If you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place. – Eckhart Tolle

Alchemy
noun
a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination.

A philosophical tradition from the Middle Ages practised throughout Asia including India and China. Alchemy aims to purify, mature and perfect. In history, some prevalent intentions of alchemy were to transmute base metals like lead into noble metals like gold. And of course, we cannot forget the creation of the elixir of immortality too!

In today’s post, I am sharing with you some of the traditional practices we undertake to create chakra alchemy. First I will touch on each of the chakras, then will move onto the energy channels of the body and, finally, I will share with you some practices you can use to purify and unify.

Let’s begin with the chakras. Each of us has seven chakras or ‘energy centres’, starting from the bottom of our spine and ending just above our head.

It might help you to think of your chakras as points within the electrical system of your body. They allow energy to flow and can be blocked when things are out of alignment, physically, energetically, emotionally and spiritually.

Your first chakra is the Root or Muladhara chakra. It is located at the base of your spine and represents our basic needs (food, money), stability and security. A clear muladhara chakra will have us feeling safe and without fear.

The second chakra is the Sacral or Svadhisthana chakra. It is located in our lower abdomen, between your pubic bone and navel centre. Svadhisthana chakra represents our creativity, pleasure and sexuality. An open sacral chakra will invite abundance, connection and well-being.

The third chakra is the Solar Plexus or Manipura chakra. Manipura chakra is located in our upper abdomen, between the navel centre and the breastbone. This chakra is a source of our power. It represents self-worth, self-confidence and self-esteem. A clear solar plexus chakra will fill us with power from within.

The fourth chakra is the Heart or Anahata chakra, located in the centre of our chest. As the middle chakra, it unites the three lower chakras with the three upper chakras. Our heart chakra is concerned with our ability to give and receive love. It represents joy and inner peace. It is a source of love and connection.

The fifth chakra is the Throat or Vissudha chakra and represents communication. It is located in the throat and can affect our ability to express ourselves or speak our truth. When our throat chakra is clear we can say what we mean and do what we say, we are living authentically, and our thoughts, words and actions are congruent.

The sixth chakra is the Third Eye or Ajna chakra and is located in the middle of our forehead, between our eyes. Ajna chakra represents our ability to see clearly and focus. An open third eye chakra will allow us to see the big picture, hone our intuition and see beyond our emotions.

The seventh chakra is our Crown or Sahasrara chakra. It can also be translated as the “thousand petal lotus” chakra. It is located just above our head and represents enlightenment and spiritual connection to our highest selves and our higher power. An open crown chakra invites divine wisdom, intelligence and original thought.

The Nadis

In yoga we call the energy channels of our bodies ‘nadis’, but you might recognise the term ‘meridians’ from Chinese medicine. They’re the same thing!

We have three main energy lines:

Ida Nadi

• Feminine energy line
• Left nostril
• Right Hemisphere of Brain
• Left side of Body

Pingala Nadi

• Masculine energy line
• Right nostril
• Left Hemisphere of Brain
• Right side of Body

Sushumna Nadi

• Central energy line, most important

The Shiva Shakti dance

Shiva and Shakti were initially one form of Consciousness and Energy that split itself to become the two poles of duality that created the universe and all things in it.

In their united state Shiva and Shakti are indistinguishable and are called various things in different spiritual traditions, ‘The Nameless’ in Taoist, ‘Brahman’ in Yoga, ‘The Absolute’ in Buddhism.

When Shiva and Shakti split is when dualism is born, it manifests in many forms:

• mind/body,
• self/others,
• consciousness/experience.

So what is Non Dualism? It is when both the object and the seer are the same. It is union. It is affinity. It is the coming together.

Shiva and Shakti divide themselves into various forms of consciousness and energy that keep our bodies alive and our minds active.

These derivatives of Shiva-prana and Kundalini-shakti manifest as the life force that the yogis call prana, and the ancient Taoists called chi.

Kundalini-shakti resides at the first and second chakra, and Shiva-prana resides at the sixth chakra.

Practices

So how can we put this knowledge into practice? I have a handful of powerful practices to unify, purify and perform chakra alchemy to share with you.

Dharana and Dhyana Chakra Meditation

Dharana is the principle of concentration and Dhyana is meditation (when you become one with your point of concentration). Practice these principles by focussing on a particular chakra. You can visualise a spinning wheel or colour, or perhaps a pulsing light where that chakra resides. Visualise a brightening and intensifying of the colour or glow, eventually merging with your point of concentration.

Non-afflicted Vrittis
Sight – Nyasa, Light
Sound – Nada
Touch – Energy

Afflicted Vrittis
Memories
Emotions
Thoughts
Physical

Sushumna Purification
As you now know, Sushumna Nadi is our central energy channel. To purify this channel, you may start with nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) to overcome any dominance between ida and pingala nadis. Once you have done this, it may be time to begin merging these two streams into one single, central flow of breath.

Nyasa
Nyasa is the methodical movement of prana and shakti up and down the chakras. You can use bija mantras to bring your focus to each of your chakras. The mantras are (from Root Chakra upwards) Lam, Vam, Ram, Yam, Ham, Aum and Silent Aum)

Nada
Nada yoga is the union with self through music/sound. The sounds used may be a buzzing, flute, tiny bells, resonating bell, waves or a combination of all.

Previously on the blog, I’ve touched on Patanjali’s yoga sutras and walked you through the path the great sage laid out for us. The end of this yogic road is what was call Samadhi in Sanskrit or ‘self-realisation’ or ‘bliss’ in English.

In today’s post, I’d like to explore what living your bliss might mean, and if we’re not currently doing so, how we can shift our lives to get back on course.

Let’s start with this: What does bliss mean?

As yogis, we believe that bliss is when we uncover our true nature or Sat Chit Ananda. Let’s break that down:

• Sat: Being or Truth
• Chit: Consciousness
• Ananda: Bliss or Joy

So, Sat Chit Ananda describes the state of being when our consciousness and beingness integrate and become one. This state is the primordial characteristic of the Universe. The greatest and most profound state of ecstasy that you can ever experience.

Don’t be overwhelmed! I know that this is a big goal, but as yogis, we are walking the path towards Sat Chit Ananda – whether we’re taking leaps or only small steps.

Walking the path

“Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviour. Keep your behaviour positive because your behaviour becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.”
– Gandhi

It’s not so much the ‘big’ things we do in life that propel us on the path to bliss; rather it’s the things we do every day. It’s these small routines and habits we cultivate are perhaps more integral to reaching states of Sat Chit Ananda.

Rituals and routines

“Forget about FINDING yourself. Go CREATE yourself.”

It’s time for you to take a magnifying glass to your life. Look closely:

• How do you start the day?
• How do you finish the day?
• How do you create a sacred space throughout the day? Internally and externally.
• What habits are your daily habits?
• What are your core values?

Now, take inspiration from others:

• Who inspires you?
• What do you think their personal rituals and routines would include?

I suggest you don’t just think about your answers to these questions, but you explore them on paper or in your journal. Getting your thoughts out and onto paper is remarkably beneficial.

Next, let’s figure out what things you might need to let go of or add into your life to put you back onto your path to bliss.

Ask yourself this: If you were the brightest version of yourself what would your thoughts, words, actions, habits and values include?

Spend some time contemplating this question, write down your thoughts and let them percolate for a few days.

Execution is crucial

“It’s better to follow your own path imperfectly than it is to follow someone else’s perfectly. ”
– the Bhagavad Gita

Knowing what you want to change in your life is powerful. Implementing these changes is even more critical.

It’s time to put plans in place. They might be significant changes or baby steps (but, aren’t those the most magical anyway?). A small way to make a big impact is to introduce a mantra or affirmation to your daily routine.

What mantra or positive affirmation could you repeat to yourself to create this state (bliss) within yourself on a daily basis?

I’d love to know your thoughts on this post and what changes you might be making to your life to get closer to your own brand of bliss. Let me know on Instagram.

Did you know that in the past 20 years our population has grown by 28 percent, but the amount of waste we produce has increased 170 per cent? (Statistic from the ABC).

I was shocked to hear this and more in the ABC’s three-part series War on Waste. You can watch it on iView, and I highly recommend you do!

After watching I made some significant changes in my house to try and reduce the amount of waste we throw out. I’d like to inspire you to do the same, so I thought I’d bring you a post with lots of tips and tricks for reducing your household’s waste too. Make sure you let me know on Instagram if you’ve implemented any of these ideas.

Stop buying single-use plastic

Buy yourself a metal or glass water bottle and refill it rather than buying another bottle of water. Say no to plastic bags at the checkout. Avoid plastic cutlery and straws. Use a reusable coffee cup to get your caffeine hit.

Visit a bulk foods store

Instead of buying your pantry staples at the regular supermarket, take your own reused glass containers to the bulk food store. You’ll find the basics like flour and salt, amongst delicious dried fruits, dairy free chocolates as well as herbs and spices.

Buy a market basket

I’ve already said this, but it’s so important to stop using plastic grocery bags. You might be using ‘green’ or ‘enviro’ bags, which is great, but I’d advise you to avoid buying more. Did you know you’d need to use your ‘green’ bag at least 50 times to earn its environmental benefit? Instead, pick yourself up a sustainably made market basket for your trips to the shops, the market and anywhere else you’d typically use plastic bags. Plus they look super cute!

Put up a ‘no junk mail’ sign and cancel your newspaper and magazine subscriptions

I bet you throw junk mail straight into the bin right? Stop receiving by popping up a little sign on your post box. Instead of receiving hard copies of your favourite newspaper and mags, sign up for online e-subscriptions to save the paper.

Quit your addiction to ‘fast’

Whether it’s food or fashion, it’s time to say goodbye to our addiction to ‘fast’. Did you know that fast fashion is now the number one pollutant on the planet?! So those ‘bargains’ or things you grab on sale only to wear a couple of times are contributing to a huge amount of waste. I prefer both my food and my fashion made slowly, with care, a focus on quality and, of course, with love!

Stop buying plastic bottles of cleaning products

Make safe and effective cleaning products yourself with things like white vinegar, bicarbonate soda and essential oils. It will save you money, lighten the chemical load and reduce waste. Win, win, win.

Sort your waste into general waste, recyclables, soft plastic and compost

Have four three bins that are easy for you to get to (let’s be honest, if they’re not close by we won’t use them!) and label them clearly. Carefully consider your waste and make sure you’re putting it in the right bin.

Soft plastic (shopping bags) can be recycled on the Gold Coast but only at the supermarket. Tip: Although Woolworths has a recycling bin for soft plastic, they don’t actually recycle it! Make the trip to Coles instead. Remember not to put your soft plastics into your yellow lid bin. Check out the GCCC recycling guidelines if you’re not sure what can go in this bin.

There are so many other ways we can reduce our waste and lighten the footprint we are leaving on Mama Earth. This is just a start, and I hope you’re inspired enough to implement some of my ideas and to also seek out more!

“The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the quality of your relationships.”
― Anthony Robbins

When talking relationships, it would be totally remiss of me to not start with our most important relationship. That is, the relationship we have with ourselves.

The longest and most intimate relationship we will have this lifetime is with our self. And we cannot expect outward relationships to be healthy if we don’t start on the inward one first.

However, this post is not about self love (although I’ll probably talk about it another time!). This post is about those outward relationships, the ones we have with others, and particularly our romantic relationships.

I’d like to share with you some of my favourite tools I use to ensure my relationship is in the best shape it can be. Hopefully they resonate with you.

Loving with understanding – The Five Love Languages

The Five Love Languages book is an amazing resource for you to deeply understand the way you like to be loved and on the flip side, the best way to show love to your partner. Basically, we all like to receive love in different ways – we speak different love languages! The languages are:

• Affirmations
• Acts of Service
• Touch
• Quality Time
• Gifts

You can do an online test here and I highly suggest you get your partner to do it too!

Loving with full knowledge – The dirty dozen

Did you know that there are just a few things that are probably going to pop up in your relationship and test you and your partner? They’re called the dirty dozen (+ 1!), and they’re the things that are most likely to derail your relationship.

So what could screw it up?

1. Money
2. Kids/Parenting
3. Sex/Attraction
4. Time
5. House Responsibilities/Roles/Decisions
6. Family (In Laws)
7. Friends
8. Health & Wellbeing
9. Safety
10. Work/Work Ethic
11. Communication/Meaning
12. Arguing/Fighting Style
13. Habits/Maturity

Don’t be disheartened! Knowledge is power and being aware of the things that are going to trip your relationship up is truly freeing. Plus I’ve got a few dirty dozen antidotes to share with you today.

Number 1: Make your relationship more important than the rules!

Whether these are the rules of society, rules you put on yourself or maybe some old family rules you’re still carrying around, forget them. Hold your relationship to a different standard.

Number 2: Show up like you did at the beginning.

If you show up how you did in the beginning of your relationship there won’t be an end. Make them feel like they’re the most important person in your life. Just like you did when you first began seeing them. Conjure those feelings of new love and wear your rose tinted glasses!

Number 3: Understand that relationships require balance and compromise.

When two worlds merge, things have to be let go of, but remember that this doesn’t mean one person is completely taking over. Give and take. Find the balance that suits you and your partner.

Number 4: Attraction!

When you’re attracted, nothing else matters. There’s an aliveness in the relationship. Presence is the ultimate solution to penetrate a woman. Radiance and admiration is what will pierce a man.

Number 5: Acceptance

If you’re constantly trying to change your partner, what resists, persists. A part of them will always fight against it, even if they want to please you. There will come a point where you will need to put your relationship ahead of the person changing (or maybe this is where you part?).

Number 6: Be silly

Being playful and teasing each other helps neutralise the charge in tough situations. If you and your partner can still have a laugh about the rough times you’ll come out stronger for it.

Loving with consciousness – The 3 C’s and the 3 U’s

Just like we need to know about the dirty dozen, I think it’s really powerful to be conscious of the 3 C’s. These are behaviours, especially as women or someone who identifies with a more feminine energy, we are prone to live out in our relationships. They are:

• Criticize – we call out faults in a disapproving way
• Control – we exert force and try to direct behaviour
• Close – we switch off and don’t let anyone in

I’m sure when I put them like that, you know how harmful these behaviours are in a relationship! But often they are so deep seated we don’t even know we’re doing them. Take back the reins by carefully observing the way you act and making changes where you see the 3 C’s rearing their heads.

The quickest way to shut down a relationship with a woman or someone who leans to a more feminine energy? The 3 U’s.

These three triggers will cause them to close off the relationship: feeling unsafe, feeling unseen or not feeling understood.

So how can you modulate your own behaviour to avoid doing these things? After all, we are really only able to change ourselves and lead by example.

Loving with heart – Toxic habits

There are three toxic habits you’ve got to let go of right now:

• Blame and Punishment
• Should and Shouldn’t
• I/You could have done better

“And still, after all this time, the Sun has never said to the Earth,‘You owe me.’ Look what happens with love like that. It lights up the sky.”
– Rumi

I’ve shared a lot with you today, and I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed. You don’t have to do everything in this post all at once. Pick one thing and flow with it. It’s the small daily commitments that make the big difference at the end of the day.

Remember happiness is not measured by what we have but rather the people we have to share our life with. At the closing of this life we all die alone, therefore cultivating contentment and fulfilment within oneself is paramount. However, life is so much sweeter when we can share the fruits of our spiritual path with those we love and make us laugh. Relationships don’t make the experience they simply magnify it!

This post is the fourth and final in my Yoga Philosophy 101 series. Make sure you catch my posts on the Yamas, Niyamas and Asana, Pranayama & Pratyahara too.

The integration of the final three limbs of Patanjali’s eightfold path is known as Samyama. In today’s post, we’re going to touch on each of the three principles.

Dharana – Concentration

Dharana is fixing the consciousness on one point or region.

How do we practice dharana?

• make the main thing the main thing, do just one thing at a time, fully focused, totally present

– Try trataka – this is known as concentrated candle gazing done staring at the flame at eye height uninterrupted until you lose your mind & cultivate a calm centre

– Mindfully and meaningfully concentrate on your breath during everything or anything you do

– Sit in easy cross-legged pose, close the eyes and focus on energy moving up and down the spine with the breath or repeating a Mantra such as love and compassion with the breath. Inhale love, exhale compassion.

Dhyana – Meditation

Dhyana is a steady, continuous flow of attention directed towards the same point or region without interruption, this is meditation. When we merge with the point of concentration, we become one with it, seeing ourselves at the essence of the object.

There is a reason dhyana comes after dharana; it’s because dharana often leads into dhyana. Where your focus on an object eventually turns into a clear and unclouded mind of union.

How do we practice dhyana?

Start with dharana; dhyana is the natural progression of a consistent dharana practice. Commit to sitting every morning for just 30minutes, the key is consistency. There will be easier and harder days but know that every sitting session is a good sit no matter how it feels. The unraveling often is the most transformational when we commit to the sit no matter the circumstance.

Samadhi – Oneness

Samadhi is almost instant after true meditation when the object of meditation engulfs the meditator, appearing as the subject, self-awareness is lost. The challenge is to extend and stretch that samadhi experience for longer and longer durations. So it becomes part of your day to day activities and even though you are functioning freely in the world you still feel a deep connection to something far bigger than the individual self and beyond the worldly activities on the surface.

How do we practice samadhi?

Start with dhyana.

You’re probably picking up on a theme of ‘one step at a time’ here, and you’d be correct. That’s the brilliance and sophistication of these teachings. All you have to do is follow the path laid out before you!

I’ll finish my Yoga Philosophy 101 series with this: From the mastery of samyama comes the light of awareness and insight. Yes, please!

I’d love to know if this post resonated with you – you can let me know via Instagram.

This post is the third in my Yoga Philosophy 101 series. Make sure you catch my first post on the Yamas and second on the Niyamas as well.

As I mentioned in my first post, yoga is so much more than the physical practice we do on our mats. In fact, it’s not until Patanjali’s third limb that we delve into Asana at all. We’ll also be talking about Pranayama and Pratyahara, the fourth and fifth limbs respectively, today.

When we practice asana, we want to embody the Sanskrit principle of Sthira Sukham Asanam. This translates to something like: “May my connection to the earth be steady and joyful”. I just love this philosophy!

How do we apply sthira (steadiness) and sukham (ease) to our asana practice?

The good news is, you probably already are! A good yoga teacher has a variety of yogic tools and practices which help us to practice with steadiness and ease:

The three-fold approach

Tristana was originally designed for Ashtanga yoga but is commonly practiced by great vinyasa yoga teachers. It includes using your breath and bandha whilst in a posture, together with focusing your attention to assist you in cultivating a steady yoga practice.

Breath: Pranayama

Pranayama is the fourth of Patanjali’s limbs of yoga. It is a common misconception that pranayama is breath work or breath retention. In fact, the two words (‘prana’ and ‘yama’) translate into ‘lifeforce’ and ‘control/restraint’ respectively. So it’s not our breath we are harnessing, but the lifeforce which rides the breath. In essence, we are directing and controlling our energy flow at will. It is the ability to either increase or decrease our energy in an instant. With the right use of our prana or energy, we can cultivate sthira or steadiness in our asana.

Posture: Asana + Bandha

How do we cultivate steadiness in our asana? It’s not complex, but it takes concentration and commitment! My tips:

• Place yourself carefully the first time. Eg. When you step out into a pose, place your foot where you want it the first time, don’t wiggle or shift it into place. Obviously at some stages we need to adjust whilst in a pose, but try your best to get it right in the first instance.
• Concentrate on engaging your bandhas (more on them below).
• Stop fidgeting. Picture this: you’re rolling through your sun salutations and each time you come back to tadasana you pull down your top, sort out your hair and adjust your yoga tights. How steady does that sound? Instead, make sure you’re comfortable with your clothing and hair before practice and when you enter tadasana do so with intention and commitment.

Bandhas are energy locks within the body. While we refer to physical places in the body when describing them, bandhas actually exist on an energetic level. Briefly, our three bandhas are as follows:

• Mula bandha (root lock) is located in the pelvic floor region. It is engaged by a lifting of the pelvic floor.
• Uddiyana bandha (upward flying lock) is located about two inches below the navel. It is engaged by drawing the lower belly in and upwards towards the spine.
• Jalandhara bandha (chin lock) is located in the throat. It is engaged by drawing the chin inwards toward the throat.

Gaze: Dristhi

In asana practice, dristhi refers to a focus point, a point where we will direct our gaze. For example to the tip of the nose in Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog Pose) or the horizon in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). A steady gaze equals a steady body and mind.

Cultivating sukham

So we’re now steady, but how do we embody ease and joy in our sometimes challenging yoga asana practice?

My favourite way is to smile on the inside! Even when things are feeling tough, bring a smile to your heart. Relax your brow and unclench your teeth. Breathe.

I love the principle of sukham because it reminds us that this practice is just asana, we’re the ones that make it a positive or negative experience. And wouldn’t you rather bring a story of ease and joy into your next practice?

I also believe that we can take the principle of sukham off the yoga mat and into our lives. Start to think about ways you can bring more ease and lightness to your life. Even in difficult situations is there a way you can lighten your attitude?

Pratyahara

The fifth of Patanjali’s limbs, Pratyahara is the withdrawing of our senses, or at least the softening of our senses. We begin to pull away from the senses as in yoga (and Buddhism) it is taught that our suffering comes from our senses.

How to put this into practice though? We soften our preferences! For example, move from “Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand-to-big-toe Pose) feels bad so I’m going to sit in this feeling of yuckiness” to “Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand-to-big-toe Pose) is just a yoga pose, it neither good or bad – it just is – and this too shall pass.”

I’ve briefly touched in the third, fourth and fifth limbs of the eightfold path in today’s post, but I encourage you to continue your learning. Join me for the regular talks I do at Essence of Living and delve into the masses of yogic literature. There is so much to learn!

I’d love to know if this post resonated with you – you can let me know via Instagram.

This post is the second in my Yoga Philosophy 101 series. Make sure you catch my first post on the Yamas too.

The Niyamas are the second limb of Patanjali’s eight limbs of yoga. Niyama is a Sanskrit word which translates as ‘observances’, and they are primarily our attitudes to our inner world, to ourselves. Through the niyamas, we are seeking internal and personal harmony.

The niyamas aren’t difficult to understand, but they can be challenging to put into practice. I have given you a personal challenge for each niyama below. You might try one a day, one a week or, maybe, one a month.

Saucha – Cleanliness/Purity

Keeping our mind spick and span is just as important (maybe more so!) as keeping our physical surroundings tidy and clean. One of the ways we can do this is by editing what information we have coming in: What we watch, read, listen to. And who we talk to, follow or like on social media.

Your challenge is to do a big clean up of your daily habits of consuming impure content as it has a compounding negative effect on your mind. You’ll feel SO good afterwards!

Santosha – Contentment

A great way to be present and find happiness in the now is to turn to gratitude.

Turn to a blank page in your journal or open up a new document on your computer. Write down every little and big thing you are thankful for today. Be specific and write down why you’re feeling grateful – this will amplify your gratitude! Another meaningful practice is the moment your feet touch the earth each morning let it be a gentle reminder to think of three things you are grateful for. What a beautiful start to the day!

Tapas – Self-Discipline/Devotion

It’s easy to do the things we love or enjoy. It’s not so easy to do the things we know are good for us, but don’t enjoy.

Your challenge is to tick off an item on your #higherself list. It might be booking a dentist appointment, getting to bed before 10 pm (so you’re ready and raring to go for 6am yoga!), following up overdue invoices or sticking to your daily meditation goal.

Syadhyaya – Self Awareness/Study of Scripture

In a world where we give the ‘outer’ greater importance than the ‘inner’, we can often forget to look within. But within us, we have innate, built-in wisdom!

If you find it difficult to tap into your internal intelligence, I challenge you to slow down and simply watch your breath. Notice the energy in your body, start to become aware of the fluctuations in your energy andmood in different situations and times of day. You’ll start to notice what resonates and what doesn’t. You could also pick up a yoga philosophy book or read another post just like this one to get the ball rolling within.

Isvara Pranidhana – Surrender/Offer

Sometimes translated as faith, Isvara Pranidhana can be about belief in a god, goddess or the Universe. It can also be faith in oneself.

Your challenge is to surrender an outcome to the Universe/Source, let go of your expectations of ‘how’ and focus on co-creation (it’s not all up to you!).

“Change is inevitable, progress is optional.”

I want to know if you take up any of my yogic challenges? Let me know over on Instagram.

The physical practice (asana) which we practice in a studio or at home is such a small part of the behemoth that is ‘yoga’, yet we often place all our attention on the postures. In this series of blog posts I’m going to be covering some of the foundations of yogic philosophy to give you more insight into yoga off the mat.

In today’s post we’re going to cover off on what the Yoga Sutras are and delve into the Yamas.

When we’re talking yoga philosophy, we naturally must begin with Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

What are the Yoga Sutras?

The great sage Patanjali wrote the Yoga Sutras before 400 CE (a long, long time ago) and they outline the science of yoga for self-realisation. They are a logical pathway to live your life – methodically exploring and transcending obstacles between us and our true Selves. Within the Sutras, Patanjali shares many yogic principles including the Yamas.

Yamas

The Yamas are the first limb of Patanjali’s eight limbs of yoga which she/he shares in the Sutras. Yamas is a Sanskrit word which translates as ‘restraints’, and they are primarily our attitudes towards others and our surroundings.

As yogis, these are our core ethical standards and golden rules to live by. Living by these principles is our first step on the true path of yoga.

Let’s break it down.

Ahimsa – non-violence/kindness

Ahimsa is the first Yama and is probably also one of the most well known – we’ve all heard of Gandhi, right?

It’s also the top priority when it comes to the Yamas. We practice ahimsa first above all others as it takes precedence over the other yamas, niyamas and the remaining limbs of the eightfold path.

Satya – truthfulness / be authentic

At first glance, Satya appears simple: Tell the truth. But in truth, it’s a lot more complex (excuse the pun).

Living Satya means we are living in alignment with our deepest, most authentic values. It expects we are faithful to our words and with our actions. Consider where in your life you are not living with Satya.

Asteya – non-theft/giving

As with Satya, on the surface, Asteya is seemingly simple: Do not steal. But underneath things get a little more complicated.

It is not only ‘things’ we can steal. Are you taking someone’s time or energy? Are you thieving another person’s intellectual property? Are you stealing someone’s potential by not supporting them?

Brahmacharya – sexual integrity/honour sacred

Traditionally Brahmacharya means to walk with God & often is the practice of celibacy, but in our modern and Western world, we’ve stripped this Yama back to its roots.

When we look deeper, Brahmacharya is about keeping our sexual integrity, protecting our energy, honouring the sacredness of intimacy and living with a deep connection with the divine at all times.

Aparigraha – non-hoarding/minimalism

I don’t believe there has been another time that demanded us to live the principle of Aparigraha. With slick marketing campaigns telling us to buy, shopping centres full of unwanted and unneeded things and Google Ads reminding us of the things we left in our online shopping carts… we need to look carefully at our buying and hoarding habits.

What can you let go of? It might be physical possessions, or maybe you’re hoarding your wisdom or knowledge?

Are you feeling overwhelmed already? Let’s focus on one at a time at this stage!

Sit with one principle a week. Feel it. Research it. Talk about it. Question it.

Some things that might come up for you:

• How can I change my thoughts and actions to embody the yamas better?
• Can I be kinder to myself and others (ahimsa)?
• Can I avoid taking credit for other’s work (asteya)?
• Can I quit buying things for momentary satisfaction (aparigraha)?

I’d love to hear from you – let me know your thoughts, revelations and insights on Instagram!

Look out: In the next post in this series we will be exploring the Niyamas (the second limb).

In March I will be joining Radha Melis on a Make a Difference tour in India. I’m so excited to be a part of this amazing tour, it’s unlike any other yoga retreat I’ve ever known.

I wanted to share with you more about what makes MAD tours different and how they came to be, so I’ve got an interview with Radha to bring you today. Enjoy!

Radha, we’ve known each other for quite a while now. Can you tell my readers when our paths first crossed?

While I was studying to become a personal trainer in 2009 I wanted to get work experience. But not just any old work experience. I really wanted to learn and expand. I was put in touch with Michelle and she told me to “Come on in!”.

After my work experience time was up, I never left! Eventually I completed all of your teacher training courses and became the Essence of Living studio manager.

After a few awesome years, I knew I need a change in 2012. I ended up moving down to Sydney to be back with my family. I was still unsure as to what my new direction would be but I felt called to volunteer in India.

I’d been to India many times before (at least once a year since I was 18!) and it had been in the back of mind that I’d like to return to a particular children’s home to help. So I spent a few months there volunteering.

I returned to Sydney where I went back to teaching yoga and Pilates. A business partnership fizzled out and my plans to open up my own studio kept falling through. Once again my direction was unclear.

So for four years I went back and forth between Australia and the children home in India. Spending up to six months at a time in India and then coming back to Australia to work and save for my next stint. Whilst I loved (and still love) the children very much and my volunteer work was so fulfilling, it was extremely hard to maintain financially and ultimately wasn’t sustainable.

When did the seed for MAD Tours first plant itself in your mind?

It was during the years of back and forth to India that the idea started to brew. My years volunteering with the children had dramatically shifted my concept of what is important in life and simultaneously had filled me with so much joy… I wanted to share this gift with others. I wanted to give people the opportunity to reach their hand across the world and make a difference. For them to not simply send a donation off to a person or place they will never see, but to actually experience first hand the difference they can make and how simple and truly fulfilling it can be.

What sets MAD Tours apart?

Make A Difference tours takes small groups of beautiful individuals to India to experience the yoga homeland whilst also giving back. Our tours provide you with both the opportunity to relax, rejuvenate and experience the wonder of a different culture, whilst also facilitating connections between the individual and legitimate humanitarian projects.

These experiences are designed to change you. To enliven you. To let you know that you can help. It’s all about making that link, that connection. Plus a part of what you pay for a MAD tour is given directly to help fund organisations and projects I’ve personally researched and visited. These are grassroots organisations, operating ethically to do sustainable work within their communities.

For example, at one the places we visit we will be dropping in on a project where they support children to remain with their families while also getting high levels of education which would otherwise be unavailable to them due to financial hardship. Not only are we seeing the great work, but we’ll also be sponsoring a child to ensure they get the best education possible. I’m looking forward to taking more tours next year because the more tours we have the more children we can sponsor.

At MAD Tours we are not a volunteer tourism project and we don’t feed into organisations that don’t have long term, sustainable, community-based visions. My experience in India has made me painfully aware just how many organisations are simply fund generating enterprises and provide no real long term solution plans for their so called beneficiaries. These organisations, while appearing to be doing good, are often causing long term harm. So I wanted to be sure to align myself and MAD Tours with ethical, solution based projects such as JK Rowling’s Lumos and CCT (watch this amazing TED talk by Managing Director, Tara Winkler).

What are you most excited about for the March 2018 tour with Michelle?

Back when I first worked with you, you said to me that one day we would run a retreat in India. And here we are!

I’m excited for the beautiful facilitation element that I know you will bring to the tour. You will help our group to process the experience – which will undoubtedly have some confronting times. I know you will enliven the tour with your energy and really make the experience mutually beneficial for both participants and the communities we visit.

Join me and Radha in India March 2018

Explore the diversity of Northern India, starting in Rishikesh at the foothills of the Himalayas, where we will celebrate Holi – the festival of colours and join the International Yoga Festival. We will then travel down to Agra and the majestic Taj Mahal, followed by the vibrant desert city of Jaipur in Rajasthan.

Find out all the details here.

The power of retreat

A retreat can be a deeply transformative experience. Find out more about the benefits in this post.

Balance… Balance and motherhood. Can you have both?

I think so. But it’s not easy and nor does it ever look the same for everyone. It also doesn’t stay looking the same for the same person. Balance is an ever evolving concept for me and something I’m always working on.

I’m not naive when it comes to balance. I knew it wouldn’t happen overnight or by itself. It took time, patience and adaptability, but right now I’m feeling like I’ve got the right mix in my life.

As someone who adores what they do, it was tough for me to pull back from work. I love the work that I do and I feel a strong commitment to my students, so removing classes from my schedule was a painful decision to make.

I always aim to walk the talk though and, as I tell my students, we must honour ourselves first in order to honour others. So while in the past I have put clients ahead of my own needs, I’m older and wiser now! I also have a family relying on me, so I needed to make these changes to support my role as a mum too.

As a mum and business owner it’s easy for me to be stretched too thin, multiple responsibilities tugging at my attention and taking up the hours of my day. But in order to be fresh, give my best and deliver results for my family, clients and staff, I need to constantly be reassessing where my energy is being spent.

I am committed to pressing PAUSE when I need to. I’m always on the lookout for signs and symptoms of burnout and I know these look different for everyone. Naturally I am an energetic person who performs well with a packed schedule, but this also means I sometimes overdo it and push myself beyond my limits.

One of the signs I picked up on earlier this year, before pulling my class schedule back, was that I was feeling upset that I wasn’t spending enough time with my kids. As someone who has designed a life of joy and passion, feeling upset wasn’t feeling aligned. So, I did something about it – I changed my schedule around to teach less during the day when the twins are awake and more in the evenings when they are asleep.

As women we are constantly being told and encouraged to do it all. While I think we can do it all, we simply can’t do it all at once. Not without serious help and support!

I am privileged and ever grateful that as a working mum I am able to keep things going with the help of both my parents and a nanny. My husband, Brad, is also a hands on dad and has stepped up to the plate in his role as a father.

Reading Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In, I was shocked to discover that statistics show women are responsible for 50% of the income in many families but are still taking on the majority of the ‘house duties’. That’s like another fulltime job! It’s simply not realistic. Add to that the expectation for mums to get back into ‘shape’… talk about pressure.

So, mums out there, know this: I feel these pressures too. I understand how difficult and precarious balance as a working mum is. My advice, from my own experience, is: Press pause, constantly reevaluate and evolve. Get help! Forget expectations. And, most importantly, forge your own path that works for you and your family.