"Yoga does not change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees" B.K.S Iyengar
Winter - time of limited activity... So limited in my case, that I am adding this post when winter is already almost over ;). Needed an activating kick of spring to get this done :). In winter nature is resting and preparing for another cycle of activity. It is the most yin time of a year. People could also take the opportunity to slow down and explore their potential. Among the gifts of Water we may find:
During long winter evenings we may reflect on how Water gifts manifest within us. Try asking yourself the following questions:
If we feel that our Water element is out of balance, we may support it through:
Water meditation: Visualise sitting next to a lake. Look into the water, feel its texture with your hands. Imagine your body dissolving into the lake. Enjoy the coolness, darkness and stillness of water. Realise that now also its fluidity and power are yours. You can flow freely as your mind is free from framing preconceptions. Imagine the lake taking the shape of your body and staying within you. When you no longer need it, put your feet firmly on the ground and let the water feeling flow down with gravity and return to earth. Water supporting restorative poses (relieving fear):
Water yin (taoist) poses:
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This year, thanks to WOŚP Budapeszt and Polonia Nova , I had an honour to host a charity yoga workshop during the 30. WOŚP final in Budapest.
I'm very proud and happy, because although I have supported WOŚP since my teen years, it was the first time I had my very own event for them. We had one hour taoist yoga practice and one hour discussion on how to ease daily issues like muscle and joint pains, headaches, limited mobility after injury, insomnia etc. Thanks to everyone for coming and see you next year! If you would like to join my classes, check them here (bottom of the page). Want to try example workouts? See my YouTube channel :). If you are looking for private yoga classes in Budapest, contact me here. Happy to share further updates of my classes on AUM Jogakozpont site :).
Currently I run 2 classes per week and both are a mixture of animal and taoist yoga. Here is a summary of both styles and their advantages: Animal moves (or yin and yang) yoga is an art based on the Chinese healing practices originated 5000 years ago and then influenced by Indian yogis around 2000 years ago. It combines active yoga poses, passive yoga poses, chi kung movement exercises, visualisations and breathing meditations. Main benefits are:
Typical yin and yang yoga class starts with an earth element meditation, which is then followed by a flow of animal and element based postures. There are no rules regarding alignment or time of keeping the poses. The target is to feel the energy of the animal and/or the element of the pose, stop overthinking and to be playful. The range of animals 'portrayed' during the practice is very wide - it can be anything between a fly and a t-rex :). Animal moves method is great for seniors and people with limited mobility, because it works through the gentle movement that settles them in the pose rather than through long lasting or heavy effort. It is also a fun way for kids (even if it is only your internal kid) to start the journey with yoga. While doing animal based postures, we feel more like we are just playing around and not doing serious work. Which is helpful if we want to stay motivated and not discouraged by too demanding, serious practice. Restorative yoga is a perfect choice for people that live in a ‘bigger-better-faster-more’ environment and need to slow down. It’s also a good way to start a yoga experience for those who say ‘I would like to do yoga but I will never be able to bend like that’. Relax. Restorative yoga is slow and grounded, and you are fully supported by bolsters, blankets, blocks, chairs or walls. Thanks to this support, your body can gradually open in a passive way and switch from ‘fight or flight’ to ‘rest and digest’ mode. General benefits are:
Surprisingly, in case of people living under constant stress, ‘no movement’ yoga can even support weight loss, as it provides the body with additional relaxed time that is necessary for the digestion process. Majority of restorative yoga poses may be groupped in the following families: forward folds, backbends, twists, prone poses, inversions. Each family has its own specific benefits, and these are listed in a short guide below. You may use it to support yourself with home practice, between studio classes 😊. Forward folds - calm down the mind, cool the body, soothe the nervous system, relieve anxiety, encourage introspection, stretch the back side of the body, increase circulation in the pelvic area and help to relieve menstrual pain. Backbends - energise, invigorate, open the mind to new possibilities, relieve restlessness, stretch the front side of the body, help to open the chest area and release the tension held there, alleviate chronic back and neck pain. Twists - release the stuck energy, refresh and energise, neutralise the spine, detoxify, improve digestion and increase metabolism. Prone poses (lying on your belly, often combined with hip openers) - provide emotional release, reduce stress, fatigue and anxiety, help to easily fall asleep. Inversions - increase immunity, improve circulation in the body, relax and restore body energy. Looking for private classes in English or Polish? Contact me here. Joga po polsku w Budapeszcie!
We wtorki (10:00 – 11:30) i środy (17:30 – 19:00) w studiu AUM Astoria (https://pest.aumjoga.hu/) odbywają się zajęcia jogi po polsku. Wcześniejsze doświadczenie z jogą nie jest wymagane 😊. Każda poza ma poziom od początkującego do zaawansowanego, więc wszyscy znajdą coś dla siebie! Zajęcia są prowadzone metodą mistrza kung fu Pauliego Zinka, która jest doskonała dla:
W razie kłopotów z obsługą strony studia, proszę dać znać Magdzie: https://www.facebook.com/magda.karas.jurga Bilety można kupić online albo w recepcji przed zajęciami. Sprzęt do ćwiczeń zapewnia studio. Wszystkie informacje znajdują się także na PLinfo.hu. Dear International Yogis,
As AUM Jogakozpont studio at Budapest Corvin is closed, there are some changes to my class schedule. From January 2022, I will have:
To book in your class, go here . In case you woud have any issues with managing AUM booking system, please contact me through my website . See you soon! This short 5 Elements quiz will give you a suggestion of exercises balancing your current mood.
Make note of ALL options that apply. Do you currently feel: 1. Angry, impatient, irritated 2. Too excited, dispersed, ungrounded 3. Apathetic, worried, not able to take action 4. Stiff in the body, rigid in mind, sad, obsessed with perfection 5. Anxious, scared, overthinking 6. Balanced and happy Exercise advice: 1. You feel too much Wood, so try Metal: working on flexibility in static poses while keeping your body actively contracted, walking meditation in start- stop mode (move, stop, move, stop, breathe in, pause, breathe out, pause). 2. You feel too much Fire, so try Water: any moving exercises when your movements will be gracious, fluid and effortless, natural breathing. 3. You feel too much Earth, so try Wood: any vigorous exercises with energetic, springy movements, deep breathing connected to bouncing moves. 4. You feel too much Metal, so try Fire: ungrounded exercises, like balances and inversions, exercising for fun. 5. You feel too much Water, so try Earth: slow and grounded exercises (like restorative yoga), forward folds, steady breathing without changes of pace. 6. Lucky you - go on with anything that feels right at the moment! Try my balanced yoga classes in AUM studios in Budapest - book here (bottom of the page). Looking for private youga teacher in Budapest - message me! Yoga and taoist 5 Elements workshop in English is now available in Budapest!
The first of the 5 workshops will take place at AUM Jogakozpont Corvin, on 24. October, between 10:00 and 16:00. It will be dedicated to Metal Element. You can book your place here (bottom of the page). In case of any questions or issues, feel free to contact me. Details and outline: According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, we all consist of 5 Elements - Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal. Understanding how they work within ourselves and in the world around us will:
During the workshop you will learn:
We will engage you in multiple activities supporting your journey, like:
For the workshop you will need:
We provide a workshop manual in pdf format to all participants. OUTLINE:
– Controlling Cycle – Resonances
– Metal Resonances – Metal Gifts – journaling: Metal self- reflection – Metal Organs and Meridians – organ awareness meditation
Autumn... Even though some days are still hot, we see the first signs of fall in crispy evenings, cool nights, and golden-orange tones of leaves. Taoist Autumn is the time when Metal element is dominating - nature is diminishing its activities and preparing for the winter rest. Among the gifts of Metal we may find:
And during long fall evenings we can reflect on how these gifts manifest inside us. Try asking yourself the following questions:
If we feel that our Metal element needs support, we can do it by:
Metal element meditation: Stand up and wrap your hands around a big, metal object. Keep your body contracted. Breathe in, make a pause, breathe out, make a pause. Continue breathing in this way. Concentrate on the metal object in your hands and feel the metal qualities moving from it to your body. Feel your body becoming dense, strong and hard. When you are ready, let the Metal leave your body and return to the object in your hands. Start breathing in a natural way. Shake off all the stiffness from your limbs. Make a few circular movements with your head and torso. Metal supporting restorative poses (relieving grief):
Metal yin (taoist) poses:
If you are looking for yoga in English in Budapest, feel free to contact me!
My AUM Jogakozpont studio schedule is here (bottom of the page). ... A short guide to Hungarian registration system of AUM Jogakozpont Hi Expat Yogis! AUM Jogakozpont in Budapest offers many types of yoga classes in English (see here), but sadly, their registration system is Hungarian only. One option to go around this obstacle is to come to the studio 15 minutes before the class and get receptionist's help with the registration. Another option is to use my English / Polish guide and do it yourself online. Give it a try - it's not THAT complicated :)! If you would like to participate in my classes, please find my schedule here (bottom of the page!). I recommend evening RESTORATIVE classes, which are a mix of taoist (animal) yoga warm up with restorative yoga ending (dimmed light, relaxing music and aromatherapy). Any questions or issues - contact me! Namaste! Yoga in English Budapest – contact me: https://www.vimuktiyoga.com/contact.html or WhatsApp 0036303406364
As the days become shorter and nights cooler, we can feel that the summer has already passed its peak intensity. Late summer season starts, and it is goverened by the Earth element. Among many gifts of Earth we find:
It is a good time to have a self reflection on how these gifts are manifesting within us.
If we feel our Earth needs support, we can stengthen it by:
Earth walking meditation: Go to the place where you can feel contact with nature. Take off your shoes if possible. Start walking at a slow but steady pace (without stopping or changing tempo). Feel heavy, like if you were made of mud. Breathe slowly, steadily and deeply - below your navel. Grounding restorative yoga poses:
Earth yin (taoist) poses:
Free YouTube channel with restorative, yin, and yin & yang (taoist) yoga here. Studio classes schedule and booking here (go to the bottom of the page). Yoga in English Budapest – contact me: https://www.vimuktiyoga.com/contact.html or WhatsApp 0036303406364 |
AuthorMagdalena Karas - Jurga. |