Benefits of Practicing Yoga While Pregnant

July 9th, 2010

Guest Post From: Jasmine Kaloudis

For Information on Guest Posting on the somiblog, contact somibo@somibo.com

jasmine-kaloudis-synergy-by-jasmine-face-pic

Often women that are pregnant discover yoga since it is a way to heal, gain body awareness and nurture oneself. Yoga when you are pregnant helps to strengthen the body for child bearing and aids in relieving the common discomforts the body experiences. Yoga helps you find the time and space to look within yourself, allowing you to openly explore your own intrinsic knowledge about the cycles of life.  It is an opportunity to come together with a circle of women to share and connect with some of the dreams and scares that pregnancy brings as well.

Cautions about practicing yoga while pregnant:

Since nausea is common during the first part of pregnancy it may be helpful to practice in a well-ventilated room.  During the second trimester your growing belly will require modifying some poses. Use common sense and avoid putting too much pressure on the abdomen in poses like Head To Knee Postures, Seated Forward Fold, as well as  Seated Spinal Twists. You may choose to reduce the amount of vinyasa if generating heat in the body makes you uncomfortable. The third trimester will require you to continue to adapt and even omit certain postures.  Standing poses like Extended Triangle Pose, and Extended Side Angle Pose can help relieve back pain. And a simple inversion such as Legs-Up-the-Wall-Pose can help to relieve puffy ankles.  Some poses might require additional props or support.  Through each trimester the most important thing is to tune in to what your body is telling you and alter your practice accordingly. During and after pregnancy, try not to be attached to your level of flexibility. Pregnancy is a great time to learn how to emotionally, spiritually and physically release.

Other words of wisdom for pregnant women interested in yoga:

Linking yoga postures with breath will lead you to new discoveries, bringing awareness to the mind, body and soul, and also the spirit of your growing baby. Your practice will help to foster a sense of calm and acceptance as well as strengthen the uterus and pelvic muscles, aid in digestion, exercise the spine and increase overall comfort. Yoga can also alleviate many of the discomforts of pregnancy such as nausea, varicose veins, swelling, back pain and sciatica. Being in a community gives you access to a safe circle so you can freely discuss any issues, from discomforts and concerns, to the wonderful new changes your body and baby are experiencing.

Jasmine Kaloudis teacher yoga and yoga teacher training at Synergy By Jasmine in Philadelphia, PA. Throughout her 15 year yoga practice and teachings, Jasmine Kaloudis has experienced how yoga as a tool which allows us to experience our selves more fully and more richly.

Send to Facebook

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in prenatal, yoga | No Comments »

Groovy Tunes to do your Down-Dog to….

June 17th, 2010

Guest Post From: Jasmine Kaloudis

For Information on Guest Posting on the somiblog, contact somibo@somibo.com

yoga-silhouette

One of my favorite things to do at places like Whole Foods or the store in a yoga studio is to put on headphones and listen to some of the music they are selling.  One of my main tasks when I am at Kripalu is to plunk myself down and go through dozens of CDs and then only let my self buy my favorite.

Just so you understand part of my leanings,  if a CD has a lot of slow-moving and then quick tempo songs I tend to dismiss those, even if I really crave them since I want to have one consistent mood when I am teaching and don’t have to get up and change the tunes….I just find that disruptive. I tend to stay away from loud bells or chimes in the middle of a long tranquil spell since it breaks the vibe.   It’s hard to hold tree  when all of a sudden you hear a clanging, “GONG”.

Most of the music works well for other things like massage and other spiritual activities and some of them are just easy and sensual and great for just chilling. if you don’t like hearing someone chant Oooooommmmm for a full twenty minutes when you are practicing then you can check these out.

So here is my list, in no particular order.

Deva Premal and Miten.  For long-time yogis and yoginis they will come as no surprise.  For those new to yoga, they have a soulful and sensual way of chanting ancient mantras.  I have played this for lots of non-yogis when I was just lounging at home and they commented on how beautiful and soothing the music is.  My favorite song is “There is so Much Magnificence”…..I contemplated playing this at our wedding.  There is a deep healing quality to their music and they seem to be quite therapeutic whenever I am going through “stuff”.

The Gift of Love. Deepak Chopra.  I worked at the Chopra Center in San Diego for a year and was exposed to some really great stuff.  There are actually a few different sets.  They’re all groovy.  A lot of this music is fairly sensual as well and most of it is in English.  Nice, modern beats to it.

Ekova – This usually would not come up in a Yoga class.  These beats are faster moving and funkier…they feel african at times since there are some deep rhythmic beats.  I wouldn’t recommend this for massage but for a a more vigorous yoga class.

Spa Sonique – Don’t let the froo froo feminine cover turn you.  This has some very melodic beats, great for massage or a romantic night as well.

Spiritual Chillout – One or two of the songs I always skip, but the rest of them really bring me to cozy place.  Great to chill to.   No Sanskrit chanting on this one.

Snataum Kaur – She does traditional Kirtan or chanting, some in English, some in Sanskrit.  Her voice is very pure and angelic. One of my Indian pals hates going and hearing westerners chant in sanskrit…she says it hurts her  Indian ears to have westerners butcher the sacred, ancient words of Sanskrit.

Jai Uttal – He also does traditional chanting, mostly in Sanskrit so his CDs would be better suited to a yoga student that is more familiar with Sanskrit chanting.   Very hypnotic.

Krishna Das…or KD as those in the know would call him.  He is probably the most well known in the chanting circles and tends to have the biggest draws.  I like his CDs but his concerts seem to always tear the house down and not to be missed.

Wah!(Exclamation is not a typo folks.)  Probably the most rock-and rolly of all the other names in the chanting circuit.  She is a master at melding traditional chanting with modern music and fuses them together for a very chill yet funky genre.  Some of her songs are quite slow and soulful but many of them have a faster tempo and would be good in a chill-party atmosphere.

Donna Delory – All her songs are in English and they have a very soft, healing, nurturing quality to them.  I also like to listen to this to work through “stuff”.

The Soul of Healing Meditations – Deepak Chopra.  Most of the songs are slow and tranquil but a few are more upbeat so it could put a glitch in the rhythm if you are teaching this during your yoga class.  This has some great guided meditations though on it. You’ll just have to time it right to go with movement and with the more meditative parts of your practice.

Rasa Mello- This probably would have been one of my favs for a faster moving class but I had a coworker at the Chopra Center that used to play this every day even though we all yelled at her (Amanda, where are you now?) This does have some funky beats, probably too upbeat to do during massage or meditation though.

Jasmine Kaloudis teaches gentle Partner/Couples Yoga classes at Synergy By Jasmine in Philadelphia and can be reached athttp://synergybyjasmine.com
info@jasminepartneryoga.com or followed on http://twitter.com/synergyjasmine

Send to Facebook

Tags:
Posted in yoga | 1 Comment »

Partner Yoga Increases Intimacy For Couples

June 6th, 2010

Guest Post from: Jasmine Kaloudis

For Information on Guest Posting on the somiblog, contact somibo@somibo.com

partner yoga

Partner Yoga or Yoga for Couples is a gentle practice which combines techniques and exercises from yoga and massage. Union is the essence of yoga. Joining in postures and stretches while supporting each other, enhances awareness and brings new depth to one’s connection. The practice takes you to a place where you can take a retreat from your normal self.

Partner Yoga focuses the mind and increases strength and flexibility which are done in the spirit of nurturing and play. Being able to focus on our partner and allowing our partner to focus on us, is is a gift which we rarely give ourselves. The practice builds trust, communication and intimacy on verbal and non-verbal levels.

Yoga for couples is a fun adventure into intimacy, play and relaxation. The poses are simply a doorway for couples to step deeper into their connection. When you stretch with your partner, your bodies melt each others tension and tightness. Whether your relationship is fresh or stale, partner yoga can potentially renew your connection with your self and your significant other.

Partner Yoga is a great way to learn surrender, build trust, and deepen intimacy. If you have never done partner yoga before, it is both meaningful and fun, and people say that they feel more open-hearted and alive afterwards. To find a class suitable for your fitness and body type, make sure to ask the teacher before-hand if previous yoga experience is required and if the poses are physically challenging. If you are a beginner, you should aim to take a class that has gentle poses that are not done in a heated room.

Some poses challenge your balance, strength and flexibility, others require your total trust and surrender. Each exercise and breathing technique uses the power of the partner dynamic. Partner can often achieve more than if they were practicing alone. This yoga style requires no special equipment and can be done in any open space (the living room, gym, or park).

There are various levels of partner yoga and other more advanced forms are called Acro-Yoga, (Acrobatic Yoga). This practice is best suited to those that are more advanced in their yoga practice and is best done with a spotter since many of the poses are more acrobatic and adventurous in nature. They also challenge balance and strength and on can fall out of position more easily since they are acrobatic in nature.

For free images of partner yoga poses with tips on how to do them, email info@jasminepartneryoga.com with “Request Partner Yoga Poses and Tips” in headline.

Synergy By Jasmine – Yoga For Couples – http://synergybyjasmine.com

Throughout her 15 year yoga practice and teachings, Jasmine Kaloudis has experienced how yoga is a tool which allows us to experience our selves more fully and more richly. She now lives in Philadelphia.

http://twitter.com/synergyjasmine – Follow us for inspiring quotes, vitality, meditation, yoga and stress-management.

Send to Facebook

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in yoga | 1 Comment »

Yoga Sutra of the Day

May 29th, 2010

Guest Post From Kyle Miller

For Information on Guest Posting on the somiblog, contact somibo@somibo.com

“Yogash chitta-vritti-nirodah.  Restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is yoga.”                                                                                                                                        -Yoga Sutras I:2

This Sutra, the second in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, essentially means that yoga is realized when identification with the fluctuations of the mind ceases.  When we can get away from the constant ups and downs of our mental state and find some constancy of mind, we are realizing yoga.  We cultivate the clam, steady, and unchanging true self within each of us rather then being pulled in a million directions by every little thing that happens in our lives.  This sutra is the practice of yoga and the goal of yoga.  It is a practice of knowing your true self and identifying with that rather then the emotional ups and downs we feel from the things that we experience.  In the commentary on this sutra by Sri Swami Satchidananda, he writes, “If you control your mind, you have controlled everything.  Then there is nothing in this world to bind you.”


My name is Kyle Miller and I was born in beautiful and sunny Santa Monica, California. I took my first yoga class almost ten years ago, when I stumbled into Maha Yoga looking for a great workout and absolutely loved the high energy, sweaty and joyful practice. At first, yoga was a completely physical practice for me. I went to work out and I often had to “drag” myself to class. Over the years of practicing, as I’ve learned more about yoga and immersed myself in its philosophy, I have experienced the profound effect it can have on the mental, spiritual and emotional self. Now yoga class is something I crave everyday as a means of rejuvenation for my entire being.


In January 2007, I graduated from UCLA, moved to New York and took my first class at Jivamukti Yoga. Initially, I was completely resistant to the style at Jivamukti because it was so different from the yoga I had been practicing. As I attended more and more classes, and began learning the philosophy of yoga and the concept of living yoga everyday, I was hooked and inspired to become a teacher myself. I wanted to live my life in a positive way and help others through this practice that was bringing so much happiness and strength into my life.


I trained at Sonic Yoga in NYC in late 2007 and at an Ayurvedic Hospital in Coonoor, India in early 2008 (read all about it in the Training Story section).


When I returned from India I felt ready to conquer the world and start teaching. Now I have established a thriving private practice with wonderful students throughout Manhattan. I’ve taught in offices, showrooms, living rooms and even a gallery space! I love helping my students get into a pose they never thought they would be able to and seeing their faces at the end of class, inevitably calmer and more joyous than at the beginning.

Read Kyle Miller’s blog here.

Send to Facebook

Tags: , , ,
Posted in yoga | 2 Comments »

Digging Up Your Inner Stuff

May 21st, 2010

Guest Post From: Joanna Scaparotti:

For Information on Guest posting on the somiblog, contact somibo@somibo.com

Joanna’s passion is creating mindful entrepreneurship and soul-centered authentic businesses in the wellness industry that seamlessly integrate values such as abundance, service and wellness with the freedom of flexible lifestyles and the benefits of creative community collaboration. Find out more at joannascaparotti.com

In the very near future, my Reiki Master students will be graduating from the 5 month intensive training program with their Reiki Master certification. You might think that a Reiki Master program is all about learning the Reiki System of Natural Healing techniques and how to use them on others.

That doesn’t really cover it though. Reiki Master training is so much more – it’s an investment in yourself. Working with energy is working with emotions, mental habits and behavioral patterns, especially your own. If you aren’t clear about your own inner stuff, you’re not going to be able to facilitate healing on a Reiki Master level for someone else. Reiki Master training is truly mastery of yourself. (If you’re interested in studying with me, look here.)

It’s been amazing to watch these perservering students focus on self-care in the face of much homework practicing techniques on volunteers over the last five months. It’s been empowering to witness them discover inside themselves the capacity to do things they had never considered before. Even more powerful than their courageous acts of facing their doubts and fears has been seeing them begin to manifest the dreams they’ve held quietly in their hearts for a long while.

I remember back to when I first graduated with my Masters Degree in Natural Health and then later with my Reiki Master certification. I was burning with passion and ready to launch myself out into the world as a wellness practitioner to help others on their healing journeys.

This was years ago before the wellness industry became a hot topic, and I had no idea how to start a practice. It was many years of attempts with other jobs to pay the bills in between before I finally figured out what it takes to be a successful self-employed service professional.

It’s not what you might think.

It’s not being the best in your field or even knowing all the special business systems that self-employed entrepreneurs use.

It’s really all about your inner stuff.

Where you are emotionally, psychologically and spiritually affects your clarity of vision. You need a clear outer vision -how you feel called to be of service in the world – and clear inner vision – knowing and trusting yourself and being open to inspiration. That is what it takes to succeed as a service professional with dreams of healing and changing the world.

Without this clarity of vision, your inner fears, doubts and subconcious patterns are going to put up roadblocks and hold you back from living out your calling. They will trip you up and hold you back from being as successful as you desire.

And there is nothing better for getting really deep perspective on yourself than working with other like-minded individuals who are also pursuing their dreams. The inspiration of motivated, passionate, compassionate individuals who are clearing away the blocks in their path to success can create powerful healing and bigger dreams for all.

In the last year, I have been working with heart-centered practitioners and entrepreneurs, sometimes one-on-one, but often pulling them together into groups to collaborate and dig deep in working on their inner stuff. These individuals are moving forward with their dreams to be of service and change the world from a place of clarity and confidence. Over the summer, I will be sharing their success stories with you.

If you have a dream and a calling to be of service too, but you don’t know quite how to work through your inner stuff, and if its keeping you from getting started or moving your dreams to the next level, one of my programs may be for you.

Joanna Scaparotti | Success Manifestation Authority |joannascaparotti.com | Be yourself and change the world! | 978-338-5571 | Joanna’s Meditations & Workbooks | stores.lulu.com/joannascaparotti

Also, check us out at thehealingcenterbeverly.co | A collaborative of practitioners& teachers offering healing & personal growth opportunities to the North Shore.

Send to Facebook

Tags: , , ,
Posted in alternative healing, reiki | No Comments »

Focus on Perinatal Massage

April 17th, 2010

Guest Post From Amy Gerard

For Information on Guest posting on the somiblog, contact somibo@somibo.com


Amy Gerard trained at the most rigorous of massage therapy training programs in the country, at the Swedish Institute in New York City and graduated with honors in December 2003. She holds a New York State license in massage therapy, as well as an additional certification in perinatal massage. Amy’s technique is an eclectic blend of classic Swedish and medical massage with a gentle Shiatsu influence, providing a restorative, deeply relaxing experience. Amy spent the last four years thriving in a private practice in Park Slope, Brooklyn, while also providing medical massage at a chiropractor’s office in Manhattan. After a recent move to California, she is excited to explore the beautiful West Coast and expand her practice in Oakland, CA, where she lives with her husband and sweet dog, Jake.

Pre and postnatal massage can offer enormous support to a woman during what can be one of the most exhilarating, yet painful and stressful times of her life.

In prenatal massage, specific areas are focused on to relieve sciatica, hip and low back pain. Pregnancy massage promotes better function of muscles and joints, improves circulation and overall body tone, and can help decrease your mental and physical fatigue. The benefits of prenatal massage can include:


• Assistance in maintaining proper posture; relaxation and decreased insomnia
• Stress relief on weight-bearing joints, such as ankles, lower back and pelvis
• Lessened sciatic pain
• Reduced swelling in hands and feet
• Preparing the muscles used during childbirth
• Fewer calf cramps
• Headache and sinus congestion relief

Studies show prenatal massage to be a safe and effective tool in reducing stress hormones in the body. During your pregnancy, your body is being changed, challenged and stressed in a myriad of ways. Prenatal massage affords you the opportunity to receive special attention and care, not only nurturing you, but your baby as well.


Postnatal Massage

When your pregnancy is over and you are enjoying your newborn baby, an entirely new way of life has emerged for you and your family. You have entered what is called the recovery phase. You may be feeling depleted and fatigued, experience muscle soreness and strain, various aches and pains, not to mention the potentially overwhelming emotions caused by the change in hormones in your bloodstream.

Postnatal massage provides physical and emotional nurturing during this pivotal time where you still need some extra support. It can help restore your body to pre-pregnancy physiology, and assist in the healing process after childbirth.

Postnatal massage is highly regarded throughout the world for its ability to help women recover from pregnancy and birthing.

The benefits of postnatal massage can include:
•Ease of muscle aches and fatigue that develop from a new mother’s rapid transition from a pregnant body (changes in chemistry, shape, center of gravity) to the body after birth (lack of sleep, new muscle movements, getting back into pre-pregnancy shape)
•Improved circulation throughout the body, reduction of post-partum swelling that many women experience
•Stress relief and emotional support

For more information about Amy Gerard’s massage therapy practice in Oakland, CA, please visit her website at amygerard.com

Send to Facebook

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in massage, prenatal | No Comments »