🎄Hip Openers for December 🎄
HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!
Our theme for December is Hip Openers.
One of my teachers used to say that we store our emotions in our hips. It’s actually a popular thought in the yoga world that we hold a lot of tensions in that part of the body, because of its strategic location as a connector between the torso and the legs. Although they keep us stable, balanced and mobile, our hips can be a difficult area to stretch and relieve.
Open your hips to open your world? Let’s try it together this December!
CLASSES
Here is the schedule for weekly group classes in Lisbon. All of them take place in Campo de Ourique.
🏄♀️🏄♂️ Yoga for Surfers
📅 Every Wednesday 9am at Studio Organic Flow
🤰🤱 Baby & Me - Prenatal & Postnatal (babies welcome!)
📅 Every Wednesday 11am at Studio Organic Flow
🧘♀️🧘♂️ Mindful Flow - Open-Level Vinyasa
📅 Every Friday 12.30pm at Yoga no Bairro
Last class before the holiday break on December 15th and then classes resume on January 3rd.
Each class is limited to 8 students, so remember to book your spot beforehand. Private classes can also be arranged in-person or online.
THE WORDS OF YOGA
Savasana
In this new section of the newsletter, I aim to elaborate around some of the classical words or concepts of yoga. I realize that it can be helpful to understand what some of the Sanskrit words we use in class actually mean.
Let’s start this series with everyone’s favorite yoga pose, Savasana.
The Sanskrit word Savasana translates as corpse pose, and it is the pose we always end class with, lying on our back, legs relaxed on the floor, palms of the hands facing the ceiling. It is a posture of rest, one during which we let go of any breath or muscles control, and try to release any tension left in the body. It’s a time where we assimilate all the benefits of our physical practice. If we consider a yoga class a micro-life, Savasana would be death, our final resting pose (before being born again in our case!). Some people fall asleep during Savasana, and that’s perfectly fine! Your body might need just that. It can get cold while lying down on the floor in stillness for a few minutes, so have a blanket or socks and a sweater nearby to cover yourself up. Make sure you are as comfortable as possible, and enjoy the silence, stillness and peace in your body.
This month, Savasana will be extra long, about 10 minutes or so, in each of my classes. Consider this my gift to you for the holidays!
LIFE IN LISBON
Stay Warm
This winter, I am partnering with my friend Joséphine from Jo sopas & tapas (a really cute & delicious eatery in São Bento) to bring movement and warmth to Lisbon’s coworking and office spaces.
Move your body through mindful stretches specifically designed for office workers and then refuel with delicious homemade soups & pies delivered to work. Contact me to learn more and let’s get warm together!!
Lastly, here are a few things I loved in November: this article, this graphic for its way of looking at life and our time left, this podcast and this ceramics studio.
And a quote, why not.
"All change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end." Robin Sharma
As I’m about to wrap up my first year in Lisbon, I can certainly relate to that messiness of the middle but I am hopeful that 2024 will bring on the gorgeous! Wishing you all a joyful and peaceful holiday season .
🎁 May our best present be to be present this holiday season 🎁
Photo: Julien Roubinet.
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✨ FROM LISBON, WITH LIGHT ✨
