a yoga workout with prudence,sheldon and me

as you might remember from our previous post we had our gorgeous  weiros {cockatiels}  Fergus and Patrick, stolen right from under our noses
 we were and  still are  devastated  James and I decided we would buy  some  more weiros this time though baby ones  we searched for baby weiros and found two 16 week old gorgeous babies  our male weiro is named Sheldon he is a pearl pied and  our female weiro is named prudence she is a cinnamon  .
prudence and Sheldon were supposed to be hand raised, and they were  only partially so it took us nearly 3 weeks  to get them used to the house and their new surroundings as well as  getting used to us , they are now quite  happy to sit on our head and shoulders  and to interact with us . prudence loves her bath and plays with the pen lid. I put a cover on the dining room table   and she just goes to town !
during this time I have only done half a yoga workout  until the other day.
 and it was a yoga workout with a difference  prudence and Sheldon were all over me using me as a giant  perch  at first  I found this  quite distracting  but it didn't take me long  to get into  that relaxed mode yoga puts one into.
so prudence and Sheldon didn't  bother me in the end. I did my full 88minute workout it just shows  that I can do  a full yoga workout even with the help of our feathered babies .LOL!!!  prudence is now helping me write this post she has been multi tasking helping james with the dishes at the same time.
typical girl us girls are good at that!
there is no excuse for not doing yoga. with a bit of creative thinking you can
accommodate  any form of distractions. I have had a mini set back  you might remember the post I did  my back  in I also got a  cactus spike or thistle in my  index finger well I left it and left it my finger got  quite sore  in the end I went to the  DR  I had an ultrasound  and there it was  about the  length of a grain of rice I was told to get it out immediately, so  James and I dutifully went down  to the emergency  department. well lying there nearly dying under local  anaesthetic  two  DR's gouging into my finger, all the while my arm is up in the air! Hand down so they can get to my finger  what a fiasco  ! after all this they couldn't find it  so they dug into my finger even more  without any luck so now I have a bandage on my index finger bigger than my thumb ! and I may have to see a surgeon and all this  because of a little cactus spike or thistle .
the moral of this story is don't put off  until tomorrow  what you can do today or be

prepared to suffer the consequences  as I am  doing and also always wear gloves in the garden !
I am still doing yoga, the floor Asanas  {yoga poses} that don't put weight on the hands so far so good.

 here is a quotation  I really  love by john Lennon


"life is what happens to you
while you're busy making other
"plans"






Namaste.

afrer a setback with yoga

well for the first time in weeks I did  a yoga workout  and Harriet even joined in sniffing and snuffling round my face and ears.
and then  plonked herself right  beside me, even our feathered babies  were good  can you believe it ! I cant. now back to my yoga workout  I cant believe  how each Asana
{yoga pose} I did, came with such ease its like I hadn't  stopped at all .
I was a bit shaky in the balancing Asanas  {yoga poses } but that's to be expected  after all these weeks  I am so excited to be back  doing yoga. I didn't realise how much I missed it and loved it  and I have had the most restful night in ages. my feet had instant relief  from the pain cause by osteo arthritis  it was amazing  .
the next day was just as good in fact  even better  we went and took Harriet for a walk  and there was a chill in the evening air    came home and while eating dinner my ear got  hotter and hotter an ear infection had struck. a week on and I feel much better.
but my ears are still niggly and my balance has been off , but getting there. its so frustrating  I just want to get back to my yoga.
so that's why I haven't written in here for a while .
with all this happening with my health our much loved weiros  {cockatiels } were stolen right from under our noses, in the early hours of the morning on the 13th of this month. so yoga has been the last thing on our minds  we are devastated .
we never thought we would have to put a lock on the aviaries, its quite creepy at how close the thieves came to our house !  in the evenings  when we sit down to watch telly we find ourselves  looking at the empty weiro {cockatiel}  Avery   and  there is nothing there its horrible . we just want our  weiros {cockatiels } back but unfortunately  there is no hope of that I am aiming to get back into  my yoga next week  and hopefully I don't get sick in the meantime.

here is  a little bit of Zen  which might interest you  and give you  some food for thought


"
All life is changing, all the
forms of it, and we flow
with the river or we refuse.
if we flow with the river,
we can digest it , as it were,
as we flow, and feel no
suffering. accept it and
we are one with it; resist
it and we are hurt. "

Christmas Humphreys.












Namaste.
 

back troubles with weeds

 hi all , I haven't  been on for a while because I  put my back out gardening
well weeding actually.  here in Australia we have a weed  called kooch , it looks like grass  but it isn't  and it grows everywhere and I mean everywhere . once you let it take off it takes off and you have to dig it out , well I thought I would be lazy I bent over and started  pulling the kooch with both hands when something went  in my back the kooch didn't even budge ! so have had to take it very easy for two painful weeks.
I have been tearing my hair out not being able to do my yoga.
I thought I had come right finally ! last night. but have aggravated my back by moving a very full rubbish bin  I should have left it for James  but thought no ! I can do it. James abruptly told me off and said I should have left it for him  James has been wonderful  doing everything I cant  and just letting me put my feet up all the while  James himself is not feeling well  and not saying one word, I am so lucky and grateful to have a husband like James.  Harriet has been helping to in her own little way
when my back is right I will start  yoga slowly not like a bull at a gate

because I don't want to be back at square one
I miss yoga very much will be back in no time

there is a saying patience is a virtue





Namaste.

 

how hatha yoga has helped with my epilepsy

 I have epilepsy  as you know it is not something you can catch,  sometimes
you are born with this illness and other times it can develop anytime in ones life.
there are many types of epilepsy such as  focal seizures  which I have, there are to many to list here not just the one type of epilepsy which is generalised tonic clonic
{grand mal } where the person convulses as the media and TV  shows .
which is why epilepsy is so misunderstood .
I am here  to tell you we are just the same as everyone else except  we have an illness
people  cannot see  most of the time. epilepsy is not a barrier  as some people think
no neurological illness is a barrier.
and I would like to tell you  how hatha yoga has helped with my epilepsy .
I feel hatha yoga is a god send, my seizures are set off with late nights, lack of sleep, heat, stress and not eating  properly .
my seizures cant be seen by people. it is only me that knows when they happen because of the warning I get leading up to my seizure  unless I  tell my husband or whoever I am with at the time  I have no visual signs you see  that is why it is so hard to try and explain the sensation  I get down my right side to Drs etc., for example the other day I was so stressed  I was having one seizures one after the other, I was so ill  I just had to go to bed because my head was so very heavy and sore  I could hardly keep my eyes open.
I got up the next day having slept well did my hatha yoga workout  and  I am ok today still having them but they are getting less and less  just faint ones  I had to have a day off yoga yesterday because I was so sick.
but usually  I do  hatha yoga  seven days a week for 88minutes  and my husband and  Dr suggested  yoga actually , and  I am so glad they did , and I love every stretch .
I feel fantastic afterwards and so calm . I cant believe how much my health has improved  because of hatha yoga it's a miracle ! not only my health  but my body has  been shaped into its natural shape it puts the unwanted  fat where it should be.
hatha yoga  is not an adventure  it is a journey and a personal one for each and every one of us
hatha yoga is a joy it is also a gift.




Namaste,

  

mindfulness and yoga

its a funny old winters day, the suns out, the sky has gone from blue to grey. its raining one minute sunny the next the wind is chilly so we spent the day indoors  with the  curtains drawn and the heater on, all snug and warm beautiful !
doing this mindfulness CD has made me appreciate everything a lot more and notice the little things in life.
I am wondering if mindfulness and yoga are one and the same  it will be interesting to see .
the mindfulness CD made my mind blank, I felt nothing but peace, I actually went into a state  of deep relaxation .
but with my yoga DVD I felt calm and refreshed  and would stay like that for the whole day I have also found yoga has given me mental strength  as well as physical strength, and so much energy I mistakenly  decided  to do my yoga workout at night . I had so much energy! I cleaned the  house and still was not tired and wanted to do more !. never again I am afraid definitely a lesson learnt !
meditation , hatha yoga and mindfulness are all looking for the same thing all trying to get some relaxation  and inner peace  they are all different  to each other but all get  you to reach the same  goal....... self enlightenment .
and obviously  hatha yoga helps with flexibility and grace .



Namaste .
 

becoming healthy with yoga

I have come  to realize over the years  how yoga has changed me as a person.
at first  I thought  I could  do a yoga workout and still  have takeaways for dinner and biscuits for desert and still get a ripper figure out of it.
slowly I  stopped all that unhealthy eating and started eating for the better , not skipping breakfast or lunch eating three meals a day that is when I noticed things were slowly beginning to happen
now I cant eat junk food  much as I have tried  and it has just been completely awful !
I have had to clean my teeth right after just to get the taste out of my mouth.
I really love the way I eat now nice home cooked meals that are healthy
I have lost the taste for junk food , any unhealthy habits are bad for you not only for your body and inner organs  but also your skin.
and you know what it shows.
my hair was greasy  and my skin was terrible and I mean terrible  with all the junk I was eating , just imagine what it was doing on the inside, festering  around your body making you sicker and sicker.

I never realized  yoga would change  the way I would eat but it has and for the better I am even now having   nutritious vegetable and fruit drinks I am not a big fruit fan so this does the trick and they are yum !
who  would have thought it ,I wouldn't have.









 Namaste.

james's recovery with yoga

it's been a long road for James but he is getting there, one day James decided  to start yoga again  and is doing really well  James is going slowly  and not pushing himself which I am surprised at because he usually does  in less than a week James is getting himself  off the floor better. he feels more flexible  and  he is looking and feeling better in himself . when you  have had such a major  illness  and multiple  surgeries  as James has had it takes time and this is what James has given himself. you cant rush these things when you feel you are ready to get back into  exercise of any form tell your DR   and he / she will give you the right advice on what you can do this is what James has done and has found hatha yoga is best for him. James knows he has to start  from scratch. 

and does the beginner  asanas {poses}  accordingly  these beginner asanas {poses} are non stressful on the body and gentle physically  as well as on the mind and spirit .
James is slowly  building up his asanas  to make a hatha  yoga workout  he has  6 asanas he works through  and does them a few minutes at a time

and will gradually do the same yoga asanas  for longer then will  add  additional asanas {poses} every fortnight  until James can do a full yoga workout.
  Harriet and I will be following James's progress  and will keep you up to date in future posts







Namaste.

 

gracefulness with yoga

looking out my window the sky is blue, but there is a chill in the air.
I went to my Dr the other day and everything is  A ok  after that James and I  brought two new shirts for winter, the shop assistant  complimented me no end on how petite I was  I felt proud  and embarrassed  actually . I said thank you  and said it is yoga ! people are also asking have I lost weight ! or you cant get any thinner even though I eat the same and I am a healthy weight all I say its yoga , yoga has put the unwanted fat where it should  naturally go . my yoga  DVD  is always going on about gracefulness and I have been thinking how does that work, how does that go with yoga ? it has been in my face all along , in my eyes yoga is the definition of gracefulness .
yoga  keeps you supple, makes you feel beautiful , even if us girls don't feel it half the time. yoga does all this and helps us carry ourselves well. my mum says I have to  accept getting older and expect  to get the symptoms of old age mum say stop fighting it we all have to grow old sometime, but you can grow old gracefully ! we have a book  by a woman  who is in her eighties  and still does the lotus, the headstand and all the advanced asanas  {yoga poses } with the flexibility of a young girl.
people  automatically assume  once you  are over a certain age that's it , they call this the downhill slide, but here's the thing , if you do yoga  you will never ever lose your flexibility . and  us for us girls we will always keep our figure and for the men they will always keep their physique .  and the gracefulness yoga gives. so I am not fighting ageing I will be maturing and growing old gracefully .
yoga is a gift if you keep up yoga, you will be set for life.

Namaste.

my yoga/ sleep diary an outstanding success

 it has been 31 days since I started my yoga/ sleep experiment  it is the final day of my sleep diary  and I have to say  its an outstanding success . I sleep through the night now and every night  it is a miracle !
I have not slept like this in years  and I mean years iam thrilled, this yoga/ sleep diary  has gone past my  wildest  expectations  and more  I now have a routine  its great  . you know I cant stay up to late anymore  that's amazing in itself  and my yoga  workouts are also heaps better actually everything is better  here are some handy tips  I have used  and they work .

go to bed at the same time every night and get up  and get up the same time every morning

when bedtime rolls around sleep in a dark room

have your bedroom at a cool temperature

don't eat or drink  anything a couple of hours before bedtime

 don't go to bed overtired

if you do this with yoga you will have a fantastic  nights sleep
there are no magic pills, just all natural drug free yoga.

happy sleeping everyone.





        the yoga asana {pose} the fish.











Namaste.
 

the breath of life {pranyama } and rythmic breathing

all our lives we have  been lead to believe  the way we breathe is the correct way
for example when we breathe  in we pull our belly in ,
when we breathe out we pull our belly out . but in yoga it is the complete opposite .

when  I first came to yoga  I was breathing this way  and was only using  half my diaphragm with yoga  you breathe with all your diaphragm  this is hard to do at first  but with practice it comes automatically . once you have  learnt  the yoga breathing {pranayama}  you then apply it to your yoga workouts  and everyday life , I still trip up every now and then it is hard to break something you have been doing naturally since you were born .  here is how  to do yoga breathing {pranayama }

always breathe  through the  nose {never in and out through the mouth }

your nose is a filter system  for  your lungs  where your mouth is not .

yoga breathing {pranayama } goes this way

when breathing in your belly will rise  as it fills gradually filling up your diaphragm  to the top of your lungs  hold your breath then expel your breath  your breath starting from the top of your lungs slowly  continue  to expel your breath till your belly is emptied and looks like a deflated balloon.

to begin {pranayama  do this breathing exercise 10 times after or before each time you do a yoga workout  gradually increase the  number of times you use this technique  until it becomes a habit .

the next step is rhythmic breathing  which is  in the same way as yoga breathing {pranayama } except you breathe in slowly for the  count of 6 hold your breath for the count of 9 and breathe out  for the count of 6 at first  you might find you can do only 3 or 4  rounds of this exercise  before you become dizzy  but with practice it will go away  and become easier when you get used to  this number of breaths  you increase the amount of times  you hold and breathe in and out for  example breathe in for 9 hold for 18 breathe out for 9 and so on but always go at your own pace  yoga  along with yoga  breath {pranayama }  is not about  winning a race always go slowly  go with what is comfortable with you and you will get there

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Namaste.

 

my yoga / sleep diary i now sleep !

it has been  25 days since starting  my yoga /sleep diary and this is how I am doing.
 I now sleep through the night  so deep  a  pterodactyl  could land on the roof and I wouldn't  hear it ,  it is  absolutely  wonderful and it is all because I go to bed at a reasonable hour. instead of pushing myself to stay up later to watch telly.
since  writing this yoga/ sleep diary  I have become aware of all this  and it has made me realise  I can no longer be a night owl I now have my body clock right .
but  I still have  some fine tuning to do
and yoga  is  definitely  the key to a blissful wonderful nights sleep.

Namaste.

my yoga /sleep diary i could have cried day 5

I had a shocking nights  sleep,  went to bed  and slept right through  or so I thought ,
I was feeling so proud and got up so awake it wasn't funny , but it was just after 2am
I could have cried ! I lay there just staring at the ceiling  I must have fallen asleep and when I woke up it was so light  I thought it must  now be at least 6am. I got up once again it was  only 3am I just shook my head and I went back to bed  I must have fallen asleep at some point during the night  because I slept through  the 7am alarm!
thank goodness  I am not meeting anyone today ! I will be doing my yoga today come hell or high water  taking Harriet  for a walk a bit later today, its so nice  not  having to rush, I will just relax  having my morning coffee and then go.

well my walk  with Harriet was lovely, I came home and had to close my eyes  but I didn't sleep I got up and did my yoga workout  it was brilliant! I am so tired now I started yawning at dusk which is and  was fantastic ! it is now just after 11pm so am ready for sleep I really hope  I sleep tonight it will be interesting to see 

Namaste.

my yoga/ sleep diary not a good night day 4

 well James

and I stayed up  and watched a horror movie  last  night  I don't know how anybody can like zombies. vampires any day ! this movie didn't finish till  after 12 midnight .
 because I stayed up  so late I didn't  have a good night  I was over tired  but  when I finally  slept   it was deep and relaxing . tonight will be a different matter I am off shortly to take Harriet for her  Dailey  walk  on the luscious   beach then home for a wonderful  yoga workout. because of the  late  night  we had, everything went  pair shaped  today  so I couldn't  get to do  my yoga  which I am  upset about I hope I sleep tonight  I really do













NAMASTE.

my yoga/sleep diary day 3 i slept

 I did sleep ! I went to bed at 10pm , so very tired and fell into  a beautiful deep sleep  woke up briefly when James came to bed, I asked  him the time  it was 12:30 pm I then fell back to sleep. since starting this yoga/sleep diary I have been  placing our mobile {cell} phone and my watch  on our dining room table so I don't keep  staring at the clock, which is just another distraction  in keeping me awake .
another good thing about putting  our mobile  {cell}  on the table is I have to get up to turn the alarm off instead of putting  my hand out of bed to switch it off. today our walk was beautiful so refreshing  there is nothing like the feeling of the warm sand under your feet and in between your toes,  after the girls  had a run on the beach we then go through the park  barefoot  feeling the cold  grass  under  our feet.

getting in touch with nature,  what a way to start the day well it is nearly time for my yoga workout I will just light my scented oil burner , put on my yoga DVD  roll out my yoga mat and off I go for 88 mins . I will  let you know  how I went after.
well I have finished and what a  yoga workout it was great ! I  didn't    push myself  today like I did yesterday, which  you shouldn't do .
today my yoga workout was so relaxing the relaxation at the end of  my yoga workout was  great and I nearly fell asleep right there   on the  dining room floor!  I had a beautiful bathox shower it was  just  lovely  I still feel so relaxed  how pampered is that ! well it nearly my bedtime  I hope I sleep tonight.

Namaste.
 

my yoga /sleep diary day 2 spanner in the works

talk about a spanner in the works I went to bed a bit before 11pm I was tired !

closed my eyes and went into a blissful sleep until 4am when I got jolted awake by James having such a nightmare  then no matter what I tried I could not  sleep  got up at 6:45 am  in this morning  and will take Harriet for a walk soon to start my day then  yoga and will have to see what the rest of the day will bring I did my yoga quite late
I slept to much today I hope I sleep tonight now





















 

 

 

 

 

 Namaste