Breathwork, breathing exercises, prānāyāma, whatever it is, the first step is to get clear on how to breathe.
The Year of the Dragon could be your year of the breath through the nose. And why not?
This week’s topic of focus for Wellbeing Wednesday is massage therapy. Having lived in Thailand for almost a year now, I have found that having a weekly Thai oil massage has been such an amazing addition to my overall health and wellbeing! So, let’s take a further look at the history, development, techniques and benefits of massage, for not only the physical body but the mind and nervous system too.
In today’s blog I will shed a little more light on the magic of music and sound and how it contributes to our overall wellbeing.
In today’s blog we will explore the Biohacking movement and look at some of the simple methods and techniques that have been adopted by Biohackers looking to optimize their health and wellbeing.
In this blog, we explore the essence of Buddhism and the significance of taking refuge in the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha. It's not about escaping life's complexities but embracing them with wisdom and compassion.
Over the years, the yogis developed some guidelines which are known today, from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras as the yamas and niyamas, the laws of nature...
Oftentimes in life we walk around like zombies or do things out of habit with not much awareness and little thought of the consequences. Perhaps you’ve heard the saying: “For every action, there’s an equal or opposite re-action.” So what does this metaphor mean and how much of an impact does this have on our lives and others’? In today’s blog we’ll explore the effects of our actions, thoughts and efforts and how they ripple outwards into the world…
Working out as a different level of physical activity to yoga- learn more about the difference and how you can make it work for you...
Something special seems to happen for human beings when close to the ocean. The magic of the seashore and beach visits have been an essential remedy to our modern, increasingly urbanized, way of living.
We need to eat to survive. Human beings however, have taken eating to a whole other level. Food is not just something we consume to stay alive, it has become part of who we are, our communities and cultures.
What IS time? How does it work? Can you create more of it? How much of it do you waste?
Samahita has taken over the luxury villa and garden property next to us. We have designed and built 20 new spectacular rooms - right at the beach.
Climate anxiety is on the rise, so we’ll also take a look at this phenomenon, what are its implications on our wellbeing and see what we can do to cope.
They say, “you are what you eat” and this is certainly true, for the most part. What is your relationship with food? Do you know where it comes from?
Good advice in an elevated, emotional situation indeed! “Just slow down, take a deep breath, slowly exhale…” Maybe you just had some upsetting news, or you were in a car accident, or your boss took off at you which sent you over the edge! Whatever it was, I’m sure you’ve been in some kind of situation where your adrenalin started going, your mind was racing, your heart started beating faster, you became anxious or fearful, out of control.
In last week’s blog, we looked at the building blocks of life on earth as a foundation to then build upon when looking into some of the topics that influence us as human beings in this day and age. So in this article, we will dive in to some further detail about the REAL elixir of life, water. For us to BE WELL, we need to consume between 2 and 3 litres of water per day. Dehydration, even if it is mild and goes un-noticed, can have negative effects on the body, and mind, including mood, digestive issues, cognitive and brain function, nutrient depletion and skin problems. Here’s some of the reasons WHY we need to stay properly hydrated…
No, I’m not kidding… When you break down life into its simplest form, using the elements, we are indeed just a combination of the 6 elements: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur and phosphorus. So human beings ARE made of stardust! In today’s blog we will also look at the historical development and knowledge of the elements to get a clearer picture of ourselves, humanity and life on Earth through deeper understanding and different perspectives.
Samahita completes its 20th year this year, from 2003 to 2023. And just like a new born baby back then it has gone through its infancy, growth stages, fresh maturing, to now, what feels like, a clear and comfortable confidence in what Samahita is and why it was set up.
Before the physical Samahita took form we would lead retreats and trainings, initially in Costa Rica (1999-2001) and then in Thailand (2001-2003). Around March 2003 while leading a training I was asked would I not open my own center. I still recall my reply, “No,” but I did elaborate. “Why would I want to run a place and deal with all the hassles and burden when I can teach a program and then go home and do my own thing?”
I don’t know about you, but I’ve sure felt at times in my life that my mind is so busy and there’s so much “stuff” to worry about! We gather, collect, add, accumulate and hold on to so many things as the years go by, both physically (as in things, stuff) and mentally (within the mind). Whether we realize it or not, it influences our day-to-day lives in the way we respond, react, cope, think, believe and engage with ourselves, others and the world around us.
Alcohol is made from ethanol and flavoured water. A grain, fruit or vegetable is fermented (yeast or bacteria reacts with the sugars in the other ingredients) and ethanol and CO2 (bubbles) are produced. It’s then made into the finished alcoholic beverage, where upon consuming, it is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream via the stomach and small intestine. It is metabolized in the liver by enzymes and affects every organ in the body. It is a central nervous system depressant and harmful use, causes a high burden of disease with significant social and economic consequences.
We like to believe that we're independent thinkers, making decisions and choices out of our own free will. We convince ourselves that our desires, dreams, aspirations, likes and dislikes come from our true authentic selves and "nobody tells ME what to do!" Well, unfortunately that's not quite the case.
Since the dawn of time and the creation of our solar system, the sun has been at the center of our galaxy and holds all the planets in a stable orbit around it while providing light and heat, thus allowing life on earth. The earth has evolved over millennia into what we are familiar with today.
Over the last few years, health and wellbeing has gained a much greater level of importance in our minds and our day to day living. The industry is certainly becoming more mainstream, and consumers are focusing on personalization, price and functionality to meet their health and fitness needs with a bigger focus on sustainability and authenticity from the brands they intend buying from
This week’s Wellbeing Wednesday we take a look at probably the MOST important aspect to making any gains and improvements to our health, both short and long term. We all want to be able to deal with life’s circumstances and overcome setbacks and difficulties, no matter what comes our way! Most of us would like to achieve this in a positive way, “glass half full” as opposed to empty… So which are you? Can you change your frame of mind?
This week’s topic of focus for Wellbeing Wednesday is massage therapy. Having lived in Thailand for almost a year now, I have found that having a weekly Thai oil massage has been such an amazing addition to my overall health and wellbeing! So, let’s take a further look at the history, development, techniques and benefits of massage, for not only the physical body but the mind and nervous system too.
Welcome to “Wellbeing Wednesdays”…
A weekly post/short blog on topics of all things related to our Wellbeing as humans and of course, in relation to our beautiful planet Earth! So let’s begin with understanding what it is to “BE WELL”, and how do we get there…
On one level, a good grasp of any topic can be explained in a simple manner. True. Yet at the same time it is easy for the receiver to miss the nuances and take the simple as the full and accurate explanation.
Hence, on the other level, especially from those who gave their words to yoga over 500 years ago, yoga cannot be understood if not experienced, explaining it, even defining it can only mislead. True.
So both are true. Well, we need a working meaning and explanation. And this is possible. It may start simple but must continue to be unpacked. More interesting, the process of unpacking is (part of) the process of yoga.
A prominent and experienced personal trainer in the NY fitness scene in the 1990s had gotten quite interested in yoga. She was making the connections between all she had learned in anatomy and physiology for sport and what she was experiencing in the physical postures, breath management, and mental focus in yoga class.
more intimate questions to another one of these wonderful people teaching at Samahita so we can all get to know them better. In this week’s letter we shine a light on Gill
Samahita has been fortunate over these 20 years to have some very dedicated students who became instructors who developed as teachers. The time, sincerity, dedication, integrity, willingness to explore and work on understanding the human condition, gain expertise in how the body works, devote time to the breath, and tend the various strands of mental life bring one over years to a teacher’s level.
First thing to note: you will laugh. So be careful. Spontaneous free-flowing laughter is great for your soul, your heart, your brain, your total biology, your relationship at home later, but may make non-swinging walking-by grown-ups feel uneasy (but really they’re just jealous coz you’re so free).
The meditative process requires engagement and reflection, fine tuning insight which results in heightened discernment. This one essential key to aiding balance in life now occupies your thoughts. What is understanding? How to develop it? Understand what?
Over the years I’ve noticed how the style and level of assistance my teacher Paul has offered his students. The methods a teacher uses to do this can be explained in terms of gross, subtle and causal (or very subtle) in a similar way the different levels of awareness and personal practice evolve. Although all three levels are employed by experienced teachers from the outset I have noticed a marked shift over the years, of my teacher, towards a more subtle hands off approach.
Our conditioning runs deep. Both from the prior influences on a life and the processed experiences throughout a life. Whether you term that genetic and epigenetic factors with social inputs on various scales or you prefer to see past life karma present in the current life with the addition of how you respond to the various inputs.
What happens when you are presented with choices, questions of what to do now or next in life, dreams you’d like to convert to actualities? What do you do? How do you respond? What is the initial trigger?
Samahita is now open after 20 months of closure. Gill shares her experience traveling back into Thailand using the quarantine-free Thai Pass system.
Deep avoidance and fear of yoga is something I’ve experienced on occasion, so perhaps you have too. When I was in Mysore, India studying at Pattabhi Jois’ house, I got up very early in the morning, often at 3 or 3:30 am to prepare before practicing. It would usually take about an hour and a half of psyching myself up—doing meditation, prāṇāyāma, and prayer—in order to face his front door, which I equated with the portals of death.
Perhaps you’ve heard these phrases, arising in the next best self-help podcast or book, “believe in yourself”, “fake it till you make it”, and more like that. Rather than self-help it becomes self-deceit, delusion, and less than productive, not just for you but for all. And what do they even mean? or represent? Typically a desire to “be” someone, to “get” something, to “be recognized”.
Dangerous stuff.
How are things going for you lately? Some challenges? Nice surprises?
Do you stay evenly balanced through the challenge-surprise cycle? Or does it get wild? Does practice go on and off?
That shala was a mental image 15 years ago, put to paper, planned out, and constructed. It was built for people to be in, to engage in practices that have been done for centuries. In line with what these ancient teachings recommend such a shala is a place of peace yet vitality, supportive and serene, to allow you to go within, to aid you in the transformation of consciousness. This space, this shala, has a purpose. Not built to double-up as some event space in a hotel with yoga on its menu. The opposite of that. To offer the experience to learn, practice, and delve deeper into yourself in a unique space dedicated to change, for you, for people, to be here, with the necessary hospitality infrastructure.
The mind left to its own devices is lazy, fickle and follows the path of least resistance. Buddhi, genuine and sincere effort, intelligent, and understanding, requires a degree of effort where there is no room for a lazy mind.
When you say you’ll do something then do it. When you express a sentiment then mean it. When you promise faithfulness and loyalty then be it.
There are many perspectives and opinions to answer such a question. But how many of them truly satisfy our deep yearn to understand? We can also ask it in a few different ways: what’s life about? why was I born? is this all it is? am I supposed to be doing something here?
The real value, the enduring effect, the actual benefit only comes from building a regularity, commitment, sincerity of “just doing it”. Or as I like to say just do it, but with awareness, with connection, like you mean it.
a greater understanding of how people behave, the nature of this world as out of balance, its place as a tricky learning ground of a variety of experiences can strengthen, not replace, your empathy.
Attention on the breath within a comprehensive yoga approach can be an effective way to address our psychological well-being.
Why so?
The respiratory system is now known to be plastic, characterized by ongoing changes in the neural control system. These changes are based on previous experience and long-lasting expressions.
The practice of the ancient hathayoga humming breath “Bhramari” has been recommended for hundreds of years that when done repeatedly and correctly produces “an indescribable blissful experience that fills the mind”. Similar to the practice of repeating the sound of Om on an exhale, it is a wonderful practice that delivers many benefits.
It’s too easy to take breathing for granted, allowing the respiratory system to do its thing, keeping us alive and functioning, without any conscious effort, day and night. Is your breath pattern supporting your health in the best way it could though?
Boost your health dramatically by ensuring you are breathing through your nose – at all times – whether directly doing breathing exercises, a yoga-asana practice, household or work duties throughout the day, or while sleeping. The benefits of nasal breathing compared to mouth breathing have been well researched, and are worth understanding so you can optimize your breathing habits and ensure they are functioning well.
Within a comprehensive breath practice repeated and measured breaths are taken. The exhalation is typically elongated and drawn out when compared to the inhalation. The value of breath training and practices with a specific focus on the exhale, have been shown to have a number of physiological benefits, ranging from the prevention to the care of certain conditions.
Have you ever been told, or maybe you have advised someone else, to take a breath to help calm down? It is a common, if acute, piece of advice. It may give a momentary relief but this effect is typically short-lived as a few deep inhales aren’t going to transform your physiology. In fact, only focusing on big inhales can exacerbate your anxiety. Instead of focusing on how deep your inhale is tune into the length and completion of your exhale. Aim to do this when not upset and you will find it becomes part of your normal breath functioning. This takes the same time and energy investment as the above acute advice but turns it into “breath resilience”, something you can cultivate over time by regularly practicing controlled yet simple breathwork activities. Subsequently, your capacity to adapt in different stressful situations without succumbing to negative mood and affect, known as “emotional resilience”, can be a possible outcome.
Ask anyone would they like to take a relaxation break and the majority would respond emphatically with a “yes”. In fact, it’s so easy all you have to do is lay down on the floor wherever you are. Could be under your desk, in a dedicated room, on your bed, the garden, even the beach (if you’ve been lucky to get one of those this year). So why do so few take such breaks?
Did you know that your hands can assist you to tune in easily to the natural movement of your breath, bringing more awareness to this ‘simple’, automatic bodily function?
We know that by consciously working with the breath you can improve your health and reduce anxiety and stress ( Breathwork in times of Stress), but even before starting a breath practice there are some natural, simple ways to be with your breath, to create more awareness to your patterns, and start to override them in a beneficial way.
It all starts with the hands.
How are your energy levels these days? Are you feeling energized when you wake up? What about the rest of the day? How efficient is your digestion? Are you having two bowel movements a day? Yes....two !! Now how does one do that?
Breathing exercises are the specific techniques of breathwork, done regularly in a routine, to train the respiratory apparatus and regulate the function of the respiratory center in the brainstem.
Prānāyāma has been referred to in modern literature as ‘yogic breathing’. This is an attempt to differentiate breathing exercises as noted in the yogic texts from general breathwork. Yet the term ‘yogic breathing’ is unsatisfactory as it neither defines or accurately explains the nature of prānāyāma and instead implies some alternate obscure way of breathing. Ironically, prānāyāma correctly defined means ‘no breath’.
Mitāhara – moderate eating – then becomes the clarion call of how to manage food with a yoga practice, whether your aim is a healthier physical body or a wish to progress in meditative practice.
There is no direct advice given in any older yoga teaching that demands being a vegetarian or vegan. Though you may interpret some other aspects, as in non-violence, to mean vegetarianism, but that is a full debate of its own.
Yoga, Breath and COVID-19: lifestyle behavioral support mechanisms Approaches to manage the physical and psychological burden of stress from living through and after the current global pandemic
Yoga, Breath and COVID-19: lifestyle behavioral support mechanisms
Approaches to manage the physical and psychological burden of stress from living through and after the current global pandemic
Yoga, Breath and Covid-19: lifestyle behavioral support mechanisms
Approaches to manage the physical and psychological burden of stress from living through and after the current global pandemic
“Breathwork” has become frequently used in the popular search for respiration developing and improving routines. In support of an official definition we offer:
The regulated activity of inhalation and exhalation consciously engaged in, to exercise and optimize the organs of respiration and brainstem nervous impulses that control breathing, with an outcome of improved respiration efficiency across a 24-hour period.
The current coronavirus pandemic has led to a surge in research around the nature of the virus and what happens in the respiratory tract. The practice of yoga, particularly Hatha yoga, has been focused on respiratory tract health, from the nasal cavity and sinuses right down to the lungs, for at least 1,000 years. Now a major scientific study published in the journal Cell has characterized specific ways the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 infects the cells of the nasal cavity to the greatest degree as it then continues to infect down the respiratory tract to a lesser degree
Life as we know it has been on what may feel like an endless pause. For many of us this has been cause to reflect on how, like it or not, we’ve landed in this exact point in time through every choice, habit, action and reaction we’ve taken so far in life. We may wonder what the greater meaning in all of this is. Does Mother Earth have a message for humanity? Have we been far too distracted from what really matters in life? Are we being given the chance to take a good look at ourselves?
Beyond the economics of the global crisis, what is the psychological and emotional burden of these events now, a year from now, and even a generation from now, and how can they be addressed from the point-of-view of the living individual?
Anatomical physical improvements to your respiratory, neuroendocrine, cardiovascular and digestive systems:
Improve the capacity and functioning of your diaphragm, your primary muscle of breathing which in turn leads to easier and deeper breaths.
Breath is with us from the moment of birth, a fact of life that we allow to go on as we take it for granted. Yet at any moment of compromise, such as being out-of-breath, we immediately suffer. This suffering may result from a malfunction in the body because of low oxygen (hypoxia) or an upsurge of fear as we feel the connection to life is threatened. Breath is that important, that powerful. It influences every metabolic function, meaning your level of energy and subsequently how you feel.
This article teaches beginner level breathing exercises using the 1:1 or 1:2 ratio for inhale and exhale.
This article teaches intermediate level breathing exercises using the 1:1:2 ratio for inhale, pause and exhale.
This article teaches advanced level breathing exercises using the 1:1:2:1 ratio for inhale, pause, exhale, pause
Correctly learned and practiced breathing exercises not only will improve your immune system but increase the robustness of your respiratory system, essential elements against any type of respiratory tract virus or illness. In addition expect gains in your levels of physical activity and cognitive ability, meaning how you currently use, and can continue to use, both your body and brain.
This practice is good for all but inspired by the question recently of what to practice due to having contracted the virus. The hope is it helps if dealing with the virus or similar but also aids the energetic force in preventing it. See it as an energetic immune support, beyond mere physiological explanation of what the breath can do
In recent years it has become normal to see exercise as a great regulator of health and even an aid, if not improver, to cognition, how well your brain works. There are numerous studies that now quite conclusively show this. (1) This is great news. Only 100-150 years ago physical activity was considered to leave one dull-minded and it was actually a raised objection by the educated groups, at least in India, to not engage in activities like yoga asanas and other physical force.
This is a practice to counter the rising chronic effects of anxiety leading to stress burden. Further work can develop the breath as a personally empowering routine which requires a sequence beyond that recommended in this 10-minute practice. Refined practice with the breath tends to fall under the classical Pranayama techniques which we teach at Samahita Retreat. There is a distinction between breathwork and Pranayama yet both involve the breath.
A panic or anxiety attack is an acute response and can benefit from immediate breathwork.
This is a practice to counter the rising chronic effects of anxiety leading to stress burden. Further work can develop the breath as a personally empowering routine which requires a sequence beyond that recommended in this 10-minute practice. Refined practice with the breath tends to fall under the classical Pranayama techniques which we teach at Samahita Retreat. There is a distinction between breathwork and Pranayama yet both involve the breath.
A panic or anxiety attack is an acute response and can benefit from immediate breathwork.
You can address both an anxiety attack and the ongoing burden of anxiety through breathwork. You can do this as its own technique or in combination with other therapies or medication you are being supervised in. It is not meant to replace other treatment. If you are on medication or in other support therapy treatment it is wiser to continue with that and build up the breathwork practice gradually. It is not recommended to drop prescribed medication or other treatments in the hope that breathwork will fix it. Any benefit from these practices come from a regular practice over the long term.
You can address both an anxiety attack and the ongoing burden of anxiety through breathwork. You can do this as its own technique or in combination with other therapies or medication you are being supervised in. It is not meant to replace other treatment. If you are on medication or in other support therapy treatment it is wiser to continue with that and build up the breathwork practice gradually. It is not recommended to drop prescribed medication or other treatments in the hope that breathwork will fix it. Any benefit from these practices come from a regular practice over the long term.
You engage in pure intimacy everyday. It’s called breathing. How deep it goes is a matter of difference between individuals. That depth and the breath’s effect can also be stifled with reduced intimacy based on how you mentally appraise a situation – an emotional response displays as anxiety or one that is managed and reveals resilience.
Within this recent historical time period the physical body moving approach of Surya Namaskar was developed. A key manuscript describing it by the Maharaja of Aundh is only about 120 years old. The “Namaskar” system that became more popular from the 1920s on collided with calisthenic practices and other physical forms of workout. Indian gymnasiums were a mixture of Indian martial arts, flowing sun salutations, calisthenics with the practice of āsana done after the heavy physical work was done. A giant in this field and the first to research yoga and its effects in scientific experimentation, Swami Kuvalyananda, was asked by the Bombay government of the day (1932) to produce a pamphlet detailing āsana practice and routines for one, the physical development, and two, for one who is looking more at a spiritual approach. Here was presented the “jumping”, burpee-style movement between postures. This was a system that Krishnamcharya fully adopted at the behest of the Maharaja of Mysore as they were planning to open the school there. He refined it in the Surya Namaskar noting specific sequenced steps as “vinyasas” coordinated to a particular movement of breath.
April 22 is Earth Day, with this year marking its 50th anniversary. The theme for Earth Day 2020 is climate action. Climate change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable. Join Earth Day Live for 24 hours of hope and optimism with live streamed discussions and actions you can take from wherever you are on www.earthday.org. And enjoy Anthea’s poem in honour of this important day….
In order to breathe a vast respiratory apparatus and neuronal programming is required (1). It is deeply wired. However, based on changes to our lifestyle as we grow and eventually age both this respiratory set of muscles and organs, as well as the integrity of nervous impulses that direct it, typically reduce in efficiency. This affects our physical health as well as our response to that state of health and other stimuli impacting us each day. Though the breath is by and large an involuntary process, it has the unique capacity for conscious intervention whereby we can manipulate the motion of breathing. Done well, with understanding, it can change our entire physiology and how we feel mentally. That is powerful.
Expert advice might be harder to find in an online jungle today. So, first qualification, I’m “at-home” (obvious one ;). Second, a rare combo of advanced practitioner-teacher with stress scientist-researcher on the practices of yoga, breathwork, meditation (quick tip – those three are all actually yoga but I am a victim of modern reduced vernacular of yogic terms) training. The simple and humble hope is to be able to offer some help as April might be our most intense month yet.
Stuck at home without much to do? Or too much to do but it’s all stressful? Or bored? Or just not interested that much in what has to be done or what could be done? Thinking more about “what if’s”?
Many people with sleeping disorders resort to medications as it it seems to be the only choice left. But what if all you needed to do to prevent stress and get better sleep was to add more prebiotic foods to your diet? New research is pointing the way to lifestyle changes and eating habits as a remedy.
How do you ground yourself as nervousness and uncertainty rises around you, both tangibly and digitally, in response the global spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19)? Survival mode, in nature, means taking extra measures to move slowly and carefully against your natural tendency of “fight or flight”, to instead head the warnings from this systematic response and flip into a calmer parasympathetic mode. It’s often more advantageous to conserve your energy
Completing a Yoga Teacher Training is an experience of a lifetime but what happens next? Many students are happy just to carry on with their newly deepened understanding of yoga and the lifelong friendships made during the training. Others continue training to maintain the momentum of the learning process. Others teach their friends, get jobs in established studios or take the leap to establish their own business. Whatever happens we take our own unique path and the journey unfolds sometimes in unexpected ways.
Elimination diets are often recommended to determine the cause of gastrointestinal issues and food intolerances. An intolerance being where you have trouble digesting a particular food and experience some manageable symptoms, as opposed to an allergy which is a lot more serious. The point of the diet is to temporarily remove all potential causes of the symptoms and to reintroduce them slowly to test how you react. While the approach sounds simple in theory, it can in reality be rather challenging to do as we are so used to the foods we eat every day. Radically changing our eating habits, even temporarily takes some planning, preparation, and determination. There is however a simple version that can prove to be helpful for many.
Sometimes we have only a few minutes to get into and use the body, where we can get out for a run, walk, hike, cycle. We may feel as though we are too busy, or focused on a task, but those few minutes can help brain functioning in the long run. New research shows that regular exercise improves cognitive function. Another recent study shows that how intensely we dive into that activity actually effects different parts of our brain. If you are going to run, do you pace yourself consistently? Or work rest in between bursts of sprints? Curious? Read more….
Who doesn't like chocolate? Despite been utterly delicious it's also a popular health food. However, not all chocolates are created equally. Some are full of sugar, unhealthy fats, additives and artificial flavorings. To ensure you’re getting the health benefits from your chocolate, make your own with this simple recipe.
With the rise in popularity of detox programs, products and gimmicks there is much warranted debate and push back around certain claims from the detox industry. It’s easy to dismiss the detox movement when most of what is being sold to us has very little or zero scientific evidence to back it up. Yet cleansing practices have existed for thousands of years, so why is that? Are we even toxic? Is detoxification a real process in the body? Do any of these modern detox programs or products actually work? Valid questions in this debate.
What does it take to motivate and inspire ourselves to exercise regularly? The desire to be fit and strong, to lose weight, to be fitter and healthier? Is it the buzz of a long intense workout or simply to have a happier and fulfilling life?
Some human populations have a long history of exploring the breath underwater. Ama divers, in Japan, have been using long breath-holding techniques to harvest shellfish and seaweed at depths for more than 2000 years. Researchers have shown that we modern humans all share the same physiological qualities necessary for long breath-hold dives under the sea. it’s not a matter of specialized genes. The diving response can be practiced and trained. Read more about the incredible physiological effects of freediving and long breath holds.
Many cultures around the world have enjoyed various induced sweating rituals for centuries, from saunas in Finland to Russian banyas, all of which have become popular worldwide today for health benefits. In recent years, science has provided clear evidence that induced sweating is particularly effective for the elimination of toxins. Good information for anyone that wants to embark on an evidence based detox program.
Are you getting the most from your workout sessions? Follow these three tips to reap the benefits of even the most simple workout and find out how avoiding premature death, according to these studies, could be as simple as moving and sweating more often.
Most people really suffer from jet lag after travelling long distances. The good news is that suffering IS avoidable -- you just have to be willing to change some flying habits i.e. not do what most people are doing on long flights. It’s worth it!
We believe in, and are excited about, offering you value and quality in space, place and activity – a truly healthy and clean choice of food, an environment where you can personally transform, and a set of tools and practices you can learn, bring home, and keep up that help your life and well-being.
Many people knowingly or unknowingly consume too much alcohol, and the effects of too much may silently or loudly echo through our lives and maybe even the lives of others around us. As we know, too much alcohol can have traumatic effects in people’s lives and bring about minor and major health concerns. Rebecca Newell gives us five important tips to remember before taking that drink.
The new Samahita Cookbook has arrived and to celebrate we are giving you the first recipe free. Now you can make creamy & delicious raw carrot cake at home for your friends and family.
Creamy, naturally sweetened topped with a thick vegan cream cheese frosting plus its gluten and sugar free. A healthy, wholesome and delicious dessert for everyone.
Do you struggle with sugar cravings? Here are some potential reasons and tips to help you break the cycle.
Sugar seems to be a big culprit of getting in the way for many people trying to live a healthy life. We know it’s not good for us, it messes with our hormones, our moods, energy levels and creates an environment for disease. But we keep going back for more. Why?
The benefits of probiotics are well known within the health and wellness community and the health-aware public alike. As well as simply helping digestion these friendly microbes within our gut microbiome impact our immune system in positive ways such as competing with harmful bacteria and producing antimicrobial compounds. Taking antibiotics compromises the gut microbiota which is why you may have suffered diarrhea while treating an unrelated infection.
Samahita Retreat embodies the quality of a home more so than a commercial resort, emphasizing not just a personal healthy approach but one that cares for the planet with their sustainable practices and commitments:
Cruciferous vegetables belong to the Brassicaceae family of plants. These vegetables are low in calories and high in nutrients, typically vitamin A, C and K as well as dietary fiber. They are unique because they possess sulfur-containing compounds called glucosinolates, which have been shown to have cancer-fighting properties. So why do we need to eat them? Learn More
Ladies, it’s time to look at empowering ways we can take charge of this important aspect of our health. Our breasts. With so many women in society being affected with breast cancer it’s vital to spread the facts and education so we can make the best of this one life we have.
Fear shows up for me a lot, as I believe it does for many of us. It can show up in yoga practice (scared of being upside down, anyone?!), when you have to make big decisions, take action, speak up for yourself, or ask for help. The difference for me now is that I’ve simply got better at acting despite fear. Because at some point I recognized that fear was the biggest blocker between where I was and who I wanted to be, living the life I wanted.
An all time favourite on the Samahita Buffett now available for you to make at home. With its unique texture and flavor and healthy vegan credentials these delicious Quinoa Pancakes will soon become your breakfast of choice. Along with the easy to follow recipe is a video with Chef Nui talking you through. Enjoy!
Is it possible to go from novice meditator to clear and awake brain states in 10 days? With a little bit of data and our guests personal account we present an individual's journey from brain fog, energy crashes and disrupted sleep to mental clarity, calmness and deeper spiritual awareness
At Samahita we are proud to introduce a new sauna technology for your health and well-being. In addition to our SunLighten Sauna with offers full-spectrum infrared sauna, you can now utilize the power of focused, pure Near Infrared (NIR) sauna experience, with technology by SaunaSpace. We are the only place in Asia offering NIR true to the original design.
For many people taking a detox is challenging but a highly rewarding experience. Feeling lighter, healthier and happier are common outcomes and makes all the effort worthwhile. But what happens after? Its easy to slip back into unhealthy habits or get stuck in a detox-retox cycle. This blog explains how to maintain that healthy rhythm in your life, make sensible food choices and realise that its not just about what you're eating.
Men are overcoming their reluctance to step into the "feminine" world of a yoga class. In the US 28% of yoga practitioners are guys and this is increasing year on year. Many gyms and studios are introducing special classes and some guys are realising how a body-mind practice opens them up to a new experience of life. We have asked three guys to discuss taking the plunge into yoga and enjoying the all-embracing environment of Samahita.
We can eat all the healthy, nourishing food but if we are in a job that we don’t like, no amount of organic kale will bring wholeness to our wellbeing. If we are in a job we love, and then go home to a toxic relationship, our wellbeing is compromised and affects all areas of our life.
I invite you to take a look at these 5 pillars and see what may need some attention, change or perhaps reinventing.
Samahita is introducing a new white rice dish to the menu. White rice!? Samahita has not been serving white rice for years so why the change? Well, research has shown that cooking white rice with coconut oil, then allowing it to cool and be reheated, decreases the glycemic index and increases the levels of resistant starch - a prebiotic.
The moments before dawn are my golden time. In that space before the sun rises, in the stillness, I can feel the earth taking a deep sigh as the day magically begins to unfold. Sitting in nature, feeling the nourishing sensation of my breath brings me immediately back to my source.
Tom Yam soup is a traditional Thai favourite and full of medicinal goodness thanks to the Lemongrass, galangal root, fresh line and kaffir lime leaves. Refreshing and full of flavour. Often prepared as Tom Yum Gung with prawns we present here the vegetarian version.
The entire earth and the depths of the oceans are full of plastic. It enters the food chain. Shrimp found in the deepest ocean trenches have been found to contain microplastics. This is both a local and global problem. Small decisions we make such as refusing a plastic bag or bottle has the potential to reduce waste by millions of items
Yoga, though ancient in origin, is now found around the world in one form or another, from traditional ashrams to the modern yoga studio offering its different styles of classes. To take a deeper look reveals asana practice as the most conspicuous representative of this vast tradition of yoga. Many who practice yoga today will not know what the kriyas of hatha yoga are but have most likely come across a few of them in a modern interpretation of those techniques.
Thanks to Conde Nast for featuring Samahita in the 2019 edition of the Conde Nast Spa Guide.
"Expert-level yoga and stress-annihilating breathwork in a serene beach setting."
How fascinating it is that the human heart, the muscular mega-pump that delivers oxygenated blood around our bodies and the center of our circulatory systems, is also the center of our emotions. Its emotional capacity is vast, from the ability to feel love, compassion and to care very deeply, to sadness, pain, anger and even hate.
Paul was recently posed some questions on how and why I got into yoga and eventually started Samahita. It has become an interview online and so we reproduce the questions here.
I recently shared with friends the spiritual and life practices that enhance my and their lives. This conversation sparked from the term, Biohacking, a techie term used to describe the practices of Biohackers, such as Dave Asprey
Light therapy is as old as the sun. Unfortunately today we limit our time in the sun so we are not overexposed to ultraviolet rays and their damaging effects. As a therapy away from the sun modern technology has learned to harness visible red light and invisible near-infrared light to penetrate the skin’s surface and enact healing to both organs and skin, including the brain.
Not all fats are created equally, as we hopefully know. But are you really eating the right fats to support your brain and overall health?
Learn how to make Ghee with this simple recipe. Ghee provides healthy fats good for your body and brain. Ghee is a staple food in India and the traditional food of the Yogis. Its really easy to make and great for cooking.
The topic of health typically revolves around a degree of ill-health in and through the body and ways to improve the function of the body. When mental health is discussed it is usually under the area of psychological pathologies or a depleted brain that no longer performs in a normal manner, labelled under dementia. However, the health of your brain impacts every thought, behavior and action
What is the purpose of biofeedback? The traditions teach us how to sit, concentrate, eat and abide in appropriate ways conducive to meditation. We learn to observe our breath and clarify the senses with the intention of delving deeper within our Self. It is here where the biofeedback begins. So what happens when modern technology is introduced?
According to Ayurveda, sattva is the quality of nature that contains balance, peace, harmony, purity and clarity. It is one of the three subtle qualities or ‘gunas’ that exist in all of nature. Anthea's blog gives 5 tips on how to cultivate a satvic state for a healthier, happier and balanced life.
Looking for inspiration and motivation? Sarah will give you 5 positive steps to follow before embarking on a new project or looking for that spark to get yourself going
Elephants are used widely throughout Thailand in the tourist industry for providing rides and performing shows. These unfortunate elephants work continuously throughout the day carrying tourists back and forth. It may seem like an exciting novelty but these beautiful animals are worked to exhaustion for decades, given their long life span.
Nowadays it is increasingly common to hear about people being vegan or vegetarian. What is the fuss about? It can be a way of life, especially in the yogic tradition, but its popularity is increasing, especially in Europe and the USA. Is it a passing trend or does it really have an impact on your health?
Prior to coming to Samahita, I had read the Yoga Sutras in two attempts. At first, I was intrigued by the Sutras but found them really difficult to understand and a bit dry. This changed when I started to read Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi, a fascinating book that brings alive yogic saints and the concepts of spiritual practices and miracles.
The research on sleep and understanding coming from it is increasing every year. Poor quality sleep first and foremost, and then duration of sleep, are considered main culprits behind several disease states. This blog does not plan to write a synopsis of all this wonderful information. Rather, it is a help to address a question recently asked in class, and common everywhere, “I can’t fall asleep … is there a way to breathe and sleep and calm down?”
You’re committed, ambitious and competitive. Dedicated to your practice, getting up every morning without fail or taking those 3 classes in a row at the studio. All is well and your friends comment on how much improvement you’ve made until one day you’ve hurt your knee, wrist, lower back and shoulder! Maybe its time to calm things down and reflect on the true motive behind your effort.
"The understanding of this has really helped me put things into perspective.
Having been anxious and holding onto previous experiences and jobs that haven't gone as planned,
and having also struggled with finding self-worth as a full-time mum."
During philosophy class this July Tiwariji emphasized the importance of making space each day to practice and talked about how to practice ‘nicely’ according to the yoga texts, specifically the Hatha Pradipika, which in the first chapter delves into 6 obstacles and 6 ways to have success in yoga.
These tips can still apply today for those of us trying to successfully integrate yogic practices into our modern-day lives.
Over the month of August a wonderful group of people came to study on our Centered Yoga: Education in Yoga 200 hour teacher training program. It is a month immersed in practice, study and deep discussions, unravelling yoga and life. But it is also a personal and transforming journey that goes beyond practice and into inner experience, the space yoga aims to touch.
Whether opening up the cycle room in the quiet light of the early morning sunrise, teaching breath and movement in our open-air beach shala, with the sound of the waves in the background, or taking a moment in between teaching a core or cycle class to watch large, jungle green leaves move around in a cool breeze, the same two words surface - nature and space.
Back in 2006 when I was 26 years old traveling in India and thinking about where life would take me next I had a conversation with a yoga teacher (of whom there were plenty). He recommended traveling to Thailand to take Paul Dallaghan’s one month Training course. Paul who? At that point I had no plans to become a yoga teacher but the thought of spending a couple of months in Thailand learning even more about yoga was appealing. So I applied for the course whilst still in India and received an acceptance email shortly thereafter.
Why we serve miso soup every evening at Samahita.
Simply put, miso soup is good for you! It’s probiotics in a bowl. Probiotics (good bacteria) are essential for a healthy gut, helping to balance your gut microbiome (bacteria in your intestines, gut flora). The gut flora influences the function of various internal organs, such as your skin, lungs, breasts and liver. Good gut health is known to be linked to our overall mental and physical wellbeing, SO, we want to take care of our gut.
Life is constantly changing. This was something as a child I found really difficult to accept or understand. Fortunately years of teaching in primary schools taught me the value of this constant change, spending a year or two guiding, inspiring and instructing young children and then setting them free and watching them fly. I am constantly blown away by stories of where life has led them and feel so privileged to have been a part of their journey.
The reality is we are in a continuously oppressive, destructive environment. That doesn’t mean to set a negative tone or context; it just means there are numerous forces we have to deal with: environmentally, and through physics and so on. To put yourself in the savasana position requires a complete release of bodily tension, which is not what we allow to happen very much in other moments of our lives whether sitting or standing for example.
When we talk about managing injury, in one sense, just for daily wellbeing, we want to manage this on a body-health-stress level. But the other sense is that the state of mind or personal spiritual progress – in other words your attitude and how you understand things and look at them – is a key component in all of this. It’s not enough to just do it; we need to do it, understand it, and absorb into it.
Death, disease, old age, friends leaving, jobs lost. People change, situations change. ALL the time. Everything is temporary. Everything, including life itself. Which can be really hard to accept. Some struggle to handle even the smallest changes in life. Why is that?
Because the mind is a bit tricky and has a way of controlling us, if we let it. If allowed, the mind will happily spin out on thoughts of fear and worry about life and all that could happen. Poor me, life is so hard, what if, why me etc. etc.
Having kids doesn’t necessarily mean losing your yoga practice especially if you’re prepared to make a few adjustments to your routine (you’ll have no choice anyway). Each stage of your Childs development has its own challenges and opportunities for example newborn babies wake up at night but they also nap during the day so that gives you extra time to relax and connect with yourself. Whatever the situation it’s important to find balance of your commitments and your own personal needs.
Here are 5 tips to help you cope.
Diets that promote inflammation tend to be high in refined starches, sugar, dairy, saturated and trans-fats. Choosing foods which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber from vegetables, and many natural antioxidants and polyphenols actively lower inflammation in the body
Though Samahita may be physically closed (for now) we are virtually with you. We are still committed to deliver good information and turn into action in your life. Part of that is to share the profound benefit of great practices I have experienced and been taught over the years. As you can see from the image below, we believe in and encourage you to tap into key ways that increase your energy level, quite literally. Hence the cold shower challenge.
Paul was interviewed for Yoga Journal China about injuries and yoga practice. As he explains, it is not as straight forward as addressing a body-tissue injury. That is merely one factor. You need to look at injuries brought from outside class and unfortunate injuries occurring in a pose, but also how you approach practice, where your focus is, how the breath fits in with injury prevention, the vital place of the lower abdomen in managing the body and thus any possibility of avoiding injury, and intelligent ways to modify that help you heal and grow instead of worsening the issue or staying stuck. This interview transcript is from the spoken word, so slightly different than when written, and is brought to you in three parts.
Somatic Movement is nothing new. It is, however often bypassed amidst the frenzy of what is “trending” in yoga or fitness to push you to your limits and increase your caloric expenditure. How sad.
Somatics do just the opposite. The process of somatic education turns you internally, rather than focusing on external form. Ultimately, we produce more efficient movement, meaning that we actually use less energy. Working intelligently with movement by tuning into the somatic nervous system forces you to move slowly while you learn movement to create healthy neuromuscular patterning.
I believe a lot of the time our cravings are from a lack of balance in our lifestyle. Given how busy everyone is these days, trying to fit everything in, we often lose sight of the important things and plough into mundane, energy draining tasks, and forget about our relationships, our health (exercise), our careers (staying in a job we dread going to every day) and no connection to our spirituality.
Start standing behind the Bosu placing the feet parallel about shoulder width apart then inhale squat down and exhale jump onto the Bosu landing softly in a squat with an inhale...
What can the street animal population in Thailand teach us about compassion and action? A lot. Each female soi (Thai for “street”) dog can reproduce up to 20 pups every year. The economic situation in Thailand made it impossible for locals to a) prevent a population explosion and b) give basic care to these animals, no matter how much they wished to.
Yoga, though also physically challenging at times, has a focus to balance nervous activity, teach integrity of posture, to encourage this through stamina development and holding of positions. Some positions are just too complex for the average person or too intricate to be added to a fitness routine, which current yoga approaches try to do.
If you have ever asked why do yoga and fitness? Isn’t my yoga my fitness anyway? What kind of workout goes well with yoga? How to do yoga to fit a workout? Or still don’t know why a longterm yoga practitioner would also embrace other workouts, then please read all, or part, of the following to get an understanding as to the genesis of YogaCoreCycle and how the bigger picture of yoga requires such activity, within moderation.
In yoga classes we are encouraged to keep our mouths closed, breathing only through the nose. Yet this is highly advised off the mat as well, and for several good reasons. The evolution of our systems to partially separate the passage of food and air is sophisticated and well studied.
As I was about to write this introduction I found my mind drift to many of the great wonders and benefits my life has received in these many years in yoga. I happened to just go to Daphne Tse’s pledge site and play her new song, which she sang with us back in July and will again this Christmas. It always stirs my heart. Similar for me is the great music of Jack Harrison, a good Irishman who I have been happy to be part of his music journey out there.
The answer to this is something that evolves over time, with one’s development, as the experiences and insight grows and changes. In the beginning I can’t say why I practiced other than I liked it. I remember saying to myself “this is the most intelligent form of exercise I have ever done”.
Consider yoga as just a word, or term, for the process of being internally connected, a light to look at oneself, separate to outside study. One might ask, “what supports such a process?” Hence the many approaches within yoga and spiritual paths in general. My point is that yoga is a term for that, “internal focus and connection”, just as gravity is a term for a certain exerted external force.
Personally I think life is beautiful and great. An underlying understanding from many philosophies is that life is full of suffering. Which it is, especially if you really look at all we go through. However, how do you approach this? I realize the temporariness of life. I am personally going through the difficulties and challenges of life. Yet somehow, everyday, I feel great and very upbeat, from deep within.
What I would like to say though may seem contrary to the usual advice but please take it on, as I have to myself: if you’re feeling challenged, down or overwhelmed, though the practice is of benefit, and do take time to clear the mind, but even more immediate is to get the things done in your life that need to be done. It is said our suffering (“dukkha”) comes from not taking care of things in our life that need to be done. If you are thinking, ‘I am out of balance and off-center’, then do what has to be done.
This is the beauty of the yoga method and why it is still available today to those interested in looking within. On the surface it goes through popular shifts but at its core it answers the perennial question still haunting mankind: to know thyself. So let practice evolve and change but aim to understand the teachings. Don’t be attached to the techniques nor the teacher, but connect with the teachings.
One of the more discussed and misunderstood topics in yoga, the common belief is that it is celibacy, a complete abstinence from sexual activity. But this is only part of the picture.
“Brahma” is the Ultimate Reality, the Creator. “Char” is to move. Literally then the move to the ultimate reality or more practically put, ways or methodology to be used for self realization.
The essence of it is a lack of, or at least a reduction in, selfish behavior. The mental attitude is not one of “what am I going to get, what can I get or I really want that”, but rather no interest to acquire and keep. There is a stronger urge to give and share, use things as needed and be willing to let them go when done.
“I will not hurt you.” Is this a promise you are willing to keep or at least try? Could you extend it beyond your family and friends to all members of society? To all animals and insects? Not just in action but through what you say? To totally taking care of your actions so that even a seemingly non-hurtful one is done mindfully so there is no indirect hurt? To watching all thoughts that bring up negative and hurtful images and feelings within?
Pratyahara is taught and discussed in many texts on yoga and related philosophies. A thorough presentation of the topic would require much reference, a lot more than is necessary for this article. So without getting too academic and caught up in all the texts let me attempt to offer a simple and workable understanding of it.
Since the dawn of time the refined mind has understood that one’s behaviour, actions, speak loudest about the character of an individual. We are taught growing up that “talk is cheap” and “actions speak louder than words”. It is the actualization of this through our systems where satya lies for us.
There is a big difference between something that is clean and something that is pure. If you were to hold out both hands and have a flower placed in each hand, one being plastic and totally clean, the other being real but with some dirt still on it, could you tell the difference? You can tell just by feeling. Automatically you know which is artificial and which is natural. You know instinctively because it is your essential nature.
Questions that come up in every training and retreat — without fail! -reflect concern about a woman’s monthly cycle. And it is always surprising how many students deal with amenorrhea (absence of periods) or irregular periods.
A woman experiences two or more (depending on pregnancies) significant hormonal shifts in her life, which can dramatically impact what’s going on for her physically and emotionally when she comes to the mat everyday. If you are teacher, ask yourself… before you adjust someone in an asana, do you take into consideration what tendencies they are predisposed to because of their gender?
Many pregnant women look to start a yoga practice during pregnancy, and although they should go to a Prenatal Yoga class, what happens when they show up to yours? Without the proper knowledge, it can be frightening to glance up at the group when your class is starting to see a woman with a baby on board. Too often, pregnant women are actually ignored in classes, or just told to “skip this one” because the teacher doesn’t know what to do.
My last article left you at Sirsasana while I was 27weeks pregnant with twins. I had gained 14kg and was feeling fantastic on the mat and off. That 14kg turned into nearly 30 by full-term and Sirsasana became a calculated risk, but I still felt amazing, for the most part.
Paul Dallaghan’s Interview for Inner Peace Conference in Amsterdam:
"I was sent away at 16 on my own to work and live on a farm in rural France. Much time was spent in nature, either working or quietly alone. Without me realizing it was a key meditative time. That was the first key transformation for me with a few later key shifts occurring so it is now lived on a daily level."
You may say, “but I’m breathing all the time.” True. It’s such a vital function that without it you wouldn’t be reading this. The quality of breathing varies greatly, however, leaving most people seriously undernourished and overstressed.
Follow and DO as you read.
Sit at the edge of your chair.
Try to straighten your spine.
Put one hand on your navel.
Put the other hand on your heart center.
Inhale through your nose.
An auspicious event. It happens only once every 144 years. Of the four sites Allahabad is the largest. It is held here every 12 years. On the occasion of the twelfth of these it becomes the Maha. But this is determined more by astrological alignments than a multiple of years. January 2001 saw the largest gathering of humans in one location for one particular event, ever.
