Let us Yoga while the cake bakes!

Born out of desperation our Yoga and Baking mornings have got off to a fine beginning. My dear friend Laura had lost all hope in gluten free baking so Peta and I decided we should right this wrong, gather, set a baking mission and of course do some yoga :-) with that our Wild Laurel mornings were initiated.
 We would choose a recipe, make said recipe and while it was in the oven we would Yoga to the delicious nose tingling delights of our baking magic. Let's just say it could not go wrong.

Today's recipe is from Susan Jane White's The Extra Virgin Kitchen

Praline Cupcakes
1/2 cup Cocoa Powder (I used Raw Cacao)
1/4 Coconut Flour
I teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 cup raw agave/ honey
3 Tablespoons almond butter or Soya Yogurt
3 eggs beaten
5 tablespoons Coconut Oil melted
1 tablespoon Tamari
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Praline Frosting
2/3 cup Cashew Butter
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
2 teaspoons Tamari
taste if you like a little more salt and add tamari accordingly


Preheat oven to 180'/160'fan or 350'F
Sift Cocoa, coconut flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.

Beat together, sweetener with Almond butter or soya yogurt with a large balloon whisk and blend in all remaining ingredients.

Add the wet mix to the dry and blend thoroughly with the balloon whisk until silky smooth.

Prepare your muffin trays with cupcake liners or as we did use brilliant star and heart shaped silicon muffin cups.
Mixture will be super runny so trying not to cover everything in this deliciousness, finding any excuse to lick all bowls and spoons repeatedly! Fill each cup about 2.5 cm

Cook for max 20 mins but keep an eye on them as ours cooked pretty quick and our second batch that we cooked less were more delectable. Coconut flour can be a little sticky in the mouth so these cupcakes need to be super moist to enjoy their decedent healthiness.

Mix frosting ingredients and smoother each little star with a heap of paradise.

Tip: The extra virgin chef states not to use maple, barley malt or brown rice syrup as sweetener in the mixture because it "misbehaves" with the coconut flour.
Coconut flour behaves unlike any other flour so don't substitute it with another flour, it won't work!

We baked 30 and devoured rather a lot of them with coyo and fruit.
Amazingness on all accounts……………

Cultivating Your Creative Core

                   

I am often asked what the best way is to strengthen our core. And really it is simple. Use your body well, do the work and build awareness. Here is how...........

The breathing is often the last thing that comes together in our yoga practice but it is the most important. 

The breath is what guides us to a place of deep meditation during our movement but it also supports our practice physically. I often say "power your body with your breath , think of the breath like the wind in your sails" 

So during your practice you should inhale from your solar plexus area, expanding around the complete circumference of your lower ribs and exhale from your naval centre gentle pulling your belly button in towards your spine. ( place your hands on rib cage and then on belly until you get the hang of it) This is key as it keeps the yogic locks engaged so you have the strength and elevation needed for a strong, supported, smooth practice. But it also means you work your deep core muscles, all four layers of them and of course their connecting muscles that help create the beautiful moving phenomenon that we are :-)

We often get caught up in wanting an enviable washboard belly but we must be careful not to block our creative, sexual centre at the core, we want to be strong and toned but not held and ridgid. On a physical level strengthening our core is key for lower back support, stabilising the pelvis and allowing us to open our chest and give us more heart space. And on a subtle level we need freedom at the core be be expressive, sensual and move with tha natural ebb and flow of life. 

When we use our bodies in a dynamic way, as we do during a flowing yoga class our whole body is engaged at every stage. Our bodies become a continuous web, every muscle working together, there should be no separation, no isolation, watch a cheetah run, a deer jump or a snake move through the grass and feel that in your body as you move. Find your feline agility, the spring in your step, don't miss an opportunity to use your body properly and you will see your body change shape, be sculpted, feel light and athletic. 

I used to joke with my father that my body was my earthly vessel, but in earnest I did have a sense from an early age that this vessel was sacred and I needed to care for it. So remember to love, honour and be kind to your body. It's the only one you've got and my goodness it tries its hardest to be the best! 

Although you need to be using your core throughout your practice here are some poses that will deepen your awareness and increase your core strength 

1. Dandasana The Plank- plank as often as you can. Hold it for 10 breaths and build up, make sure your chaturunga is slow and controlled as you lower yourself towards the earth.

2. Bakasana The Crow. Don't be fooled by thinking you need arm strength. It's really a core asana 

3. Sirsasana Headstand- by doing your headstand against the wall you miss the most import lesson, how to engage and have full control over the inversion with your core. You may be upside down but you aren't doing headstand! Use the wall as your emergency but try not to touch it. Then Pike and learn what those tummy muscles are really made of! 

                               

What is your Wild Abandonment?

What does Wild Abandonment mean to you? If you are a mother it could mean leaving your baby at the coat check while you dance the night away and if you are a gardener you have an image of your flowers ravaged by weeds. At first glance it can seem like a negative, something frivolous, to be ashamed of but really the image that is conjures is one of release, freedom and total nakedness!

As I walked bare foot in the park today I told my friend Siobhan that I was obsessed with wild abandonment, a sense of exploring with no limits, loving with no shame and experiencing a life that stimulates all your senses.  It is I added "quite an intense way of living" leaving few moments when the mind is happy with what is and a feeling of always wanting more.
Over the past few year I have become aware of my thrill seeking tendency and made my 2013 mid year resolution..... "to be present in every moment" because otherwise I am always somewhere else!


I spent much of this year "about to go...." or "....just back" and it consumed my life. Everything squeezed into three week blocks. So in an attempt at not being homesick for being away  I chose to spend the summer here, me myself and I, no escaping, just being, no bungee jumping, just being and it has been an interesting journey to the wild abandonment within.


My yoga life teaches me to be present, to breath and be present, to move and be present. Mindfulness, awareness and connection are words I use to guide people to a sense of stillness and ease. And there is something so beautiful about not having a need for anything other than what is, to be content with the here and now.

I will never loose my thirst for adventure and why would I want to?! but it is essential to find a sense of wild abandonment in our every day life. In the freedom we give ourselves, the choices we make, the friendships we keep, our teaching and our passions. We don't need to be climbing a mountain or tight rope walking to feel that sense of adventure, we just need to be present and true.  

Wild: Not tamed or domesticated
Abandonment: to yield (oneself) without restraint or moderation; give (oneself) over to natural impulses usually without self control.

In Short......Get naked, mind body and soul.

x

You can do Yoga!

........Simple steps to overcoming the initial challenges of Yoga.

1.   Start at the beginning

You maybe sporty and fit but yoga is complex and getting to know it and feel comfortable with it can take a few sessions. It is understandably disheartening to see the person next to you wrap their leg around their head when you still can’t detect your toes. Beginners gives you a chance to know the basics, start at your own pace, understand your body better and get to grips with the simple balances and sequences before you move on to more challenging things. Don’t be ashamed to start at the beginning

2.  Explore all the options

Finding the right class at the right time that’s not too far away can be a challenge. But there are many options to choose from. You can go to a studio for a group class, gather some friends in your own home or at work or even do one to one sessions. Find out what works so that you can have a regular practice and see real benefits in your body and life.

3.  Find the right teacher

For both your physical and mental evolution on your Yoga journey you need to find a teacher who will guide you in the right way. You may not know what you want from your practice but you will know if you feel great after class! Physically challenged as well as mentally stimulated. Find a teacher that pushes you to explore your practice and that you feel comfortable with.

4.  Find a style that suits you

There is yoga for everyone and finding a style that suits you is vital. You may like a slow relaxing class that is restorative or you may like something more dynamic and flowing that gets the heart rate up and the body moving. Each style has its challenges and you can even chop and change depending on how you feel. Never feel stuck. Yoga is about harmony and flow so enjoy exploring what works for you.

5.  Practice regularly

To do anything properly and really reap the rewards you have to be doing it regularly. Just as the other focuses in your life from work to relationships, Yoga requires a certain degree of commitment and dedication in order to fully appreciate the power of the practice. One day a week is a good start and already a huge commitment in our hectic lives but you may find yourself wanting more

 6.    Stop trying to be “Perfect”

There is no perfect in Yoga, there is just you, your body and the way you move. It is your own Warrior 1 and nobody else’s shoulder stand. All our bodies and minds are different, responding and reacting to life and its hurdles in our own unique way. Striving for perfection will only lead to disappointment. Yoga teachers are there to guide you, keep you safe and share their knowledge. Helping you to understand that “Perfect” is a much bigger place than you thought.

         7. Don’t Let your Yoga Ego get in the way.

We all want to be amazing at everything we do, run faster, jump higher, bend further. But with yoga you have to know your limits and they can be quite humbling. You might never be able to do what the person next to you is doing, not in a million years, know that before you start and just go on your own journey. You are your bench mark, so shed your yoga ego and enjoy where you are today without being lazy ;-)


Laurella@yogamovement.co.uk

Why don’t you do Yoga?

1.   You think you can’t do yoga

Too stiff, too old, too highly strung, I have heard it all. It’s like saying you are too dirty to take a shower. If you feel like you can’t do yoga you probably need to start! If you’re feeling stiff and immobile it will reflect into all aspects of your life.  If your mind is racing you will carry this constant tension in to everything you do. Yoga opens your body, calms your mind and is a wonderful tool for coping with life’s madness.

2.  You have a pre conceived Idea of Yoga

You think yoga is just easy stretching and have images of plant eating, grass sniffing, middle aged women floating about in your head that just keep you as far away from yoga as possible. But it can be hugely challenging mentally and physically for even the fittest of us. Give yourself a month or two to explore different kinds of yoga with different teachers. Many of my clients are amazed by how incredible they feel and how much they look forward to class.

3.  You Underestimate the Power of yoga

No one can appreciate the power of Yoga until they’ve tried it. I know because I have lived it for 13 years and certainly didn’t start because I knew how amazing it was. I just wanted to stretch and not feel so stiff after a sparring session or long run.  But it’s much more than just a stretch and so much more comprehensive as a workout than you ever thought. It will change your life in more ways than you can imagine, infiltrating every aspect far beyond your yoga mat. After time you will understand why you dedicate so many precious hours to yoga.

4.  You’ve heard Doctors and Osteopaths say Yoga is bad.

Doctors have heard horror stories of people being injured through mal practise and people pushing too hard too soon.  But Yoga comes in many forms and can be tailor made to your needs and desires with each session. Yoga is often seen as farfetched and extreme. The western world is unfamiliar with this Indian practise so can feel threatened by it. But those people who think outside the box and have turned to yoga when their backs were bad and their bodies stiff and sore have had great results. Yoga mobilises you, mind and body, it increases your body awareness and allows you to rediscover your freedom of movement. Find the right yoga for you.

5.   You’d rather go for a run.

I hear this all the time. “Why waste my time doing boring yoga when I could be running and burning fat”

But put simply you can’t replace yoga with a run. But I would go so far as to say you could replace your run with yoga!

 I love to run and it’s true that there is a certain degree of meditation in running but the stress on your body, cortisol and lactic acid build up can leave you exhausted, toxic and in worse shape than before you started. And it’s important to have something to counterbalance it. If you are an avid runner then you probably need yoga even more than most. Yoga and running are hugely complimentary to each other and you would be guaranteed to see improved results in your running and overall fitness, not to mention reducing your risk of injury by adding 1 or preferably 2 yoga sessions a week.

6.  You do Pilates instead of yoga

I am a big believer in Pilates, have practised it for years and use many of its principles in my Yoga teaching. Pilates is about the body and the mind, created by the athlete Joseph Pilates at the beginning of the 20^th Century, it deals with structural issues relating to posture and primarily core strength.  Yoga is a philosophy dating back some 5000 years and brings in to account the mind, body and spirit, working deep into your subconscious by way of different postures, breathing and meditation. Pilates is a work out and great for strengthening and toning the body. Where Yoga is a life choice, an amazing vehicle to strengthen and tone the body but more importantly connect you to your soul, calm your mind and allow you to live peacefully and honestly in our mad, frenetic world.

7. You’ve over thought every aspect.

We are taught to analyse and over think everything. You have already decided that yoga is boring and you will never be able to lie there and breath without falling asleep and snoring. You’ve decided it’s too hard and there must be easier options. You think chanting is for hippies and will make you giggle and when you roll up to sitting there is a high chance you will fart and the teacher will expel you from class. It is incredible the capacity we have to create resistant to things that might push our boundaries, when sometimes we just need to explore and have fun. Yoga enables you to let go, no judgement, no rules and no bench marks. It is a place of liberation, a practice for freeing the body and soul. You just need to go to class and let the yoga do the work.

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