Cultivate Awareness

Digging deep into the roots of your narratives and fully acknowledging where they come from is the first step to change. Cultivating awareness means understanding that these narratives are there and they do impact how we think or act, and that’s okay because everyone is different!  Yoga is much more than just a physical exercise; it is a holistic practice that integrates the body, mind, and spirit. By engaging in mindful movement and breathwork (pranayama) during your yoga teacher training, we learn to tune in and cultivate self-awareness. This heightened awareness allows us to recognize the thoughts and narratives that arise within us, and identify those that may be holding us back. With time, we can observe our inner dialogue without judgment and begin the process of reframing our thoughts and beliefs.

Time for Change

You may think changing your own narrative is a difficult process because you’re challenging your limiting beliefs and some of them would have been with you for a long time.  But once you have awareness of them you can then decide to reframe them. When we have repetitive thoughts or beliefs it creates a neural pathway in the brain and the more we have the same thought, the deeper the neural pathway becomes.  When we decide to change our beliefs, we are creating a new neural pathway for the brain to follow so while it may seem difficult at the beginning the more you replace an old thought with a new one the easier it will be.  It is retraining the brain.  Luckily yoga encourages us to step out of our comfort zones and explore new possibilities and can help with this.  

As we move through different poses, we often encounter physical and mental resistance. These moments of discomfort mirror the challenges we face in our daily lives, including the narratives that limit us.  By consciously pushing through physical limitations on the mat, we develop resilience and gain the confidence to challenge our inner narratives. Yoga teacher training especially teaches us that we are capable of much more than we believe!

New Practices

Practicing self-compassion and integrating positive affirmations into your daily routine is a great way to start to undo the old patterns.  Self-compassion plays a crucial role in reframing our inner narratives.  A residential yoga teacher training, you learn to cultivate a compassionate and non-judgmental attitude toward yourself and the people around you.  You will meet people from all over the world, be introduced to new concepts and ideas and it is usually other people who show us what our limiting beliefs are. But this is where you have the opportunity to change what is no longer serving you.  

The practice of yoga too teaches us to appreciate our bodies and minds for what they are capable of doing in the present moment, rather than fixating on accomplishing a big goal, we choose to take the little steps first. By practicing self-compassion on the mat, we can extend it to our inner narratives, offering ourselves kindness and understanding as we work towards positive change.  One way we can practice self-compassion is through positive affirmations. By consciously choosing positive statements and repeating them regularly, we can reshape our thought patterns and beliefs. Incorporating affirmations into our mornings or yoga practice further enhances their effectiveness. As we hold more challenging poses, we can silently repeat affirmations such as “I am strong”; “I am good enough”; or “I embrace growth.”  By aligning our physical practice with affirmations, we reinforce positive narratives and anchor them deeply within ourselves.

Embrace the New You!

Switching up your narratives can be a difficult and lengthy process but it will be worth it.  Yoga can be a journey that allows us to release old patterns and embrace new narratives, as long as we’re devoted to it.  It’s a choice.  As we continue to practice yoga, we become more attuned to the stories we tell ourselves and can actively choose to reframe them. It may take time and patience, but with persistence, we can replace self-doubt with self-belief, fear with courage, and limitation with boundless potential. Yoga teacher training provides us with a supportive and nurturing space to explore these transformations and grow into the best version we can be.

Let yoga be your guiding light as you navigate the depths of your inner world, empowering yourself to break free from narratives that hold you back and unlock your true potential. If you need an extra guiding hand, a yoga teacher training or yoga retreat offers a perfect environment.  The well-planned schedule and principles that align with it will help you create this positive habit that you will keep with you for years to come. Embrace the journey and watch as your life unfolds in beautiful and unexpected ways.

The post Changing Limiting Beliefs with Yoga first appeared on Inner Yoga Training.

Inversions are known for their ability to increase circulation and blood flow to the brain.  When we stand in our usual upright posture, gravity pools blood towards our lower extremities, which can lead to stagnation and a lack of oxygen to the brain. By “inverting”, we reverse the flow of blood and send fresh oxygenated blood and energy to the brain. This shift has the potential to improve cognitive function, memory, and focus. Because of this increase in blood flow to the head and face, inversions are also known for their anti-aging properties – there is even an inversion known as the “fountain of youth!”  Physically, inversions tend to reduce tension in the neck and shoulders and in turn can alleviate head, neck, and shoulder pain as well as headaches.

Inversions are beneficial for supporting the cardiovascular system. By reversing the usual flow of blood in the body, the circulatory system is stimulated, improving the health of the heart and blood vessels. Practicing inversions regularly can reduce blood pressure and improve general circulation. If you tend to experience cold hands and feet frequently, practicing inversions regularly can help increase circulation to the extremities and assist in a consistent body temperature. When learning to sequence a yoga class on a vinyasa yoga teacher training in Bali, you will understand when and how to sequence your yoga classes using inversions.  If you are teaching a special needs population, they are great to include for individuals who need support in their cardiovascular and circulatory health.

Mentally and emotionally, inversions help settle the nervous system. When we are stressed or anxious, the sympathetic nervous system is activated. When the sympathetic nervous system is active, we experience an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and breath.  Inner Yoga Training in Bali will teach you about the energetic and health benefits of inversions including how they activate the parasympathetic nervous and counter the effects of stress and anxiety. This can improve sleep, soothe anxiety, and contribute to an overall sense of ease and internal peace. In a world where stress and anxiety are widespread, incorporating inversions into our regular yoga practice can help us come back to an internal sense of equilibrium.

Lastly, inversions can be a fun and playful way to explore our edges. Approaching inversions with a sense of curiosity and playfulness can help us tap into our inner child and rediscover a sense of exploration and play. Whether it be a more dynamic inversion such as a headstand or handstand, or a more passive yin yoga style inversion such as a standing forward fold, wide knee child’s pose or melting heart.

All inversions can be approached with a sense of lightness and play. If you find headstands or handstands a little scary then a 200 hour yoga teacher training in Bali is a great place to learn the right technique and approach.  You may even find that you are more capable than you may have initially thought and once they become a part of your regular practice, you’ll enjoy them even more understanding the health benefits you are gaining.

The post Essential Inversions first appeared on Inner Yoga Training.

• Improved Flexibility. 

Flexibility is an important component of physical health. In our 100 hour yoga teacher training in Bali, we offer many styles to choose from, varying in intensity from high to moderate to mild. Even the lowest intensity styles have been found to increase flexibility.  Yoga seems to be especially helpful for improving flexibility in adults ages 65 and older. As per a 2019 scientific study, it has been found that reduced flexibility is a natural part of aging, and yoga can slow down both loss and improve flexibility in older adults.  

• Bust your stress.

Guess what, Science supports that yoga, and especially asana, is excellent at reducing stress. Physical practice is just one aspect of yoga. Meditation, breath work, and auditory rituals, like chanting and sound baths, have also been shown to significantly lessen tension and relieve stress.

• Get a mental health boost.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is thought to be one of the most common mental health disorders in the world. Both movement-based yoga therapies and breathing-based practices have been shown to significantly improve depressive symptoms. 

• Reduce inflammation.

Often, the precursor to illness is chronic inflammation. Heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and many other conditions are linked to prolonged inflammation. A scientific review study examined 15 research studies and found a common result: Yoga — of various styles such as those taught in our 100 hour yin yoga teacher training in Bali, intensities, and durations — reduced the biochemical markers of inflammation across several chronic conditions. 

• Increase your strength.

While most people associate yoga with stretching and flexibility, some types of yoga classes can also be considered strength-building. It just depends on the class level, approach, and teacher. This makes yoga asana a multimodal form of exercise. Yoga’s effectiveness at building strength has been studied in several specific contexts for instance, as it pertains to people with breast cancer, older adults, and children. Another study conducted on Air Force personnel found yoga to be an effective strength-building practice across many age groups of healthy participants. 

• Relieve yourself from anxiety.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America recently stated that anxiety disorders may be the most common mental health disorders in the United States. There are a number of different anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, and specific phobias. Even chronic stress can sometimes be categorized as an anxiety disorder. Numerous studies suggest that yoga asana may be effective as an alternative treatment for anxiety disorders, though several of the researchers request additional replicated studies before conclusively stating as much. Yoga Nidra, which is a body scan/guided meditation, has been shown to conclusively reduce symptoms of anxiety.

• Improve the quality of life with yoga.

The World Health Organization defines quality of life (QOL) as “an individual’s perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns”. Some factors that affect QOL are relationships, creativity, learning opportunities, health, and material comforts. For decades, researchers have viewed QOL as an important predictor of people’s longevity and patients’ likelihood of improvement when treated for a chronic illness or injury.

• Boosts immunity.

Chronic stress negatively affects your immune system. When your immunity is compromised, you’re more susceptible to illness. The research is still evolving, but some studies have found a distinct link between practicing yoga (especially consistently over the long term) and better immune system functioning. This is due in part to yoga’s ability to fight inflammation and in part to the enhancement of cell-mediated immunity.

• Improves balance.

Balance is not just important when you’re trying to stand on one leg in a Tree Pose in yoga class. It’s also essential for simple everyday movements such as picking something up off the floor, reaching up to a shelf, and descending stairs. Yoga has been shown to improve balance and overall performance in athletes. Likewise, a review of the research conducted on healthy populations suggests balance may improve for most people after consistently practicing yoga. 

• Improved cardiovascular functioning. 

Pranayama, often referred to as “yogic breathing,” is an important and beneficial aspect of yoga. One key takeaway was that yogic breathing can improve the functioning of several systems in the body. And that’s why we make our attendees do it regularly during our 100 hour yin yoga certification course in Bali. Specifically, the research summarized in the review found that the cardiovascular system benefited mightily from controlling the pace of breathing, as evidenced by favorable changes in heart rate, stroke capacity, arterial pressure, and contractility of the heart.

Enroll for a lucrative yoga teaching course at Inner Yoga Training. Visit https://inneryogatraining.com/ for more information.

The post 10 Yoga Benefits & Uncovering the Science Behind Yoga first appeared on Inner Yoga Training.

Unfortunately, it is seen that despite knowing deep down inside what is good and what is not good for us but we choose to ignore the body and mind. One can stick to their natural instinct of having a balanced diet. Regular practice of yoga helps to stimulate these very natural instincts. Wondering how? We will tell you. In this blog by Inner Yoga Training, the best self healing retreat in Bali, one will get to understand the relationship prevailing between yoga and nutrition including tips for a balanced diet to support your practice. So, without any further ado, get your eating bowls and yoga mats and start reading.

A sneak peek into mindful eating and yoga

Nutrition has always been an intrinsic part of yogic practices. The food we eat can have a profound impact on not only our bodies but also our mind. It is imperative to look at the purpose of food before choosing what to eat. Eating a well-balanced diet with sufficient nutrients is essential for maintaining energy levels, building strength and endurance, and supporting muscle recovery. Yoga as well as the Indian medicinal science of Ayurveda recommend the inclusion of light and healthy food items in our diet. Foods that are usually vegetarian, high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, and freshly made are believed to work wonders for your energy levels, happiness, and calmness, and bring mental clarity. Such a diet also works appropriately for building stamina and flexibility to perform Yoga asanas with ease. It also helps in enhancing focus which is important for achieving the meditative state.   

How to incorporate a balanced diet into our daily routine?

Given our fast-paced lives, it is difficult to stick to certain food items. A balanced diet gives energy to the body and mind, increases the resistance power of the body, and develops the mind. Fresh food gives keeps your stomach healthy, your mood happy and helps you to focus better. However, some of us might have a medical history to which we may or may not be allowed to consume certain food items. So, it is important to check that and eat what is suitable for your body, mind, intelligence, and soul. 

• Consume unprocessed and fresh food.

In this fast-paced world, because of a paucity of time, we often have processed foods as a meal. However, health experts always recommend that one should try to eat what is local and fresh as much as possible. At Inner Yoga Training in Bali, the best yoga teacher training in Bali, the attendees are served locally-produced plant-based food throughout. This is because we believe that food leaves an indelible and mindful impact on our minds. And hence, it becomes all the more important to consume what is unprocessed and freshly made.

• Never skip breakfast.

Breakfast is your system’s jumpstart to the day! Whether it’s a simple cup of yogurt with your favorite fruit or scrambled eggs and toast, make sure you break that fast! Also, try eating smaller meals more frequently for sustained energy throughout the day. This avoids energy crashing from big heavy meals and provides a boost in metabolism.

• Make every meal as colorful as possible.

It’s easy to fall into the same old meal patterns and forget to incorporate a variety of different foods into our routine. This is easy to fix if you remember to make each meal as colorfully diverse as possible. A variety of colors also mean a variety of vitamins! Bright orange foods such as winter squash and carrots are rich in beta-carotene and vitamin C. Dark green vegetables have iron, vitamin K, and calcium. So, mix it up, and be sure to eat the rainbow! This is what we do at our retreat center – Azadi Retreat in Bali. 

• Keep a check on your salt and sugar intake.

We all love salt, but you’d be surprised to learn how much sodium is already in many of the foods we eat. Try replacing salt with different herbs and spices. The more herbs you try the more you’ll like and the fuller your spice cabinet will get with new and interesting flavors. The next time you make a meal, start seasoning your meal with herbs or spices first, then taste. You may find that you didn’t need the extra salt after all.

We all fall victim to sugar cravings now and then. However, we don’t often consider how much sugar we’re ingesting when that craving hits. If you find yourself with a serious sugar craving, no problem, you have options. Try choosing natural sugar instead of having a piece of your favorite fruit. Before you know it, it will be like second nature.
To incorporate a balanced diet along with yogic practices, get enrolled in our upcoming Bali yoga teacher certification at https://inneryogatraining.com/. You can also get to gorge at the plant-based meal prepared at the Suksham Retreat in Bali under this training.

The post The Relationship Between Yoga and Nutrition, Including Tips for a Balanced Diet to Support Your Practice first appeared on Inner Yoga Training.

• The Big Toe Pose or Supta Padangusthasana

It is regarded as one of the best asanas for addiction recovery. The Big Toe Pose or Supta Padangusthasana can be done in the following manner:

STEP 1: Start in mountain pose, transfer your weight to the left foot, and bring your right knee up.

STEP 2: Reach your right arm inside the thigh, cross it behind the ankle, and hold the outside of your right foot. 

STEP 3: Now, extend the leg forward and then slowly rotate it out to the side. Hold for 30 seconds.

STEP 4: Repeat on the opposite side.

• The Reclined Thunderbolt Pose or the Supta Vajrasana

The Reclined Thunderbolt Pose or the Supta Vajrasana is a great asana to recover from any and every type of addiction. It is regularly practiced during our yoga teacher training in Bali. Wish to perform it? Follow these steps:

STEP 1: Kneel down on your mat. 

STEP 2:  Place your pelvis on your heels and point your toes outwards.

STEP 3: Separate the feet and keep your knees together. 

STEP 4:  Place your palms behind your hips, pointing them forward

STEP 5: Recline gently first on your palms and then, on your elbows. If you are comfortable, then lie down on your back. 

STEP 6: Place your palms on your knees facing upward, straighten your back, and look forward.

• The Thunderbolt Pose or the Vajrasana

This asana obstructs blood flow to our legs and thighs, and increases it in our stomach area, thus improving our bowel movements and relieving constipation. It also helps in getting rid of acidity or gastric ailments. Here’s how you can perform the thunderbolt pose or the Vajrayana:

STEP 1: Gently kneel down, resting the pelvis on your heels, and turn your toes outward.

STEP 2: Place your palms on your knees facing upward.

STEP 3: Straighten your back and look forward. Hold this position for at least 10-15 seconds.

STEP 4: Focus on inhaling and exhaling.

• The Mountain Pose or the Parvatasana

Since it is beneficial for both your physical and mental well-being, we perform it daily during our 100 hour yoga teacher training in Bali. As part of the Surya Namaskara, Parvatasana is performed after Ashwa Sanchalanasana or the equestrian pose. Hence, Ashwa Sanchalanasana becomes the starting pose for Parvatasana. 

Here’s how one can do it: 

STEP 1: Take a low lunge posture with the chest lifted while the palms remain grounded on either side of the front foot. This is the Ashwa Sanchalanasana or the equestrian pose. 

STEP 2: Now, straighten the bent leg and take it backward. Exhale during this process. Let the right and left feet be together.

STEP 3: Raise the buttocks up. Let the two arms be on the floor and support the body weight.

STEP 4: Lower the head to be between the two arms. The body makes the shape of a triangle when observed from the sides. It looks like a mountain and hence the name.

• Side plank

Side planks are known to make you physically and mentally more resilient. It is regularly done at one of the best yoga retreats – Azadi Retreat in Bali. Here’s how you can do it:

STEP 1: Start with the original plank position. Open up your hips and chest towards your left side, first assuming the side plank position

STEP 2: Raise your right arm towards the ceiling and let the left palm rest on the floor, while supporting the pose

STEP 3: Engage your abdominal muscles, and keep your torso straight with no sagging or bending. Hold the position for 15-20 seconds.

STEP 4: After that, rotate back to the original position and then repeat on your other side.

And that’s it. Sounds easy? Practice these asanas regularly to strengthen your willpower to quit any and every time of addiction. 

Wish to recover from addiction with the help of nature? Spend some time in the lap of nature in the upcoming Bali yoga teacher certification. Enrol now at https://inneryogatraining.com/. One can try the detox retreat at Suksham Retreat in Bali which is really helpful for addiction recovery.

The post 5 Yoga Asanas to Help you in Addiction Recovery first appeared on Inner Yoga Training.

But how does Sound Healing work? How is it used for healing? Every bone, cell, muscle, and organ in the human body has its own resonant frequency and if an organ is out of tune it will affect the rest of our system. When sound healers use vibrations and frequencies, they are able to create a relaxing and therapeutic atmosphere that supports overall well-being. Through the resonance of sound, you can bring the body back to homeostasis (balance). Imagine having two tuning forks both tuned to the note C. If you strike one fork and place the second one next to it, the second one will automatically start to resonate in accordance with the first one. The first one is transferring its energy to the second. The same principle applies to Sound Healing. The resonance from natural instruments and the practitioner’s voice will resonate with the vibrations of your body. This resonance helps to rebalance your system. Fabien Maman, a French Sound pioneer carried out an experiment on healthy blood cells and cancer cells. He submitted them both to the same frequencies and found that the cancer cells became unstable and deteriorated whereas the healthy cells absorbed the sound and became more vibrant and resonated at a higher frequency.

Sound Healing has many health benefits. It can help reduce pain and inflammation, promote rest and relaxation, and lower the heart rate and blood pressure, to mention a few. It can also help to release emotions that have been trapped and stuck in the body due to emotional or physical trauma. After completing her Sound Healing Practitioner course, Georgina the founder of Inner Yoga Training now includes a Sound Healing session in every 200 hour yoga teacher training in Bali due to the healing benefits. She explains that due to the way she has designed the yoga teacher training in Bali, stored emotions can start to be released that are stored in the body through the various daily practices. Incorporating a Sound Healing session into the yoga instructor course helps release and heal those emotions. It also alters the state of consciousness by influencing our brain waves. The frequency of the sound changes the brain patterns that allow us to feel more relaxed, resulting in a lower heart and respiratory rate.

A Sound Healing experience will be different for everyone and even if you attend many Sound Healings you will not have the same experience each time. How you receive the Sound Healing depends on the vibrations of the instruments and the voice of the practitioner and how it resonates with your energy. We are constantly changing on a daily basis depending what is happening in our lives, what we’ve eaten, the state of our thoughts. Our vibrations change as a result so naturally the vibrations that we receive from a Sound Healing will always be different. To experience a Sound Healing you can remain seated or lie down in Savasana. Your body temperature may drop as the body relaxes so it’s good to have a blanket or extra layer. There will be some sounds that you will find very relaxing and others may be a bit more challenging for you to receive as it may bring back difficult memories or experiences that your body has stored. The key is to hold an intention that whatever you experience is for your higher good and healing purposes. It’s common too that as you relax into the experience it’s easy to fall asleep or be somewhere in between a state of awake and asleep. You may experience flashes of memories or events that you haven’t thought about in decades. You may see colors or light. You may be fully at peace or have an emotional breakthrough. Your body may experience tremors as it releases things. Nonetheless, everyone’s experience is different and there is no correct way to feel. You just need to go into the class with an open heart and gratitude.

The post The Power of Sound first appeared on Inner Yoga Training.

Yoga in different spheres of life

It is believed that yoga is highly beneficial for our physical, mental, and overall well-being. Wondering how? We will tell you.

• Physical Health: Most importantly, it not only bestows you with tensile physical strength but also helps you heal yourself from injuries and helps in the right detoxification of the body. Yoga poses, or asanas, help to strengthen and stretch the body, increase flexibility, and improve balance and posture. Regular yoga practice can also improve cardiovascular health, respiratory function, and immune system function. Moreover, with the regular practice of yoga, we tend to become more sensitive to our body and its needs. This, in turn, helps keep a check on our food intake and body weight. Our system is a seamless blend of the body, mind, and spirit. An irregularity in the body affects the mind and similarly, unpleasantness or restlessness in the mind can manifest as an ailment in the body. Yoga asana helps massage organs and strengthen muscles while breathing techniques and meditation release stress and improve immunity.
• Mental Health: A few minutes of yoga daily can be a great way to get rid of stress, both in body and mind. Asana, pranayama, and meditation are effective techniques to release stress. Yoga is known to help calm the mind, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve mood. The practice of meditation and breathing exercises in yoga can also enhance mental clarity, focus, and concentration. 
• Emotional Well-being: Yoga teaches us to be more mindful, present, and self-aware, which can lead to greater emotional stability, self-confidence, and resilience. It can also improve our ability to cope with difficult emotions and life challenges. Moreover, yoga can even help improve your relationship with your loved ones. A mind that is relaxed, happy, and content is better able to deal with sensitive relationship matters. Yoga and meditation aid in keeping the mind happy and peaceful. Gradually, you will also notice an improvement in your relations with those around you.
• Spiritual Growth: Yoga is rooted in ancient Indian philosophy and spirituality. It is known to offer a path to personal growth and spiritual awakening. By cultivating a deeper connection to oneself and the universe, one can experience greater peace, harmony, and purpose in life.

How to get the maximum benefit out of yoga?

It has been found that when we impact something on others, we tend to get a better understanding of that concept. Along the same lines is yoga. The moment you start teaching it, the better you will be at it. However, only those who have taken certified yoga teacher training in Bali can teach it. Wondering where to obtain this certification? Well, this is where we step in. Inner Yoga Training is known to extend a lucrative 200 hour yoga teacher training in Bali where two different yogic styles – Vinyasa and Yin will be taught. Apart from the lessons, you will get to take classes with different groups of people so that you get a hang of the teaching methodology better. Get a 200 hour yoga teacher certificate and teach freely at the world’s largest yoga center – Yoga Alliance. 

Overall, the importance of yoga lies in its ability to promote holistic health and wellness and to help individuals live a more balanced, harmonious, and fulfilling life. So, what’s stopping you? Signup for a yoga teacher training course at https://inneryogatraining.com/ and become a certified yoga instructor now.

The post What is the Importance of Yoga in our life? first appeared on Inner Yoga Training.

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