DeCommUnity Blog

Yoga for BJJ ( Brazilian jiu jitsu )

Sun, 26 Jun 2022 20:47:25 GMT

Yoga for BJJ is a great addition for your training

So Why yoga for BJJ ?

When it comes to BJJ, physical and mental strength, flexibility and balance are the core aspects. Flexibility and balance are often the two that catch people out, as you can be a great fighter but your ability is restricted when it comes to particular things such as rubber guard.

Strength is all well and good, but you can’t always out-muscle your opponent, if you lack in other areas. You need a good amount of strength, balance and flexibility to be able to beat your opponents. Yoga is good for BJJ because it forces you to hold a certain posture/position for an extended amount of time, building not only balance but muscle endurance also. For BJJ practitioners wanting to increase flexibility the way to go is yoga, as I find that flexibility is what limits most grapplers.

Yoga is known as a more spiritual form of movement, but it’s great in lots of ways. Yoga also helps with better breath control and physical awareness as you tune in your breathing with your mind, body, and soul, ensuring everything is in sync – making you in full control. This control is useful when it comes to BJJ as you can remain more focused and relaxed when in a seemingly stressful situation.

Breath control also helps you to ration out your breathing during rolling. Instead of going hot at it in the first minute and burning yourself out, you learn to manage your breathing equally throughout the round, creating greater focus and control as a result. To be good at BJJ you need to ensure that your whole body works well together, as physical imbalances between limbs can make it much harder to hold on to locks, chokes, and other crucial techniques. Yoga works on both sides of the body, so even if you avoid using your weaker side in BJJ class, yoga will ensure your weaker side subconsciously gets stronger. Physical imbalances are much more common than you think.

A typical misconception of both yoga and BJJ is age. Yoga poses do require flexibility. Therefore, during your first yoga class you probably won’t be able to touch your toes, but if you stick with it, you’ll notice a gradual improvement, and eventually difficult poses will soon become possible. Yoga enables you to hold a certain position and endure the pain without losing concentration – and that can help any fighter. Most yoga poses are controlled from the core, therefore delivering great relief for the back (something a lot of BJJ fighters struggle with). Strengthening your core and abdominal area is essential if you want to keep your back safe during training.

Self Power - Empowerment

Sun, 05 Jun 2022 16:50:16 GMT

Self Power - Empowerment

How can yoga be a tool for empowerment?

Empowerment is about having the ability and confidence to turn towards and really feel the moment deeply – no matter what that moment involves – and act accordingly, from presence, from reality. You can practise this on the yoga mat, especially when you challenge yourself. During challenges we often turn away from feeling the exhaustion or the work we put in – instead we just try and get through it with little presence.

When you want to empower yourself it’s really about staying present to everything you feel. On the yoga mat, for example, try and feel deeply the intensity of what you are doing, the resistance you may feel, the relief when it’s over, the happiness that may come from completing a class and having moved energy.

Turning up and turning towards it! That is empowerment! Turning your pain, weaknesses and vulnerability into strength, connectedness and presence. This creates confidence that you can be with life, as it moves through you, your experience of it. Once you can feel deeply, there is no need to turn away from anything that asks for your attention. You will be able to deal with life head-on.

Stay Curious

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 16:11:56 GMT

Stay Curious

Curiosity is an essential skill that encourages joy in everyday life. It’s one of the things that can stoke the fire of inspiration to try new things and break out of any comfort zone. Although curiosity might not be the first thing that comes to mind for yoga, it can enrich anyone’s practice. Here are a few ways you can encourage curiosity the next time you get on your mat.

Explore how different movements affect your experience…

The body can move in so many different ways. Finding new approaches to movement can be a great way to satisfy curiosity. Exploring a healthy range of motion is the perfect way to keep a yoga practice feeling fresh and inspired. The possibilities are nearly endless!

Discover how curiosity connects to breath…

Most yogis understand that breath is one of the most important parts of a yoga practice. Cat/cow is a great place to switch up an inhale and exhale, it can create a whole different experience! To incite curiosity you can even try closing your eyes. This might make you more aware of what is happening in your body as you move with each breath

deCommune - Finding Balance

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 10:17:07 GMT

Moving your body on the mat each day is a great choice to make for your wellbeing. As well as the physical benefits, it also provides moments to connect into a deeper sense of self. With regular practice, the moments of exertion and struggle open up to flow.

When you move deeper into postures, a certain sense of satisfaction is discovered.

The great Sufi poet Rumi observed the exquisite nature of movement. “Your hand opens and closes and opens and closes.

If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralysed. Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as bird wings.”

Balance is fundamental to living a fulfilled life. Each day, week, month and year, the whole system seeks to find balance.

When you feel balanced, you move with harmony and grace. But was it more than the balance of physical movement that Rumi was referring to?

Perhaps your “deepest presence” is possible in much more than just the movement of your limbs.

Is each small physical contraction and expansion just a glimpse of something much deeper?

Consider the movement of breath within you, knowing when it is short and jagged or when it is long and easy.

When you tune into your senses, what do you become aware of? What is that sound? Is it relevant and why does it impact me in such a way?

When you focus your attention, you feel centred.

There is a sense of balance from within. Beyond the coordination of the limbs, balance provides a powerful framework for approaching life.

Finding balance

Drishti be aware of your gaze during your yoga practice

Mon, 17 May 2021 07:55:02 GMT

Your Drishti in yoga

Do you realise that your attention is all over the place during your yoga practice? Or are you tripping over your own l imbs in transitions or balancing poses? Maybe it’s time to focus on a specific element in your yoga practice .

Most of the time we focus on our breath and the right alignment of our poses, but we should also focus on our focal point. Being aware where our gaze is, at what point are you focusing your sight. Within yoga this relaxed, soft and focused gaze is called by a Sanskrit word drishti . If you work with a focused dristhti you can deepen your time on the mat physically and mentally.

Finding more balance

When we focus our eye’s on a central point we will automatically improve our balance. And there are a lot of asanas that require a lot of balancing. If you take a balancing pose where you are on one leg it really helps to bring the focus to a fixed point that doesn’t move. Where this point is will be dependant on the type of pose you are in.

There are 9 different drishti’s

Yes there are 9 different drishti’s that you use in your practice. These drishti’s are: the tip of your nose, the point between the eyebrows (third eye), your navel, your hands, your thumbs, your toes, sideways to the left, sideways to the right and up. But to start you can always put your gaze in the extension of your stretch direction. The drishti should not be or feel forced and tense. Make sure your gaze stays soft and relax the muscles in your face.

Getting deeper into your poses

When we are in asanas that don’t require balancing, then the drishti can help us deepen the practice. The movement of your body is following your gaze. Thats why it’s better in cobra pose to have your gaze a little bit up and not at the floor. Drishti’s are not just good to find balance or stay longer in a pose but also helps to deepen the pose.

Mental focus

Drishti has more to offer than just the physical advantages. By putting intention into your gaze you will improve your concentration and focus of the mind. When we focus very much on our breath and move with awareness we still get distracted a lot of the time. When your eyes start to wander so will your mind. By keeping this soft focused gaze on a fixed point we are able to turn our attention inward and keep it there. This will create a meditative state of mind in our practice, and that Is when we start to get our practice to a higher advanced level.

Ways to Stimulate Your Vagus Nerve with Yoga and Breathing

Mon, 10 May 2021 11:00:40 GMT

“That's exactly how it is in yoga. The places where you have the most resistance are actually the places that are going to be the areas of the greatest liberation."

~ Rodney Yee ~

Most of us long for a happy, easy life with progress, success and a minimum of upheaval and difficulty. When challenges arise, as they invariably do, we back away, get upset, frustrated and generally regretful or depressed that things are not what we would like them to be. But have you ever noticed how are greatest challenges facing us in life also often are our greatest teachers? As we rise to overcome the problems and limitations facing us, the things we welcome the least often becomes a source of great growth and expansion. Certainly, for many of us, the challenges we face in life - be it stress, health issues, fatigue, past trauma - are often what bring us to yoga in the first place. And even more importantly, these are also the factors that continue to motivate and stimulate us to be regular in our yoga practice. One of the challenges most of us will face as we get older is the widespread health problems that arise as the bones of the body begin to deteriorate and fracture risk becomes an ever-present companion. Fortunately, like so many other challenges we are faced with, this is one more area where we can turn to our yoga practice to potentially prevent and minimize this risk.

Did you know that activation of the vagus nerve keeps your immune system in check and releases an assortment of hormones and neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine and oxytocin? This results in reductions in inflammation, reduced allergies, relief from tension headaches, improvements in memory, and feelings of relaxation.

What is the Vagus Nerve?

The vagus nerve passes through the belly, diaphragm, lungs, throat, inner ear, and facial muscles. Importantly, 80 percent of vagus nerve fibers are afferent or sensory nerves which means that they communicate messages from your body back up to your central nervous system. That means that when you move and breathe into these areas of the body, you can influence the functioning of your vagus nerve.

Irregularities in the vagus nerve can cause tremendous distress in physical and emotional health. Physical consequences can include gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), nausea or vomiting, fainting, migraines, tinnitus, autoimmune disorders, and seizures. Mental health consequences include fatigue, depression, panic attacks, or a classic alternation between feeling overwhelmed and shut down.

Stimulating the vagus nerve helps to regulate both sympathetic hyperarousal and parasympathetic hypoarousal. Since all vagus nerve stimulation initiates a relaxation response, it is important to develop a tolerance for the parasympathetic state without going into dysfunctional hypoarousal in which you might feel collapsed or shut down.

Initially, you might feel sleepy when exploring relaxation. For example, meditation and yoga nidra practices can be deeply relaxing; however, some people fall asleep during practice. Ultimately, the goal is to discover a relaxed, yet awake, state. However, you might experiment with allowing yourself to sleep, which could be medicinal for your nervous system. In contrast, if you begin to notice that you feel dizzy or nauseated when practicing any vagus nerve interventions, then back off and proceed slowly and gently with just a few minutes a day.

How to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve through Breath, Relaxation, and Yoga

Natural vagus stimulation explores yoga breath and movement interventions that aim to stimulate and balance the vagus nerve. Slowing down the exhalation is considered the most direct way to balance the vagus nerve. This is especially effective when there is an emphasis on emptying the lungs through the engagement of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles. This also provides a gentle massage to the digestive organs. Emphasizing a slow, lengthened exhalation stimulates nerve fibers in the lungs to initiate a relaxation response.

- How to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve -

Practice #1: Mindful Breathing

Stressful and traumatic situations can cause shallow breathing, holding of the breath, or tightness in the chest. Every inhalation engages the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and your exhalation stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). Slowing down and giving resistance to your exhalation trains your body to use the diaphragm which can help you to feel calmer and more relaxed.

This next breath technique involves imagining a straw between your lips. (You can practice this breath with a physical straw as well.)

To begin, take a gentle inhalation. Now, purse your lips and exhale very slowly through your imagined straw until your lungs are 80 percent empty. Then, close your mouth and slowly exhale the last 20 percent through your nose as you engage the muscles in your abdomen and diaphragm to expel all of your air. Allow your next inhalation to come naturally, and take 3 regular breaths. If you would like, repeat this exercise 2 or 3 more times. Once you are complete, notice any changes in how you feel mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Practice #2: Release Tension in your Eyes

A lovely way to stimulate the vagus nerve is by relaxing the eyes and releasing the muscles in the neck. The eyes are regulated by 12 extraocular muscles that extend down into the suboccipital muscles that surround the upper cervical vertebrae. We can often see in each other’s eyes whether we feel stressed or relaxed. This is because the extraocular nerve endings have a direct connection to the vagus nerve. Eye movements can increase blood flow to the verte bral artery and stimulate the vagus nerve as it passes through the upper neck. Relaxing the muscles in the eyes engages an innate reflex called the oculocardiac reflex (OCR) which initiates a parasympathetic response to slow down the heart rate and lower blood pressure. An individual can faint if this response happens too quickly. However, we can also stimulate the (OCR) with gentle pressure on the eyes, which can have a calming effect on the nervous system. You can relax your eyes through the use of an eye pillow placed over your eyes during relaxation or by placing the palms over the eyes and applying very light pressure.

Practice #3: Release Your Neck for Vagus Nerve Health

Your vagus nerve passes right behind the sternocleidomastoid muscles (SCM) and in front of the scalenes, which tend to be the tightest muscles in the neck. Gentle stretching of the SCM and scalenes in the neck also tends to produce a relaxation response through engagement of the vagus nerve. Release your neck, explore how it feels to bring your right ear toward your right shoulder without turning your head. Then, bring your eyes toward the right. Take 4 or 5 breaths into the left side of your neck and then bring your head back to center as your eyes come forward again. Repeat this on the left side and notice how you feel. You can also explore how it feels to bring your right ear to the right shoulder as you send your eyes and gaze to the left. Once again hold this shape for about 4 or 5 breaths and then switch sides.

Practice #4: A Simple Yoga Pose for Settling the Nervous System

Simple seated yoga stretches can help to balance the vagus nerve as you move the spine, belly, chest, and throat. This next practice can be done on the floor or seated toward the front of a chair; the pose is called Easy Seated Twist or Parvrtta Sukhasana. You can practice this twist either on the floor in Sukhasana, or sitting in a chair. Start by feeling the connection of your sitting bones with the surface under it. The lengthening of the spine. Start by moving into a twist by placing your left hand on the outside of your right leg while placing your right hand behind you or in the center of your chair. On an inhalation lengthen your spine, and on your exhalation, deepen the twist of your spine toward the right. You can also bring your chin to the right and gaze over your shoulder.

Take several breaths here to massage your digestive organs and then return to center. When you are ready, switch sides and repeat to the left.

Once you are complete, return to the center and notice how you feel mentally, physically, emotionally.

Ashwagandha: The Indian Ginseng

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 18:21:07 GMT

This chill-out herb seems to be in everyone’s supplement stash. Why? It helps us thrive in the modern world. Here in the West, we’re just getting familiar with it, though Ashwagandha has stood the test of time: it has been used for centuries in Chinese and Ayurvedic healing traditions to not only manage stress-related conditions but also help with chronic

fatigue, insomnia and adrenal fatigue.

In Ayurveda, traditionally, organic ashwagandha has been prescribed as a nerve tonic and adaptogen—an agent which helps the body adapt to various emotional and physical stressors. It has classically been used in India for nearly 5,000 years for conditions such as

Rheumatism
Constipation
Insomnia
Nervous conditions
Chronic stress
Goiter
Joint inflammation
Parasites
Hormone balance

A paste made from the ashwagandha root powder can be applied topically to treat boils, ulcers, and other skin irritations and infections.

The ‘re-charging’ power

Feeling overwhelmed? Anxious? On edge? Nothing unfamiliar nowadays, but it doesn’t mean you ‘just have to deal with it’. Instead, it’s a clear sign that your body and mind need support and balance. Ashwagandha replenishes your storehouse of energy so you can be productive, and focussed without pushing it as sharp as coffee does. The warming qualities of Ashwagandha make it the perfect support to the rough, mobile and cold qualities of our go-go-go mentality and quick pace of living. It helps you overcome fatigue when you are feeling worn-out and exhausted and brings relaxation after a stressful day.

Adaptogens aka herbal pharmaceuticals.

Ashwagandha is just as Tulsi an adaptogen. It simply put plants that has the property to keep us calm. They help the body resist physiological and psychological stress by adapting to the needs of the body. Ashwagandha can help you stay calm and collected in situations in which you otherwise would have flipped out yet at the same time it gives a steady dose of energy. This dual-action of both energizing and calming make it so unique. Often the environment in which a plant grows already says it all. Ashwagandha’s ability to help the body adapt to stress is reflected by its ability to thrive in very dry conditions in poor-quality soils. Most plants would suffer from severe stress in such an environment but Ashwagandha can thrive.

Improved sleep

Ashwagandha what about it’s Latin name: Withania somnifera. Somnifera means sleep-inducing in Latin, showcasing another helpful quality. It is calming and promotes deep, dreamless sleep, according to dr. David Frawley. By nourishing and strengthening a weakened and over-anxious nervous system, it can help you relax and drift off into sleep even while thoughts keep swirling in your mind. It might also improve the quality of your sleep.

Reproductive boost

The legend goes that Ashwagandha - it’s Sanskrit name that translates as ‘the strength of a horse’ - bestows the vitality and sexual energy of a horse on the person who is taking it.This herb can also have benefits when it comes to libido and fertility. Ashwagandha is used by both men and women as a reproductive tonic, but it is specifically known for revitalizing the male reproductive system. It can increase sperm count and sperm motility. The root powder will be mixed with honey and ghee.

Pregnancy

Ashwagandha is good for pregnant women as it helps to stabilize the fetus. It also regenerates the hormonal system. After birth, it is important to take extra care of the nervous system. This can be through abhyanga (applying oil to the body), but also by taking good herbs like Ashwagandha. Ashwagandha is your best friend for at least the first 6-12 months after giving birth. To strengthen the nervous system, the whole physical body and the mind, giving it much more relaxation and stability. It works for the mom and dad!

If you are curious about how Ashwagandha can help with your health and wellbeing, it is best to consult an Ayurveda Practitioner before. Although it’s a great example of a herb that can be taken for longer periods of time when consumed in moderate doses, that doesn’t mean you should drink your oat milk latte with Ashwagandha for the rest of your life. One of the best ways to consume Ashwagandha is by drinking it with warm milk. Vata types can sweeten their ashwagandha milk with some maple syrup or raw sugar and add a pinch of nutmeg to enhance its sleep-inducing properties. Kapha types, for you it’s best to add some honey and cardamom or pippali. People with a Pitta Prakriti or serious Pitta imbalances should be careful.

Another simple way is to make your own herbal tea. Take a teaspoon of its powder and add it to a cup of warm water, boiled for 3-5 minutes. Filter and drink. If you wish, you can add other healthy herbs such as ginger, long pepper or cinnamon. Or take the capsules (1 tablet once or twice a day), before or after food. Some people feel a burning sensation when it’s consumed before eating or on an empty stomach. In that case, it’s best to take it 30 minutes after food. It’s better NOT to take Ashwagandha in cases of high Ama, excess Pitta, congestion or low energy due to Kapha dosha.

Curious about Dosha's? Doshas are at the center of Ayurveda's approach to health. There are three Doshas—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha—each derived from the 5 elements and representative of a blend of physical, emotional, and mental characteristics present in every individual. Take this quiz to gather more information about your Dosha to create healthier habits for your well-being.

Sources: The Yoga of Herbs by Dr David Frawley, Easy Ayurveda

Connecting with the Deeper Energies of Nature

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 19:09:35 GMT

Connecting with the deeper energies of nature

Why do some people have what we often refer to as a 'fiery' personality? Why are some people more dominated by emotions than others? Why do some people prefer to stay in one place, while others move to a new home every 2-4 years without thinking twice?

The answer, in part, may have to do with the relative dominance of the Tattwas in our mind and body.

The Tattwas are the energies of the Elements (Fire, Air, Earth, Water, and Space). The ancient sciences of Ayurveda and Vedic astrology offer unique insights into the Tattwas, the ‘energies’ or forces of nature, and how they shape who we are and how we interact with the world around us.

According to the tradition of yoga, the whole creation consists of and is governed by five elements – earth (prithvi), water (apas), fire (agni), air (vayu) and aether (akasha). Each element is the manifestation of primal cosmic energy (Shakti). The whole world is constantly changing because these elements coexist and combine with each other in infinite ways. Those 5 elements are called Pancha (5) Tattwas. Tattwa could be translated as “the essence that makes you feel you exist.”

The stability and integrity of the earth, the fluidity and versatility of water, the heat and transformative power of fire, the mobility of air and the sensation of aether and of the all-inclusive space. According to Tantric Philosophy, the macrocosm coexists in the microcosm. As a result, the law of cosmic manifestation and destruction is inherent in every being. Human is a miniature of the universe. These five elements are considered the fundamental ingredients of every person and represent the most delicate aspects of our being.

For example, at the physical body level, earth is manifested through the organs, the bones, the muscles, the skin etc. Earth is the stable, focused mind or the stable feelings and desires. These are the qualities that we explore during our practice.

The ancient Vedic seers viewed the Tattwas as the basic building blocks of the entire, complex creation. They are also the fundamental constituents of the 3 Ayurveda Doshas - Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. As such they deeply impact the qualities of our body, our mind, and our personality propensities.

A person with a dominance of the element of Fire, for example, may have what we refer to as a 'fiery,' driven personality. A person with a dominance of the element of Water may be more intuitive and empathic. Similarly, people with a dominance of the Earth element are happy to stay rooted in the same place year after year.

We are all born with different propensities that determine how we interact with the world around us. The more we are familiar with these, the more we can work with our innate tendencies, rather than trying to fit ourselves into patterns and expectations that are not natural to us.

Most people are familiar with enneagrams, which offer one approach to better understand our personality type and our inherent tendencies. But did you know that the ancient sciences of Yoga, Vedic astrology, and Ayurveda also offer unique insights into the deeper ‘energies’ or forces of nature that shape who we are and how we interact with the world around us? Both Vedic astrology and Ayurveda place great emphasis on the “Tattwas” or the Elements (Fire, Air, Earth, Water, and Space). They chart in detail how these affect our approach to living and our natural personality propensities.

A person with a great degree of the Earth element in their chart, for example, will tend to be very attached to where they live and move only rarely. People with a lot of Water influence tend to be very sensitive and often excel in making connections with others, specifically subconscious, spiritual and emotional connections.

When energy and alchemy unite with the intention of our true heart's desire we create every day miracles. Some are but small occurrences that gently guide us through the stream of life, and there are some miracles that cause huge changes and challenges in our lives.

The Power of Meditation

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 10:32:25 GMT

Worry, anxiety, and stress can be more than distractions. Constantly replaying in your mind daily problems and fears can affect your mental and physical health. Meditation is a great and powerful practice to combat these problems.

Controlling your attention as you meditate can help you feel more relaxed and at peace. And this peacefulness often lasts far beyond the meditation itself. So, when stress appears hours later, you have the means to redirect it. Meditation lets you become more awake and more purposeful about your actions. It teaches you how to respond, rather than react, to situations in your life.

Meditation sounds simple. But it takes discipline to remain still in body and mind. You have to block out the world around you and quiet your thoughts. You also need to practice at least 10 to 20 minutes a day to get the most out of your meditation. Healthcare providers include meditation as part of the treatment for many conditions. The benefits of meditation include:

Lower blood pressure

Decreased pain

Better immune system function

Better mood and brain function

There are many findings corroborating the fact that meditation may improve your physical and mental health. Meditation reduces activity of the sympathetic nervous system. This leads to a slower heart rate, lower blood pressure, slower breathing, and muscle relaxation. Mindfulness meditation helps you zero in on your thoughts and images as they appear to you. You focus on an awareness of the present moment. You start with a single central point, such as your breath. Then you expand to include thoughts, emotions, and sensations. Here are some tips to keep in mind when you meditate:

Find a quiet place with few distractions. Sit in a chair or on the floor.

Be aware of your breathing and focus on the sensation of air moving in and out of your body as you breathe. Feel your belly rise and fall and the air enter your nostrils and leave your mouth.

Watch every thought come and go. When thoughts come up, don't hold them back. Simply note them and return to your breathing.

As the time comes to a close, sit for 1 or 2 minutes, becoming aware of where you are. Get up slowly.

For best results, try to meditate every day for 20 to 30 minutes.

Fitting an extra 20 to 30 minutes of meditation into your already busy day may be hard for some. Or simply sitting still might be a challenge for some personalities. Another option is to try a form of exercise that combines movement with meditation. These include:

Yoga. This focuses on breathing, movement, and posture to help you relax and control stress.

Walking meditation. With this method, you slow down your walk. Then you can focus on your steps and the movement of your legs and feet.

To help you in your walking meditation have a look at DeCommune Soundcloud channel we periodically keep uploading meditations for you to enjoy and benefit from.

Mindfulness Creating Space And Holding Space

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 09:58:37 GMT

In yoga, we often use the term 'creating space' in our practice or even in our lives. But what does that actually mean?

Holding space, the way we see it, is essentially a mindfulness practice.

Be grateful for whoever comes [to your door], because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.

~Rumi

It's a practice in which we allow ourselves to just be with what is here and now - without judgment or expectations - just simple, present moment awareness. Renowned yoga teacher Rodney Yee speaks on holding space in this way:

“When meditating and when doing some of these internal arts, it seems to not necessarily give you more control, but more space, if you will. So, a lot of the natural impact that comes into the mind and body doesn’t necessarily have as much overall impact. There is enough reserve and space to deal with anything that moves inside and outside of what you consider yourself to be.”

It's in this space that true transformation can begin to unfold. It's in this space that we can begin to perceive the challenges life brings to us not as something that brings us down, but as messengers - teachers, if you will, - sent as guides from beyond.

In yoga, we explore the practice of mindfulness as a way to create space and to set the energy you'd like to bring to your day and life.

"We cannot control what life brings us, but we can choose to do something every morning that enables us to be and do our best with what is."

The magic of “Forest Walking aka Forest Bathing”

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 18:21:03 GMT

Forest bathing, why we should do it and what it does for us.

Have you ever found yourself staring at a picture of a beautiful forest and felt that that green scenery has something of magic?

If it happened to you, be reassured is nothing to be worried about, most likely you also believe in the magic of nature and specifically in the magic of forest. Nature can do magical things for humans. Probably this desire to be in touch with nature isn’t just a desire but more the intention to take a moment, to slow down, to fill your lungs with the smells of musk and pine trees and moreover to get back to yourself.

What happens when you go for a walk in the forest?

If you leave at home all the distractions that we normally carry in our pockets/bag, something magical happens. You might notice that your heart rate begins to slow down, your senses awake and your mind starts to wonder while time seems to slow down.

You might start to notice the trees, the trail, the leaves, the birds and the sounds of nature. You might feel wrapped in the beauty of the forest surrounding you. You can’t snub it. You cannot ignore the intuitive sense of the restorative power of nature.

We might have noticed this beneficial effect of nature already, we definitely felt it, but we could not explain to ourselves why. Lately, scientists are paying attention. In a society with increasing anxiety and mental illness, simple things seem to bring huge benefit to your body and mind.

Do exist a wide range of theories about the physical and mental benefits nature can provide, ranging from clean air and lack of noise pollution to the apparent immune-boosting effects of wood essential oils. But the most powerful benefits, studies seem to suggest, may result from the way trees and birds gently tug at our attention. Have you ever heard the expression forest bathing? Japanese believe in the concept of forest bathing, or as they call it Shinrin-yoku, and to the fact that forests can actually heal our bodies. A forest bath is not complicated. It’s a nature walk with stops along the way to open the senses to the surroundings.

Like yoga, it is more about the journey rather than the destination. It is not about your pace or time. Is about be mindful while your mind and senses are awake to your surroundings.

A 2007 study (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17903349) literally walked a test group composed by Tokyo businessmen into the forest for 3 days. . After these days in nature their natural killer cells had increased by 40% and this effect maintained itself over time, with a level still 15% higher than baseline 1 month after the trip. No worries, they prove that works also for women! The benefits seem to be partly due to the chemicals and oils that trees emit, which in some ways can be linked to better immune functions.

Practically what should you do?

Just as little as 40 minutes walking in the forest can dramatically help lowering your cortisol levels. Cortisol is frequently called the “stress hormone” because of its connection to the stress response, however, it is much more than just a hormone released during stress. You might not know that most bodily cells have cortisol receptors, therefore this hormone can affect many different functions in the body like: control blood sugar levels, regulate metabolism, help reduce inflammation, assist with memory formulation and helps control blood pressure

DeCommUnity Blog

Yoga for BJJ ( Brazilian jiu jitsu )

Yoga for BJJ is a great addition for your training

So Why yoga for BJJ ?

Self Power - Empowerment

Self Power - Empowerment

How can yoga be a tool for empowerment?

Stay Curious

Stay Curious

Explore how different movements affect your experience…

The body can move in so many different ways. Finding new approaches to movement can be a great way to satisfy curiosity. Exploring a healthy range of motion is the perfect way to keep a yoga practice feeling fresh and inspired. The possibilities are nearly endless!

Discover how curiosity connects to breath…

deCommune - Finding Balance

Moving your body on the mat each day is a great choice to make for your wellbeing. As well as the physical benefits, it also provides moments to connect into a deeper sense of self. With regular practice, the moments of exertion and struggle open up to flow.

When you move deeper into postures, a certain sense of satisfaction is discovered.

The great Sufi poet Rumi observed the exquisite nature of movement. “Your hand opens and closes and opens and closes.

If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralysed. Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as bird wings.”

Balance is fundamental to living a fulfilled life. Each day, week, month and year, the whole system seeks to find balance.

When you feel balanced, you move with harmony and grace. But was it more than the balance of physical movement that Rumi was referring to?

Perhaps your “deepest presence” is possible in much more than just the movement of your limbs.

Is each small physical contraction and expansion just a glimpse of something much deeper?

Consider the movement of breath within you, knowing when it is short and jagged or when it is long and easy.

When you tune into your senses, what do you become aware of? What is that sound? Is it relevant and why does it impact me in such a way?

When you focus your attention, you feel centred.

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There is a sense of balance from within. Beyond the coordination of the limbs, balance provides a powerful framework for approaching life.

Finding balance ﻿

Drishti be aware of your gaze during your yoga practice

Your Drishti in yoga

Do you realise that your attention is all over the place during your yoga practice? Or are you tripping over your own l imbs in transitions or balancing poses? Maybe it’s time to focus on a specific element in your yoga practice .

Ways to Stimulate Your Vagus Nerve with Yoga and Breathing

“That's exactly how it is in yoga. The places where you have the most resistance are actually the places that are going to be the areas of the greatest liberation." ~ Rodney Yee ~

How to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve through Breath, Relaxation, and Yoga

Practice #3: Release Your Neck for Vagus Nerve Health

Ashwagandha: The Indian Ginseng

Connecting with the Deeper Energies of Nature

Connecting with the deeper energies of nature

Why do some people have what we often refer to as a 'fiery' personality? Why are some people more dominated by emotions than others? Why do some people prefer to stay in one place, while others move to a new home every 2-4 years without thinking twice?

The Power of Meditation

Worry, anxiety, and stress can be more than distractions. Constantly replaying in your mind daily problems and fears can affect your mental and physical health. Meditation is a great and powerful practice to combat these problems.

Mindfulness Creating Space And Holding Space

In yoga, we often use the term 'creating space' in our practice or even in our lives. But what does that actually mean?

Holding space, the way we see it, is essentially a mindfulness practice.

Be grateful for whoever comes [to your door], because each has been sent as a guide from beyond. ~Rumi

It's a practice in which we allow ourselves to just be with what is here and now - without judgment or expectations - just simple, present moment awareness. Renowned yoga teacher Rodney Yee speaks on holding space in this way:

It's in this space that true transformation can begin to unfold. It's in this space that we can begin to perceive the challenges life brings to us not as something that brings us down, but as messengers - teachers, if you will, - sent as guides from beyond.

In yoga, we explore the practice of mindfulness as a way to create space and to set the energy you'd like to bring to your day and life.

"We cannot control what life brings us, but we can choose to do something every morning that enables us to be and do our best with what is."

The magic of “Forest Walking aka Forest Bathing”

Forest bathing, why we should do it and what it does for us.

Finding balance

“That's exactly how it is in yoga. The places where you have the most resistance are actually the places that are going to be the areas of the greatest liberation."

~ Rodney Yee ~

Be grateful for whoever comes [to your door], because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.

~Rumi