Yomojo: things about enhancing your life

Life and yoga

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:13:00 +0100

Life would not be complete if we did not eat, drink, study, do physical activities, have fun, socialise… The same can be said of yoga–to be complete we must incorporate all aspects of ourselves. We begin where we are and how we are and whatever happens happens. There are many ways of practising yoga asanas, meditation, pranayama, studying…It does not matter which you start with. Life is a journey and so is yoga–with many different paths and adventures. Enjoy the journey–namaste.

Follow your heart

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:02:49 +0100

Part of the speech Steve Jobs gave at Stamford University in 2005.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Meditation

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:04:00 +0100

There are many ways of practising yoga asanas, meditating, pranayama, studying… It does not matter which you start with. To be complete we must incorporate all aspects of ourselves. Many people don’t practice meditation for various reasons; too boring, not enough time, your mind is constantly ‘on’, you cannot sit on the floor…so why not make it really easy!

One minute is enough if that’s all you have
Be comfortable–sit on a chair if you want
Keep your breathing silent
Stay upright
Relax the entire body, including the face and eyes
Rest your arms and hands in whichever way feels comfortable for you
Don’t try to remove thought from your mind–if you want to think about something go right ahead
Practice regularly don’t set a particular time–practice when you can

Over time you will find that it becomes easier; your mind will empty itself; you will be able to practice for longer. Make meditation a chance for you to do nothing but just sit. It’s one of the best things you can do for yourself!

With meditation you can:

Reduce stress levels
Feel like you’ve been on holiday
Sleep better
Get along better with people
Get rid of destructive habits and behaviours
Improve concentration
Get rid of phobias and fears
Improve your ability to accept yourself
Be happier
Change your health and your body
Relieve chronic pain

Quinoa and chunky vegetables A super healthy meal that can be...

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:16:20 +0100

Quinoa and chunky vegetables

A super healthy meal that can be made in about 12 minutes.

1 cup of Quinoa
1 large head of broccoli
2 carrots
1 courgette
3 leaves of white or red cabbage
10 cherry tomatoes
4 bay leafs
Handful of fresh coriander
Salt

Cook Quinoa with two parts water.

Cut all the vegetables into large chunks. Steam or boil in very little water the broccoli and carrots first—add the bay leaves to the water. Once nearly done add the courgette, cabbage and tomatoes. Cover the lid and leave for a couple of minutes. The vegetables should not be overcooked. Drain the water and place everything in a large bowl, add salt and coriander—mix thoroughly and serve. Enjoy!

focus by Leo Babauta

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:05:52 +0100

Have you tried to simplify your life but gave up because of too many distractions and just the shear scale of things to do? Here is a great ebook, that’s easy on the mind, a short read and full of simple ideas to help you - focus.

There is a free PDF book, a Kindle book and the premium version, that includes, videos, audio interviews and other bonus files. Have a look at the free version and if you like what you see, why not buy the Kindle or premium version?

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 08:38:55 +0100

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

Hi! I'd like to ask you when you first became interested in yoga and what made you decide to become a teacher. What kind of training did you have to go through and how long did it take you? I know it is a lot of questions and sorry if they are very personal. Don't feel like you have to answer if you don't want to. In any case: thank you!

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 10:20:29 +0100

I’ve been interested in Thai Chi, martial arts for a long time but when I did try them many years ago, I enjoyed them but found something was missing for me. After a while I stopped doing them. I tried to join a yoga class in London many years ago but the person I spoke to made yoga seem like some kind of elitist thing. I decided that it was not for me. About six years a go, I started to go a local yoga class. I enjoyed it and it was nothing like the lady had explained to me all those years ago - shame. I would have started yoga much sooner! I think you have to find the right person to teach you yoga. They need to have a good mental attitude, it needs to be kept simple and fun. People don’t like complicated things. Yoga is not about doing all the fancy asanas you see in magazines and videos. The ultimate goal of yoga is to prepare us for meditation but I accept many people do yoga for other reasons and that’s fine. Whether you do it for the physical, mental, spiritual part or a combination of all three, yoga has much to offer to us all.

I’m not really a yoga teacher - I do it part time. I got into that by ‘accident’. Our yoga teacher was going away on holiday and they seemed to think I was good at yoga! I took some of his classes while he was away, that was about four years ago. I teach my own class once a week, otherwise I’m just a fill-in teacher when our main teacher is not around. These days I much prefer to do on my own, rather than go to class. I feel I get more out of it. As for doing it full time - I’m not sure. I do enjoy the teaching. I’ve not taken any formal teaching courses. I’ve experienced a few different teachers, done some yoga in India at a yoga university in Bangalore. One day when I have some time and money, I might go do a teacher training course. I’m a Thai yoga massage therapist and I think for the moment I prefer to pursue that. The main thing is that you have to be passionate about whatever you want to do. Namaste and breathe!

Thai yoga massage workshop at Kelmarsh Hall 19th September 2010...

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 11:32:00 +0100

Thai yoga massage workshop at Kelmarsh Hall 19th September 2010 - learning some very basic techniques for personal use.

Thai yoga experience at Kelmarsh Hall – Sunday 19th September 2010

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 20:41:00 +0100

Would you like to learn some simple Thai yoga massage? You have a unique opportunity to learn this ancient technique at a fabulous venue. Yomojo in conjunction with Kelmarsh Hall is offering an afternoon course teaching hand and head relaxation using Thai yoga massage. Once you have learnt the basic technique, you will be able to give friends and family this incredibly easy and relaxing massage. A limited number of places are available and pre-booking is required. A maximum of 30 people can attend the session. You should ideally come with a friend so that you have a partner to practice on, but we can pair you up with another single person. The cost of this fabulous experience is £40 per person. The full fee needs to be paid in advance and is non-refundable.

If you are interested in booking a place please email me as soon as possible, a few places are still available.

Schedule for workshop:

11.30am - registration
12pm to 2pm - workshop part 1
2pm to 3pm - break, light food provided
3pm to 5pm - workshop part 2
5pm to 5.30pm - Questions / answers, handing out certificates and prizes

There will be three prizes given out, first prize is a 90 minute Thai yoga massage, second and third prizes are a 30 minute arms and head Thai yoga massage.

Also each person attending the workshop will get a voucher entitling them to a 25% discount on the price of any Thai yoga massage. This excludes travelling fees. Voucher can only be used once.

More information about Kelmarsh Hall

Green smoothie Something healthy, quick and simple to make! You...

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:47:00 +0100

Green smoothie

Something healthy, quick and simple to make! You can have it at anytime of the day. Try it for breakfast.

Just need some soft fruit, eg. peaches or nectarines, a green vegetable eg. kale, a frozen banana and add some water. Blend it all in a blender until smooth. Make sure the blender can deal with frozen products. Just experiment with the quantities, as a guide - try 3 large peaches or nectarines, a handful of kale, about four cups of water and one medium frozen banana - enjoy!

"With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now."

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:25:32 +0100

“With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO VISIT ON YOUR PLANET?

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:30:44 +0100

India

Stand still - leave the noise…

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:18:23 +0100

Do you ever wonder where your day has gone and does it feel like it’s been a productive / useful day, did you enjoy it? For most of us, the day races away, we don’t have a chance to stop and watch it go by or do we?

We are surrounded by so much ‘noise’, which I call ‘clutter’ these days; websites, emails, twitter, FaceBook, news, game shows, podcasts, audiobooks, music, online tv, iPods, SMS and the list goes on… It does not matter where we are, the ‘noise’ is always there. At work, at home, in the park, at the gym, in the shops… It’s become a part of our lives and we need to consume it at every opportunity we get. We cannot get enough of it or so we think.

When you go for a walk how many people do you see with headphones? They could be listening to music, an audiobook, the radio or a podcast. It’s like walking has become this huge chore, that not many people enjoy anymore. And one of the ways to make it more interesting is to do something else to pass the time. It’s like we have forgotten to walk and enjoy the walk. You could say the same thing about eating. How many times do you eat your meal in front of a TV? In my yoga class, I see people with their mobile phones looking at their phones constantly! When you’re talking to someone on the phone, what else are you doing? The list is endless…

May be if we concentrated on just one thing, left the ‘noise’ out, we would do it better, enjoy it more and sometimes get it done quicker. Next time you do something, leave the noise behind and really experience what you are doing. Also next time you go for a walk, also stand still for a few minutes and then carry on with your walk. Let me know what happens when you try these things.

"I don't have time"

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:47:48 +0100

How many times do you say that or hear that expression from someone? Very regularly I think, probably at least once a week if not more. We wake up and for many of us we check our emails, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, blogs, switch the TV on etc. Nearly everything we do revolves around information of one kind or another and consuming it. Also our work life has changed hugely. We tend to work longer, take less holidays and spend our weekends shopping. When you get home from work, you hardly sit down to have a family meal. Instead the table and chairs have been replaced by the TV and sofas. Many things have changed, but one thing has not:

Time does not wait for you

Time goes by everyday at the same speed. Sometimes it feels faster or slower but it always moves. If you blink long enough, you suddenly realise six months have gone by just like that. Make time for doing things you have never done before or that you keep putting off. If you really wanted to, you could find 10 minutes here or an hour there, you could even find a whole day! Some ideas for you:

Go for a walk and say hello to someone
Visit a friend or loved one
Do some gardening
Switch the TV off
Read a book
Clear out the garage or attic
Have a proper family meal
Go do an activity you have been thinking about
Exercise more

Bottled water

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:47:32 +0100

Below is an interesting video on why you should stop consuming bottled water. There are many reason to stop, here are a few:

It pollutes our environment with all that waste plastic
It’s expensive
Many towns have clean tap water and it tastes better
Bottle water is less regulated in many cases

The video has a North American view on it but it applies to other areas of the world equally. The bottom line is that bottle water is about making money, nothing else. When I owned a health food store, we used to sell a huge amount of bottled water of many different varieties and in the process making a good profit from it. Most of the people who bought it, thought it was much more healthy to drink bottled water, than the local tap water. And at that time I was just as ignorant as they were!

Next time you think about buying bottled water, reflect back to the video below as a reminder of why you should in most cases drink tap water. You can improve the quality and taste of normal tap water in many cases by using a cheap water filter. The initial outlay for a water filter might be more than buying a case of bottled water, but in the long run it’s much much cheaper.

http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/

4km walk around a small part of Watermead Country Park - if you...

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:56:00 +0100

4km walk around a small part of Watermead Country Park - if you live in Leicester and have not been here, pay a visit!

Gym pass not required - walk!

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:54:00 +0100

I walk just over 4km nearly everyday around Watermead Country Park. I used to run a lot and swim about five days a week a long time ago. I stopped it because it was very demanding and I did not really enjoy it. The only reason I did it was because I was ‘told’, that it was good for you. My health would improve etc. I’m not really sure that it did.

What has been good for me is a huge change in my diet, yoga and walking. The diet I will talk about another time. Why is walking good for you?

It requires very little effort.
You can walk at anytime.
You will walk roughly 4km if you walked at a steady pace for an hour.
It’s free
Many places in the UK are near to some kind of park.
You get to walk amongst the trees, very calming and trees ‘breathe’ out oxygen.
It maintains your basal metabolic rate - the amount of calories used by your body at rest to maintain normal body functions and so carry on the chemical processes that occur within the body to maintain life.
It improves your posture.
It strengthens your back.
Helps keep up your levels of Vitamin D, if you walk in direct sunlight. Vitamin D is produced by sunlight causing a chemical reaction in the skin.
It’s a great way to socialise. You just need to say a few words to a stranger - hello, good morning or just smile. And the results are immediate and incredibly rewarding. You don’t need Twitter or Facebook!
If you wanted to you could meditate while walking, just focus the mind on your breath.
Clears your mind.
Reflect on something that has been on your mind for a while. By the end of the walk you may have reached some kind of conclusion to help you deal with it.

Dress appropriately and walking is a year round activity, spring, summer, autumn and winter. Make it a group activity by walking with some friends. This encourages all of you to participate regularly. Sometimes leave your iPod at home, just walk and enjoy the peace.

Do you breathe?

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:29:00 +0100

Do you ever think about your breath and how you breathe? Breathing is the most important thing we do, yet we don’t spend enough time to improve it. You might say there is nothing wrong with your breathing and in one way you would be right. What if I said improving your breathing could do the following:

Reduce stress levels
Feel like you’ve been on holiday
Sleep better
Get along better with people
Get rid of destructive habits and behaviours
Improve concentration
Get rid of phobias and fears
Improve your ability to accept yourself
Be happier
Change your health and your body
Relieve chronic pain

And that all you have to do is breathe! Sounds easy and it is. All you have to do is be mindful of your breathing.

Sitting method - sit comfortably on the floor, cross your legs. Keep your spine and neck erect. Try not to slouch, keep pulling your spine gently upwards during your breathing practice. Cup your hands and rest your right hand into the palm of your left hand, place your hands in between your feet.

Close your eyes and mentally focus your eyes on your ‘third eye’, which in between your eyebrows. Become mindful of your breathing, just observe it for a few minutes to see how you breathe. Then as you inhale slowly expand your belly as much as possible and then your chest - hold your breath for a few seconds. As you exhale slowly, do the opposite, contract your chest and then your belly - hold for a few seconds and start the cycle again. When you breathe, do it through your nose and keep your mouth closed. Relax your face by smiling.

Lying down method - lay down on the floor in Savanasana - corpse pose. Your feet are shoulder width wide. The feet point outwards. Your hands are away from the body, palms facing upwards and fingers curled. Place one hand on your belly if you like to help you with the breathing.

The rest of the breathing technique is the same as in the sitting method.

When you first start with this technique of breathing, do it for five minutes and then slowly over time increase it by increments of five minutes. Ideally you should be practising between 20 to 60 minutes a day but five minutes is better than nothing! You may get distracted with other thoughts during your breathing practise. Just refocus your mind on the breathing, don’t get obsessive about blocking all thoughts from your mind. Do this practice on an empty stomach. Keep it simple and enjoy it.

Breathing aid - another way to help you is to use some kind of aid to indicate when you need to inhale and exhale. Below is an audio file that does exactly this. The breathing ratio is 1:2, this means that the exhale is twice as long as the inhale.

Do you breathe audio aid download