January 2016 - PranaShanti

40-Day Yoga Challenge 2016

January 28, 2016April 17, 2023 by Devinder Kaur1 Comment

With the tremendous benefits of yoga and meditation too numerous to name, these practices are definitively acts of self-love. In acknowledging that we are worthy of wellness, peacefulness and health, we are caring for ourselves when we show up on the mat. This season of the heart, February, is such a critical time for self-care – particularly in colder climates where willpower is depleted just by meeting the basic needs of work and daily routines. In Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science, this is a very wet, dense season that corresponds to the Kapha dosha. To restore balance in body and mind, we should adopt practices that soothe and counter our personal constitutions. Some of us will need quiet practices in the warm room, and others need invigorating Kundalini and movement practices to keep us from slowing down into inertia. It is an excellent season to practice daily self-love with the 40-Day Yoga Challenge. The Challenge at PranaShanti begins in February for a variety...

The Benefits of a Strong Core – On and Off the Mat

January 19, 2016September 4, 2023 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

This is a guest post from Angela Regnier, to invite you to our January 23 workshop! I often hear moans and groans in my Forrest-Inspired yoga classes when we are about to start the core sequences, but students regularly admit to me how beneficial and effective they really find them! Here are a few reasons why core strength is so important: Improve balance and stability – By strengthening muscles in your lower back, hips, and abdomen, you will make every day activities and sports easier to enjoy. The transverse abdominis is an important and large muscle that yogis need to access. It is the deepest of all abdominal muscles that plays a huge role in supporting your posture – especially your pelvis and low back. Virtually every yoga asana (posture) and every movement you make in a day will improve with a stronger core. Build digestive fire – Some traditional yogic breathing exercises, such as kapalabhati and nauli, do much to activate...

Prenatal Yoga: Prepare and Connect

January 14, 2016April 23, 2020 by Devinder Kaur16 Comments

This is a guest post from PranaShanti Yoga Teacher Jen Gillean, a Prenatal Yoga instructor. It is no surprise that many women are drawn to yoga practice during their pregnancies. Most of us now know that yoga means union or connection to the universe through our physical being. And most pregnant women would agree that this is what they feel is happening as nature takes the driver's seat in their body. I mean think about it, each day a pregnant woman wakes up to find a stranger eating her food and literally claiming VIP status in her body! And yet, society expects pregnant women to "keep up" with the rest of us in this crazy, busy world. In just 9 months, women must wrap their minds not only around what is happening to their body but also to prepare for their new role as mothers. Pregnancy is often a time to reflect on the types of values with which to raise your...

Max Strom: There’s No App for Happiness

January 13, 2016January 14, 2016 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

Start the new year by furthering your self-development and yoga education with Max Strom. If you love proven methods for living a happier, calmer life, and enjoy an accessible, intelligent yoga practice, this weekend is exactly what you need to start your year off right. On January 15-17, we’re hosting Max for a four part series of seminars that will explore a transformational breath practice and gentle yoga, self-healing through strong vinyasa practice, and lectures and writing workshops inspired by his book: There is No App for Happiness – How to Avoid a Near-Life Experience. Read on for praise for There is No App for Happiness, and learn more about Max’s weekend in Ottawa here. In There Is No App For Happiness Max focuses on the many methods we are employing daily to isolate ourselves further from each other, and compares the effects of these trends to a kind of mass autism. Note he is not a Luddite: he offers examples of the...