oshanyoga

#mamasanachallenge day 2: boat / navasana. Here's what I wrote about #navasana for the #yogarenegade teacher training manual: The strength of boat pose radiates from the center of your body: the core. The belly button and the abdomen form the third chakra, yellow in colour, where our will power is embodied. The firmness of the abdomen in this pose enables the spine to rise and the chest to expand. https://www.instagram.com/p/8WPKKXPVwDNcvI0Vk1ThCsdyUgEGwYNOyYILA0/?igshid=14xw7kvr42mv2

#vitaminsea #ampdiaperlove https://www.instagram.com/p/8Va3xTvV8iNem2THo0tGZon0AughKK0DF8UCo0/?igshid=1pdjfwv102ujw

#blessingway #flowercrown for the radiant @sabsjax https://www.instagram.com/p/8ValmpvV78SBrnrKJoYfszIoEJQSDX72IjLPQ0/?igshid=7j3qhesb4tyf

#mamasanachallenge day 1 - utkatasana pose. This is my first ever Instagram challenge. Pretty fun! https://www.instagram.com/p/8SwsKsPV4PYGSRegvG5ICoRn4RqOiruoIQTuY0/?igshid=j9w5hh2eywuq

#rainbowhaven #rainbowhavenbeach https://www.instagram.com/p/8BUqj6PV0pfyZKBKqVMc9RWjoaIYgJRSj77H80/?igshid=1es3llhseyfs1

Photo is a still from Rena Thomas' film 'Silent Cycles'. Rena filmed me swimming at Conrad's Beach two weeks before Nuala was born. Read about water birth and folklore on my blog. Link in profile. Once you get to my website, click on 'blog'. Oshanyoga.tumblr.com oceanyoganovascotia.com #waterbirth #renathomas #silentcycles #waterbirthandfolklore #nofilter #super8 #super8film #tribedemama https://www.instagram.com/p/7_qEW4vV0dFy041W0YoIyOuOD6o1ejJnsAkvY0/?igshid=1iv3aahfch8mo

#Suptapaschimottanasana aka #viparitakarani aka #airplane aka #acroyogawithababy #yoga #momandbabyyoga #stretch https://www.instagram.com/p/70yXNPvV27_TkI9g4j-Ur1xXwfZh2WGgnA8MA0/?igshid=a9sm9hdukijz

Right photo by photographer Katie Mckay @goodeyemckay Left photo by photographer Rena Thomas #natarajasana #dancerspose #doubletake #layoutapp https://www.instagram.com/p/7rHH0RvV47j-gJ1g41d-FFQ4y85NxNn-GjaGM0/?igshid=1sk593w1vhi2q

Left photo: by photographer Rena Thomas Right photo: by photographer Katie McKay @goodeyemckay #learningtouselayout #layoutapp https://www.instagram.com/p/7q42ZMPVxjQar_JT58Sy8pz2gAnkkmoQwO5Nw0/?igshid=278xl1bam03n

In the photo above, you can see me and @marapanacci in dancers pose. I've had so much fun contributing to the creation of her Yoga Renegade Yoga Teacher Training Manual. Stay tuned because we're both sure that this is only the beginning of blending Ocean Yoga and Yoga Renegade. Here is an excerpt from the posture descriptions I wrote for the @yogarenegade yoga teacher training manual. Photo- left- by Katie Mckay @goodeyemckay Photo- right - by Rena Thomas Dancer's Pose / Nataranjasana Dancer's Pose derives its name from Shiva Nataraja, the King of the Dance. Shiva is one of the main gods in the Hindu pantheon. When he is depicted as a dancer, he is shown at the center of the ring of reincarnation (also known as the wheel of Samsara). Shiva dances through the endless cycles of death, life, birth, and rebirth. His dance is one of creation and destruction. In Dancer's Pose, we discover the strength of our foundations and at the same time, we explore the flexibility of our upper body. There is a playfulness between grounding down into the earth with the legs and rising up into the backward bend through the chest and abdomen. We are called to be simultaneously graceful and steady. Benefits: - Improves balance - Improves concentration - Stretches the standing leg - Stretches the hip and thigh of the other leg (the leg you are lifting up) - Therapeutic for fallen arch or plantar fasciitis by strengthening the arch of the standing foot - Stretches the abdomen and chest - An energizing backward bend - Releases tension in the spine by compressing the low back Contraindications: - Menstruation - Avoid Dancer's Pose during the postpartum period when bleeding - Insomnia or sleeplessness - Issues with balance (from stroke, brain injury, vertigo, or dizziness): use a wall for support #oceanyoga #oceanyogans #oceanyoganovascotia #yogarenegade #dancer #dancerspose #natarajasana #shiva #ytt #yogateachertraining #yogateachertrainingmanual #yttmanual https://www.instagram.com/p/7qZBw7vV6w8bYol38iHHr3kayUSJWMr2n5SyE0/?igshid=1qbsnsau9qpnj

Books I consulted while writing the posture descriptions for the @yogarenegade yoga teacher training manual. There are still spots left in the @yogarenegade yoga teacher training! Don't miss out on the adventure of a lifetime in the Dominican Republic with @marapanacci , Happening this November. These are some of my favorite yoga books. In my quest to keep learning, I always find myself going back to the wisdom of the Yoga Sutras and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, two of the oldest writings on yoga. #yogabooks #hathayogapradipika #yogasutras #yogateachertraining #ytt #yttbibliography https://www.instagram.com/p/7qKBYBvV9FP_y-oSGIDDyzZBDRvf1v1fTU1SY0/?igshid=rmsz1th8tsj2

In the first few weeks after giving birth, my friends and family dropped off meals at our home. I felt so well taken care of. I got some great ideas for recipes from what came through our door. This green smoothie recipe is inspired by what @cyrilpye made us. Kale Banana Mint tea with honey - cool it down before adding it in Strawberries Plums Peaches Yoghurt https://www.instagram.com/p/7jeE1sPV1khHwIpA9pQEngmd0pvuIYH0y1u0g0/?igshid=f6a8wsaykh93

Circle of girls #witches https://www.instagram.com/p/7iYA1-vV-qBlDmDqSCqmvb16_s0OumSCsJp7Q0/?igshid=1ni59xt1t4c2g

Bounce, dance, plié to song after song. Nuala loves music. I'm starting to notice that music helps her focus when she is nursing. The marvelous effect music has on humans has been on my mind since I watched some excerpts of the documentary 'Alive Inside'. The documentary is about elderly people with dementia and how they become more alert, engaged, and happy while listening to music. I'll post the link on my blog... Link to my website is in my profile. 🎶🎵🎶🎻🎹🎸🎷🎺🎵🎼 #tribedemama https://www.instagram.com/p/7fMI4xvVwKeQXDc_Mp17Vdl7O4MRZz4C9DNtQ0/?igshid=jw0r6p7h2gml

Family photo https://www.instagram.com/p/7beE7PPV8hTrjPtDDvvoNwyLDZDhMkDUg8BLA0/?igshid=3mvdmgnkwfea

Another day, another salad. I was wearing Nuala when I took this photo and that's her body you can see under the fabric of her carrier. The pattern of the fabric reminds me of the woods and camouflage. Birthing Nuala and mothering her have brought me in touch with my animal nature. I gave birth at home with zero medical intervention. When my partner Scott described Nuala's birth to our friend yesterday, he said I 'gave birth like a wild animal'. I have been seeing the animal side of the mothering process since I started reading 'Women who run with the Wolves'. Nuala sounds like an animal when she makes noise in her sleep. Her cry is sometimes a howl. On a family walk, my mother stopped us all to listen closely for what she thought was a creature of the forest. We all laughed when we realized she was hearing Nuala's snore. Like all animals, we love to eat. Feeling lucky to have access to local organic vegetables. Yum. Salad recipe: Lettuce Carrots Snow peas Bell pepper Plum tomatoes Sunflower seeds Dressing: Fresh dill Lime juice Olive oil Plain yoghurt Sea salt #nogarlicnoonions #alliumfree #noalliums #vegetarian #sattvicdiet #halifaxseaportfarmersmarket #historicfarmersmarket #forumfarmersmarket #wildanimal #wildbirth #homebirth #freebirth #tribedemama https://www.instagram.com/p/7a1VA4PVytN5SyNm_7R5vf83QGZ_r3hOq9snk0/?igshid=1dq5dxoccozsm

Writing posture descriptions for the @yogarenegade yoga teacher training manual at our new standing desk. I'm holding Nuala and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, which is the oldest written record of yoga postures. It was written in the fifteenth century based on older teachings that are now lost. In our home, we are always thinking of ways to reduce how much time we spend sitting in chairs. Sitting in a chair causes tightness in the hamstrings and calves because the legs are bent and the muscles are not engaged. Chairs require the body to bend at the hip joints and over a long period of time can create a disconnect between the legs and the torso. Sitting in chairs for many hours impedes circulation as blood cannot flow evenly to and from the legs. The key difference in a standing position is that the muscles of the torso and legs support the spine, whereas in a chair, the weight of the body collapses down onto the seat. I also love sitting on the floor and we have a large open area in our living room. https://www.instagram.com/p/7GzVYVvV0Jlj1nszHGO19yFkJWntCqxOc5BZ40/?igshid=1x34pkpvyrhwj