Our lovely yoga teacher Katie sharing her yoga journey

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3 Wisdoms I Learnt in Yoga Class That Changed My Life

I thought the task of writing my personal yoga journey would be an easy task. It is true that the subject fills me with a passion and energy that wants to leap from my heart. Yet the act of committing that joy to concrete words has proven challenging.

Any journey is a personal experience for all those that follow it through. Here are three of the most important things that I have learnt on my own journey. They form the foundation of why I want to be a yoga teacher.

1) Be gentle to yourself.

This wisdom sounds so simple and yet is so hard in practice. So many of us are our own worst enemies when the chips are down. We are kinder to those around us than we are to ourselves. I repeat this wisdom to myself many times a day to invite acceptance of my own mistakes.

Being kind to yourself means accepting your natural strengths and weaknesses and working to develop them further rather than fighting them. It means not forcing a deeper stretch if there is any strain because you risk injury. It means letting go and rewarding yourself with the present moment.

Yoga is my gift to myself to energise my mind and body for the day. It is the reward at the end of a day filled with the worries of the external world. I owe it to myself to be kind in this moment, my time for me.


2) Some days you can, some days you can’t. But try first.

Of all the sayings that I love at yoga class, this is the one that permeates the rest of my life. I find myself repeated it throughout the day in places far removed from the yoga mat.

It is a truth that speaks with gentleness to the reality of our world in the moment. Some days we feel strong, capable, confident. I am energised on the mat, capable of more advanced postures, flexible in stretches. These days are wonderful but they are not as prolific as I would hope.

Some days we are simply tired or run down. I can not do with effort things that seemed simple to me yesterday. Once these days were a source of defeat for me. I would beat myself up mentally for my failures. Now I can embrace these moments for what they are and what they are not. Today I can’t. Tomorrow I might.

The try part is important too. Sometimes days hide in disguise. I feel tired and annoyed, but I try and find I am capable of far more in that moment than I thought. When we try despite our doubts we release our mental blocks. If we do not succeed, we thank ourselves for trying and looking forward to tomorrow. It could be one of those stronger days.

 3) Be Honest and patient with the Journey.

On the yoga mat, this saying has strong implications. My first lesson with Carmen was a humbling experience. She called out a pose, I went to that pose, she with a gentle touch showed me all the ways I was doing it wrong.

“Pull your hips back here.” “Stack your hips, don’t open to the side.” “Elbows close to your sides.”

And the worst one. “You are here today.”

Simple adjustments with profound consequences. Suddenly I was not good at yoga anymore. I was not as flexible as I had thought. She pulled me back from poses that I thought I could take deeper because I had lost my alignment. It hurt my poor ego and perplexed my body. I felt my ego deflate but I also felt something else. Curiously, I felt elation too. I felt challenged.

“Your handstand comes from here,” Carmen said. “Work on this.” And there it was. Yoga opened up as a path before me. With Carmen’s guidance, I could see a way forward, a way to improve. She demonstrated how working on my alignment in basic poses would strengthen my body to achieve more than I ever could from allowing my ego to rule me.

This was the moment that started my yoga journey. I had a lot to learn but I hungered for that knowledge. I needed to develop patience and honestly with myself. No point trying to force myself deeper into poses that I was not yet capable of if I would lose the benefit of developing my strength and flexibility.

I have carried this understanding to other parts of my life. I try to be less concerned to where I am on a path and focus on the goal I want to achieve at the end. It is a daily challenge because we all want to see progress, to see the fruits of so much hard work. Yet true success is rarely easily won and requires the hard work learnt on the way to maintain. It is a journey, not unlike that we face on the mat.

That leads me to where I am today- A student who wishes to share the peace and joy that yoga and the wonderful teacher and group of people at Live Life, Love Yoga have brought me. I hope that you will join me on the next step of my journey.

Katie Laurie

Bundaberg, QLD

 

 

Just breathe

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“Breathe space into the parts of your soul that need healing. Breathe space into what really hurts. Breathe space into the tight spots, into the pain. Breathe into the grief, the frustration, the anger, the sadness, the fear… Breathe space into all of the layers you carry with you, layers created from the simple experience of being alive. Alive, and so much so that it leaves you vulnerable in world that sometimes breaks you open. A world that can shatters your heart into a million tiny little pieces. A world that’s full of wonders, but that also wounds. Breathe space into this. The good and the bad. And when all else fails and you don’t know how to pick yourself off the floor and you don’t know how to puzzle all the pieces of your heart back together and you don’t know if there will be a better tomorrow… Just breathe. Just breathe. Know that life turns upside down and shakes us from the inside for a reason. Just breathe. You are not alone.”
Written by Rachel B.

How yoga has changed my life

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One of the most important ways yoga has changed my life is my confidence has increased.
We work a lot on the navel center, the core area or third chakra, which builds our will power, confidence, and resolve.
Since I’ve been practicing yoga I’ve done a lot of things I’d never considered doing before, like getting up in front of a room full of people and teaching yoga in English which it is not my native language. I truly enjoy doing it because I’m surrounded by all the awesome people.
What I like about yoga is that there is no end to it, I constantly learn different things in each practice. I’m also finding the little peace for myself no matter what is going on outside of the four corners of my mat just feel the simple wonder of my body as I move.
I would like to share yoga with others and help them by teaching yoga. They can still have a workout and still have the mental benefits of yoga. I will keep on learning and growing as a teacher as well as a practitioner.

Namaste,
Carmen

Why do we need to pause?

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It’s the pause that brings realignment. It’s the pause that brings reflection. It’s the pause that brings refocus.

Life is like a wheel, always spinning. There’s always work coming in and piling up, making enough and more money, people and relationships to take care of, goals and dreams to catch, and never endless deadlines to be met.

And if we are not careful enough of our life, it can be crazy and get extremely busy, but we end up achieving very little. Have you ever had a moment where you seemed to be very busy, but surprisingly got very little done at the end of the day? Therefore, it’s important to not only calm down, but to take a pit stop to pause and reflect before continuing with the journey ahead.

Meanwhile, you can take the opportunity to relax and unwind, to evaluate what you have accomplished, to review your mistakes from the past and to examine your future plans.  Your body and mind will thank you, you will feel more refreshed and recharged to take on the world again!

It is a must to escape the rat race every now and then and jump off the hamster wheel. To step outside, get some air, and remind yourself who you are and where you want to go in life.

Namaste,

Carmen Lee-Schneider

Yoga Pose Explained: Utthan Pristhasana (Lizard Pose)

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If you’ve ever taken a class with me, you know I love lizard pose (Utthan Pristhasana). I almost always practice it in my own practice. It makes my hips feel so good as lizard pose is an intense hip opener. Try to practice steady and full breathing and being present in the body, allowing the pose to slowly do its work.

12 steps guide you to the advanced lizard pose. Remember, you do not need to do all of the variations listed; choose the stage of the pose that is best suited to your practice and you feel comfortable in.

Lizard Pose is a versatile pose with many benefits.

  • Opens the hips, hamstrings, groins and hip flexors
  • Strengthens the inner thigh muscles on the front leg
  • Opens and releases the chest, shoulders and neck
  • Prepares the body for deeper hip openers such as Pigeon Pose and Hanuman Pose

Modifications

  • You may use a block or a bolster to rest your forearms on
  • You may need a strap to grab hold of your foot in the quad stretch variation

Caution – Things to consider

  • This is an intense hip stretch. It is very important to keep the hips square
  • Prevent lower back pain by moving very slowly into the pose using basic steps. Make sure to keep your spine long and straight all the way.

Basic CMYKLow Lunge 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Namaste,

Carmen

 

 

Yoga doesn’t make me soft but makes me stronger everyday.

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Yoga is not just making me soft.
It makes me softer from the inside but stronger from the outside.
Sometimes we need to learn to pause, to feel our heart beat and listen to our body. Yoga is not just a physical workout, it helps us to deepen our connection between soul, mind and body. We learn when to stop and reconnect to ourselves again without distraction from the outside.
We learn to focus and listen to our inner self, which is guiding you into the right direction.
The body is not just a shelf, it’s yours. Don’t just focus on the physical appearance of you body but connect with it, feel it and create balance between body and mind.

namaste,

Carmen

BLOG: Yoga is not about being bendy.

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YOGA IS NOT

about being bendy…

It’s about showing up to your mat consistently not knowing

what is going to happen and being ok with that.

It’s about rehabilitating yourself and not believing the “expects”

when they say you are too injured or too old.

It’s about believing that you can do anything even if it’s the scariest

impossible thing you could ever dream of.

It’s about uncovering who you really are.

It’s about being kind to yourself so that you can then be kind to others.

Yoga is about discovering that most of the crazy thoughts in your head are not true.

It’s about being healthy without pushing yourself to your limit.

It’s about slowing down to get strong.

It’s about breathing and moving and smiling on the inside.

It’s the hardest thing I have ever done, but also the best.

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE: An inspirational new yoga practitioner sharing her experience

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If you had only one word to describe what yoga is to you, what would it be?

“Peacefulness. I am 38 year old woman who lives on a property in the bush, outside of Bundaberg. I am a Mother, first of my two teenage children, and second I work as a Teacher Aide in a Prep-Year 12 Campus, where I manage the Resource Room & School Library. When not tending to my children or at my work, I spend time maintaining my property, tending to my vegetable garden & caring for all our animals – cattle, horses, dogs & chooks.”

“I always leave a session feeling like I am walking on water and I have new energy.”

When did you start doing yoga and what makes you want to continue?

“I started practicing with Carmen in April 2014, during the Easter School Holidays. I continue to practice yoga because it makes me feel good. I always leave a session feeling like I am walking on water and I have new energy. When doing yoga I use that time to concentrate on me and to let go of everything else outside of me. The time is used getting to know me & where I am at, going inside myself, feeling me, loving me, being me.”

How often do you attend Carmen’s yoga classes?

“I attend classes twice a week. If l lived closer I would definitely attend more often. Since I started practicing yoga regularly I feel more balanced in all areas of my life. I have better clarity (my mind is clearer) and my body feels more alive. I listen more to my body & work with it. I am more in touch with myself. I have lost some weight, my body is becoming more toned in areas, I feel stronger within my mind and body, and I am more aware of my posture. I feel healthier.”

What is you next goal or challenge?

“I am presently working on the tripod headstand and the crow. I like to challenge myself because it is fun and it feels great within myself each time I achieve a small step towards a pose. When I find balance it is a good feeling, to be able to get there and hold the pose in a controlled manner. It takes a lot of ones own discipline. I attempt these poses because they teach me control, to listen to my body & it is a good feeling. My daughter also encourages me because she is a great believer in that everything is possible. The first time I managed to do my first tripod headstand, even though it is only at one of the first stages, it made me feel ecstatic. I was over the moon about it because at one of my very first yoga lessons, Carmen showed us how to do a tripod headstand and I couldn’t even put my head on the ground. I had fear that I was going to topple over, I never thought I would be able to lift my feet up off the ground if I could never get my head down. At the moment I can only hold the tripod headstand at a beginner stage for a short period of time, but I find great achievement in this. I feel good inside myself and have gained confidence that one day it is possible that I will do a tripod headstand all the way with my legs straight in the air with total control.”

“Carmen is magnificent. She is like a breath of fresh air. Carmen is inspiring, energetic, patient, understanding.”

“Carmen has inspired me greatly in my yoga journey. Through her inspiration, encouragement, experience and knowledge, I have gained faith that with patience and practice I will be able to succeed at learning new poses and building on them to different stages. Just to watch Carmen completing different poses and flows is inspirational. Carmen is magnificent. She is like a breath of fresh air. Carmen is inspiring, energetic, patient, understanding……she is truly wonderful. She takes the time to assist you in different poses at whatever stage or level you are at on your yoga journey. Carmen is an inspirational, amazing yogi.”

Would you like to share something with those who might be thinking about doing yoga in the near future?

“If you haven’t done yoga or attended one of Carmen’s classes then now is the time to do it. Don’t just attend one class before you decide whether it is for you or not, attend a couple of classes and give your body time to adapt to this wonderful new journey. I remember attending one of my first classes thinking “Oh no this is too hard.” But I have overcome that fear, to breath through different poses and learned to work with my body and where I am at in my journey. Everyone is different and we should learn to appreciate that.”
Brenda Grills
Bundaberg, QLD