Yoga can improve your Sex life!!! What?

The benefits of yoga are so wildly impressive, that I wish more people would utilize yoga for the chaos in their lives. The long list of yoga benefits includes: 

Better posture

lower blood pressure

 improved lung capacity

better balance

flexibility

weight loss

improved brain function

and many, many more

 But the one that I am going to focus this blog post on is the promise of a more fulfilling sex life.

We all know that when we work out our energy levels go up and so does our self esteem. This can improve your sex life but with yoga there are a few extra benefits that you may have never thought of.  

Yoga postures actually require you to use pretty much all of your muscles. When you are in standing position that forces you to support your own body weight such as Warrior and Balancing poses, you are increasing the strength of your sphincter muscle and the muscle that controls urination. 

What this means is that you are doing 10-40 minutes of kegals each yoga session. Daily kegal exercises are know to give you a much stronger orgasms so get out your yoga mat and get into position!

Being present during sex is harder then is seems even if it is wonderful sex. You might be living all that is happening but you get caught up in the sounds you are making, or start getting self conscious about the way your stomach looks that you end up missing some really great stuff from your partner, plus having an orgasm with chaos going on in your mind is near impossible. One of the main aspects of practicing yoga is being mindful of your body in each moment. You may bring your attention to parts of your self that you rarely pay attention to. When you are in tune with your body you can take any sexy situation to the next level. 

If you have never done yoga before you may think that it looks easy and is not a great workout. If you have done yoga before you know that you can get a sweat going and you get sore from a good yoga flow. A good Vinyasa flow strengthens your core and increases your flexibility. Working out gives you an energy boost but also boosts your self esteem, and in turn your sex life. . Thanks to a regular yoga practice, you can feel slimmer, more fit, and overall a lot more confident in your body. I also love to put on my yoga workout clothes. I bought some cute tank tops and bottoms that I love to wear and I feel sexy in them, So find some workout clothes that you enjoy wearing and that you feel sexy in to get your yoga practice on. And if your partners sees you in your cute clothes while doing yoga it may just turn them on. 

Some yoga poses can twist your body into positions that you may have never thought about before. your newfound ability to touch your toes and wrap a leg behind your head can certainly be put to good use. . Focusing on a few key yoga poses can help really enhance your sexual skills. For releasing tension in your groin muscles, try a seated wide-legged straddle. For increasing blood to your nether regions, cobra pose is your go-to. 

Now, try out some of those poses with your partner…naked. The possibilities (and the positions) really are endless.

Apparently, 6 in 10 Americans crave sleep more than sex. I'm going to go ahead and make the assumptions that is because we are always on the go and never take a break. Many couples are so sleep-deprived, sex often feels like just another thing on a never-ending to-do list. It turns out, doing yoga regularly works wonders for your energy levels and also helps you sleep better at night, which could be just what your sexual appetite needs. i can attest that most night i choose to roll over and go to sleep rather than staying up a little bit later for a romp in bed. By the end of the night i'm just so done with everything, kids, the dishes, the homework and all the kids activities. But a good yoga routine will help you get more quality sleep.

When you're bloated and feeling like a blow-up doll version of yourself during your period, Getting Laid is probably the last thing on your mind. And although going to the gym probably isn't high on your list either, getting in 35 to 40 minutes of yoga can help those pesky symptoms. In India, researchers did a study on 150 women with period problems including spotting, cramps, and heavy flows — half of which practiced yoga. After six months, those who maintained a regular yoga routine had lower levels of follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and prolactin, which lead to less severe menstrual symptoms. When you aren't plagued by cramps and backaches, you'll be more inclined to get your orgasm on, which also helps to relieve period pain.

When you aren't in a great mental head space, it can be difficult to truly enjoy being intimate with someone else. You generally need a clear mind to be feel fully satisfied with your sex life and yourself. It has been proven that yoga helps with all kinds of mental and physical troubles, including high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression. After 60 minutes of dimly lit candles, a soothing instructor's voice, and stretching out those sore muscles, you can't help but feel like a brand new, and much more relaxed person.

And if you are single you may just meet someone one in yoga class that has a lot of the same interests as you. 

So go ahead and start your yoga routine so that you can improve your sex life!

Bodhi Yoga - My Studio

The Gunas!! What are they?

If you have not taken a yoga teacher training you may have never heard of the word guna. 

What are the Gunas?

The word guna literally means “strand” or “fiber” and implies that, like strands of a rope, the gunas are woven together to form the objective universe.

The three gunas are the prime powers that make up and run through all substance. The gunas are energies that govern what is happening in the physical world. They can be studied and noticed within different yoga asanas, but are present everywhere in the world around you. As we move into a posture, the gunas show up in the lines of energy within the body. 

The three gunas are Rajas, Tamas and Sattva

The rajas guna is present in the forward backward movements. For example moving from downward facing into low lunge. Anytime we are moving our body from the front of the mat to the back of the mat or vice versa we are in a rajasic movement. A rajasic movement is dynamic, and passionate, like a stallion around a mare. Rajas is very back and forth, always moving, never stopping, and never slowing down.  In a conversation it would be when you are the one speaking.  

Rajas is the power that stimulates and moves.
It is dynamism, passion and activation.
Rajas is that which gives force and motion.
It prompts action.

We experience it as compulsion, agitation, drive, desire, attachment.

The tamas  guna is present when we move up and down in a posture. For example, mountain pose to chair pose and back to mountain pose. Anytime we are moving from standing to forward folds and back up. The tamasic movement is very strong and internally focused, like an oak tree in the winter with the sap moving up the inside of the trunk and down the outside of the trunk. In yoga it is the deep focus within the postures itself. In a conversation it would be when you are listening. 

Tamas is the power that obscures.

It is darkness, heaviness, gravity.
Tamas restrains, obstructs, envelops and binds.
It resists motion.
We experience it as lethargy, tiredness, apathy, dullness, slowness.

The sattva guna is present with side to side movements. For example moving from warrior to a balancing posture and back down to extended side Angle.  Sattvic Movements are light, subtle, delicate and graceful, like a still pond in the sunlight. Sattva is in the stillness and balance of a posture. It is the centering point of your practice.  Sattva is divine or godly in nature. This would be just before a conversation ensues. The sattva approach views yoga as a journey viewing the postures as potential for both steady joy and a challenge. 

Sattva is the power that illuminates and reveals.

It is clear, calm and balanced.
It is harmony and purity.
It appears as light and is our inherent natural state.
One who is established in Sattva is content.
Sattva leads us to higher states of being.
We experience Sattva as balance, harmony, coherence, clarity, joy, contentment.

But why should we know this?

The goal of Yoga is unlimited freedom through the understanding of our hidden, true nature.
The gunas provide us with a model to engage with, to guide us towards that understanding, and by which we can achieve greater joy, harmony and balance in our daily lives.

As we recognize what Guna we are living from, or are in in the moment we can be aware of where we need to go from there. What we can do to further our personal development and further our practice. Awareness of the gunas tells us whether we are genuinely moving forward in life (sattva), running in place (rajas), or losing our way (tamas).

So can you start to pinpoint moments during your day that are rajas, tamas or Sattva? 

Awareness for anything is the first step. Even if you dlnot know what to do with that information, Being aware of if will allow us to acknolodge and make a change if we feel it is needed. 

In Yoga we can work to reduce the effects of Rajas and Tamas and to increase that of Sattva choosing and modifying our practices and our everyday actions in order to find solutions to imbalances that are appropriate to our own personal needs.

Bodhi Yoga - My Studio

Questions about Yoga?

 I'm going to answer some questions that may have come up about yoga!

Why Yoga? 

Why Not Yoga? Yoga can have a very calming affect to you. It can strengthen your body, and is a low impact exercise. 

The word 'Yoga' is derived from the Sanskrit root 'Yuj', meaning 'to join' or 'to yoke' or 'to unite'. As per Yogic scriptures the practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with that of the Universal Consciousness, indicating a perfect harmony between the mind and body, man & nature.

Yoga is about connecting to your body, listening to it and join your mind, body and spirit. 

Why Should I start yoga as a 40 Year old male?

Again, why not? Have you ever wanted to have just a little more calm in your life? Do you find yourself stressing out over things you can't control? Do you need a few minutes of quiet to relax after your day at work?

You can never be too old or too young to start a personal yoga practice. My 3 year old daughter already loves and does yoga. My 5 year old and my 7 year old join me on occasion. I will be getting my 13 year old to join me this fall as he starts his football journey and feel like it would help him with some aspects of football.  

I'm not flexible, Can I do yoga?

Believe it or not Yoga is not about flexibility! Yoga is about the stillness and the quiet of the pose, the transition into the next pose, 

Starting where you are at, and not just jumping from one pose to the next, over extending yourself just to try to get your body into Eagle or Crow pose!'

If you feel like you are not flexible then why not try yoga to increase your flexibility if that is a goal of yours. When I started to yoga, I couldn't touch my toes, My belly was in the way and didn't know the proper way to bend at the waist to truly get the long extension of the back to touch my toes. 

I now can touch my toes with ease after a few years of regular personal practice! My belly still gets in the way but I bend properly at the waist and I never gave up because I couldn't do it.

Start where you are and make progress!

Isn't yoga just Stretching?

Yes yoga has elements of stretching but that is not the only aspect of yoga. Yoga is about the joining of the mind, body and spirit. Yoga is about holding a pose, transitioning to the next or going through a Vinyasa flow, clearing your mind and my favorite part, Savasana (corpse pose) where you get to just lie there and relax, breathe and meditate the last 10 minutes or so minutes of your practice. 

I don't have time to do yoga I have 5 kids at home? 

I used to think the same thing but you must take care of yourself first and then you will be a happier mom. If your kids see you taking time for yourself and doing yoga, meditating or working out you will model behavior that will help them in life. You must always prioritize your needs over your kids. I don't mean you have to abandon or neglect your kids, but you must set boundaries. And a yoga practice does not have to take 60-90 minutes. I often take 15 minutes and do 10 minutes of active poses and then 5 minutes of Savasana. There are so many Youtube videos or apps that have short yoga routines. 

My Kids are always around, how can i do yoga? 

Include them in your routine. Many times I'll start my routine while the kids are still sleeping and then one by one they'd wake up and come lay down next to me as I do my yoga, sometimes on top of me even. I adapt and tickle and kiss them as I move my way to down dog. I also invite my 3 year old to sit on my back while in child's pose to get just a bit of a deeper stretch. She loves sitting on me and and being apart of what I am doing and I get a little hands on adjustments from my 3 year old. 

Invite them to join you. My children often join me in my routine. They love being with mom and being apart of what I am doing. Yoga has amazing benefits for children. Kids have so much pressure on them now a days that helping them to quiet their minds for a few minutes will help them adapt to the stresses of school, friends and sports. You could even find a kids yoga video on YouTube and do the video with them and be silly.

Isn't Yoga a Religion?

The short answer is no, however, there is a long history of the origins of yoga. Yoga Asanas (poses) are not very old and yoga before that was more of chanting, mantras and philosophy. (that might be another blog post altogether. ) 

Yoga is a practice that can help you join your mind, body and spirit together. to help you stay calmer in stressful situations, to be more in tune with your body and work out our body. 

I hope I was able to answer some of your questions that you may have come up about yoga! If you have anymore please comment and will answer more of your questions. 

Bodhi Yoga - My Studio

Warrior III

Benefits of Virabadrasana III

Warrior III

Increases strength in legs & core

Improves concentration, focus & balance

Activates the Solar, Sacral & Throat Chakra's

Helps with anxiety, depression, fatigue & osteoporosis

It is fun to do

This has been one of my favorite poses as of late. I've always had balance issues because of ankle sprains as a child playing soccer. My ankles are skinny compared to the rest of my legs. Some times I feel self conscious about that feature of my body but I was recently looking at my feet while in my tight yoga pants and love the way my lower legs and feet look. I love that since I started working on balancing poses, Warrior III and Tree Pose in particular, my ankles have gotten stronger. I do not worry as much while walking and playing with my kids. I have sprained my ankle so often just walking or stepping at just the wrong angle off of something.

While yoga Has many benefits and different poses have many different benefits. I love the balancing poses to help strengthen my ankles and foundations.

A good Foundation is Important any any pose and a lot of that has to do with your feet and making sure you are standing on the 4 corners of your feet.

Stand Tall.. lift your toes off the ground and put them back down feeling into both edges of your front foot. now stand up on your toes. and come back down feeling both edges of your heel town the ground. now just stand for a minute really feeling into the four corners of your feet and ground.

Start there.. Firm your foundation before you try to balance on just one of your feet. Work from where you are.

You may not be ready for Warrior III pose yet and that is OK.

Start with Mountain Pose (Tadasana) and then Tree pose (Vrkasana) with just your big toe on the ground before lifting your entire foot off the ground.

Start where you are, not where you think you should be.

Bodhi Yoga - My Studio

Why we Chant Om

I've wanted to do this post/video for a while now ever since I caught my 2.5 year old daughter sitting on my meditation pillow chanting. (Yes I got it on video and is it at the bottom of this post) I was first introduced to chanting OM in my yoga teacher training a couple years ago. one of our first assignments was to teach a basic yoga class and end the class with a simple OM chant.  I was scared, and didn't feel confident in doing that. I didn't like to sing in front of people. However chanting is not singing. I committed to follow through, now a couple years later I end all of my yoga classes with chanting OM 3 times.  I have come to love this practice. I invite those of my class to join me if they would like, however even if they choose not to join one of the great things about chanting is that it not only benefits the chanter but those around the person chanting. 

OM is the basic sound of the universe. The frequency is 432 Hz which is the same vibration frequency found in all things nature.

Some of the other amazing benefits of chanting are 

• OM are your concentration increases 
• OM purifies the environment around you
• OM improves your voice by strengthening your vocal cords
• when OM is chanted in a group the effects are amplified
• through chanting you can have better control over your emotions allowing yourself to see situations with the clear mind
• OM chanting gives you a better immunity and self healing power
• chanting OM can lower blood pressure and can help your overall heart health

 I admit I was skeptical about chanting when I first was introduced to and had to get over some mind blocks in order to chant in front of others at the end of my classes

I would invite you to join me in chanting right now 

I challenge you to chant daily for a week. You can chant in the morning, or evening or whenever it works into your schedule.

See if you notice a change in your life. 

After you feel comfortable with the OM chant, There are so many more that you can find and use. I hope you learned something about chanting.

Namaste. 

My beautiful Daughter Chanting Om. She does this often. I see her stopping and taking breaths when she is upset.. I love that she is starting her Yoga Practice Young!

Bodhi Yoga - My Studio

Why I chose

Just over a year ago I started doing yoga on a semi-regular Basis, by watching You-Tube videos and in my living room. While talking to my friend Stephanie, I don't even remember what we were talking about but it led me to look up Bodhi Yoga, the studio that she studied at and looked in the yoga teacher training course and got an knowing excitement when I read about it the certification knowing that this training was a yes for me. But When?

I was only 2 months postpartum at this time and knew that it wasn't the right time for me to be away for a whole weekend and so put it on my vision board to start in January. At that point it still didn't feel right due to Sakera still nursing. 

In the meantime I chose into a 7 Chakra Mind and Body Online Training course with Syl Carson at Bodhi that could be done online while waiting for the right timing for the yoga teacher training. I haven't been super diligent at doing that training but have managed to watch the first set of videos, I hope that by January if not sooner I will be able to offer Chakra therapy sessions while I work on my certification for that.

This last week I was talking to my mom and best friends about the yoga teacher training and realized that the next one was starting soon and hadn't looked into it recently so I decided to inquire if there was openings. There was in fact an opening due to someone else postponing her training until a later date. I wanted to be there but had a lot of inner turmoil in choosing it and actually told Syl I wasn't coming this time and that I would have to wait for a future training. I kept going back to it that I was supposed to be there and that I needed to choose in to help my heal some of the pain I was having from the car accident I was in back in May. The training started Friday afternoon and I finally said yes on Friday morning and managed to get everything worked out for having my kids watched. 

I was tired of waiting and postponing things because I was still in pain, both physical and emotional. I wanted to move on with my life and keep seeking wisdom to enlighten myself.

So Friday afternoon I showed up a Bodhi Yoga with several other amazing women and started this yoga journey and know without a doubt I was supposed to be there. I was a little overwhelmed and intimidated with all that is required in this certification but I am excited for the challenge and plan on rocking it.

While introducing myself in class I was asked "Why I want to teach yoga?" and before I knew it I said,

"I don't know that I want to but feel called to do this for my own healing" 

I had never really thought of that before.. I truly thought my calling was to teach.. and it might be at some point but that isn't my main focus as I go through this journey. My end goal will not be to find a job teaching yoga, but to look inside myself to see how this will help me and my family become better. 

Part of my certification requirements are to teach others so I will be offering classes and private sessions over the next year at a super discounted rate or by donation so if you'd like to be a guinea pig for my learning please stay tuned for my class schedule or reach out if you'd like a private session. I would love to help you find out how yoga can fit in your life. As a busy mom of 5 and a neck injury it is sometimes hard to figure out how it fits in my life but I am determined to figure it out for myself.

I now have the knowledge to teach a very basic beginners yoga class and would love to practice by teaching you. 

Namaste

Ariane