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Discover the Alaya Yoga Online Experience

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<b>Monica</b><br>Ālaya Yoga

Monica
Ālaya Yoga

Discover the Alaya Yoga Online Experience

New to the Alaya Yoga platform?

We are a dynamic and interactive platform that offers an abundance of live classes, a comprehensive library of on-demand sessions, and a supportive community that will inspire and empower you on your yoga journey. Whether you’re a seasoned yogi or new to the mat, here’s everything you need to know about this innovative platform.

Live Classes: A Tapestry of Inspiration

One of the most captivating aspects of Alaya Yoga Online is the abundance of live classes available each month. With over 100+ classes led by expert teachers, you’ll find a diverse range of styles, intensities, and durations to suit your preferences and schedule. Whether you’re a fan of Vinyasa Flow, Ashtanga, Yin, or Kundalini, you’ll discover a class that resonates with your unique journey.

What sets Alaya Yoga Online apart is the interactive nature of these live sessions. You have the opportunity to connect with teachers and fellow participants in real-time, fostering a sense of community and support. Whether you want to ask questions, share your progress, or simply enjoy the collective energy of a group practice, these live classes offer a powerful and transformative experience.

On-Demand Library: Yoga at Your Convenience

Life can be hectic, and sometimes it’s challenging to find the time to attend a live class. That’s where Alaya Yoga Online’s on-demand library comes to the rescue. With over 80 pre-recorded classes available at any time, you have the freedom to practice whenever and wherever it suits you best. Whether you need a quick 20-minute flow to start your day or a restorative session to wind down in the evening, the on-demand library has you covered.

Furthermore, the Alaya Yoga Online team regularly updates the library with fresh content, ensuring that you’ll always have access to new classes of varying styles, lengths, and levels. This constant infusion of creativity and variety keeps your practice exciting and allows you to explore different approaches to yoga, deepening your understanding of the practice.

7 Day Live Class Playback: Catch Up at Your Own Pace

We all have busy lives, and sometimes scheduling conflicts arise that prevent us from attending our favorite live classes. But fear not, because Alaya Yoga Online offers a unique feature that solves this problem—the 7 Day Live Class Playback. Even if you miss a live session, you can still catch up on it within the following seven days. This invaluable perk ensures that you never miss out on the teachings and guidance of your favorite teachers.

Additionally, the ability to revisit a class allows you to reinforce your understanding, focus on specific poses or sequences, and track your progress over time. This flexibility is truly a game-changer, allowing you to tailor your yoga practice to fit seamlessly into your lifestyle.

10-Day Free Trial: Embrace the Alaya Experience

Curious to experience the magic of Alaya Yoga Online for yourself? The platform offers a generous 10-day free trial that grants you full access to over 130 live classes per month and the extensive on-demand video library. During this trial period, you’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the Alaya community, connect with inspiring teachers, and explore the vast range of classes on offer.

The experienced and passionate teachers at Alaya Yoga Online are dedicated to creating a supportive and inclusive environment for practitioners of all levels. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced yogi, you’ll find guidance and encouragement to help you reach new heights in your practice. The free trial provides the perfect opportunity to experience this firsthand and decide if Alaya Yoga Online is the right fit for your journey.

Embark on a Journey of Transformation and Connection

In a world that often feels disconnected and fast-paced, Alaya Yoga Online offers a sanctuary for self-discovery, growth, and connection. Through its live classes, on-demand library, and supportive community, this platform has transformed the way we engage with yoga, making it more accessible and enjoyable than ever before.

 

So, whether you’re a seasoned practitioner seeking fresh inspiration or a curious beginner looking to embark on a new path, Alaya Yoga Online invites you to join its transformative journey. Explore the vast array of classes, deepen your practice, and connect with a community that shares your passion for yoga. Embrace the Alaya experience and unlock the full potential of your mind, body, and spirit.

At Ālaya Yoga, we’ve got a team of expert teachers who are all trained to teach to all levels, including complete beginners. Try 10 free days of Ālaya Yoga and start your journey to holistic wellbeing today.

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Explore the Asana of the Month – Virbhadrasana A

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<b>Monica</b><br>Ālaya Yoga

Monica
Ālaya Yoga

Explore the Asana of the Month – Virbhadrasana A

Virbhadrasana A

Warrior Pose is one of the most iconic asanas in the Yoga practice, which find its place in all the sequences.

Standing poses like this one are also said to help practitioners discover courage, perseverance, and self-empowerment to boot—reserves any warrior would need. And hence it physically requires you to engage your whole body and calls for overall strength.

We hope that detailed alignment tips will help you understand this asana better; however, while trying this, listen to your body to prevent yourself from unwanted injuries. Enjoy where you are in the asana, and go deeper with your practice.

Cues to get into the asana:

1. Start in downward dog.

2. Step your right leg forward between your palms. Keep your front knee bent at 90.

3. Rotate your back heel to turn your toes towards the longer edge of the Mat.

4. Keep your heels in one line, sweep your arms, raise them to the ceiling and join your palms.

5. Gaze at your thumbs.

6. Repeat on the other side.

Alignment Cues:

1. Front knee and ankle in the same line.

2. Front thigh parallel to the floor

3. Torso turned to the shorter edge of the Mat. Keep your pelvis parallel to the short edge of the Mat. Hips square.

3. Spine long and chest lifted and open.

4. Back leg quad muscles are active, and the knee cap is pulled up.

5. Pull your navel to your spine to engage your core, and stretch the abdomen up.

6. Back foot pressing the floor away.

Benefits

  • Works on your Hip Flexors.
  • Improves your Body posture.
  • Strengthens your leg muscles. Increases your stability and balance.
  • Improves self-esteem.
  •  Builds your core strength.

Do you have any asana you would like to explore a bit more? Let us know and we will love to share it with you.

At Ālaya Yoga, we’ve got a team of expert teachers who are all trained to teach to all levels, including complete beginners. Try 10 free days of Ālaya Yoga and start your journey to holistic wellbeing today.

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Corporate Yoga and Other Workplace Practices for Better Health

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<b>J Bellows</b><br>Ālaya Yoga

J Bellows
Ālaya Yoga

Corporate Yoga and Other Workplace Practices for Better Health

It goes without saying that working conditions can greatly affect the health and well-being of employees. This study published on NCBI points out that occupational stress and unpredictable schedules can result in burnout, cardiovascular problems, and psychological distress. More often than not, high physical demands and long working hours can also cause muscle pain and even disability.

Although these may sound concerning, there are definitely ways to improve your working condition. The same study above states that workers who have social support and access to health and wellness initiatives have a better well-being. Corporate yoga programmes, for one, can foster stress reduction. So on that note, this article has listed how corporate yoga, alongside other crucial workplace practises, can generate better health outcomes for you.

1. Monitor your work hours

Perhaps the most straightforward practise in this list, monitoring your work hours allows you to recognise when it’s time to take a breather and slow down. The referenced NCBI study shows that higher incidences of stress and burnout are due to increased work hours. In fact, working more than 55 hours per week dramatically heightens risks of heart disease and stroke. In some cases, it can also exacerbate psychological problems. One recourse to take when you notice you’ve been frequently working overtime is to go on a mental health leave. Fortunately, a feature from Fortune India reports that several companies have introduced employee-friendly policies like mental health leaves, so you can opt to utilise them to rest your mind and body.

2. Participate in corporate yoga sessions

Yoga practises positively impact one’s health by increasing blood circulation, improving mental concentration, and encouraging mobility. As our post “Yoga for Corporate and Office Workers” points out, yoga within the workplace can likewise help minimise sick leave rates and mitigate the occurrence of common illnesses and psychological problems. This is because yoga provides a holistic means to achieve better health and wellness. Participating in corporate yoga doesn’t merely require determination and discipline on your end, but social support from colleagues, too. It’s easy enough to incorporate yoga in your workplace, as this can be done through simple breathing exercises and stretches and meditation. However, try to regularly give out words of encouragement to promote consistency in your coworkers’ yoga practise as well.

3. Opt for healthy meals during lunch breaks

Food gives you the energy you need to power through your daily workload and focus on your tasks. However, it’s important to keep in mind that certain ingredients, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, provide you with better nutrients than fried foods or sugar-filled snacks. On the other hand, actively restricting yourself from eating your favourite foods can make your lunch break less enjoyable. This is why you should strike a balance between both and eat intuitively during workhours. As the podcast Going Beyond the Food explains, intuitive eating means that your meal choices are guided by a healthy attitude towards food. One principle of intuitive eating that you should follow is incorporating nutritious ingredients into well-loved snacks. If you have a sweet tooth, toss in your favourite fruits in a yogurt bowl rather than reaching for a slice of cake. Great food can keep you happy and satisfied through busy workdays; just remember to opt for healthy meals that can keep you in top condition.

4. Utilise aromatherapy in the office

Aromatherapy, or the use of essential oils, is sought to relieve symptoms such as sore joints and headaches. This article from Springer on aromatherapy discusses how it can also enhance mood and alertness while alleviating mental stress. All those considered, essential oils can be quite advantageous in the workplace, especially when you need a pick-me-up in between working hours. They’re easy enough to store in your desk drawer. And because essential oils are applied on the skin, they’re seamless to use whenever you need them. A little goes a long way, too, so you can certainly share the products with your colleagues to ensure they experience the same benefits.

Great health is incredibly important in the workplace, especially amidst occupational stress and long hours. Following the above practises is crucial if you wish to enhance your working conditions. In doing so, you can likewise experience better health outcomes.

Ready to give yoga a try?

At Ālaya Yoga, we’ve got a team of expert teachers who are all trained to teach to all levels, including complete beginners. Try Ālaya Yoga and start your journey to holistic wellbeing today.

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Way to a Safe Yoga Practice

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<b>Monica</b><br>Ālaya Yoga

Monica
Ālaya Yoga

Way to a Safe Yoga Practice

Here are some tips for finding your way to a safe yoga practice.

Yoga has countless benefits, but when done incorrectly, it can result in injuries, including pulled muscles, aching joints, and torn ligaments. Sometimes, it can lead to more severe injuries if not practised safely.

All the possible injuries are not something to be scared of, and leave the practice. Knowing your practice is what is essential for safe practice. Knowledge of practising your asanas safely brings more depth to your practice and intensifies your awareness.

What can cause a Yoga injury?

Not enough warm-up. Stretching and straining your muscles without getting rid of the morning stiffness of the muscles can cause injury. Let your muscles warm up before moving to intense practice.

Inappropriate body weight distribution. Shifting all the weight to one side and not keeping body weight in the Centre.

Not respecting your capabilities and pushing the body beyond the limits.

Not having stability in your asana, feet and palms not being firm on the ground can make one imbalance and cause injury.

 Not following basic alignment cues. Basic alignment is essential for proper grounding and equal weight distribution and fully benefiting from an asana.

Not staying aware of the body’s sensations and breath patterns. Body sensation and breathing patterns will tell you much about what is happening within your body and take necessary action if anything feels unconformable.

 Lack of awareness of existing illnesses or medical conditions can also worsen the situation. Knowing your condition and modifying the asana as per that will make your practice very fruitful.

 

More specific tips to keep it safe

Bend your knees in forward folds if your hamstrings are tight and not ready yet.

It is always safe to bend your knees while coming up from a standing forward fold. This way, you save your hamstrings and lower back from taking the extra strain.

Engage your Quadriceps (thigh muscles) to prevent extra strain on your hamstrings in all deep stretches.

Lengthening your Spine before a twist and forward fold is always a good idea to keep it safe for your lower back and hip flexors.

 Work a routine to open your shoulder and chest. Open shoulders will prevent many shoulder injuries. 

Avoid rounding the back in forward folds. It is ok to bend your knees instead of going deeper down with too tight hamstrings. You can also try sitting on a cushion or a block in seated forward folds.

 Hyperextending those knees is a no-no. Always have knees in a micro-bend position over hyperextending them to save those precious joints.

 We are here to help you to keep your journey safe and sustainable. Have a conversation with our teachers after the class if you have any questions or want to know more about any pose’s safety. 

You can also post your questions on the community hub, and we will get all the information you need

nowing your practice is what is essential for safe practice. Knowledge of practising your asanas safely brings more depth to your practice and intensifies your awareness.

Ready to give yoga a try?

At Ālaya Yoga, we’ve got a team of expert teachers who are all trained to teach to all levels, including complete beginners. Try Ālaya Yoga and start your journey to holistic wellbeing today.

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Yoga Poses for Beginners

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<b>Monica</b><br>Ālaya Yoga

Monica
Ālaya Yoga

Yoga Poses for Beginners

Beginning your Yoga Journey? Here is a list of 5 yoga poses for beginners to start with.

Many of the things we do for fitness today involves rigorous strength training, such as weight training, running and cardio, but all of this comes at the expense of flexibility and the mental relaxation and mindfulness that yoga provides.

Along with the physical benefits of yoga, the breathwork involved in yoga allows our body to obtain the most benefits out of each physical posture we do.

If you find yourself intimidated to start your yoga journey, or maybe you’ve just been out of touch with your yoga practice and would like to start again, here are a few yoga poses for beginners you can try the next time you’re on the mat.

Finding yourself intimidated to start your yoga journey, here are a few yoga poses for beginners you can try the next time you’re on the mat.

Seated Forward Fold

A seated forward fold is a relaxing yet active stretch that improves flexibility as well as lengthens the spine and stretches your entire body. This pose helps relieve a lot of the stress that we hold in our bodies along with providing a gentle stretch to all the big muscle groups in our body.

Benefits of this pose:

  • Lengthens and stretches the spine, as well as provides a gentle stretch to the entire body
  • Massages the digestive organs, and relieves digestive problems such as constipation
  • Great for problems with the sciatica
  • Relaxing and gentle stretch for the hamstrings and the backs of the legs
  • Calms the nervous system and relaxes the mind

Beginners tip:

Even though this is a foundational yoga pose, a lot of yoga practitioners struggle with this pose. If you find yourself unable to reach your feet with your hands, rest your hands on your shins as you fold forward with your palms facing upwards as you keep your focus on lengthening your spine.

Downward Facing Dog

The downward-facing dog is a wonderful foundational yoga asana that strengthens and stretches our entire body. This pose can sometimes feel challenging but over time with repetition, one can achieve all the great benefits that this pose offers.

Benefits of this pose:

  • The downward-facing dog is equal parts stretching and strengthening for the entire body
  • Opens as well as strengthens the shoulders
  • Stretches the calves and the feet
  • Lengthens the hamstrings

Beginners tip:

This asana offers a deep stretch to our upper body as well as lower body. To start with, keep your knees bent and keep your attention on lengthening through the spine. You can also walk out your feet to engage both your legs individually.

If this pose feels challenging for you, try a puppy pose to start out with. Bring your knees down to the ground, and stretch your arms forward while lifting your hips and arching your back.

Bridge Pose

Bridge pose is a chest opening yoga asana. It is typically performed towards the end of a yoga session. It provides a gentle stretch to the back and one can reap the benefits of an inversion without physically being upside down.

Benefits of this pose:

  • Stretches the chest, neck and shoulders and lengthens the spine.
  • Calms the mind and the body and is a wonderful stretch for cooling the body down.
  • Strengthens the calves, hamstrings, glutes as well as ankles.
  • Opens the chest and the heart.
  • Helps relieve menstrual discomfort.

Beginners tip:

This pose can be strengthening as well as restorative. While the more advanced variation involves interlacing your fingers underneath your back, you can also place your palms flat on the ground next to you to provide more stability. Lift your hips and place a bolster, cushion or yoga block directly underneath the sacrum to provide support to your lower back.

Triangle Pose

Triangle pose is a standing pose that is great for both advanced as well as beginner yoga practitioners as this asana has many variations one can use. It’s a great pose that improves both your physical and mental health.

Benefits of this pose:

  • This pose strengthens your core, in turn improving your stability.
  • Stretches and lengthens the spine while also improving spine mobility.
  • Targets the lower back, where people often carry a lot of tension resulting in reduced anxiety.
  • Opens and stretches the hips and the shoulders.

Beginners tip:

If it’s challenging to reach the floor with your hand, you can reach for your shin or your knee. Another variation is resting your elbow on your knee to provide more stability and support.

Child Pose

The child’s pose is a gentle beginner pose. Even though this pose may feel like rest, you’re actively engaging your back as well as your hips to achieve a gentle stretch throughout your body. It works as a great stretch to warm up your body before getting into more advanced poses. It also gives you the chance to reconnect with your breath.

Benefits of this pose:

  • A gentle stretch for the back, ankles, hips ad the spine
  • It can help relieve back pain
  • Active rest for the body during your yoga practice
  • Relaxes the mind and the body

Beginners tip:

This pose can be very calming and restorative. You can keep your knees together or separated depending on whichever pose feels more comfortable to your body. To achieve even more relaxation, place a cushion or a bolster underneath your chest for additional support.

Another post you might like...

Warm-Up Poses for Cyclists

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5 Reasons Why You Should Try Yoga

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<b>Monica</b><br>Ālaya Yoga

Monica
Ālaya Yoga

5 Reasons Why You Should Try Yoga

Here are 5 Reasons why everyone should try yoga

Yoga is often defined as a form of exercise in which you practice poses that help you relax your mind, become more flexible and improve your strength. Yoga, however, is so much more than just that. It’s a practice that perfectly combines breathwork, meditation and mindfulness to tackle everyday stresses as well as ease our minds of any anxiety we may feel on the regular. Through the practice of Asana and breathwork, yoga improves our mobility, flexibility and strength, targeting our mental, physical and spiritual well being.

Yoga practitioner is encouraged to keep their focus on their breath and to practice mindfulness to get the most out of each pose. The daily practice of yoga can help you feel more centred throughout your day, helping ease the stresses that we face regularly in today’s world where people have looming deadlines, rush hours and workloads. It can help you feel more balanced in your approach to life. Other than these benefits from the practice, yoga can also help hasten the healing time in medical ailments such as insomnia, depression, arthritis etc and has mental and physical health benefits for people of all age groups. Yoga can be modified for different people based on their level of fitness, age, and disabilities.

In this article, I’ll talk a little more about some of the most popular reasons people practice yoga.

A yoga practitioner is encouraged to keep the focus on their breath and to practice mindfulness to get the most out of each pose.

Yoga improves strength, mobility and flexibility

The most obvious benefits of making yoga a part of your daily practice and routine are the physical benefits to your body. Yoga helps increase blood circulation in our bodies through the practice of asana’s, many of which target specific locations in our body.

So many people today spend hours upon hours on a chair working, which can often lead to neck and back pain and can even cause irreversible changes to our posture and our spine. Something as simple as doing a sun salutation can help open up your chest, and stretch out your back and reverse the effects of sitting still for extended periods of time. Yoga also involves stretches that if done regularly can help us become more flexible and can improve our strength. One can even alter their daily practice based on what they want to target.

Yoga can help with insomnia

Yoga can help people who suffer from insomnia and poor or irregular sleep patterns. Studies have shown that people who practice yoga before bed find it easier to drift off to sleep as your physical body as well as your mind is more at ease. It can help prepare our mind and our body not only to fall asleep but to stay asleep. Meditation is also a great tool to use when you’re lying awake in bed. When you’re in a meditative state, your mind has the chance to revisit each problem and put it to rest, and this process of mentally putting an end to the day can help calm an overactive brain.

Studies have shown that people who practice yoga before bed find it easier to drift off to sleep...

Yoga can help manage and prevent anxiety

Our bodies are complex structures that hold emotions, thoughts and feelings in their alignment. Holding our bodies in particular positions can provoke thoughts and feelings associated with that pose, for example, people with an open chest and their shoulders back and down maybe habitually more receptive and open to the world around them, while people with a hunched back may suffer from issues of self-esteem.

Anxiety can manifest in our body in 2 physical ways, through our muscles and our breath, i.e., our body becomes stiff and tense while our breath quickens.

• Here are 8 breathing exercises for anxiety you can try right now.

By learning how to manage our breath through the practice of pranayama and being more informed about the alignment of our own bodies, we can manage anxiety more efficiently as well as avoid panic attacks before they even occur.

Studies have shown that people who practice yoga regularly have more energy throughout the day.

Health benefits of yoga

As a lifestyle choice, yoga has proven to help with multiple health issues and is recommended by medical professionals all over the world as a complementary health approach and a holistic health practice.

– Practising yoga can lower the risk of heart disease and is recommended as a preventative measure especially for patients who have suffered from cardiac arrest.

– Yoga can also help reduce chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia as well as chronic arthritis.

– It can help improve our overall brain health, especially brain functions such as attention and memory.

– Yoga is also great for improving your balance, which is all the more important for people who are older.

– It can help boost our immune system as well as help with thyroid issues such as hyperthyroidism as well as hypothyroidism.

– The practice of yoga can even help prevent diabetes.

– Pranayama is also great for the health of our lungs and can help us improve the quality of our breath.

These are just some of the many health benefits that yoga provides. With regular practice, yoga can help us lead healthier as well as more balanced lives.

Yoga can help improve our moods, temperament and stress levels

We face stressors in our daily lives, be it at home, work or even in social situations and stress can become a habit just like anything else. This constant low-stress mode we face throughout the day can impact how we think, how we act, and even our posture. They can gradually become the root cause of physical and mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety and chronic pains.

Yoga can help boost our moods so we feel negative emotions less often. People who suffer from poor anger management and suffer short tempers can also benefit from yoga through the practice of pranayama and mindfulness and is often recommended by therapists. 

Yoga is more than just a form of exercise, it is a lifestyle choice that can help improve our mental and physical health. The next time you’re feeling stiff, stressed out or just low, do a small yoga practise and see how it affects your mind and your body. Over on the Ālaya Yoga platform we’ve got loads of great express classes on our live schedule as well as in our video back so you can practice anytime.

Ready to give yoga a try?

At Ālaya Yoga, we’ve got a team of expert teachers who are all trained to teach to all levels, including complete beginners. Explore our memberships at Ālaya Yoga and start your journey to holistic wellbeing today.

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Ayurveda and Yoga for Spring

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Spring has finally arrived and we have the perfect workshop to help you reset and renew your yoga practice!

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