Understanding The Bandhas What are the bandhas in Yoga? A Bandha is a seal or a lock. The Sanskrit word Bandha means to harness or to tighten. Bandhas are known as energy locks because they lock life-force energy, known as prana, in the body. The prana then flows through the […]
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Read how embracing some simple daily habits can boost your yoga practice. Yoga is an exercise for the body and the mind. It combines postures, breathing techniques, and meditation to achieve relaxation while also strengthening the self. People do yoga for many reasons, such as flexibility, stress relief, and physical […]
Ajna ~ Brow Chakra ~ Third Eye Ajna or ‘Brow’ chakra is the sixth primary chakra in the body. The Sanskrit word Ajna translates as “to perceive,” “to be beyond wisdom,” “to command.” Our Third Eye centre is the most perceptive part of ourselves – it governs self-awareness, […]
Vishuddha – Throat Chakra By Susan Ni Dhubhlaoich As we move past Anahata – the heart chakra, our fourth energy centre, situated at the heart centre, the 3 upper primary chakras – Vishuddha (Throat Chakra), Ajna, Sahasrara – all located in the upper body, are concerned much more with the […]
Anahata – Heart Chakra By Susan Ni Dhubhlaoich The Heart chakra is situated in the centre of the chest at the height of the thymus gland (right behind the sternum). In Sanskrit this chakra is called Anahata, meaning ‘infinite’ ‘boundless’, ‘unhurt’ or ‘unstruck’, pure. Anahata is associated with love, compassion towards ourselves and towards others, gratitude. […]
Solar Plexus – Manipura By Susan Ni Dhubhlaoich The third of our 7 primary energy centres is the Solar Plexus. Also known as the Navel chakra, our Solar Plexus chakra is located between the navel and the base of the sternum, just a couple of fingers above the belly button. […]
Swadhisthana or Sacral chakra By Susan Ni Dhubhlaoich We continue our Journey through the Chakras moving upwards from our Root, our foundation, into Swadhisthana, our sacral chakra. Not sure what a ‘chakra’ or energy centre is? Read this post first. Swadhisthana, our second primary chakra, from the Sanskrit Swa meaning […]
Muladhara – Root Chakra By Susan Ní Dhubhlaoich Now you know more about what chakras or energy centres are, let’s jump in and learn more about the first primary chakra: Muladhara. Not sure what a ‘chakra’ or the subtle body is, read this first.) Muladhara (or root) chakra is our grounding […]
Chakras and Energy Centres By Susan Ní Dhubhlaoich This article is a brief guide to the Chakras or energy centres which form part of our subtle body layer. The subtle body is that part of the body that we cannot touch or see. But we feel it. We know it’s […]
By Ece Ozkan A strong spine is one of the most important aspects of a healthy body. Our desk jobs require us to be practically “chained to a desk” all day. And that often results in lower back pain, neck stiffness and fatigue. Are you suffering from stiffness or back […]
5 min read By Ece Ozkan There’s a positive correlation between the presence of anxiety/ stress and sleep issues. Since the pandemic started, I’ve heard so many of my friends complaining about their sleep problems. With the lockdowns all around the world, these issues have increased further. The majority of […]
3 min read By Ece Ozkan According to Ayurvedic tradition, the world and everything within it is made up of five elements: earth, water, fire, air and space. At Mandala Yoga, during the month of June we have been practising yoga sessions dedicated to these five elements. If you were […]
3 min read By Ece Ozkan In earlier posts I’ve written about the various dimensions of yoga such as pranayama (breathing) and asanas (yoga postures). In this post I’ll dig into meditation briefly. After a definition, we’ll talk about how meditation impacts/ changes your brain, and examples of online classes/ […]
4 minute read By Ece Ozkan Remember the times you had to drag yourself out of the bed? That sluggish feeling you have, which might still be there after your first cup of coffee. Or feeling something is off with your throat, after a not so productive argument with your […]
4 minute read By Ece Ozkan How Yoga works? Picture this: you had a stressful day, body is tense and mind is just restless with a million thoughts. Feeling unmotivated and quite grim, you still set your foot on the yoga mat. 15 minutes later you are flowing and don’t […]
3 min read By Ece Ozkan Mindfulness in times of Uncertainty We are all tired of hearing the word “coronavirus” or “COVID-19”, and anxious about the situation. So don’t worry, this is not a post about that. This post is more about dealing with uncertainty in a nutshell. All of […]
–3 min read– By Ece Ozkan If you are into holistic health you have probably heard about sound baths. Sound baths can be defined as a powerful sonic meditation that involves instruments like singing bowls, crystals and gongs. Given the first Sound Bath class at Mandala on March 1st, this […]
–6 Minute Read– By Ece Ozkan Mind, Body, Breath Life begins with one breath and ends with another. It’s not a mystery or magic (or maybe it is?) that our life depends on breathing. Yet does everyone breathe in a healthy way? I find it similar to eating, in a […]
4 minute read By Ece Ozkan What is Yoga? Taking its root from the Sanskrit root “yuj” meaning to bind, join, yoke, as well as union or communion, it is often attributed as “ disciplining of the intellect, the mind, the emotions, the will.” One of the authoritative sources on […]