By Simon Borg-Olivier, 1st April 2014 The sat-kriyas of hatha yoga are six kinds of ‘cleansing processes’ for the body and the mind. They have many manifestations. One of the best explanations of these sat-kriyas and their many variations can be found in the Yoga Makaranda of Sri T. Krishnamacharya. The kriyas are of six types: 1. Dhauti Kriya, 2. …
Exhale for Pleasure, Strength and Freedom
In this short video below I discuss the seven main ways you can exhale and how by understanding and mastering these ways of exhalation you can stimulate the pleasure centres of your brain, improve core strength, save energy, reduce stress, make your spine more mobile and flexible, and massage your internal organs to improve the function of your digestive …
How to Nourish and Strengthen your Hips with Intelligent Postures and Movements
Hip problems, arthritis and osteoporosis are very prevalent in later life. It is very important to strengthen your hips by carefully applying specifically chosen muscle activations in an intelligent combination of postures and movements. As exercise-based physiotherapists and long standing yoga teachers and practitioners Bianca Machliss and I (Simon Borg-Olivier) have seen over and over again the need to not …
How your yoga practice can make you fat and weak
Bad diet, an unfocused mind, stressful practice, not using your diaphragm, holding postures too long, over-tensing muscles, not being able to properly activate muscles and abdominal over-breathing can all make your yoga practice ineffective and impede your progress for a lifetime. We previously posted an article about the basic tenets of the Yoga Synergy Method, which can make any style …
To Breathe or Not to Breathe!
Breathing less than normal can calm the nervous system, decrease appetite and cause more oxygen to be transported to the brain. Breathing more than normal can have some beneficial effects too, however it also can make you feel dizzy, jittery and hungry. It is also better to keep breathing exercises and physical exercises separate until one is firmly established in the physical exercises. Once one no longer needs to focus on …
Is it Correct to ‘Pull the Navel towards the Spine’? Answer: Yes and No!
Many people in the world of yoga, Pilates and fitness tell their clients and students to do something like ‘pull the navel to the spine’. If you google this expression you find articles that give a flurry of controversy on whether on not it is a good idea to ‘pull the navel to the spine’. In this video, exercise-based physiotherapist …
Essentials of Teacher Training: YOGA FUNDAMENTALS: Yoga Synergy 120 hour Online Course
EDIT: We have renamed our course Advanced Yoga Fundamentals: Essentials for teaching Yoga We are very proud to present our online course ‘Essentials of Teacher Training: Yoga Fundamentals’. This course is the culmination of 30 years of teaching experience and 45 years of yoga practice. The course is useful on many levels. It gives 28 versions of an accessible but challenging …
Spinal Movements Sequence (Part 16): Vinyasa – balancing forward bending with backward bending
This video is Part 16 of a YogaSynergy Spinal Movements Sequence taught by physiotherapist and Director of Yoga Synergy, Simon Borg-Olivier, which he teaches in person in courses throughout the world as well as Online in courses at RMIT University and Online in courses at YogaSynergy called Yoga Fundamentals and Applied Anatomy and Physiology of Yoga. Video Transcript: Each extension movement is followed by a flexion movement of the spine. …
Spinal Movements (Part 9): Twisting to the Left Side (Spinal Axial Rotation)
This video is Part 9 of a YogaSynergy Spinal Movements Sequence taught by physiotherapist and Director of Yoga Synergy, Simon Borg-Olivier, which he teaches in person in courses throughout the world as well as Online in courses at RMIT University and Online in courses at YogaSynergy called Yoga Fundamentals and Applied Anatomy and Physiology of Yoga.
Spinal Movements (Part 8): Twisting to the Right Side (Spinal Axial Rotation)
This video is Part 8 of a YogaSynergy Spinal Movements Sequence taught by physiotherapist and Director of Yoga Synergy, Simon Borg-Olivier, which he teaches in person in courses throughout the world as well as Online in courses at RMIT University and Online in courses at YogaSynergy called Yoga Fundamentals and Applied Anatomy and Physiology of Yoga.