YOGAYATRA MAGAZINE APRIL 2021 by Yoga Yatra

YogaYatra ISSUE 1 | APRIL 2021

In this issue: Y OGA J OUR N EY ' S OF YOG I NI S

F EA T U R ED : K I N O M A C G REG O R I N T ERV I E W

Yoga Inspiration for everyone who want happy mind and fitness lifestyle

TRANS F OR MATI ON TH RO UGH Y OG A Meditation Workshop by Veronika

Support YOGA GIVES BACK And YOGA STOPS TRAFFICKING

Price: 1.99$

Origin Of Yoga The beginnings of yoga were developed by the Indus Sarasvati civilization in northern India over 5000 year ago. The word yoga was first mentioned in oldest sacred texts, The Rigveda. The Vedas were a collection of text containing songs, mantra's, and rituals to be used by Brahmans, the Vedic priests. Yoga was slowly refined and developed by the Brahmins and Rishis (Mystic Seers) who documented their practices and beliefs in the Upanishads, a huge work containing over 200 scriptures. The most renowned of the Yogic Scriptures is the Bhagwat Gita, composed around 500 B.C.E. The Upanishads took the idea of ritual sacrifices from the Vedas and internalised it, teaching the sacrifice of the ego through selfknowledge, action (Karma Yoga) and wisdom (Gyan Yoga)

Letter from the Editor

Namaste It my pleasure to start a Digital Yoga Fitness Travel Magazine in the critical time of pandemic. As world going to Digital , our issue is would be complete digital. Digital is new normal like mask. Banking sector to education sector all are going digital even government meeting held on Zoom and Google meet. As this pandemic shows a for lifestyle is really important when comes to immunity. Everyone tries to fit through Yoga, Gym, Running, Pilates. Yoga classes also comes online. The digital platform like Omstars & Yome Digital gets more accessible to people due to online. This year we are definitely hike in yoga online industry. We also waiting to normalizes the thing to do Travel. Travel industry gets highly effected due to pandemic. As I am yoga Enthusiastic person. I sincerely wants to thanks my mother, family, my friend illona, Apoorva, Kino and other contributors for making this issue possible. At last I want to contribute to NGO YOGA GIVES BACK AND YOGA STOPS TRAFFICKING which are doing great for empowering woman by raise money for girl child education and trackffing. The half of the issue profit goes for these NGO. At last please gives me feedback. Hopefully you guys enjoys the magazine OM NAMAH SHIVA

Editor-in-Chief

The entire contents of this publication are protected by Copyright. no part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted by any means , Electronically or mechanical, without permission in writing from YogaYatra magazine. the publisher accepts no responsibility for contributing manuscripts, photographs, artwork or advertisements. YogaYatra magazine is a monthly publication. all information regarding editorial content or property for sale is deemed reliable. No representation is made as to accuracy hereof and is printed subject to errors and omissions

HIMALAYA YOGAYATRA | APRIL 2021

@yogayatra5

CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS 1. LIANA SCOTT 2. LAUREN MICHELLE 3. ERIKO 4. JULIANA ALVES 5. URVI 6. ALISON 7. ANNA 8. VERONICA 9. BECKY FOX 10. CLAIRA 11. MARIA MARGOLIES 12. KIM 13. SHAYLINI

INTERVIEW 1. KINO MACGREGOR 2. KIM 3. TAN SARAH

WELLNESS PICS 1. CHIRA 2. SARINA 3. SOPHIE 4. MARIA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

YOGAYATRA| APRIL 2021

Editor's Note

YOGA JOURNEY'S LIANA SCOTT JOURNEY

JOURNEY OF RADICAL ONE

MEET THE YOGINI

YOUNG YOGINI

ALISON

ERIKO JOURNEY

FEATURE ARTICLES LUST YOGA

WHAT IS MEDIATION ALL ABOUT

DISTANT HEALING

47 49

PETALS OF YOGA RUNNING CHANGE MY LIFE

ASANA OF THE MONTH

51 52

TRARAT

TRANSFORMATION

YOGINI INTERVEW TAN SARAH INTERVEW KIM INTERVEW INSPIRATIONAL INTERVEW: KINO MACGREGOR

23 24

YOGA SHOOT

MEDITATION WORKSHOP WITH VERONIKA

REIKI WORLD REIKI A JEWEL FOR US RADIATE GRATITUDE

33 35

HELP THROUGH YOGA YOGA STOP TRAFFICKING YOGA GIVES BACK

37 39

“I measure the progress of a community with the degree of progress women have achieved.” B.R. AMBEDKAR

Change only happens in the present moment. The past is already done. The future is just energy and intention. KINO MACGREGOR

Anyone can practice. Young man can practice. Old man can practice. Very old man can practice. Man who is sick, he can practice. Man who doesn't have strength can practice. Except lazy people; lazy people can't practice Ashtanga yoga. K.PATTABHI JOIS

Meet the YOGINI Yoga came into my life 11 years ago when I was with a group of friends in a waterfront home celebrating a New Year. On this day everyone drank and looked like fun, but I felt out of place and alone. In the morning of January 1st I went to contemplate the sea and, behold, a scene of a small group of people practicing yoga touched me in the neighbouring house. At that moment a very strong desire came over me to be in that group and not in what I was in. As soon as I arrived from my trip, already in my hometown, I acquired a place to practice yoga.

From the first classes I felt that it was exactly what I was looking for. I did it twice a week and yearned for them. I had a very sincere and intimate joy in going to classes and this universe of yoga that I knew almost nothing attracted me greatly. I was getting to know something different and that captivated me. I was enchanted with the repetition method that allowed me to observe the evolution of postures. But, far beyond the physical part, on the days he practiced, he felt that an internal place was filled that no other physical activity accessed. Not treating yourself along the body or making an impressive posture. There I was facing my feelings. I was able to observe them as if alien to me, without them defining me and so I could see how each one interfered in my life. From then on, with consistency in the practice of yoga, my judgment increased and I chose which feelings I would like to cultivate. Without needing exactly when, my life and the practice of yoga already obtained became one.

Henceforth physical changes that influenced my mind and vice versa. I began to realize that my mind could command my body in many ways. The first sensation I had to deal with was pain. I had been without physical activity for some time and performing postures required my musculoskeletal system. With the breathing techniques I learned concurrently with postures, I was able to expand what I defined as pain. Before, I understood only that it was something that protected me and if I felt it, I should stop what caused it. With the postures I redefined the pain. I taught my mind that I was in a safe environment and that I could let my breath flow in discomfort.

Photographer: @Laura.dacal

Putting my body into activity combined with discipline breathing exercises improved the quality of sleep. At night, the need to rest my body and a peaceful mind took me to regenerating nights. My taste gradually changed too, it became more subtle. The sweet taste of fruits, for example, became more accentuated as the consumption of white sugar decreased. The body sensation every day was better, and still is, an incentive for the next practice. I think I became more sensitive, calmer, less impulsive, more patient, more appreciative and much more cheerful. My compassion increased, and as a result, I became a much more tolerant person. I learned to accept my personality and that was essential for me to know how to respect that of others. The symptoms of anxiety disappeared with practice. I became more aware of the changes in my body and mind and it greatly improved the way I dealt with these changes. I started to avoid, as far as possible, hypotheses that caused me stress. Yoga practice can only be felt, because it is alive, it is life. Images of practitioners in yoga postures do not even reach the surface of the inner transformative complexity of the practice. Each being has its history, for each person a different universe to be explored. If today I were to speak to the self of the past or to anyone who intends to practice yoga I would say: follow the method with faith and discipline that you will be pleasantly surprised to meet your essence.

Juliana Alves Batista Belo Horizonte, Brazil @ju.ashtanga.yoga

JOURNEY OF YOGA - URVI GALA

When I was in my last year of degree college like any other girl I had a dream of having a well paid finance job and a secured future. For this reason I took up Actuarial Science. For one year I worked in PNB MetLife Insurance and then realized that I cannot do a corporate desk job. I took a one month break to decide what to do next? My mother who has been practicing yoga for over 10 years suggested me to take up yoga. In the beginning I was hesitant but later I decided to give it a shot. So this is how my journey of yoga begins, I took up 1 Month Teachers Training Course (1MTTC) at The Yoga Institute, Santacruz East in March 2018. I learnt so much while doing this course and by this I don’t only mean about yoga but also about life! It taught us how to handle situations, how to control your mind, how to be more aware of one’s actions and much more to it. After completing 1MTTC, I took up an advance level course called 7MTTC and finished it by February 2019. Since then I’ve been a full time yoga instructor. I have also done two other courses over the years, one is Yoga for Cancer in February 2020 and another is Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga in January 2021. My moto is to spread awareness of a healthy living life, and the reason for me to stick around with yoga is because it’s has a very holistic approach and can be done by anyone and everyone. Regards, Urvi Gala @yoga_with_urvigala

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ALISON SAYS

I’m a daily yoga lover; the benefits are selfapparent in my increased strength, flexibility, toning and mood. Any time of day that I can fit it in, for as long or as little time as needed. On busy days, though, it can be tricky to keep the habit going and then you need a little pose that can pack a huge punch, and this is just one of those. Yin double shoelace, lends itself to mindfulness and relaxation as when you get used to it the hip opening benefits become quite addictive. Yin is a practice known for longer held stretches. So, watching television, reading a book, chatting, it’s a great way to sit. As your hips become more flexible, it stretches your lumbar spine, thus reducing back pain and also aids flexibility in your feet and ankles. Sit with both legs outstretched, bend your right leg to get your right foot by your left hip and then repeat with your left leg putting it over the right leg and nestling the foot by your right hip. Hold in this position and then swap the legs round so the right leg is over the left leg. When you feel ready, fold forward to increase the stretch. Don’t worry if you can’t get the knees close together at first and absolutely don’t force this, relax, breath, listen to your body and the pose will come when your body is ready.

Alison Edwards @kutirayogini

YOGAYATRA | APRIL 2021

Yoga With Eriko 22 years ago I met yoga. While I was in Ohio, I watched yoga at Sedona on TV and felt a strange feeling in the gap between the loose movement and the location on the cliff, and I was staring at it for tens of minutes. This is my encounter with yoga. After that, with the model of Yoghini on the TV, I worked crazy and imitated. At that time, Hollywood stars such as Madonna and Guinness Paltrow were also paparazzi off-shots with mats, which seemed very fashionable and spurred my yoga fever. Soon after returning to Japan, I practiced yoga at home with Cindy Crawford's training DVD and yoga DVD along with muscle training and running. A couple of years later, a hot yoga studio opened in my neighbourhood, and I went there everyday for about three years. Due to parenting and work, it will be difficult to continue due to conditions such as time, and we will stop everything. But after that, I want to hold a job! I went to a yoga instructor training course (Lakshmi, Japan) for a year and a half and got a qualification. Immediately start an instructor. Initially, one studio is in charge of 3 to 5 classes per week. After that, I was in charge of several classes a week at another studio. At the same time, an article about yoga poses and their meanings is serialized in FREEK (free paper) once a month. About three years later, he became independent, and made his home a private yoga studio with a full reservation and a small group.

YOGAYATRA | APRIL 2021

If you concentrate only on yoga poses, you will feel calm for some reason. I can't put my heart into a shape, but if I put it in a shape, I feel that my heart was always rough before I encountered yoga. There is always a big sway, the sand at the bottom of the sea is soaring, the visibility is poor, even the destination where I am heading is lost, and I just let my warrior slap my hands and feet, and sometimes I use my unnecessary movements to increase my physical strength. I lost and couldn't even breathe because I sank without any opponent to fight. But now my heart waves are always so calm that I can see down to the bottom of the sea and sometimes even find treasures like shimmering gems that sank to the bottom. Yoga is amazing. What yoga taught us. It means that the mind and body are connected. That we and nature are in harmony. It means that the world is composed by balancing the conflicting things. And that everything is changing. Even today, I take deep breath, connect my mind and body, and obtain my favorite me and my favorite body. And prepare for a happy and bright future. Yoga is neither painful nor painful. Instead of sticking to the final form of the pose, pay attention to the process of getting there and focus on just posing. Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word Yuju. Yuju means harmony, connection, and connection. Connecting the mind and body. Connecting people. Connecting people to the earth. Connecting the universe and the earth... I was taught that there are various interpretations. That's why I use yoga every day to connect my mind and body Then yoga will teach me today. We have the ability to be who we want to be. I pray that we here today can fully utilize their abilities and shine even more beautifully from the inside.

Eriko @migimiminomigigawa

YOGAYATRA | APRIL 2021

THE YOGINI ONE Name - Tan Sarah Place - Singapore Intro : Having practiced Yoga since I am 15 years old, I always constantly inspired by the amazing effects & joy that Yoga has brought to me. Hence, I started coaching yoga in 2019 & aspires to bring joy to others through yoga. I am certified RYT 200 hours Yoga coach, RYS200 Yoga Alliance certified and currently in midst of getting certified as a Yoga Therapist. I am currently owns a website (goals-passion-life.com) where we pours our ideas, practices , article writings and shares Yoga contents etc. For yoga related questions, you may contact me Email: Yogawithtansarah@gmail.com

YY: Years Teaching/practicing Sarah: 1.5 Years YY: Instagram Handle Sarah: its_tansarah

YY: Certifications Sarah: YICC RYT, RYS 200 HOURS, Standard CPR+AED YY: What do you love about teaching/ practicing Sarah: bring joy to others and making them feel better about themselves. YY: What drew you to yoga Sarah: my health issues YY: Favourite Yoga Pose Sarah: Wheel pose

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YY: Can’t live without Sarah: Food and Yoga YY:Favourite travel destination Sarah: Currently Tokyo Mt Fuji

The Yogini Interview Name: Kim Gordon Place: Atlanta, Georgia US YY: Years teaching / practicing KIM: I first tried Bikram yoga 15 years ago, but have become much more active in my practice over the past seven years. I now practice power vinyasa and universal styles of yoga. I earned by YTT 200 in 2015 and have taught power vinyasa classes for 4 years.

YY: Instagram Handle

KIM: @leapoffaith.yoga YY: Certifications KIM: YTT 200 in Power Vinyasa and Hot 26

YY: What drew you to yoga? KIM: I’ve always loved fitness, and wanted to explore new options. But what’s kept me in yoga is how the physical movements challenge the mental and connect so deep into the spiritual. I love how there’s always a next level to any pose, there’s always a new challenge to work on and grotw towards. I love how yoga is a practice for life… you can adjust the style and the intensity to meet you were you are each day. There is always something new to learn.

YOGAYATRA | APRIL 2021

#POSEOFTHEMONTH

YY: What do you love about teaching yoga? KIM: I love connecting with and inspiring students in their practice. The true magic comes when you watch the students grow and make breakthroughs, and make their practice their own.

YY:Where can we find you when not on your mat? KIM: With my husband and two children! YY: Favourite yoga pose? KIM: I LOVE arm balances and deep hip flexibility poses that include leg behind the head.

YY: Can’t live without? KIM: Yoga, a good sweat, coffee, wine, reading, travel and my family (not necessarily in that order)

YY: Ideal person? KIM: Someone with a passion for something in life, it doesn’t matter what it is… as long as it’s special to them, and a person with an open curiosity to continue to grow.

YY: Favourite travel destination? KIM:I love the mountains, the beach, new cities… I just love to travel and experience local cultures. And I especially love trips that include exercise, like long hikes.

YOGAYATRA | APRIL 2021

THE INSPIRATIONAL

KINO MACGREGOR

Interview

BY HIMALAYA She is very generous and inspiring person. If you are looking for motivation read her intervew you definitely get up in life

Location: Miami Beach, Florida, USA Intro: Kino MacGregor is a Miami native who is happiest on the beach with a fresh coconut and a poet at heart who always stops to smell the flowers. She is the founder of Omstars— the world’s first yoga TV network. With over 1 million followers on Instagram and over 500,000 subscribers on YouTube and Facebook, Kino’s message of spiritual strength reaches people all over the world. Sought after as an expert in yoga worldwide, is an international yoga teacher, inspirational speaker, author of four books, producer of six Ashtanga Yoga DVDs, writer, vlogger, world traveler, co-founder of Miami Life Center.

YOGAYATRA | APRIL 2021

CERTIFICATION: Certified Ashtanga Teacher by Sharath Jois, Sharath Yoga Center, Mysore, India

YEARS TEACHING/PRACTING: 24 Years

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @kinoyoga

YY:What do you love about teaching/practicing yoga? KINO:It is my greatest joy to bring the gifts of yoga to my students all over the world. My students are the reason I stay inspired to teach! They have each filled my heart with inspiration. More than anything I hope that each of them tend to the fire of yoga and go on the deep inner journey of spiritual practice. Their commitment to yoga and desire to practice keeps the knowledge of yoga fresh and alive. On days when I feel uninspired, my students are my motivation! As for my own practice, yoga has become a part of who I am, down to the very core of my being. Practicing Yoga is a ritual and a necessity in my daily life, much like brushing my teeth. Yoga purifies my body, mind, and spirit, and allows me to bring the best version of myself into the world, every day. YY:What Drew You to Yoga?

KINO: I was first drawn to Yoga because I wanted to be able to do a headstand! I thought that looked really cool, and a lot of fun! After my first class (where we did NOT stand on our heads), I was hooked, and inspired to learn more. I found books, practiced at home, practiced in class, and learned so many new things about yoga and about myself that I never knew before. It changed the way I inhabited my own body, which opened up my mind to a new way of living.

YOGAYATRA | APRIL 2021

YY: Where can we find you when not on your mat KINO:If I'm not traveling, you can be sure to find me on the beach!

YY:Favorite Yoga Pose KINO:Handstands! I am not naturally strong, so I still feel a great sense of accomplishment and excitement when I balance on my hands.

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YY:Can't live without: KINO:Coconut water and fresh squeezed juice

YY: Ideal Person KINO:Someone who supports and encourages my personal and professional development. Who can be a partner in Yoga, business, travel, and can make me laugh!

YY: Favourite Travel Destination KINO: India, Fiji, and all tropical Islands

Reiki A Jewel For Us

Today, Holistic Medicine is becoming more and more known outside its own space and that psychic state "holistic mood" is gradually belonging to a much wider circle of peoples. But despite this, confusion continues to be created between holistic medicine and magic, healing through nature and polar beliefs. It must be understood that holistic medicine is not a limited, small field for a few, which must be exercised by a small number of operators towards a small number of patients. Far from it! Obviously, however, one must be able to distinguish the right holistic operator from a charlatan, a sorcerer, any being who practices holistic medicine simply because "it is in fashion". There are many and innumerable techniques through which holistic medicine can be applied: there is Yoga, Channelling with the application of crystal grids, Pranotherapy (better known), Reiki, and it is precisely between the latter two. that there is a lot of confusion (in the Reiki study itself)! What is Reiki mainly? It is a holistic healing technique that occurs only and exclusively through the use of the hands. Its origin begins in the East long before the birth of the Buddha and Christ. The origin of the name is Japanese, consisting of:

- Rei = universal, unlimited, infinite and inexhaustible energy. In Japanese it means "transcendent spirit", "spiritual essence". In Chinese language ling, it indicates the first element of a name used to indicate the second part of the ancient acupuncture manual: Nai Ching. - Ki = earthly, limited, exhaustible energy. In Japanese it means "vital energy". It too derives from a Chinese word pronounced similarly but written in the Latin alphabet in a different way: chi, ch'i, qi.

YOGAYATRA | APRIL 2021

The task of Reiki is to activate these two energies, put them in communication and unite them in a single language. Reiki acts on the Spirit, the Mind and the Body. This technique allows us to cover ourselves and find ourselves within the heart of Nature. It is pure, true, unconditional love, it is perennial light and unconditional heat that can be awakened, through the activation of the operator, to every living being. As I mentioned earlier, Reiki, like any holistic healing technique, is not magic nor is it applied to harm others. Its application, once implemented, never runs out, it helps to live here and now with awareness and in total harmony. There are many Reiki techniques born over the years and many schools of thought have been formed over the centuries but the technique on which we will dwell and (the technique) imparted in oriental schools today refers to the traditional Usui method.

Laws on which Reiki is based - Usui method 1. JUST FOR TODAY DON'T BE ANGRY 2. ONLY FOR TODAY DON'T WORRY 3. ONLY FOR TODAY THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE GOOD 4. EARN FOOD HONESTLY 5. RESPECT EVERY LIVING BEING

An important concept to remember is that Dr Mikao Ususi did not invent, discover, the Reiki method but the technique, making it available to the whole world. According to another version, Reiki, did not originate in Japan but, on the contrary, in distant Tibet about 2500 years ago. Everything would have been born when, a pupil of Usui intrigued by the mind of one of his pupils, had to say if he believed and totally accepted the contents contained within the Catholic Bible and if, the healings carried out by Jesus through the use of his hands, were still effective today. It should be remembered that even the Buddha used the laying on of hands to practice healings. Then, Usui, decided to start studying the ancient Tibetan and Sanskrit manuscripts. The answer was given to him by an ancient Tibetan manuscript in which he discovered the famous three symbols containing the key to the answers. Initially, however, he managed to understand very little and decided to retire for 21 days on a mountain to fast and meditate with only 21 pebbles collected along the way to mark the time. When he reached the last night of meditation and, now resigned, his vision was struck by a blinding glow: a very strong light hit his forehead, breaking down into infinite bubbles that seemed to contain all the colours of the rainbow. This spectacular kaleidoscope suddenly left room for a strong white light inside which Usui read, in gold letters, the language of the 3 symbols. When he became aware, the sunlight was already high in the sky.

Reiki is: - PURE ENERGY - UNCONDITIONAL LOVE - SPIRITUAL EXPANSION - RELIEF FROM PAIN - PSYCHO-PHYSICAL WELLBEING - AWARENESS - INTUITED - COMPASSION - FREEDOM - PERSONAL GROWTH

Reiki is not: - MAGIC - MYSTICAL SECT - OFFENSIVE WEAPON - POWER SYMBOL - RELIGION - FORM OF PRANOTHERAPY - DISCIPLINE FULL OF DOGMS

Therefore

Anna Ferriero @realbeauty_love94

YOGAYATRA | APRIL 2021

Radiate Gratitude

Gratitude means being thankful for everything around you, counting your blessings, noticing and appreciating the simple pleasures in life, such as the freshness in the air, the colour of the sky, a smile from a stranger, the coffee your loved one made you this morning.Gratitude means appreciating everything you have and everything that you receive.

Those of us who have consciously been practicing the act of gratitude know that it is the key to a happier and more fulfilling life. Behavioural and psychological research has shown that practicing gratitude can create significant improvements in our life through increasing our happiness, strengthening our relationships, improving our health and reducing stress to name a few. Think of gratitude as an emotional muscle and like any other muscle in the body, it will grow and strengthen with intentional use.

YOGAYATRA | APRIL 2021

One great and effective way of practicing gratitude is to keep a love and life-filled gratitude list. I like to call it “love and life-filled” because I don’t simply mean "listing words on a page” (as this would quite honestly be a totally inauthentic and pointless attempt at a gratitude list and neither would it invoke the desired feelings to radiate from within you). Your gratitude list should evoke authentic feelings of gratefulness, abundance and joy. Then primary purpose of keeping a gratitude list is to feel blessed and deeply appreciative for everything that we have. When we step-up our approach to our gratitude list, viewing it as a tool that evokes genuine feelings of gratitude (as opposed to a list we robotically write to “tick the boxes” of our self-development to-do list) that is when we know that we are on the path to a wondrous, abundance filled life.

Shifting our perspective to a more feeling-oriented gratitude list, infuses not only our list, but our entire being. Our heart and souls become nurtured and nourished (and with practice overfilled) with feelings of abundance, excitement, joy and a deep appreciation for everything that we have. When this takes place, we naturally radiate positivity, love and peace from within, attracting back exactly what we project. The quality of your Love and Life-filled Gratitude List will make this gratitude come alive within you, and we all know that radiating such wonderful energy can only attract more abundance in to our lives.

Here are my 5 tips on how to make your gratitude list love and life-filled: 1) Add love – write from the heart. Fill your gratitude list with emotion and an abundance of it! 2) Add details – this will fill your gratitude list with life. Perhaps it was a colour, a small gesture, a feeling that overcame you. Write it down! 3) Add reasons – list why you appreciated, loved, enjoyed, were overcome by something. 4) Add your personal touch – this is your gratitude list, so write in your style. No-one else will be reading this but you, so make your writing speak volumes to you, let it touch you to the very depths of your heart’s core. 5) Add life – add colour, glitter, draw pictures, add memorabilia such as tickets from a show, a receipt from a meal, a flower petal from the bouquet a loved one gave to you, or even a blade of grass from a beautiful walk you might have been on. Make your writing come to life and recapture those moments of gratitude.

These listed moments of gratitude do not serve you in a momentary, time-specific way; they are timeless, infinite and unbounded. They can re-ignite all those moments of abundance, joy and gratitude even years later. Try reading through your Love and Lifefilled Gratitude List when you’re not feeling your usual chirpy self, it’s the best pick-me-up for the heart, mind and soul. When you follow these five simple tips, your gratitude journal shifts from an activity of the mind to an activity of the heart. This daily practice doesn’t just infuse your list with vibrancy, love and colour, it infuses your life. Your appreciation for everything gains a new depth. As you radiate these feelings of abundance, love, positivity and joy you will notice the incredible shifts that begin to take place in all aspects of your life.

Begin to take place in all aspects of your life. You will experience the universe orchestrating abundance in to your life in ways that you could never have imagined. From experience I can say that through your practice of gratitude, wonderful energy vibrations will be created deep within you and you will see the law of attraction playing out in front of your eyes in a magical, spellbinding way.

YOGAYATRA | APRIL 2021

By Shaylini Reiki Master,Teacher and Practitioner, Visiting Practitioner, Columnist and Feature writer, Holistic Health and Well-being Coach Website: www.thesacredself.co.uk About Shaylini: Shaylini is a Reiki Master Teacher and Practitioner, Visiting Practitioner for a number of 5* Resorts Worldwide including Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Huffington Post Blogger, Columnist and Feature Writer and the inspiring creator of The Sacred Self. She provides deeply healing treatments ranging from Reiki healing, Chakra balancing, Guided healing meditations and an array of healing energy therapies to help experience freedom from emotional, mental and physical imbalances. Through her heart-centred approach, Shaylini provides a unique experience of deep healing which will enable you to let go of what doesn’t serve you, align you to your true potential and help you achieve ultimate inner peace and abundant self-love. The Sacred Self has been created to help you feel nurtured, inspired, balanced, free and most importantly happy. Through these techniques you will naturally experience an alchemical shift in energy leading to peace, joy and freedom. Shaylini leads her healing with a compassionate and heartcentred approach to bring clarity of mind, balance of body, healing of the soul, and nurturing of our Sacred Self. To find out more please visit: www.thesacredself.co.uk or Instagram: thesacredself.shaylini.

DECEMBER 2016

POSTMODERN PAINTING. Stella alternately paints in oil and watercolor

YOGA STOPS TRAFFICK By Himalaya

Yoga Stops Traffick is an international one-day yoga event to raise awareness of and funds for survivors of human trafficking in India. Every year thousands of yoga practioners from all corners of the globe roll out their mats, from the UK to Iceland to Costa Rica, to stand in solidarity with the young survivors. The funds raised from Yoga Stops Traffick go to our Indian grassroots partner, Odanadi Seva Trust in Mysore, to help rescue and rehabilitate survivors of human trafficking, sexual and domestic violence, modern-day slavery, and child marriage

YOGAYATRA| APRIL 2021

Make your effort count and share the initiative as more as you can

Ashtanga Yoga is of huge significance to the young people of Odanadi. As part of their rehabilitation program, it has allowed them to reclaim their bodies; build physical and mental strength, and restore a sense of peace, confidence and self-worth. By standing alongside them, you will demonstrate your solidarity and support, as well as sending a message of defiance against a world which allows these horrific abuses to take place.

The funds raised through Yoga Stops Traffick are used to stage brothel rescue operations and cover the running costs of two safe houses for survivors of human trafficking in Mysore, South India. Rescued and rehabilitated more than 13,000 women and children Carried out 452 brothel raids Educated tens of thousands of children, men and women about sexual exploitation Returned 1400 missing children to their families Brought 410 traffickers to justice

Join the growing movement against human trafficking and help send love and light to those who need it most. Every body on every mat counts! website: https://www.yogastopstraffick.org

YOGAYATRA | APRIL 2021|

YOGA GIVES BACK

LustYoga,a concept Yoga class created by Becky Crepsley

I am a sexologist and relationship therapist and many of my clients come to see me because they have low sexual desire. They are looking for ways to feel more erotic, to prioritise sex and to get more pleasure from it.

For this reason I created LustYoga; A yoga practice that focuses on stimulating the second chakra (Svadhisthana, the sacral chakra), which is our centre of sexuality. The class includes breath work, hip rocking and Kegels (which is an engagement and release of the pelvic floor area) as well as hip openers to stimulate the sacral chakra. All of these spread erotic energy around the body and help to activate our kundalini serpent energy.

The class is designed to work alongside therapy or as a stand-alone experience. It is open to all, irrespective of gender, level of yogi or (adult) age. Below I offer a sample, condensed class-plan that you can practise at home.

1.Reclined Butterfly Start by lying on your back with your feet together, with knees wide allowing your knees to drop naturally down towards the floor - your arms can rest alongside your body. For comfort, you can add support underneath the sides of the legs. Aim to stay in this position for 5 minutes as you start to connect to your breath and arrive in the present moment.

2.Hip Rocking Stay lying on your back. Place your feet flat on the floor roughly hip-distance apart with your knees pointing vertically upwards. Keep your arms alongside your body. Start rocking your hips, forward and back. When tilting the hips forward the lower back flattens on the floor, when tilting the hips back the lower back lifts. Keep your buttocks glued on the ground throughout. You might match the breath to the rocking - exhale through the mouth as you push the hips forward. You can do this for 2 minutes.

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3.Cat and Cow Make your way up to an all-fours position with your hips stacked over your knees and your shoulders stacked over your wrists. As you inhale, round your back (like a cat arching), tuck your tailbone underneath and bring your chin to your chest, then, exhaling through the mouth, you lower your chest whilst lifting your tailbone high and looking upwards into a backbend. Repeat 5 times.

4.Down Dog From the Cat and Cow position, lift your hips up, placing your feet and hands flat on the floor with hands shoulder distance apart and feet hip distance apart as you push your chest towards your thighs. Keep the palms flat and push the ground away to straighten the arms. Your legs can be bent or straight. It is more important to get a straight spine than to straighten the legs. Stay and hold this position for 5 breaths.

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5. Pigeon Pose/Sleeping Swan From the previous position, lift your right leg up to the sky and then bend your leg as you bring it forward towards the top of the mat, bring your right foot towards your left hand so the shin comes down behind the wrists. Bring your back leg down towards the floor and slide it back so it’s straight. You may shuffle your front foot forward or back to accommodate your flexibility and you may add support under your right hip if dropping to that side. You can stay upright or fold forward. Stay here for 10 breaths.

6. Square/Double Pigeon If leaning forward, push yourself up, remove the support under the hip and drop onto the right buttock. Slide your front foot forward until it is in line with the front of the mat, then swing your back leg forward (double pigeon) placing it either on top of the right leg so the left knee is about the right ankle and the left ankle is above the right knee (you can add support under the left knee if it’s raising up) or place the left leg in front of the right leg on the mat (square pose). Stay upright for now.

7. Kegels Stay in the above position and take 30 squeezes of the pelvic floor/perineum area. You do not need to match your breath to this. If you are not sure where these muscles are, they are the muscles you squeeze if you stop urinating mid-flow (please do not practice this whilst urinating as it can lead to urine infections). If you are not used to this engagement you may feel like you need to engage a lot of your lower body to do it- and that's ok,

10. Savasana Come to lying on your back in your resting pose, legs straight and wide with arms alongside the body. Tune into the sensations in your body. Is there any eroticism, stimulation, arousal? Do you feel any pleasure or any different sensations than before the class? Don't worry if you don’t; there may be a disconnect between mind and body but with practice you should be able to tune into these micro expressions of sensation and pleasure. Stay here for as long as you wish.

but with practice you should be able to isolate the exact pelvic floor muscles. Once you have

8. Downdog Return to downdog and repeat this sequence on the other side

9. Frog Once completed on the other side, drop the knees down onto the mat. Come to all fours and then slide your legs to the side (like a side splits but with bent legs). Try to get 90 degrees between the hips and the ankles. You can keep your arms straight, come to forearms or lie on the mat. You can also use props under your chest or head. Stay here for 4 minute

My Lustyoga classes are available online in a live zoom session. For my full range of services and classes including Sexology and relationship therapy sessions as well as emotional release and full body breath orgasm classes please see my website at: https://www.beckycrepsleyfox.com/ You can follow me on instagram @becky_crepsley_fox Or, listen to my podcast Sex Unshackled which focuses on sexuality and spirituality topics.

You can find this wherever you get your podcasts or via https://sexunshackled.podbean.com

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YOGINI FEATURE

What is Meditation is all about Meditation may be an ancient tradition, but it’s still practiced in cultures all over the world to create a sense of calm and inner harmony. Although the practice has ties to many different religious teachings, meditation is less about faith and more about altering consciousness, finding awareness, and achieving peace. These days, with the greater need to reduce stress in the midst of our busy schedules and demanding lives, meditation is increasing in popularity. Although there isn’t a right or wrong way to meditate, it’s important to find a practice that meets your needs and complements your personality. There are different types of meditation practices. Some of them you can find on my online yoga portal ‚MahaShakti Yoga Studio‘ on the App Eversports.

“

Not all meditation styles are right for everyone. These practices require different skills and mindsets. Try some of them out on my online channel. Looking forward to seeing you! Much love, Veronika www.mahashakti-yoga.de

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”

New Year and Distant healing by Claira Fernandez With a further national lockdown in place to start the New Year we may feel our New Years hopes and plans being dashed. Though we may have to lock down physically we do not have to be locking down mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The past year has been challenging for lots of us on the mental and emotional levels and hopefully we have found different ways of coping with these stresses. Being out in nature and meditation are some of the buzz coping mechanisms that have been taken up last year. And anything that helps you is Brilliant ! Some people however find it hard to get into nature, for my self it takes a 30 minute walk before I am at my local common where I can lose myself in nature. Some people cannot cope with the walk or do not feel like they have the time or whatever else it may entail to enjoy nature. Meditation takes effort, there’s no two ways about it. It takes commitment and perseverance. True, the benefits are considerable once you get into a routine with it and it becomes part of your life. But it can take a while for the mind to quieten and to reap the rewards of a regular daily practice. Reiki Therapy induces a meditative state and is effortless. Some of my clients report that the benefits from the reiki can deepen over a course of sessions, but all experience a feeling of relaxation after the first session. All that you need to do is sit back, be open! Throughout the lock down I have been working remotely, using distant healing. The work is performed exactly the same way as if I was working with the client physically in front of me, the feedback from clients both old and new have been very encouraging. Check out some testimonials from distant healing clients written during lockdown on my website. Reiki healing can provide you with a way out of the emotional and mental turmoil that you may find yourself in as a result of lockdown or otherwise.

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As it looks like we have at least another month or 2 of full lockdown I would like to give a very simple overview of how distant healing works as to many people it remains a mystery. But now modern quantum physics is explaining how energy healing and other traditional ancient healing practices work. So, in a nutshell…. Quantum physics has demonstrated that there is one vast quantum field underpinning our universe, a heaving sea of energy. This energy is everywhere, it is all around us, it creates everything and flows through everything. It is through the movement of this energy that energy therapists bring balance to our body. The therapist tunes into the frequency and vibration that our energetic bodies are operating at and then rebalances the energy in our system by moving or adding energy as well as removing blocked energy.

Our energetic body affects the emotional, mental , spiritual and physical aspects of our selves. Modern medicine concentrates on the physical aspect of our bodies yet our physical body cannot exist without our energetic body and vice versa. They connect and integrate each other to bring a healthy life. When the Energy in our bodies is not in balance we live our lives in a compromised way. All of this energy is around us constantly, nothing is separate, we and everything are interconnected. We are packets of quantum energy constantly exchanging information with this inexhaustible energy sea. It is this interconnectedness that starts to explain how distant energy therapy works. Quantum Scientists have coined the term non-locality which suggests that all points in space are equal to each other and that it is meaningless to say that anything is separate from anything else. This concept implies that energy is not going anywhere it is already there , the energy is always there, present, waiting to be put to use. The Energy therapist simply connects and opens a pathway to the energy field of the client. All that is required is the client to be open and wiling to receive the subtle yet effective energy transmission. Quantum Physics is a vast and very interesting subject but to keep it simple and readable and easily understood I have kept it very basic. Any questions please drop me a line and I will do my best to answer. Happy New Year to all my clients and anyone reading this article. I urge all of us to look after ourselves and put self care firmly on our New Years list of priorities in whatever form works best for you. Be Well, Claira @clairafernandez https://www.energyhealingforall.com

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It amazed me how many people do not know what yoga is .Of course it's very confusing since all you see on social media is a fixation with attaining yoga posture and physical practice. And that's where most people are learning their yoga from. Unfortunately long are the days gone after of teacher to Student transmission. Or teachers that where long time student before they became teachers. Now a days everyone that’s flexible ,can handstand or does a 200 hour YTT with no previous yoga experience is a yoga teacher and yoga has been washed down into a very thin shallow layer.

Well, as I always say postures (Asana) are only one small aspect of yoga. In fact I think if Patanjali was too see what’s come of yoga right now he’d be shocked Patanjali considered the father of yoga wrote one of the most important texts on yoga,. The Yoga Sutra’s. A simple yet very complex and deep book on yoga ,the nature consciousness and liberation.

We focused on defining yoga and learning about the all aspects of yoga on my last online course. And I was so surprised to see that really most people had no idea about any aspects or what yoga was. Most of them thought yoga was

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stretching and postures. I guess I take that for granted after 25 years of yoga practice. I have decided to shift a little bit the attention and share a bit more of this practice beyond postures and spiritual quotes. Yoga postures are there not for the postures itself but two transcend them. Not to create more attachment to our bodies and our egos but to liberate us. They are there for the qualities we learn through the practice of them.

Patience, resilience, discipline, humility, concentration, love perseverance, and so on.

Maria Margolies @Holixtic

How Running Change My Life

It made me love my body

It broke me out of an unhealthy relationship with alcohol

It made me more confident

All I saw in my body we’re in perfection growing up. I was so tough on myself. I constantly obsessed on how I could change it and I different think I could do. I crash dieted. And then I ate crap. it was nothing gas is consistent and nothing in moderation . Running helped me to see that my body is amazing for It could let me do. I stopped being focused on societies standards for me and my body, and started appreciating it for the amazing think it was. I fueled better because I wanted to feel better consistently .I did not have to crash diet My way to losing the weight, my body found the right weight for me As I enjoyed Movement. Enjoyed feeling myself to move more.

I moved across the country to get back control of my life, and running was basically the bridge do a new life for me

I loved chasing goals and reaching them .And in more recent years- NOT reaching them. But having to learn how to TRUST & BELIEVE in myself when the results were slow coming . Confidence isn’t based on results. It’s based on KNOWING who you are and what you are destined to be.

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I stop chasing the approvals of other I spend so long worried about what others thought of me then even with your running I spent the first few years feeling totally insecure and that people thought less of me when my running was going poorly. Please what matters is how God feels about me and how I feel about myself. not carrying the weight of others approval has freed me to chase after my dreams and step into my potential.

KIM @trackclubbabe

ASANA OF THE MONTH

CHAKRASANA METHOD: In a standing pose take a distance of 10-15 cm between the legs and bend slowly backwards. Keep the hands on the ground to in chakrasana.

BENEFITS: Beneficial too nervous, digestive, respiratory systems. Cardiovascular co-ordination. Influence the hormonal secretions. Bring flexibility to the vertebral column. Increase efficiency in all 33 vertebra and muscle attached. Pressure an internal organs of abdomen and increases its efficiency. Improve strength of arms, thighs and calf muscles.

CAUTIONS: Spinal column ailments or Stiff spinal cord, heart trouble, high blood pressure, hernia

@Yogini_Sophie 51

Tratak METHOD: Sit in Vajrasana or Sukhasana. Keep the body erect, head steady, and neck straight. Keep the thumb in front of you and fix the eyes on the nail of your thumb. Slowly move the hand towards the end of your shoulder, keeping your eyes fixed on thumb nail eyes wide open and no turning of the head. Maintain the gaze without flickering eyelids. Repeat this for the other shoulder. After the other shoulder, take your thumb towards your nose and gaze at the tip of flickering eyelids.

without

Bring the thumb to the starting position and slowly take it towards the center of eyebrows Now gaze at a point between the eyebrows similarly. If the eyes are tired, close them for some seconds and start again.

BREATHE Breathe normally.

FREQUENCY 3 Times (Alternately) each shoulder gaze, increase duration from 15 seconds to 1 minute gradually. Cup your hands and cover them over your closed eyes for rest after completion of all 3 rounds.

BENEFITS Eyes and mental stability

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Yoga Transformation @chira_yogini

Gym Transformation @unbeatablesarina

Running Transformation @trackclubbabe

Choose Your Type 😉

@kzadoradeideas

YOGA SHOOT YOGAYATRA | APRIL 2021

@Becky_crepsley_fox

@Yogini_sophie Near Victoria Memorial KOLKATA

THE NEW NORMAL

#HAWAISUNDRI

THE NEW NORMAL

@liana_scott

MEDITATION WORKSHOP - 2 hours LIVE ONLINE !! with Veronica

Description: The mind is naturally restless. Start by ridding him of this quality. Give him peace, free him from distractions. Educate him to look within and make it a habit! ”Ramana Maharshi About this beautiful workshop: Veronika passes on information from her extensive 30 years of experience in meditation. The background is explained and the real essence is explained. Classic meditation techniques from Zen Buddhism, from the Ayya Khema tradition, from the Swami Sivananda tradition, Sahaj Yoga and techniques such as the chakra cleansing meditations are practiced together, and help is given at home. This is a great way to find the type of meditation that appeals to you, so that you can practice alone at home and train your mind. Important: Your own meditation practice or yoga experience is NOT a prerequisite! The workshop provides support in the event of difficulties in practice and introduces everyone who wants to start over with meditation to the background and forms of meditation. Those who are already practiced receive helpful tips and suggestions. The state of classical meditation corresponds to a mental peak performance of the brain. You learn in the moment to be in calm concentration and mindfulness and to increase your memory and receptivity. One of the best exercises to train the brain in all its aspects on the one hand and to free yourself from unnecessary ballast and stress-generating thought patterns on the other. With regular meditation, the body, mind and emotions relax and a feeling of peace, joy and serenity develop. Especially in times like these, it is so important to learn to align your thoughts. I am happy to help you cultivate a regular practice (again). Collect your questions before or during this workshop and ask me anything you want to know about meditation. I'm happy for you! Veronica

Online Stream: There is an online stream available for this activity. To participate, take the following steps: This studio uses Zoom as their streaming provider to online stream their activities. Download the according software or app to your laptop, tablet or smartphone. The access to the online stream is available 15 minutes before the start of the activity. You can find the link for the online stream in your online profile under "My bookings". With a click on “Join online stream now” you will be forwarded to the corresponding page and you join the activity online! Specific streaming providers, eg Zoom, allow participants to see each other through the video camera. If you do not want to show yourself or the personal environment, you can deactivate the camera function or cover the camera. The name you enter when you join the online meeting room will be shown to other participants. However, you can change your name at any time (eg only specify the initials).

Trainer: Contact Veronica @Veronika_mahashakti_yoga

DATES: