Abundant Heart Health

"Knowledge is being aware that fire can burn; wisdom is remembering the blister" ~ Leo Tolstoy.

When I was studying Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) years ago, I learned that at its core is the principle of living in harmony with the seasons. Although I didn't finish the degree, TCM had a big affect on the way I live and teach yoga.

Our current season, summer, is ruled by the Fire element and so life and its energies are at their greatest yang or peak. This makes it a time of heat, expansion and abundance - a time to manifest what has been cultivated in Spring. Summer is also associated with the heart and small intestine.

When I became exhausted, then sick with a bad cold 2 weeks ago, I learned the lesson again of how the Fire element can get out of balance. I learned that when it burns too brightly for too long, it becomes a destroyer rather than an enabler of growth and creation.

After working 2 busy jobs and studying at uni for the last few months, I learned the heart needs to be balanced so it can experience joy and the mind to be calm. I realised to ward off the ills of summerheat, I need to stop and find pockets of yin in my life, to counteract the intensity of high yang levels.

That's why these holidays, as I start a new year, I'm going to curl in away from the world at times and this yang energy. I'm going to take naps, rest, watch movies, practice yin yoga and just try to "be", which I can still find the hardest thing to do.

My Clinical Exercise Physiology studies keep showed the importance of regular moderate to vigorous exercise for all ages to reduce the risk of developing conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

A family tennis sess with my sister and her girls today was not only great exercise, but also showed me you're more likely to keep it up if you're having fun! I hadn't smiled and laughed this much in ages!

For more info about the Australian Physical activity and exercise guidelines across ages, go to: http://health.gov.au/health-topics/physical-activity-and-exercise

This beautiful meditation course with the wonderful Charumati starts this Friday. It will be amazing. Book online via the link below... 🧘‍♀️❤🙏

I saw this quote in a vacant shop window, ironically on the way to my current workplace. Its simple honesty and directness, was a wake up call and really got me thinking What are you committing to today?

Happy Mother's Day to all present and future Mums of human and fur babies/kids, or to those who have lost children or their mother, or can't be with them today, like me. Love this picture of me and Mum at her 70th birthday ❤

As I get older, I'm moving away from a yoga practice where I'm trying to progress to advanced or peak poses, and instead, just enjoy my body moving and feel gratitude that it's capable of even simpler movements. Like in this pic where I'm practicing Crescent Moon pose or Anjaneyasana.

Then again, when I really break this pose down, it's not as simple as it looks. The toes of the back foot are anchored into the mat, there's a firming of the belly, then curling, hugging in to centre, which creates a stable base for the organic energy to flow out through the core lines

But I really love the energetics of the pose - when the front knee bends and the arms go up - it can be an opening of heart, a gesture of gratitude or perhaps surrender to something higher than oneself.

When you have to fight your puppy for the therapy ball when practicing myofascial release 😂🤣🐶

If you're able to find some time uninterrupted, and you don't need lots of time, you can gently roll, compress or use other techniques to help show your body how to release new or old patterns of tension.

You can do this work as much as you like, but it can be better to do it regularly and practice using a less is more approach with a focus on the breath, particularly the exhalation to calm the nervous system.

exhalation

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I've been so busy lately trying to complete my practical massage hours that I really didn't take time to reflect on completing the Myofascial Yoga Online Training done with .

Such a thorough training that has provided me with knowledge and skills in a modality which complements both massage and yoga beautifully. It can practiced daily, simply and for short periods if needed! Looking forward to offering this to clients and students and creating some

Felt great to complete more practical massage hours this week on the virtual clinic, bringing it to only 8 hours left to do. Not long now until I obtain the Cert IV, thanks to several keen and available friends, and Silky my little cleaning assistant 😂🐶💆‍♀️

Since Covid, the only time I've had to practice is at night a few times a week. I wanted to stay active in my practice.

However, I've learned from my Exercise Physiology studies that recovery is a principle just as important as moving regularly. Our muscles and organ systems need time to reset and repair. So getting out the bolster and practicing restorative has helped me stop and find deep renewal.

While Reclined Butterfly is a classic restorative pose and a fav of mine, according to Donna Farhi, poses on the back are still stimulating for the nervous system. Lying on the side is more calming as shown here. And its great for Autumn as it targets season's yin channel the Lung by opening and lengthening the area to maintain or improve respiratory health 🍁

Pup-storative yoga... You get 1 minute of rest and the rest is all play! 🐶😂🤣💖