Muladhara, The Root Chakra

I am starting the year of classes with a strong theme of the chakras; the first week will be the root chakra, Muladhara. This is a combination of two Sanskrit words - “root” (Mula) and “base” or “support” (Adhara) and it is the first of the seven chakras. Although the chakras are part of the subtle body and not the physical, the area in which Muladhara is situated is around the coccyx, the pelvic floor at the base of the spine.

Traditionally Muladhara represents your basic needs; survival, safety, family ties, trust and it is the foundation and development of ones personality. When Muladhara chakra is blocked and out of balance, you will bounce from thought to thought, feel needy, insecure with feelings of laziness. When it is flowing freely, your basic needs are met; you feel safe, grounded and have inner peace.

In order to balance your root chakra, there are certain asana (poses) that release unwanted energy and also cultivate fresh energy. They tend to be grounding poses, where you can build a strong foundation so if you’re feeling a little frenzied, these should help. Most asana yoga practices will involve grounding poses targeting the root chakra, but by theming your practice you can draw attention to this which can enhance your time on the mat and usually allow you to feel differently off the mat too. So here are 5 poses that allow you to tap into it…

1. A good starting block is Sukhasana, a seated pose with crossed legs and a long spine. This pose gives you the ability to ground down through you sitting bones and feel a connection to the earth. As you begin to deepen your breathing, soften your jaw, your forehead and allow your fingers to curl in towards the palms (and allow your puppy to cuddle up next to you).

Sukhasana, Easy Pose

2. Vhirabidrasana means ‘fierce warrior’ and is a grounding and strong pose. It allows you to dig deep into yourself for strength, determination and patience.

Virabhadrasana, Warrior 2

3. Malasana. This pose brings you close to the earth, opens your hips and strengthens your back. Take your hands together into prayer and nudge the insides of your knees with your elbows to open the hips a little more.

Malasana, Low Squat

4. Anjaneyasana gives your psoas and quad muscles a deep opening. These are the largest muscles in the body and are associated with your fight or flight response. Keep your hips active but draw your weight forward and down whilst maintaining breath.

Anjanyasana, Cresent Lunge

5. Balasana, childs pose. This pose gives you a feeling of surrender; no need to hold up your body, but allow it to be supported by the earth. Breathe into your back body and relax your heart towards the mat, softening through your hips.

Balasana, Childs Pose

Come and join me on the mat this week to tap into the first energy chakra, Muladhara. It will be a strong but grounding practice. Book here to attend my yoga class in Tunbridge Wells.

LHB x

A Beginners Guide to the Chakras

Have you ever stepped onto the mat feeling frenzied or worried and after the practice walked off feeling a little lighter? Biologically speaking, you will have mustered up some endorphins to improve your mood (since it feels pretty good to move your body) however, ancient yogis and many teachers would reason this to how yoga and breathwork can unblock channels and pent up energy, allowing it to flow freely.

Chakra is a Sanskrit word that means ‘wheel’, and it refers to the areas in the subtle body where energy flows. The main seven chakras are: root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown. For ease, imagine that they travel from your coccyx (the root) up the spine to the top of your head (the crown). They are a complex network of energetic channels, each relating to a different element (earth, water, air) and each associated with their own colour.

The reality is that most classes flow through the chakras (if planned well). When we practice, we move in such a way to collect prana (energy, life-force) to enliven the chakras and to stabilise the mind so that they can come forward or open up. I know at first it can all seem a little far fetched but I now understand them as second nature which can really aid my self practice. So lets go through them…

1. Root Chakra - Muladhara
   Located at your perineum or coccyx, it represents being grounded, safe and having survival needs met. Associated with the colour red and the element is relates to is earth. If it is out of balance and your basic needs are not met, you tend to have self destructive behaviours with low self esteem. But if it is balanced, you will feel confident, secure and safe.

2. Sacral Chakra - Svadisthana

   Located at your sacrum, it represents pleasure, fluidity, creativity, fertility and sexuality. Associated with the colour orange and the element it relates to is water. Out of balance you might be hard on yourself and feel guilty, but in balance you should feel deserving of living an abundant pleasurable life.

3. Solar Plexus Chakra - Manipura

   Located by the belly button, it represents will power, that ‘gut feeling’, strength and assertion. Associated with the colour yellow and the element it relates to is fire. In balance you have self esteem and confidence and unbalanced you lack courage and become inert.

4. Heart Chakra - Anahata

   Located at your heart, it of course represents love, unconditional love, compassion and intuition. Associated with the colour green and the element it relates to is air. When it is balanced you will be able to forgive, to love unconditionally and when it is closed you may have dysfunctional relationships and you may become possessive or codependent.

5. Throat Chakra - Vishuddha

   Located at your throat, it represents communication, truth and reliability. Associated with the colour blue and the element it relates to is ether. In balance, you will be able to communicate with patience, no judgement and truth. If blocked, you may think your voice is the only truth and you may struggle to communicate and listen to others.

6. Third Eye Chakra - Ajna

   Located in between your eyebrows or in your brain, it represents wisdom, imagination, intuition and the ability to analyse truth in the world. Associated with the colour indigo and the element it relates to is light. In balance you can trust your inner wisdom with life’s challenges, but unbalanced you are cynical and close minded.

7. Crown Chakra - Sahasrara

   The final chakra doesn’t really have a place on the human body, but it is located just above your head. It represents a higher consciousness than yourself, helping you understand that you are far beyond the physical self. Associated with the colour indigo or white and the element it relates to is cosmic energy. When the chakra is closed, you believe that happiness comes from the outside but balanced you feel free and are able to find happiness within.

I hope that didn’t confuse you too much but gave you a general understanding of the chakras so you might be able to think if perhaps they need rebalancing or some time given to certain areas of body.

Please come to yoga with me in Tunbridge Wells to get a deeper understanding of them within your asana practice. Here is my timetable and for the next seven weeks we will be moving through a chakra based practice, focusing on one each week, beginning with Muladhara, the root chakra.

Peace.

Yoga and Mindfulness for Kids

My memories of school, ages 5-18, are almost entirely wonderful. I made friends for life, messed around with them, became netball captain, tormented teachers, became teachers pet, wore too much eyeliner, realised I loved geography, realised I hated PE, chased boys like nothing else and rolled my skirt up one too many times like any other grammar school girl. Did I get stressed about work and exams? I suppose. Did I feel pressure from school or parents? Kinda. For me, the work was never the issue. Looking back, I now see that I may have had a few minor mental health issues... No big deal, I was just a young girl; I felt inadequate and always in competition with fellow students and I always thought their opinions defined me. It was nothing serious at all, but I remember feeling like that. In addition, I was just a typical teenager; making my parents lives difficult, sulking when I didn't get my own way, storing Bacardi Breezers under my bed aged 15 and refusing to do homework. Since then, I've grown up a little bit and now store the alcohol in the fridge.

Practising yoga, using mindfulness apps and listening to guided meditation podcasts has changed my mindset entirely over the last few years. Although I'm grateful I found these at 23, I'm also gutted I only found them at 23. 

There is a huge amount of evidence that illustrates the benefits of yoga; benefitting the mind as well as the body. Yoga's physical benefits... it promotes lean muscle and muscle growth, improves flexibility, regulates adrenals, improves digestion, helps you focus and aids sleep - plus about a million other things. Even baby yoga has physical, physiological and psychological benefits; promoting better sleep and digestion. Yoga can be gentle, which is perhaps why it has a reputation for being popular with older generations. But more and more it is being practised in younger children, teens and yes, even babies. Looking after your body with stretches, strengthening, breathing and mindfulness will undoubtedly encourage a routine and kickstart those physical and mental benefits from a young age. 

Kids today are more likely to battle with negative emotions, anxiety and stress (Garner, 2018). And as pressure increases not only in school, but from parents and social media, the number of those self harming has increased by 68%, mental health issues by 46% and with cyber bullying also on the rise - things aren't looking great (Tait, 2018). No one is claiming that yoga, mindfulness and meditation are the solution, but it has been shown as one way to reduce levels of stress and anxiety in school children. I've also seen first-hand benefits in students who use my yoga class as a time to de-stress, switch off from the outside world and leave in a calmer headspace.

As I've already said, my time at school was really enjoyable but that doesn't mean to say I wouldn't have benefitted from yoga and a little mindfulness. I found PE stressful and tended to be 'on my period' every week to get out of it. A study of High School students found that practicing yoga reduced levels of stress, bad mood, negative emotions and other mental health problems and in fact the levels among those students doing PE actually increased/worsened (Hagins and Rundle, 2016). Yoga encourages self acceptance, teaches different breathing techniques to control emotions and brings you into the present moment; reducing worry about the past and stress about the future. I wish I had started sooner, but I'm also delighted that I didn't go another 20 years before I discovered yoga. A practice that encourages self acceptance and reminds you that you're perfect as you are can't be a bad one... and if you're a cynic, at least you'll have a good laugh ;)

LHB 

P.S. Youtube is your best friend. If yoga or meditation intimidates you or weirds you out... but you're intrigued... get online and watch cat meffan or yoga with adrienne. 

Pancake Day

Another food blog post for you guys! Considering the day, I figured it would be rude not to. 

I used to love original recipe pancakes, but I don't eat milk or butter now and honestly I just don't have the patience to measure out those ingredients - it's always seemed like such a faff. When I think pancakes, this recipe always comes to mind. Two ingredient pancakes. Paleo, gluten and dairy free. Nothing original, but I've made these for years and they are delicious, sweet, natural and filling and bonus - there is no measuring needed!

Ingredients (1 portion)

1 ripe banana
2 eggs

Recipe

Mash the banana in a bowl with the back of a fork, add the two eggs and whisk together. Pour the mixture into a flat hot pan with a little coconut oil and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side. I make about 4 little pancakes with the mixture.

Add cinnamon and/or raisins to the mixture depending on your taste buds. Maple syrup is always a welcome addition, or to make them a little more classic - they are perfect with sugar and lemon.  Add fruit, yogurt or even melt chocolate into the mixture. Delish.  

Remember that these are entirely guilt free; they are a filling breakfast, lunch or snack. Enjoy on pancake day or on any day really!

In addiiton, this recipe from Lucy + Lentils is dreamy if you want vegan pancakes that are a little thicker and fluffy!

Lots of love
LHB

The Best Energy Ball Recipe

Protein balls, bliss balls, energy balls - whatever you choose to name them - are no new creation. They've been a popular snack in the health trend for a good few years now; Deliciously Ella has brought out her own branded recipe to supermarkets and Vlogger, Sarah's Day has done the same for online sale. Although I don't want to put them out of business... they are stupidly easy to make + you will save yourself lots of money making them yourself, rather then buying them for £2.50 a pop. 

They take about 10 minutes total to make and will give you a healthy and tasty snack alternative to a sugar filled chocolate bar. Filled with nuts, cacao and superfoods, they are not only filling (high protein content) and satisfy the sweet tooth (natural sweetness of dates), but they are also high in antioxidants, will aid digestion with the fibre content + are high in omegas. In layman's terms - they're great and super simple to make. 

You can complicate these - adding more ingredients, different nuts, dried fruit perhaps -but this is my tried + tested recipe that I do over and over again, so go buy the ingredients + try it. 

Ingredients

Makes 12- 18 (depending on how large you make them)

200g medjool dates
100g almond flour/ground almonds
1 tbsp cacao
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp shredded coconut (+ 1 tbsp for rolling)

optional

1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp flax seeds

Recipe

Take the dates, tear them in half and pull out the pits. Place the pits in the bin and sticky dates in the food processor, followed by all other ingredients... and blend for about 30 seconds. I use the back of a spoon to squash the mixture to the side of the food processor - if it stays squashed as you move the spoon, it's perfect consistency. If it is too dry and crumbly, add 1 tsp of coconut oil and blend again.

Make sure your hands are washed and then spoon the mixture out into your palms - roll into balls. I rolled a few in desiccated coconut, which looks pretty but isn't essential at all.

Place them in the fridge for 30 minutes minimum and you're done. You can store them in the fridge for about a week. Easy peasy. Mid morning/mid afternoon snack sorted.

-

LHB

Creamy Cashew Chai Latte

Hi pals,

Pinch punch, it's the first of the month. Thank the lord that we are leaving gloomy January! But whilst we are still in the cold Winter season, I thought I would share something (a recipe) with you that has been long awaited by those who attended my Christmas Yoga Event on the 2nd of December.

Towards the end of the Christmas event, my kind helpers stirred the cashew milk and chai mixture on a very low heat so that once everyone came out of Savasana, they were greeted with a warming fragrant cup of creamy chai. This took me four attempts to finally find the right balanced recipe/measurements for the 25 students I taught. But I have finally taken the time to scale it down and find the right recipe for you all.

Not sure about chai? If you like comfort, cinnamon and the aromas of christmas, you will love it. It is really such a good yummy satisfying alternative to coffee or tea. 

I think I have finally figured out the recipe that is right for me, so here it is - let me know what you think.

Serves 2

400ml water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 clove
1 black/chai teabag

300ml Alpro cashew mylk (welcome to use almond also)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp maple syrup/honey (or sweeten to taste)

1. Place water and spices into a pan and bring them to the boil. Once bubbling, leave to simmer for five minutes. Add the teabag(s) and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for another 5 minutes minimum.

2. Meanwhile, start heating the cashew mylk in another pan on a very low heat and consistently stir this *if it burns, it tastes awful*. Add the cinnamon (1tsp recommended but add more/less to taste) - it may clump, so use a whisk to mix it in. 

3. Strain the tea mix into two mugs and you will have a dark coloured, strong smelling liquid. Add the cashew milk equally and finally drizzle in the maple syrup to taste and perhaps a sprinkling of cinnamon on the top... et voila.

To make this extra special, I made a dairy free whipped cream with coconut cream and a little icing sugar. I used this recipe by Minimalist Baker and just added a dollop in each mug. De-LISH. Enjoy.

Lots of January loving, 

LHB

Could You Benefit From A Private Yoga Class?

I so love going to and teaching group classes; there is an energy, a vibration that comes from a group of people practising yoga together in the same space. A private class is not better or worse than a group class, but they are different and as a student you will gain different things from both. If you are interested in taking up yoga or even if you have been practising a while, it's likely you've been intrigued by a private yoga class at some stage but haven't known whether it would be right for you. 

So why book a private 1:1?

It's personalised. As a teacher, I do my best to understand the student's body; any ailments, injuries or problem areas they have. From there we focus on specific parts of the body and will know if certain poses should be avoided. We move at the student's desired pace and they can stop at any point to ask questions. Although we try, in a group environment, it's difficult for a teacher to fully understand every student's body.

You choose the focus. Perhaps you've had a sedentary day and come to class full of energy, wanting a workout but the class has been much slower than you'd needed. Or vice versa. The student can decide the focus in a 1:1. Maybe one day they'd like to strengthen and tone and on another breathe and destress. In a group environment, the teacher chooses how physical it will be and what the theme is.

Boost your confidence. It can be intimidating to attend a group class for the first time; not knowing what to expect or what will be expected of you. Will I keep up? Will everyone else be super bendy? Of course, none of this actually matters but in order to boost your confidence and help you feel more comfortable, a 1:1 will introduce you to the basics and help you feel fully equipped.

Take your practise further. If there is a specific pose or flow that you'd like to improve - e.g. a headstand, you're best organising a private class so that you know how to safely get up, down and how to do all the necessary warming up to get you prepared. Learning one on one with someone who is trained will greatly lessen the chance of injury and it will likely enable you to get to where you want a lot quicker. In addition, students will leave a private class with specific poses, breathing techniques or flows to practise in their own time so that they will soon see progression.

"Yoga with Kiri has helped rebuild my body since the birth of my baby boy. She has completely understood what I wanted to achieve from a 1:1 and I am so enjoying getting back into it with her help. Her understanding of the poses and what they do to your body is incredible and I can feel myself getting stronger with each class. During our 1:1s, I feel comfortable and Kiri helps me forget other things on my mind so that I can fully focus on myself and my progress." - Paula Jirgena

If you want to ask any other questions or book directly for a private class, send me an email here.

lots of love, 

LHB

Coffee + Cleansing

In my last year at University, coffee was part of my daily ritual where I would take myself to the local Costa/Starbucks, drink my soya latte and spend six hours straight glued to my laptop #CrazyUniLife. Before that, coffee was never a necessity, nor something I even liked that much. Over that year I developed a routine in which I felt most productive, and an absolute non-negotiable essential of that routine was my 10am caffeine fix.

Your last year at University is generally the hardest and most stressful by a mile with dissertations and the looming unknown of post-University life.

Early into my last year I was stressed and began suffering with anxiety. My coping mechanism was to stay as routined as possible, which of course included my ritualistic coffee. Over the following months - my skin suffered, I lost weight, I started getting acid reflux everyday. I dreaded being in larger social scenes, bit my fingers to pieces and got palpitations. I didn't think coffee was to blame in any way so I continued drinking my one a day - holding the little warm cup in my hand.

The following year, my routine changed entirely and without intentionally doing it, I cut it out. After a couple of months I felt back to my healthy self. However, over the last year it has slowly crept back into my life and despite keeping stress at a minimum and maintaining a healthy diet, I've devastatingly started to see the negatives appear again. I know coffee can't be the only culprit, but I have to start somewhere... So coffee, oh coffee, it has come to this pivotal point, where I must say adios, farewell, so that I can get myself back on track. 

I've written about it to keep myself accountable and to share my experience. Having said all this... if you do love coffee and are ever in the Tunbridge Wells area, I will recommend Fine Grind as my favourite hideout, which does the yummiest coffee.

In addition to all the coffee chat, my diet has been a little ad-hoc over the last month or two due to going back on the contraceptive pill (I'll elaborate at another point) and I am determined to get back on my journey to reduce/eliminate my acid reflux and get my gut back to a happy healthy environment. I'm also hoping to rebalance my hormones with diet, which is something I'll talk about later in the blog. If anyone wants to understand more about what I'm planning on doing and wants to join in with something similar, send me a message.

Yours decaffeinated-ly,

Little Health Bunny