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Yoga

Hybrid Yoga

June 29, 2017

yoga_practice

Yoga teachers are frequently asked about their journey.  What drew us to yoga?  When and how did we know.  Much like their personalities, every teacher’s journey to teaching is also unique.

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The Urdhvadhanurasana has come a long way…

The more time I spent practicing yoga, the more I felt there wasn’t enough time!  I registered for a yoga teachers’ training course and started thinking realistically about the profession.  I knew that I was teaching to become a better student, and not the other way around.

Over the years, as demand for my teaching grew, I realized that I was constrained by IMG-20160731-WA0044time and geography.  There are many who express an interest in my classes, but are unable to travel from, say, Bannerghatta Road.  Just making YouTube videos, or creating a generic module wouldn’t work.  Live interaction is essential when it comes to movement-based practices.

The idea for the ‘The Yoga Practice‘, came to me while discussing ‘what more’ with a student during a break in class.  Why not create a hybrid module of customized videos and face to face interaction.  All students will get videos customized for them, and they will be able to practice yoga at their convenience AND in the comfort of their own homes.  Plus, once a week we schedule a catch up call where I observe students’ asanas, answer questions, clarify doubts and plan the next week.  Below is an example of a video we shot for a student.  It’s one of the prettiest videos we’ve done and I watch it all the time.

 

So, if you or someone you know wants to incorporate yoga into their lives but dIMG_20170610_172540_411on’t have access to a good teacher, or has time constraints, then you might want to take a look at this module.  It’s helped many people steadily improve their health and increase their wellness quotient.  Leave us a query on the blog with any questions you have.

Keep an eye out for the video about this module.  If you haven’t subscribed to the YouTube channel yet, do so asap!!!

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Yoga

We’re Working Hard And…

June 18, 2017

moving

“The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new,” -Socrates.

The last couple of months have been crazy busy for me.  I’ve been meaning to do this post for many many weeks now, but was only able to get to it today.  I’ve been teaching my regular classes, have a couple of retreats and workshops under my belt, have designed new classes and modules (including The Yoga Practice, which I’m so incredibly excited about) and have found time to travel as well!

The year is far from over, and I have my annual trip (study retreat?) to Pune coming up in August and September.  We’re also working on refining The Yoga Practice and getting the word out there as much as we can about it.  My practice is going well, and I see improvement in my students almost daily!  The first half of this year has been very rewarding.

I’ve also been working on consolidating everything I do under one platform.  As my practice gets more focused, so does my vision for ‘Yoga With Pragya’.  At the beginning of this year I had an idea of where I was headed and over the past couple of months the vision has became clearer.  Our new website is a step towards a more organised initiative.  As my practice deepens, my teaching becomes more refined and I’m getting very creative with how I can help people across the board.

We’re building something useful, helpful and, most of all, accessible to all those who are interested in yoga, holistic health and a wholesome lifestyle.  Most of you have been following this blog for many years.  I hope you will stay with me as I grow, expand and evolve further.  Subscribe to our new blog here: http://yogawithpragya.in/blog/.  While you’re there, please browse the site and leave us constructive feedback.  We’re really excited about the great things we have in store for you.  Please share with all your friends and subscribe to our other platforms as well (Facebook, YouTube & Instagram).

 

 

 

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Yoga

Hello Wonderful World!

June 13, 2017

welcome

“And suddenly you know…It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of new beginnings.”

Life is continuously changing, evolving and growing.  And if you’re a yoga practitioner who is also an entrepreneur then change truly is the only constant.  To be honest, I’m not very comfortable with the term ‘entrepreneur’ because I see myself only as a practitioner and a teacher.  I don’t consider myself a part of the energetic and pulsating Bangalore start-up/entrepreneur scene.  Teaching yoga came organically to me, as it has to many who decided to make it their life’s work…but who also have to pay the rent.  The philosophy and practice of yoga is ancient, mystical and vast.  I would need lifetimes of study before I can bring in innovation which can be turned into a business opportunity.  However, I do realize that I have been able to make a significant contribution to the lives of many individuals who have trusted me and have had faith in me to guide them through their own journeys towards holistic health.

In our closely connected world,  it was inevitable that word about my work would get out and many people separated geographically from me would evince an interest in working with me to give direction to their practice.  With that came the conceptualization and later the implementation of The Yoga Practice.  The process unfolded at its own pace.  Today this online module is a combination of what my students need and the best way for me to provide it to them.

Seeing my work and perhaps identifying with it, an old friend decided to come on board and help me structure and organize my work.  Once I recognized the need and accepted the help, the floodgates opened.  Mentors appeared with helpful guidance, supporters came in droves, constructive advice started pouring in…and the result is greater clarity and sharper focus.

For many years I have been designing and leading workshops and retreats, conducting group and private classes, helping people far away through online sessions, making videos etc…and now we are organizing all of these under one roof so that the message has more impact.  Most importantly, our work is accessible to everyone everywhere who wants to improve their quality of life.

This website is all of my work under one roof.  Here you can read my blogs, access my YouTube videos, take a look at my upcoming classes & events, see what others are saying about my work and even send me a few lines!  As we get busy planning our activities for the rest of the year, we hope you will subscribe to our blog and share it with your friends too.

I sincerely hope our work adds meaning to your life.

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Yoga

Improve Your Digestion

February 12, 2017

img-20170201-wa0002.jpgA few days ago I mentioned in one of my updates that you may eat the best food that you can possibly find, but if your body doesn’t assimilate all the nutrients then eating healthy food is an exercise in futility.  To the right are 6 poses which are beneficial in stimulating and massaging the digestive system and maintaining its good health.  However, remember, as always, that yoga poses can’t be practiced in isolation.  For the practice of yoga to work for you, you must incorporate these asanas in a regular yoga practice.

Below are a few important points to remember when performing these asanas.

 

Setubanasana – The Bridge Pose

  • Elbows must be right under the wrists.
  • Back of the neck should be long on the floor.
  • Fingers should be touching while the thumbs are facing away from the body.
  • Knees should be above your ankles.
  • Thighs should be parallel.
  • Squeeze your glutes and lift from the hips.
  • Don’t rest your weight on your hands.

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Bhujangasana – Cobra Pose

  • Keep the neck long.
  • Keep the shoulders pushed back.
  • Push the chest forward and up.
  • Lengthen the spine and stretch the abdomen.
  • Tighten the glutes and the groin.
  • Shoulders and wrists should be in one line, arms perpendicular to the floor.
  • Feet not more than hip width apart.

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Dhanurasana – The Bow Pose

  • Neck should be long.
  • Shoulders should pushed back and chest should be open.
  • Keep your glutes and groin tight.
  • Push the legs away from the torso, which will also pull the arms back.

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Marichyasana – Lord Marichi’s Pose

  • Keep good engagement between the elbow and the knee.  Do this by pushing the elbow out and the knee in, creating a kind of tension.
  • Keep your backbone long.
  • Keep both buttocks on the floor.
  • Keep the straight leg active with the heel pointing out and the toes pointing straight up.
  • Rotate the neck and keep the chest open.

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Vajrasana – The Thunderbolt Pose

  • Keep your back erect.

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Pawanmuktasana – Wind Releasing Pose

  • Keep the back relaxed and be aware of the spine lengthening across the floor.

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