Barefoot Yoga

09/02/2022

05/18/2020

Awww 😍

09/08/2015

truth

09/08/2015

09/08/2015

Sometimes you just need a good stretch in the sun

09/08/2015

Yoga doesn’t care

Yoga doesn’t care what your hair looks like.
or if you wear Lululemon or sweat pants.
or what size they are.
It doesn’t care when the last time you practiced was—yesterday, six months ago, never.

Yoga doesn’t care if you don’t know what yoga means.
or what kind of mat you have
or if you show up cranky or exhausted.
or if you are flexible.
or if you fall over in triangle pose
or if you fart during practice.

Yoga doesn’t care if you choose the back corner or the front row of the room to practice.
or if you feel uncomfortable saying Namaste
or if you can put your leg behind your head
or if your arms shake during plank pose.

Yoga doesn’t care if you spend the entire class in child’s pose.
or if you are single or divorced.
or if you eat meat or are vegetarian
or if you remembered to shave your legs.

Yoga is just happy you show up and do – whatever you can today.

09/08/2015

7 Health Benefits of Going Barefoot

Even though we've come to think of them as a vital part of our lives, only 20 percent of the world's population today wears shoes. Although in western society, shoes are necessary in certain situations, now that spring is here, and summer is on its way, there’s nothing stopping you from finding a park or beach, taking your shoes off and going for a barefoot stroll. The benefits might surprise you.

1. Clear Your Mind

It’s hard not to pay attention to every step when you’re walking barefoot. You have to be on the look out for sharp rocks and thorns. Awareness of what’s in front of you in this moment quiets your inner chatter and clears your mind and helps you focus on the here and now.

2. It’s Free Foot Yoga

Walking barefoot strengthens and stretches the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your feet, ankles and calves. This helps prevent injury, knee strain and back problems. Not only that, but because it works muscles not used when you’re wearing shoes, it strengthens and stretches your core, helping keep your posture upright, and your balance spot on.

3. It’s a Free Reflexology Session.

There are reflex points to every part of your body in your feet. Every little bump and rock in the road helps to stimulate all these little reflex points. If it hurts at first – especially in specific areas, this means your feet need the stimulation they’re getting by being barefoot. Over time, these sensitivities will go away, and the areas the tenderness corresponds to will be rejuvenated, helping decrease the symptoms of whatever it is that ails you.

4. Decrease Anxiety & Depression.

Walking barefoot in the grass can help decrease anxiety and depression by 62 percent, and increases the levels of those feel good endorphins. Awesome!

5. Get a Good Night's Sleep.

The ancients believed that walking barefoot in the grass was the best cure for insomnia, and many people still swear by it today.

6. It’s Grounding. Literally.

Our bodies are made up of about 60 percent water, which is great for conducting electricity. The earth has a negative ionic charge. Going barefoot grounds our bodies to that charge. Negative Ions have been proven to detoxify, calm, reduce inflammation, synchronise your internal clocks, hormonal cycles and physiological rhythms. The best places to get some negative ions through your feet are by the water. Everyone knows how good it feels to be barefoot on the beach – now we know why!

7. Get Back to What Matters.

To be barefoot outside doesn’t just involve your feet – the rest of you has to be outside too. You get to connect with Mother Nature all around. Feel the sunshine on your face; hear the wind in the trees. It’s easier to connect to a higher power when you’re in touch with Nature; it’s easier to put things into perspective.

Who knew something as simple as a barefoot walk could be so good for you – mind, body and soul.

09/08/2015

Doing yoga once a week for an hour will give you some gradual flexibility, but you will see much more improvement if you do something – a couple of those mentioned below -- daily. Even every other day will be noticeably beneficial.

Here are some short, simple things you can do a few times through the week to help you with stress, neck pain, and lower back and stiff hip/shoulder issues:

Mornings are great for: CAT & COW stretches
* Get down on hands and knees (maybe right after getting out of bed) & inhale into cow pose, exhale into cat pose. 20 x
Cow is done by inhaling deeply with belly pulled in tight; lower part of spine arching in & hips up; abs pulling long; shoulders rolling back; look forward
Exhale into cat, keeping belly pulled in; rounding the entire spine like an angry cat's back; tucking chin towards chest

Middle of the day: TWISTS at WORK
* Sitting in your chair, twist your upper body to the left, placing your left and right hands on your left thigh as you pull your body slowly, over 3 full inhales and exhales, to the left, as far as you possibly can. Keep your chest open and shoulders back. Use the exhales to soften & release the muscles behind your shoulders and in your lower back.
* Twist again to the right, using the same technique.

This is esp good for your neck. Good tension reliever too. If you can do this 4 x each side mid-day or mid-afternoon, this would be ideal.

End of the day: STANDING STRETCH & FORWARD FOLD
• Stand and exhale while coming into a forward fold, bending your needs as much as you need to. At first, just release your neck and shoulders like a rag doll, letting them "go" towards the floor. Inhale & exhale in the forward fold.
• Then inhale half way up into a "tabletop" back (as flat as you can make your back) while pressing your hands into your shins, with your arms straight. Exhale back into forward fold, bending your knees slightly, then putting your hands behind your calves and pulling your upper body into the tops of your thighs.