear teachers, and repay my debt of gratitude to Guruji, and my fellow siblings by welcoming the newbies like me.  💕 
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#family #appreciation #home #bksiyengar #guruji#RIMYI #yoga #iyengaryoga #iyengaryogaaustralia#pune #india
 — at Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute.

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I feel so much gratitude to have been taught by this amazing yoga teacher Dr Rajlaxmi 🙏 Dr Nidmarti Rajlaxmi learnt directly from BKS Iyengar and continues to learn from his daughter Geetaji and son Prashantji. She has been teaching regular classes at the Pune Institute for 20 years, sometimes taking the Women's class when Geetaji is not available. As well as being a medical doctor - she has a doctorate in Ayurvedic medicine, with a practice in gynaecology - she assists in the medical classes in Pune, often with very complex cases.
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India moves the depth of my being.

The intensity of each moment demands you to be present. To witness the reality of the present moment in its total beauty and unpleasantness. Each moment is a training to be mindful - look at each step but look out for traffic, listen for traffic/sounds of the animals and rain, smell the divine/not so divine, savour the rich food, feel the rain/oils/beautiful textiles... you would think this would be overwhelming but really it’s very relaxing. It all brings me to this beautiful and unique moment of NOW, with a sense of appreciation for everything in life - the good and the bad.

For we need both to be alive.  

Being in India is a GREAT MINDFULNESS EXERCISE. I have so much respect for the Indian culture and gratitude for this amazing lesson. It’s something I will take home with me... 

You can try it too. Take a moment and make a mental note of all of your 5 sense. How do you feel? Share with me in comments! 
📷: @neepa_parikh 
#ekapadarajakapotasana #mindfulness #gratitude #appreciation #india#yoga #iyengaryoga #iyengaryogaaustralia

Many people I meet are often perplexed when learning I wake up early to attend my yoga practice, especially those who are new to yoga, they look at me rather strangely.
I recognize this look of ‘disbelief' from when I started my yoga practice nearly a decade ago and wondered why people would ‘do that to themselves’.  Little did I know that waking up early was just one of the walls I was about to break down in my life, along with many others... but that’s a story for another day.
 
Waking up at 4:45am to practice yoga is hard; it requires dedication, devotion and perseverance. All of these traits don't come naturally to me and I am determined to practice these regularly. Committing to a regular practice can be the hardest thing, believe me, it’s my on-going battle despite nearly a decade of practice! But it is an extraordinary training ground to observe your life and actions ‘off the mat’ and then measure whether or not these actions are having a positive or negative impact on your physical, mental and emotional health.
 
For instance, feeling ‘heavy’ during practice can be due to an undigested dinner the previous night, perhaps having an earlier dinner may be better for your body; or being distracted by an overpowering thought or worry during meditation can be a sign to take action and listen to that voice within; or if the body is sore it may be time to rest and restore.
 
By practicing yoga postures daily, you’ll notice your changes in yourself as the strength and flexibility of both body and mind begins to improve.
 
But many students ask me why do I practice so early? Why not practice later at night? There are many reasons for this. Many traditional yogic texts state that the hours between 4am and 6am are the most conductive for meditation and yoga practice because the mind is at its stillest and the rest of the world hasn’t yet sprung into action, so there’s a sense of calmness in the air. If these hours are a little too early for you, then one of my teachers Guruji Iyengar states ‘practicing a bit later is also OK’.
 
Practicing first thing in the morning, before outside messages broadcast into our minds invites a level of focus and concentration that is hard to achieve later in the day creating a perfect training ground to harvest that state of awareness for the rest of the day. As a woman in society I have many roles. A wife, mother, business owner, teacher, daughter…. but at that time no one requires any thing from me, all that is required is for me to be present on my mat. Some days just being ‘on’ my mat can be the biggest sense of achievement.
 
There is a beautiful stillness about early morning practice. The quietness at that time, especially in the winter months when the moon is still out invites calmness into the mind. 
 
Practicing ‘Sun Salutes’ can create a connection with the environment and the natural rhythms of the universe. It reminds me of the greatness and wonders of life as I welcome the sun each morning.  The ‘awakening’ from a morning savasana practice, is a metaphor for welcoming a new day - a new life.
 
Over the years I have developed some tricks that help to get to practice yoga in the morning:

• Starting the night before: have a light dinner.
• Before going to bed lay out the clothes you will wear. This will be one less thing to think about first thing in the morning.
• Set up your Tea/Coffee/Cocoa ritual. (Again, one thing less to think about – but also a good way to make that commitment with yourself).
• Have a warm shower as soon as you get out of bed.
• Don't snooze your alarm.
• Tell family and friends about your practice. (My husband’s support is imperative to my morning practice as he looks after our baby son as he wakes up. Shout out to the best hubby!)
• If you practice at a studio, tell your teacher or a friend you will see them there. 
   

With time a morning practice becomes part of your daily ritual. The beauty of a morning practice also lies in the victory and achievement of committing to your practice – to your body and to your mind. When you finish and roll up your mat you know you have already achieved something huge. You did it! And you can start the day with that sense of absolute reinvigoration. Every. Single. Day. What a positive way to start the day!
 
If you would like to try a morning practice, at YogaLife Wellness we offer yoga classes 7 days per week. On Monday and Wednesday mornings we offer a 6am class (doors open at 5:45am), and also have yoga classes every day of the week at 9:30am.
 
See you on the mat.
 
Namaste.
Lizette x

This is one of the standing poses in which the pelvis faces forward, parallel to the front plane of the body. It is the natural progression from warrior II, with one hand placed on the floor and the other stretching over the head.
 
Pelvis and legs
The back leg buttock muscle extends the hip and turns it outward. The group of muscles on the inside of the thigh extend and draw the leg towards the midline stabilizing the back foot on the floor. The tensor fascia lata and gluteus medius turn the hip inward. This balances the strong outward pull by the large buttock muscle. The quadriceps, straighten the back knee. The muscle along the front of the shin draws the ankle towards the shin, which stretches the calve muscles and the muscles along the outside of the calf. The psoas and pectinius muscles bend the hip of the front leg. The muscle crossing diagonally over the midline of the thigh refines this action. The quadriceps of the front legs activates to support the body weight. The muscles along the outside of the front leg calve turn the ankle slightly outwards. The foot is pressed firmly against the floor by flexing the ankle.
 
Trunk
The lower side abdominal oblique and transverse muscle draws the trunk towards the bent leg, stretching the same muscles on the upper side of the trunk. On the lower side the muscles along the spine and those in the lower back bend the trunk to the side stretching the corresponding muscles on the upper side.
 
Shoulders and arms
The muscles attached to the side of the ribs and the shoulder blade straightens the lower side arm drawing the same side shoulder blade away from the midline and pressing the hand to the floor. The triceps straighten the elbows the back portion of the deltoid on the lower arm draws the arm away from the midline. Since the hand in fixed on the floor this action turns the chest upwards and opens it. On the lower side the muscles that wrap the kidneys and lower arms ribs opens the chest through the closed chain contraction. This occurs because the muscles of the upper arm remains fixed with the origins on the lower back moving, lifting the chest. Muscles over the shoulder blade turn the arm outward.  The lower section of the trapezius draws the shoulders away from the ear freeing the neck. 

Are you interested in learning more about Kundalini Yoga?
We are excited to announce that International Yoga Teacher Param Dev Kaur will be visiting Perth in May and will be teaching three classes at YogaLife Wellness Centre introducing Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan.

Save the dates: 
Sundays 14th, 21st and 28th of May

Places are limited so contact us to register your participation. 
Each class costs $16 (class card not applicable). ​