I have to say that I have really enjoyed this weekend,

so since this weekend for many is a shorter holiday weekend thursd - sunday, I decided a while ago to do a YogaWeekend, just a basic one with more intense yogapractice. then I made some special features asweel to get it to be a bit more interesting and nice..

thursd: two 2h classes - included a short detox lecture and a detox helping breakfast and tea time

friday: tea time and one 2h yoga session

saturday: two 2h classes - included a short jala neti demonstration, a detox helping breakfast and tea time. after the last class we ended with a 20min yoganidra aswell

sunday: one last 2h yoga class and after a detoxhelping lassie/smoothie.

so basicly in 4 days I tought 12h yoga, including cleansing and balancing pranayama every class..
that is for most people quit intensive practice if you are used to go maybe 1 class a week etc normally.if going 1 class a week for 90minutes this weekend was like doing 8 weeks of yoga  in 4 days : )

and many took the opportunity aswell with Annicas advice to eat a bit more detoxing diet to clean more toxins out of the body and actually in the end most of the participants also decided to do a detox-massage.
so it has been a very interesting weekend seeing everyones different reactions and hearing about how they have felt during these 4 days from energetic, "surprisingly fresh", so tired they neee to take a nap some day etc.

the group was super, a nice blend of people and all doing their thing, no competetive feeling all just there to see what it is like to intensify their yoga practice for a short period. and all very kind & open so it became a truly relaxed atmosphere.

I feel very satisfied with this weekend, and if I get possibilities I will try do do some more similar in the future,
and I hope also the yoga participants feel satisfied and that they got out form this longer weekend what they had hoped for.

  

after last class and some chatting during their "detox lassie" me and Annica went to eat greek pita gyros [vegitarian version] and then we actually went to see the new Robin Hood movie in the cinema.
movie was quit okey, a true hollywood version he he
now I am back home and reeeeeeally tired, so time to go to bed and sleep long after this quit intense weekend.

yesterday the intensive "yoga weekend" I am arranging started, it is 4 days uncomplicated more intensive yoga practice basicly.
yoga is a lot about inner purification [kriya yoga], so this weekend for the group that are attending we are giving them a chance to boost up the detoxification of their physical body if interested.
but to do asanas helps by itself, and with consious serious breathing that to is one of the bodies natural ways to purify, so of course a fare deal of pranayama this weekend : )

in yoga [classic HathaYoga] there are mainly 6 six forms of kriyas/ cleansing techniques:
neti / nauli / tratak / kapalabhati / dhauti / basti

  

I have personally tried some versions of almost all except Basti wich is the colon cleansing ; )

..so yesterday after the first of 2 yoga sessions - the morning 2h practice we had arranged a simple breakfast for them with our own eco-gluten free porridge topped with fresh banana and lacto-free milk.

during this morning meal my partner Annika held a short speak about "detox" wich she works with at our studio using both diet, lifestile consultations & treatments to help anyone seriously in need of a body purification [wich is NOT easy if doing it really correct].

so what I find interesting with her form and that many found surprising I think is that it is alot about blancing the pH level in your body.
most of us are to sour [acidy] because of eating wrong, stressing etc and also the poluted air affects us.

so she explained some about the process and the fact that to go really deep it is a good idea to get a treatment aswel to be able to detox in the fatt cells to release a lot to the lymphs to clean out old stuff aswell, and then what the usual sympthoms are wich I think mst of us recognize at last a few of them ha ha.
then she explained shortly about the diet, where I saw many was getting a "aha felling" when we start to realize how much there is to think about and how many products we had no idea of was "bad" during this period etc.
and some things okey in a group but others not and not for the main person that obvious since it is about the pH level...

I personally think that everyone [me to] should give 3 weeks to try once at least to do a physical body detox, but not a "popular trendy magazine"-detox to llose weight, but a real one to take care of the body and help it get ridd of some junk that WE have put into it..

but, make sure you are ready for it, and can give it a lot of focus, because it sounds easy but it is really not if you are doing it seriously. just the thing to have controll of all things you eat to get the result is an challenge it self.

yesterday by mere accident I found out who santa is.
at least who my santa was this past christmas...
the santa claus who came to the yogic ashram where I spent my christmas days : )

I logged in at facebook, and there on the "news" I saw 2 yogic friends and one swami was tagged in the same album so I guessed there was some ashram pictures, so I clicked on it to refresh my memories of this time.

the photo[s] where from this indian mans albume, and there was some very nice pictures from all around the world.
in one of the pictures from the ashram I [think] I can see me behind some dude but just my forehead and the hair ha ha.
but still, quit interesting to see that.

then was the pictures of the Santa that came etc, and suddenly I read underneath the picture his comment wich something like:
Christmas 2009 - me as Santa in the Ashram.
Me!?! ha ha so actually this man was the santa I saw that day he he

his name is Sri Narayanji, and he is running this yoga center in Kerala, and he is a yoga therapist that was before a part of a ayurvedic treatment center, and hi is internationally known it says for his job as a social worker where he has spent the last 30 years working with children.
and his yoga is called "smile yoga" it seams : )

I decided after checking a few things in the early morning to enjoy the lovely spirng like sunny weather that we were blessed with today.
so I took the dogs out for a almost 2 hour walk into the forrest to a nearby lake. we just stroled around in the lovely quiet forrest, I just love being there. Lillemor [one of the girls/dogs] she loves it to and are allways ending up 20-30meters behind stroling and sniffing around but Mimmi [the other one] becomes a hunting dog or something, she runs first ahead and stays and checks the sorrounding with one leg up as the do when they focus on smelling etc.
then she runs back behind me and look so nothing comes there, and sometimes run to Lillemor as she ells her to keep up with us ha ha.

so when I found his awesome little spott on the cliffs near the lake in the sun mimmi first had a hard time to relax, and then her tounge was out and she was panting as she becomes almost a bit stressed out.
then she relaxed but got warm of the sun instead ha ha

we stayed there for maybe 20minutes and just enjoyed the forrest sounds and the warmt of the sun beams.
a perfect spot for meditation if didn't had to be aware of the dogs..
but still I got a nice mind cooling moment there, lovely!

then back to reality and got some message that we really didn't need rght now about financial burdens in a process we are in now to in the future get better conditions for our business..
so that kind of drained my energy for a while.
so probalby the moment in the forrest helped me though : )

so this is life.. ups and downs all the time, and running a small business here is not that easy with al taxes, rules and new things they do to make it even harder.. instead of making it a bit easier for us so they wont get people un-employed and then they have to pay us there instead from the gouverment money he he..
but we will for sure not give up,
that is the thing. you never give up on your dreams and we will solve this to and it is not close to ending or something but a heavy bump on the road that will cost us personally to cover up but it is in the end worth it to be able to do what you want to do as your "job"..

AUM Shanti

so I have had the new yogapants about 2-3 days since they arived from India.
already I have sold a few pairs and got great response.   

so just want to thank for the nice feedback and I feel happy about the so quick interest shown in them.

a funny thing is one colur I thought might be "difficult" actually alreadu sold 2 pairs in 24 hours.
I can never tell apparently what people are gonna like or not ha ha.
especially in the yogastudio many has had a look and they have commented on the pants my buddha spa partner has worn : )

so this was kind of a trial order to see what people think of them and to see some colours live, so not to many pants that I have..
and new ones cant come until late summer probably if theese one wil sell out.

also I got a clearence that my new yoga natural rubber mats will come probably before I end the season, lovely!

AUM Shanti

in Sivananda yoga [wich is the backbone of my teachings in yoga] relaxation takes a huge part.
this tradition wich also is the most common yoga school of classic hatha yoga in Inida and the world today [I think] they are following 5 points of yoga.
proper relaxation it self is one of the five points

so each and every class I start & end with a deeper consious relaxation lying down on the back in savasana.
my students/participants often comment on how nice it feels to start this way and for me I belive it also gives a better mental level to use during the more physical parts of pranayama & asanas comming after the first relaxation

savasana it self is [what I have learned in my studies] if doing it correctly it is also the most beneficial position for your body to get to a deeper relaxation, so has even some west-world researchers agreed on.

savasana: feet shoulder wide apart and relax your ankles, arms 45 degree angel away from your body with palms facing upwards and let your fingers gently curve, chin slightly in towards the chest to lengthen your spine all the way up in the neck.
if using blanket it is actually better to let the hands be on top of the blanket, since our fingertips are one of the/the most sensitive body parts with nerves etc so the weight/touch of the blanket can actually make a difference in us letting go of the surface.

the way my yogi master tought I would say we are doing some similar thing to "yoga nidra" in the final deeper relaxation, so in that sequense we are leading the relaxation almost all the way.
this is to guide the yogi practitioners within their body and to consiously be aware of feelings & sensations and to learn the technique of using your mind to tell your physical body to relax and feel the difference with that same awarness.
this also makes your brain activity low/slow/relaxed/collected wich is mentally rejuvenating.

quit many other yoga forms they do some talk and then let the participants rest by them selves in a nice quiet peacefull moment, that feels very nice of course and is also good.
the difference though and also for the ones during my classes that automathicly falls asleep [wich is common to do when you are very deep in relaxation] is that the moment you start to doze of or sleep your brain activity gets higher again because of the dreaming process

so today when I went by my yogastudio it was time for childrens yoga, and the children came before the teacher and we had ayurvedic treatments going on so...
my buddha partner Annika got them to lie an wait for the teacher in a Savasana-like position and put small towells over their eyes,
and I think it has never been this quiet before children yoa class : )
it is usually like a tornado sweeping by for about 1 hour then we all need to take a few deep breaths afterwards when they have left after their class ha ha.

so I took this picture of the children today because I was amazed and also it looked so peacefull and nice..

today I got an post office that customs cleared my shipping and I can come & pick up my new yoga pants from India.

since I have been wearing this type about a year now I know that quit a few are waiting for me to produce some to my shop.
I know some actually found a similar pant that they bought of the internet but I think they are in some kind a satinlike fabric, theese are more light cotton.

theese will also be just perfect as chill-out summer pants!

I got 3 models but one of them so few so I will only have them in the boutique in my yogastudio.
they are basicly the same but with stripe pattern fabric.

this weekend they will come up in the yoga web shop www.namaste.se
but already now they are avaliable at the yogastudio : )

they are yoga pants in the indian or arabic style.
with a huge bagy feeling, as for what I thing they are really super comfortable, also for meditation etc.

siddha
is with a more figure stiched waist and have slightly longer legs,
also this model has the longer end of the legs like alibaba pants if you like that, otherwise normally you pull the foot elastic up to the calfs [like the picture] and let leg fabric hang loose..
colours: purlple, maroon, beige, kaki-green, brown, blue & black     

sukha
has a more elastic "wrinkled" waist, so some prefer that and they might feel even more cosy-comfy.
colours: white, orange, maroon, kaki-green, black, beige
        

the other day I finally got new malas [rosaries] to my yoga web shop and to the botique at my yogastudio.

they are from one of the real holy pilgrim cities in northern India.
I bought from this contact before and I was equally happy this time : )

I had ordered a few different ones:

ebony - black wood that are traditionally used to make hindu gods statues for example.

white sandal wood - has a divine status in India

rosewood [red sandalwood] - by many used when doing prayers for Ganesha, a lovely aroma arises from this traditional wood

quartz crystal - this mountain crystal is said to cleanse the body and mind

tulsi [holy basil] - the most sacred of the woods used in Indian worship

rudraksha - the beads you see the sadhus and yogis wear by tradition "tears of Shiva"

these malas are often called japa mala, that is when they are used in meditation or worshiping when you repeat the name of your diety or when using your personal mantra.
and the most usual type from far back in the tradition is the rudraksha seed.
the real ones have as orogin allways 108 beads [plus one "Meru"]
but some traditions allow also smaller as long as the amount of beads are allways able to be devided with the 108 [54 & 27]

when using the mala for cuonting your mantras you should hold the bead between thumb and long finger, dont let the index finger touch the beads when doing this.

a "famous" 108 mantra that is common also on CD's etc is often especially in deeper serious practices to repeat the whole gayatri mantra 108 times.

to give the power to your mala you should practice your mantra with the mala each day for 40 days in a row.

I also like the mala as a nice looking necklace, and some use it as a decorative bracelet - all with an spiritual touch : )

they are all up in the studio in the shop, and comming week I will get them up also on www.namaste.se