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Shine Your Light

Thank you to OM YOGA Magazine for publishing this article in the September 2022 issue 🙂

Being a yoga teacher might seem to others that we are always perfectly calm, peaceful and balanced.  But it doesn’t mean that we have everything sorted!  As everyone else, we also have to juggle the daily appointments and schedules, organise our family lives, pay the rent and yes, we get stressed too.  But through practising yoga and meditation, studying and following yogic principles we gained some of that magical knowledge that helps us navigate our days and live our lives as best as we can.

 

We all can for sure gain lots of knowledge and wisdom from the ancient yogic scriptures and modern books on yoga and all things related, these are invaluable, especially Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Upanishads, to name just a few.  It is however our own life experiences, that will make us relate to these deep yogic texts, whatever happens in our lives and how we respond to it.  Life is a forever evolving journey; it is not always easy and straight forward.  Yoga teaches us that every experience has something to offer to us, everyone we meet has a message for us and we too have messages for those around us.  Trust that you are on the right path, that you are exactly where you are meant to be right now.

 

Eva shares: In my yoga classes I often draw on my personal experiences, obstacles that I have overcome, hardships I experienced and also the joys and highs that are making my heart full to the brim.  I try to make my classes relevant to my student’s everyday lives and what is happening in the world around us, so everyone can find comfort and inspiration there and take whatever they need away with them.  Sometimes a little quote, breathing technique, certain yoga posture or simply time to relax can provide that a-ha moment that will change the story of the day.. I love working with different themes that will provide just that and here I will share a couple that are close to my heart.

 

  1. Heart

 

Close your eyes and place your hand on your heart.  Slow down your breath and settle your mind.. Now listen, listen to the whispers of your beautiful heart. Most of the time we use our logical, analytical mind and ignore the calls of our heart, even though the electromagnetic field of the heart is so much stronger than that of our brain. When we don’t listen to the messages of our heart we will experience increased tension, pressure and stress.  So today I invite you to really connect with your precious heart and listen to what it needs to say.  Ask yourself: ‘What does bring my heart joy?’, ‘What does my heart need me to know?’, ‘I follow my heart’.

 

‘The best and the most beautiful things in the world can not be seen or even touched.  They must be felt in our hearts.’

 

To clear tension from your heart centre I invite you to chant this mantra associated with the Anahata Chakra (Heart Chakra) – YAM

 

  1. Overcoming of Obstacles

 

On our life journey we are all met with series of obstacles, sometimes we feel that we are stuck, we can’t move from a certain place, everything is blocking us and we can’t see the way out.  Yoga teaches us that everything is temporary, everything changes, no situation stays the same.  We can change our lives, make different decisions, put ourselves first and be in charge of our destiny. What are your dreams, aspirations and goals?  Find yourself a quiet place to reflect on your life and ask yourself ‘Where do I want to go in my life?’ and ‘What is in my way?’.  Often we find that the person that is in our way is in fact us. Through fears, worries, conditioning and feelings of being small, not enough, not important, we forget that we are in fact more powerful that we think, we forget that the only person in charge of our destiny is us. And that it is up to us to create a life that we want.  Every decision that we make shapes our future and invites in new opportunities and possibilities.  Let’s visualise our dreams and aspirations and imagine that we are already doing it.  Speak to a friend about it and start to change your life today.

 

Use these affirmations: ‘I am in charge of my life’, ‘Where focus goes, energy flows’.

 

  1. Speak your Truth

 

Have you ever experienced that you can’t get your words out, your throat is tight and you are unable to express yourself and communicate clearly? Often our hearts know what we need to say but somewhere between our hearts and throats and throats and the lips the words get lost. We feel we are unable to say what we need to say, we worry that our words might be misunderstood, that we might hurt someone with our truth or that we get hurt in return.  However it is really important to be able to speak our truth and speak from our heart.  This can be all done with kindness and good intention.  When we suppress our truth we become small and lose our true self.  So lets practice expressing ourselves more clearly, speaking our truth with love and kindness.

 

Some useful affirmations here are: ‘I am free to speak from my heart’, ‘I am free to speak my truth’,

 

Postures to practice are: Cobra, Fish, Camel, Shoulder Stand, Lion Breath

 

To clear tension from your throat centre I invite you to chant this mantra associated with the Vishuddha Chakra (Throat Chakra) – HAM

 

 

  1. Lotus Flower

 

The lotus flower grows in muddy waters and rises above the surface to bloom with remarkable beauty.  Rooted in the mud it rises towards the sun.  Many of us live in that ‘murky water’ but like a lotus, we too have ability to rise from the mud, bloom out of the darkness, open our petals and radiate into the world.

I love this theme as it shows that we all sometimes go through challenging times, we all need to have certain experiences.  As we move through these life challenges we find our strength, and determination and eventually come to the surface and shine. In short – no mud no lotus!

 

Some affirmations to use here: ‘Keep shining your light’, ‘The world needs your light’, ‘Be like a lotus, let the beauty of your heart speak’.

 

 

 

 

Eastbourne.online Radio interview

Eastbourne has a brand new radio station called Eastbourne.Online and I met up with the lovely Sonia and Chris to talk about yoga.  We had a good chat about yoga benefits, how important it is to have a little bit of ‘me time’ to de-stress, relax, strengthen our body, loosen our tired muscles and joints and simply take some much needed time off – letting go of our daily worries and stresses and catch our breath.  Letting go of analysing, overthinking and putting our wellbeing first once in a while.. ideally daily.

I am hoping to see Sonia and Chris at the studio soon – I think that a gentle restorative class would be just the ticket! So watch this space and I will keep you posed. In the meantime if you want to listen to me going on about yoga – here is my interview 🙂

Listen here 🙂

Ease Restless Leg Syndrome with Yoga

EASE RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME WITH YOGA 

My good friend has been suffering for a long time, tried and tested many different techniques and remedies with not much help. She asked me to create a yoga programme that would help her to ease the symptoms and more I look into it more people I come across who suffer with this condition.

So what is the Restless leg syndrome?

It is a disorder that causes uncomfortable, urgent feelings in the body. It is considered a neurological sleep disorder. Those with restless leg syndrome can have a variety of symptoms including a need to move or shake the legs, a crawling sensation, or a tickling or itching feeling. Many people with restless leg syndrome also experience twitching or jerking of the limbs during sleep.

At this time, there is no known cure for restless leg syndrome. The most common treatments include a daily light exercise routine, cutting out caffeine, nicotine, white sugar and other stimulants, and establishing a more restful sleep environment.

In addition to regular yoga practice, particular postures can help relieve the symptoms of restless leg syndrome. End of day yoga and meditation routines can help the sufferer create a stable evening and relaxed mind for bedtime.

Each person has their own unique experience and each person’s path toward healing is often equally unique. Below are my tips on how to manage Restless Leg Syndrome based on my research:

Any yoga posture that releases nervous energy from the legs will help. Postures like Standing Forward Bend, Downward Facing Dog, and Goddess Pose release tension and nervous energy from the body. If energy is constructively released from the body, it should improve your odds for less restless leg syndrome flare ups and a healthy sleep session.

Perform yoga poses that work the thigh muscles and also those that flex and extend the solar plexus and pelvis. I have found that forward bends, backward bends and spinal twists are all beneficial as well as specific poses that contract the thighs such as the chair pose and the warrior pose series.

If you want to practice just one posture, try ‘legs up the wall’ – that will feel really good! Legs up the Wall pose is good for aiding circulation within the legs. The pose should be held for five to twenty minutes, depending on the ease of the pose for the practitioner. If there is discomfort in the back, a bolster or blanket can be placed under the small of the back.

All poses should be performed very slowly with great attention to the body and breath.

Practice alternate nostril breathing before bed (Contact me for instructions).

Cut out caffeine, nicotine, white sugar and other stimulants.

I have created a yoga sequence designed especially for this condition. I would be happy to share this programme with any sufferers so please do get in touch and hopefully we will find a way to help you with your busy legs!

Eva xxx

Yoga for restless legs with Eva Kristlova

Beach Yoga Holiday in Egypt

 

 

Hey Yoga Lovers – looking for your next Yoga Adventure?

Eva Kristlova and Wenche Beard invite you to enjoy the perfect
Yoga Holiday in beautiful Egypt

March 22nd – 29th 2018!

DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS AMAZING EARLY BIRD OFFER…ONLY £895 ALL INCLUSIVE…EVEN FLIGHTS 🙂

Swap the backdrop of your Yoga Studio with the desert dunes gazing into the horizon of the Red Sea; submerse yourself in this amazing yoga experience discovering the breath taking underwater world as you snorkel the clear warm Red Sea meeting turtles, array of colourful fish and even the dolphins!
The desert behind you is a jewel where we will practice sunset Yoga enveloped in peace and tranquillity.

This is a top class location, one of the best snorkelling and diving sites in the world.
The dolphins, marine life, desert trips and star studded skies will leave you speechless!

Marsa Shagra Eco Village is our home for the week.
Located in the southern Red Sea, it is an idyllic combination of sand, sea, blue sky and desert stars; the perfect backdrop for yoga lovers and those who enjoy being close to nature. Positioned directly opposite a beautiful house reef, teeming with fish life and colourful coral, you’ll not want to leave!

Please check our eco village here:
http://www.redsea-divingsafari.com/

Prices include flights, transfers, 7 nights full board in a beach safari tent and 5 days of yoga, 2 classes per day.

 

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