10 Reasons to Try Yoga Nidra

Yoga nidra means ‘yogic sleep’. It is an effortless yoga relaxation and meditation practice that anyone can do, by themselves with an audio recording or with the guidance of a teacher in person.

Yoga nidra brings you to a deeply relaxed state of mind and body, whilst you are still awake. This is the state between sleep and wakefulness (called the hypnogogic state in psychology), where you float between consciousness and unconsciousness, being aware of the resting state of the body and mind as it is happening in the moment.

Yoga nidra has been shown to be effective in supporting and healing many areas of body and mind including stress, tension, anxiety, insomnia, pain, trauma, addiction and PTSD.

I have found yoga nidra to be one of the best ways to relax and release my body completely, and one of the easiest ways to enter the meditative space. It really is effortless.

In this blog I offer ten reasons why you should try yoga nidra, and a link to ten free yoga nidra practices on my website.

10 Ways to Use a Yoga Brick

In this blog post I continue to celebrate 10 years of teaching with the first in a series of ‘Ten Ways to use...’

This blog is about yoga bricks. After yoga mats, they are probably the most widely found yoga prop.

If you are new to yoga and got a yoga brick with your first yoga mat, you might have been wondering what it is for. If you are a more experienced yoga student you may be familiar with ways to use a brick in your practice.

In this blog I share a few ideas on how to use your brick for ten common yoga poses.

Ten Years, Yoga and Wellbeing, Yoga Practice, Yoga TipsSarah CloverMarch 17, 2023yoga tips, yoga class, Ten Years

Ten things I've learned from ten years of teaching yoga

Ten years ago I completed my first Yoga Teacher Training. I decided to share my love of yoga with my community and build a business to support my family after many years working in the arts.

Starting with mum and baby yoga, then adult classes and then pregnancy, my classes and timetable have grown organically and luckily I've succeeded in making yoga teaching my full time job.

Over the years I’ve learned so much about myself, about teaching yoga and how to run a yoga business. In this blog I reflect on ten of the many things I’ve learned as I look forward to the next ten years…

Yoga Tips, Ten YearsSarah CloverFebruary 10, 2023Ten Years, yoga class, yoga tips

A gentle welcome to the new year

Welcome to 2023! I'm looking forward to the year ahead with its seasonal rhythms, annual events and of course the unknowns, how will this year unfold?

A quick new year post for you where I share Michael James Wong's beautiful 'A Travelling Prayer' to inspire a gentle and mindful start to the new year.

Yoga and Wellbeing, Yoga PracticeSarah CloverJanuary 13, 2023yoga quotes, mental health, yoga practice

Senbazuru - learn to fold a paper crane

Senbazuru - learn the Japanese tradition of mindfully folding paper cranes.

Folding a paper crane is said to bring peace, hope, healing and happiness. The practice of folding a crane brings mindfulness and pleasure through creating a little bit of time in the present moment.

Find out about Michael James Wong’s beautiful book about the tradition, and learn step by step how to fold your own paper crane and bring some mindfulness to your day in this blog post.

Yoga and Wellbeing, Yoga PracticeSarah CloverDecember 13, 2022Meditation, mental health, yoga practice

Patience and Cowrie Shells

Ever since I can remember I have spent time on the beach looking for shells, pebbles, sea glass and treasures. It was a holiday ritual with my family every summer when we visited the Moray coast in Scotland, many happy hours were spent marvelling at what the tide brings in.

One of the little shells I look for is the European Cowrie, or in Northern Scotland the 'Groatie Buckie.' The process of gentle and mindful searching for these little shells brings peace and calm.

In my latest blog, find out how beach combing is yoga practice, and the significance of the cowrie shell world wide.

Meditation, Yoga and Wellbeing, Yoga PracticeSarah CloverNovember 10, 2022Meditation, mental health, yoga practice

Meno -PAUSE

I’m delighted to have qualified as a Menopause Yoga Teacher just as we celebrate World Menopause Day in October. I’m looking forward to sharing my new skills with you soon on the mat. Read my latest post where I share some key menopause resources with you and a little of my menopause story so far.

Yoga Tips, Yoga for MenopauseSarah CloverOctober 18, 2022menopause, mental, yoga for menopause, yoga tips

How to choose oil for Baby Massage

Skin is the primary conduit to touch which is critical for comfort, development, good health and well-being for baby and parent. Massage nurtures touch, and the process for attachment of baby and bonding for the parent. Skin, as well as a sensory organ, acts as a temperature regulator, hydration manager, waste eliminator and protective barrier – baby’s first line of defence.

This is why it’s really important to ensure that you choose the most appropriate oil for you and your baby. In this article I offer some information and research to help you decide on the oil you’d like to use, and you can also decide not to use any oil at all.

Baby MassageSarah CloverSeptember 14, 2022Baby Massage

How I make my classes accessible

Postnatal Yoga, Yoga and Wellbeing, Yoga PracticeSarah CloverAugust 14, 2022yoga class, yoga practice

Pelvic stability in pregnancy - 4 top tips

It's really important to have an understanding of your pelvis in pregnancy, how to keep it healthy and stable and how best to use it during labour and birth.

The female pelvis is designed with childbirth in mind, it is an amazing structure. The down side to the amazing ability of the female pelvis to not only be flexible, but also to house a growing baby, placenta, and all its usual organs and systems is that a lot of pressure is put on both the bony pelvis and the muscles and ligaments such as the sacroiliac, symphysis pubis and pelvic floor.

Read on to find out more about how to keep your pelvis stable and healthy during your pregnancy…

Yoga for Pregnancy, Yoga TipsSarah CloverJuly 13, 2022Pregnancy Yoga

Occasional Thoughts Blog

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