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Yoga

Some Useful Hip Openers

July 12, 2015

I’ve noticed that sometimes when I sleep on a different mattress, I wake up with a stiff lower back. Countless people have told me that they experience the same ‘stiffness’ if they sit for too long. This ‘stiff’ lower back is a harbinger of back-related problems to come. It’s better to nip this problem in the bud using a few simple yoga moves. Else you may be looking at years of pain and medication. So next time you experience a stiff lower back, practice the below moves. Hold the postures on both sides, focusing on opening up the hips. Make your movements intuitive. So rather than forcing your body into what the pose looks like, try and focus more on the movement.

The Ashwasanchalasana

Place your right foot between the hands. Keep your shoulders squared, which means you aren’t going to be leaning in on your right thigh. The right thigh should be parallel to the floor. Keep the left leg stretched out and the knee locked. Extend the back of the left leg, so try and push the left heel as far back as you can. Try and push the groin region closer to the floor, opening up the hip joint. Repeat on the other side.

The Runner’s Stretch

From your Ashwasanchalanasana, place your back knee on the floor. Then straighten the front leg making sure you don’t re-adjust the leg.

Low Lunge

From the Runner’s stretch come back to the Ashwasanchalansana and place the back knee on the floor again. Push your groin region closer to the floor. Then place your hands on the front knee and straighten the torso. So, you’re pushing into the knee with your hands giving a lift to your chest and at the same time pushing the groin region forward. Do this on both sides.

Kapotasana (Pigeon Pose)

Once again come back to the Ashwasanchalanasana. Then start to walk the front leg out and place the knee on the floor. Keep the hips squared. Open up the chest and push the shoulder’s back.

The Baddhakonasana (Seated Butterfly Pose)

Next, bring your feet together and push your knees as close to the floor as you can. Keep your back straight and chest lifted.

The Happy Baby Pose

Bend your legs and grab your feet from the insides (yes, it makes a difference where you hold your feet from). Now gently start to push your knees closer to the floor. In fact, you can even swing from side to side touching first one knee then the other. The idea is to allow your tail bone to decompress and relax. This is a pose I would recommend on a hard floor or mat, rather than on a mattress.

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The Supine Spinal Twist

Lie down flat on your back and grab your left knee with the right hand and gently pull it across your body to the right side. Try and keep your shoulder blades flat on the floor, maximizing the twist. Take 5 deep breaths and twist a little more every time you exhale. Keep the other leg long. Repeat on the other side as well.

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Yoga

The LINgGAN Yoga & Lifestyle Studio, Den Haag

April 8, 2015

While in the Netherlands I had the opportunity to visit this quaint studio called LINgGAN Yoga & Lifestyle. The studio was awesome. I mean, how can you not like a studio which has such cute magnets? (I want!)

The best thing about my visit was talking to the owner of the place, Savitri Thissen Sattoe. What started out as a little hello-how-are-you chat soon grew to become this extremely insightful conversation about yoga as a passion and what we can do with our passion so that it becomes more meaningful to us. We chatted for a long long time, but there are some things that really stuck out in my mind which I think are valuable for a lot of people. Even if you’re not an entrepreneur.

1. Make sure you want to do this. Because if you’re sure then you’re going to work hard. If you work hard then you’ll taste a reasonable bit of success. And then with consistent hard work you will be able to build a body of work you are proud of.

2. Have a plan. And go back to it every once in a while. Because with time your plans can change. When you find you are unable to meet your timelines then change the plan! Be flexible! There is no right or wrong plan.

3. Network with people. That’s the best way to learn. Cooperate with others. Collaborate with them. Brainstorm with them.

4. Be positive because you never know what lies right around the corner.

Oh and I forgot to mention, Savitri Thissen Sattoe is really cool. She runs Yoga Teacher Trainings in Suriname and speaks Hindi also!!!

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Yoga

When You Pack…

March 27, 2015

Growing up I’ve done a fair bit of moving houses, moving schools, moving countries. Sorting through all your belongings, taking things apart and boxing them up and away is a huge task that requires lots and lots of planning. My parents have become quite adept at living in a house which is half dismantled, sleeping in beds that have packing material all around it…the last week of packing is chaos!

And this time I was with them to watch them packing one last time after a long career in the foreign service.

But oh! the chaos! However, I’m a practicing yogi, so I wasn’t going to let the chaos affect my oasis of calm in the midst of a raging storm. So here’s how you can maintain your zen even when everyone around you is losing theirs.

1. Use the heavy boxes to build arm strength. Lift ’em up, stack them on top of each other etc. etc. WODs shouldn’t stop.

2. Take a look at all the stuff you have accumulated. Revel in the abundance you have in your life. Be thankful.

3. Once you’re thankful think about how you can minimize the clutter. Happiness is in the mind, after all. Give away or recycle. Be happy that you did a good deed.

4. Who has time to think about food when there’s so much to pack? Subsist on soups 2015-03-20_18.32.00[1] and salads. 2015-03-20_18.35.17[1]

5. Find a little place to refuel. A small space on the couch is all you need. Have a cup of coffee and spend time with your Kindle.

6. Find your place of meditation. Observe the trees. Watch your plants. Only 5 minutes.

7. When its all done heave a sigh of relief and refuel for the adventures ahead.

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Travels Food

My Changing Food Habits

March 13, 2015

My favorite fruit – today and always, and won’t change with my changing food habits.

I’ve been lazing around a lot lately, and thinking about my changing food habits. Most days the only workout I get is a brisk hour long walk in the mornings. And the speed also depends on whether we have burning issues to discuss or whether the topic of conversation is lukewarm. The most memorable walk so far was the walk where we where our pace and the conversation was so invigorating that we realized we’d walked all the way to the supermarket (a considerable distance), and ended up picking up some things we needed. Then we had coffee and walked back home.

Happy with my cupcakes!

I’ve been baking a lot as well. My mousse au chocolat was a disaster. But my cupcakes were quite good! I’ve been exploring the food options here and being vigilant about my food choices as well. This doesn’t mean that I’m denying myself or following some kind of diet (those who know me know that I don’t diet). What it means is that I’m listening to my cravings because cravings are a great way for you to understand what your body lacks. And when you are travelling then you need to be extra vigilant because the weather changes, the food changes, your mind set changes and your days change!

So here are a few observations about my changing food habits which i find interesting:

While my parents have their morning tea before our marathon walks, I prefer to
My love for this will never change.

down a couple of glasses of room temperature water.
I rarely feel like having a large dinner. So usually I’ll have a bowl of home made soup. And this is usually related to my level of activity. So on Thursdays I’ll come home at 10 pm and eat after an intense AcroYoga session. And I choose to eat after rather than before the session.
In the evenings I tend to reach for a fruit or juice or green tea rather than the chai my parents drink.

In India I remember I used to guzzle down loads and loads of water throughout the day. I used to feel hungry more frequently and ate much much more. However, even with this change, I still feel like I have loads of energy.

Do you also experience similar changes in diet/cravings when on vacation?

Nice things you see on your walks here.

Posing during the morning walks.

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Yoga

I Discovered a New Mantra

March 11, 2015

My days in Den Haag are super relaxed. My parents live in a quiet neighbourhood. There are forests all around our house so we frequently go for little hikes and walk through the forests when we go grocery shopping. When I arrived the winters were in full swing. Days were shorter and there was frost on the trees in the morning. The surface of the little lakes in the forest would be frozen. The weather has started to get warmer. But as I write this it looks like this outside:

When we woke up this morning everything was covered with a layer of frost. In a couple of hours the frost disappeared and there was mist rising through the trees. I’ve never seen this sort of thing before (at least not in real life), so I got really really really excited.

I’ve realized in the past few weeks that this is the first time since I went away to college that I’ve had so much time to spend with my parents. That’s close to 15 years. I’ve started to notice that there are many quirks we share despite living apart. I’ve started to notice good as well as not so good character traits we share. I’ve started to think a lot about the whole Nature vs Nurture debate.

Taking this time off has also helped me to appreciate things. When we go for our daily walks through the forest I see lots of fallen trees. And I see new shrubs growing all around them. People carve animals out of the stumps and make picnic tables that can be used in the summer. Similarly, life also has the ability to mould itself according to circumstances.

And I suppose that’s what life is all about. It’s not about wishing for things to change or waiting for better times. It’s about accepting what’s going on in life right now and working with what you’ve got. So instead of lamenting the fact that it’s getting more and more difficult to chase the sunrise, my parents and I spend time taking photos and planning the big move back to India.

Another mantra for life.