I AM SO EXCITED!

I am over the moon to finally write this post with my soul sister Kelsi Ludvigsen as we prepare for our yoga retreat with Leela Yoga in BALI April 8 – 15 2017.

Yup, this is your official invitation, beautiful!

Over the course of the week, Kelsi and I will lead a transformative retreat focusing on vinyasa and yin yoga practices, pranayama and meditation. Throughout our journey, we will lead classes which explore our energy centres — our chakras. As we move through our energy centres, we are able realign ourselves to what is important and tap into that self-love goodness.

Yoga Poses for the Chakras

To prepare for this journey through the chakras, Kelsi & I have put together a fun post talking about poses for each of the chakras.

What does it entail? Read on!

Day 1: On Grounding (1st Chakra)

Our 1st chakra, Muladhara is all about the earth, so we think of grounding, survival, stability and stillness. It works with our adrenals in levelling out our bodies stress to illness, our bones so that we can carry ourselves through life, and our large intestines so that we not only digest our food but also our undigested memories and fears. Tree pose embodies the 1st chakra as a way to feel balanced and steady, it makes us strong and leaves us in a state of true grounding.

Day 2: On Creativity (2nd chakra)

Our 2nd chakra, Svadhisthana is all about sweetness. The sweetness of desire, creativity, and joy. It works with our ovaries and womb for not only procreating but also the act of being creative in our hobbies and life. It assists with the kidneys to remove waste and make room for healing, while our circulatory system to continues to flush and detox the body. Its all about cultivating our emotional and sensual being. Malasana is the perfect pose for honouring the 2nd chakra. Strengthening the hips and balancing the power, we release to the physical world.

Day 3: On Releasing (3rd chakra)

Our third chakra, Manipura, located above the navel or slightly below the solar plexus, translates from Sanskrit as the “City of Jewels.” It is at this space where the core of our personality and ego reside. Letting go is the theme for this chakra as we learn to release attachment and control. In this release we connect to our true selves. The third chakra governs our kidneys, digestive system and liver – but also transgresses into areas of spiritual growth, and personal expansion. Tapping into the power of Navasana allows us to work towards cleansing the third chakra by strengthening our abdomen and back.

Day 4: On Devotion (4th Chakra)

Our fourth chakra, Anahata, is located at the heart centre. As you can imagine, it’s all about love, and all its forms – including one of the most important: self love. The heart centre is a healing place and a powerful space to contend with as you move through life’s experiences connecting with both yourself and others. It governs a great many things, but most obviously the heart and healing. Here we will focus on the practice of devotion – devotion to our practice, to our happiness and to whatever we connect with. Ustrasana helps us crack open a space this space which is often blocked; opening our hearts to new experiences and full blown love.

Day 5: On Receiving (5th Chakra)

Our 5th chakra, Vishuddha, located on the throat, is all about purifying and speaking our truth. The fifth chakra governs the thyroid, parathyroid, jaw, neck, mouth, tongue, and larynx. So to speak, the fifth chakra is blocked when we begin to hold back on our beliefs, thoughts and will. We will focus on receiving the strength to speak our truth with and through opening postures such as Sarvangasana. By strengthening our fifth chakra, we open ourselves up to new opportunity and the gifts that we are meant to receive.

Day 6: On Intuition (6th Chakra)

The sixth chakra, Ajna, is also well known as the third eye – or the centre for intuition. This is our inner intelligence, where we gain our insights and seek truth. Often our gut instincts reside in this area of the body. Tapping into the sixth chakra is often about trust. Trusting your insights and trusting your inner voice. In order to open up our third eye and intuition, we will focus in on meditation and pranayama. A wonderful way to enter a meditative state is through breath-work. Nadi Shodhan is a practice of alternate nasal breathing, where nadi refers to subtle energy channel and shodhan is cleaning and purification. Use this breath to help the third eye see!

Day 7: On Bliss and Renewal (7th Chakra)

Our 7th Chakra, Sahasrara is all about bliss and understanding. A deep connection to this part of your body gives you access to the here and now. The seventh chakra works with the pituitary gland and central nervous system to smooth out and relax the body during times of stress. A deep meditation practice can help us access this chakra along with yoga Nidra and even headstand. Anything that can draw you out of your mind and down to the here and now can help this chakra flourish.