NICOLE OHME

My dear Yogis and Yoginis,

For the longest time I didn’t understand the concept of February the month of love or Valentines. But looking at the world and what it has become in the last years, I see it more as a reminder to all humanity that we have a heart that should be consolidated and acted on. I will give this month again extra attention to our heart in class.

Most of you have heard me saying before that yoga when it comes to alignment is rather a “boring” system, it is always the same. But because of the body being different in space and gravity working on it accordingly, it seems more complex. So it simple, but not easy 😉

I feel like the same thing applies to life. It comes all down to finding your center, your heart. Trying to use it in every situation life throws at you then all as a sudden it becomes more challenging. Again simple, but not easy!
Maybe Valentines is a good practice tool for beginners after all 🙂

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

” The path does not lead to heaven. The path leads into the heart”
~ Buddha

Monday 30.01.
Shoulder & Chest Opening
Flow

Wednesday 01.02.
Leading with the Heart
Slow Flow

Thursday 02.02.
Open Theme
Yogis Choice

Friday 03.02.
Bow flipped in Space
Flow

Always more we can explore and find out about our heart!

Love,

Nicole

My dear Yogi and Yoginis,

I found this little story in my magazine. I would like to share it with you.

The boy watched as the grandmother wrote a letter. At some point he asked: “Are you writing a story that happened to us? Is it maybe even a story about me?”
The grandmother stopped and with a smile she said to her
grandson: “Right, I’m writing about you. But more important than the words is the pencil I use. It would be nice if you were like him when you grow up. The boy looked at the pencil in confusion and couldn’t see anything special about him. “But it is just like all other pencils.”
It depends on how you look at things. The pencil has five qualities and if you can make them your own, you will become a person at peace with the world.
The first quality: You can do great things, but should never forget that there is a hand that guides your steps. This hand we call God and he shall always guide you according to his will.
The second quality: Sometimes I have to stop writing and use the sharpener. Therefore the pencil suffers a little, but afterwards it’s sharp again. So learn to endure pain from time to time, because it will make you a better person.
The third quality: So that we can erase mistakes, the pencil is equipped with an eraser. You must realize that correcting is not a bad thing, it is absolutely necessary to keep us on the right path.
The fourth quality: What matters in the pencil is not the wood or its outer form but the graphite mine that is in it. So always pay attention to what is going on inside you.
Finally, the fifth quality of the pencil: He always leaves a trace. You too must know that everything you do in life leaves traces and therefore try to do what you are doing very consciously.
~ Paulo Coelho (Author)

All what we do or don’t do with our body leaves traces in our body. If we move or do things consciously we can give our energy paths, health and overall well/being a direction and create the possibility for physical changes. Further more if we make a conscious
connection between body and mind, the desired changes will
manifest themselves as “pathways” in your body/mind.

Monday 23.01.
Leaving Traces
Flow

Wednesday 25.01.
Leaving Traces
Flow

Thursday 26.01.
Open Theme
Yogis Choice

Friday 27.01.
Leaving Traces
Slow Flow

Let us stay conscious in every move we do!

Love,

Nicole

My dear Yogis and Yoginis,

” It is truth that liberates, not your effort to be free”
~ Jiddu Krishnamurti (Freedom from the known)

Did you ever find yourself holding on too much to the known?
Maybe because it is a security blanket of some sort or the thought of letting go creates anxiety in you?
But then there are moments you may be forced to leave your comfort zone and the rug has been pulled out underneath you. Either you can start to freeze, kick or scream while falling into a dark hole or begin begin to surrender and let go after you digested the first “shock”.
Soon after letting go you might feel a glimpse of new found freedom that brings excitement and opportunities along.
Even if you don’t know what the next step is or what is waiting around the corner for you, staying open for what the universe has in store for you, is the better option than tightening up and hiding out.

We all know the quote:
“In the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity.”
~ Albert Einstein

Yoga has been always a big aid when it comes to “crisis”.
It helps us to get out of the head, connects us with our body & breath – our essence.
That we can release tension, take conscious breaths and find peace with what is. By learning more about our body and mind and finding new ways to deepen and/or advance our practice, we practice to have faith in the new.

Monday 16.01.
New Ways
Slow Flow

Wednesday 18.01.
New Ways
Flow

Thursday 19.01.
Open Theme
Yogis Choice

Friday 20.01.
New Ways
Flow

Time to explore the Elasti-Band together!

Love,

Nicole

My dear Yogis and Yoginis,

Aligning our energy centers from the bottom up is, as we discovered last week, quite powerful. A lot of information comes with each one of them. More awareness and attention we give to the centers, we see how it relates to our whole being that we can gain more valuable
information – physically, mentally, emotionally and even on the
cellular level.
The most important lesson for me last week was in the class about our solar plexus. Being reminded that feeling in power has nothing to do with more control or effort. In the contrary it depletes our 3rd energy center.
If we are able to laugh at our-self or a situation, we are not lessening the importance of it, instead we gain power over it. I guess it is time to take things and yourself not so serious.

This week we will move up to the 4th and 5th chakra. When I started teaching yoga about 25 years ago, I always said ” the world needs heart opening”. Looking at the world as it is now, I think love and healing is more important than ever.

Monday 09.01
Rooting down to shine above
Flow

Wednesday 11.01.
Healing heart
Slow Flow

Thursday 12.01.
Open Theme
Yogis Choice

Friday 13.01.
Heart, Throat & Brain
Flow

Aligning the energy centers, what a great way to start the year!
Thank you for the inspiration for the theme – keep them coming 🙂

Love,

Nicole