Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: Yoga

  • Thursdays at Orange Blossom House

    Thursdays at Orange Blossom House

    Winter 1993 – to Summer, 1994 -1995 is the time period Thursdays at Orange Blossom House spans. Set in Cairns the storyline accurately reflects the lifestyles and characters of the era. With the introduction of each season, Sophie Green has included a list of current movies, TV series and latest news and song releases. This is an interesting aside.

    When we meet the three main female characters, we are introduced to a range of issues facing them. To follow their path is an interesting journey, made more intimate by sharing the thoughts and feelings of the women. They each reflect on what circumstances brought them to this place. Dorothy is of German descent and desperate to have a baby. Patricia is a High School Teacher, who has come home to care for her aging parents, and Grace Maud has retired from managing her sugar cane farm but finding it hard to accept her son’s new ideas. All three women are strongly independent.

    By chance the women meet at a Yoga class at Orange Blossom House. It is run by an astute woman who is skilled at understanding the workings of the body and mind, and the relationship between them. Along with the gradual freeing up of their bodies and their minds, the women develop a bond with each other and open up to friendship. It is not surprising to learn that Sophie Green is a skilled Yoga Teacher. She shows a deep understanding of how tangled the human mind and body can become, and how exercise, breathing, relaxation and meditation can produce fresh insights. There is an emphasis on love, courage and friendship in this delightful story

  • Life In Flow

    Life In Flow

    Chaos is often the herald of change, which was the case for Kate Kendall. Returning home to Australia after a year living the high life in Britain, she discovered she was in a rather worse mental and physical state than even she had thought.

    Suffering depression, burnt out from her hectic work/life schedule, and having lost her competitive edge, she realised that a way forward could be to get fit, to return to an athletic and healthier lifestyle. She found her way to the Dharma Shala in North Bondi, a yoga studio, which back then was the first of its kind, not really understanding that it was all about, but very, very curious to see if yoga could help.

    All this is history now as she went on to not only become passionate about yoga, mindfulness and the massive benefits to her health and happiness, but to make the decision to follow what she seriously considered as her life pathway, that of becoming a teacher of Yoga, heading for Goa, India and undertaking training in her new life.

    Since those early days and hesitant beginnings, Kate Kendal has gone on to found, along with Ben Lucas, Flow Athletic Yoga, a concept which combines the best of traditional yoga with the best of modern health concepts.

    With Life In Flow, she shares her journey, the good, the challenging and the reprogramming, in a wonderfully clear, beautifully photographed workbook to satisfying curiosity, undertanding the true ‘flow’ of life and provides a well-trodden pathway to achieving peace and happiness, along with health and clarity in your life.

    Kendall suggests the book is read through in entirety to commence this ‘training course’ and then the chapters are selected and studied as required or as the as impulse dictates.

    In the conclusion Kendal gently underpins the basic tenants of compassionate living, which is to remember what brings you joy, but do not forget to honour sadness and grief, that ‘we are all made up of the same stuff’ and we all need to practice daily kindness, compassion, acceptance and forgiveness, as life really is precious.

    Life in Flow is the perfect medium to understanding the Yoga philosophy, how to begin on this pathway and the so very many positives that will come from a slower, richer, far more aligned lifestyle that is just waiting for you to discover.

    A lovely quote early in the book, illustrates the philosophy to be discovered;

    “When you are doing something you love, doors open and magic happens”.

  • Healing Music, Vol. 2

    Healing Music, Vol. 2

    Sedona reached out invitingly to Valerie Romanoff some years ago, weaving its potent magic, offering a glimpse of the deep spirituality to be found there and then allowing some of that magic to be woven into music that heals. Romanoff has gone on to honour that perspective in several volumes of healing music of the most intricate kind.

    On her latest Healing Music recording the work is intricate, mellow, deeply spiritual and contains, in song after song, the energy and sacred wisdom to be found in the most incredible of places, in this instance Sedona.

    The two CD’s that make up Volume 2 offer a world of peace, relaxation and transformation that is subtle, enjoyable and transformational. Such is the capacity of this artist that the music captivates without conscious choice, simply by being there, not demanding to be heard, observed but simply there, offering solace to the subconscious mind, healing and transforming in its intricate simplicity and beauty.

    Seventeen tracks plus one bonus have been structured for relaxation and light movement, as in yoga or meditation, with a delicious range of tempos orchestrated to enhance various states of emotion and transformative vibrations.

    Known for her ability with the guitar she has incorporated range of instruments such as the sitar, kora and synthesiser, along with piano to create a full spectrum of healing melodies, reminiscent on a number of tracks, of wide-open spaces, deep quite caverns and endless, timeless landscapes which will awaken the inner knowing to be found within everyone.

    Disc 1 is composed of original creations with each song presented as a full suite, following the Still, Chill philosophy behind Romanoff’s music. Six tracks take 1 hour 23 seconds to absorb, making this the ideal medium for some serious meditation. Disc 2 is a pared down ‘radio’ edits, making the body of the work a slightly shorter 43:48-minute selection. Concluding a journey of transformation is the bonus track Pink Skies (full suite) of 17:30 minutes duration, which is a stand-alone piece of great beauty.

    As to favourite pieces, that will and should be a very personal preference on a collection of this magnitude, as each disc could be considered as one perfect blending of the ‘full spectrum’ encompassing a healing vibration to enrich the body, soul and mind.

     

  • Self Love: Finding peace and happiness

    Self Love: Finding peace and happiness

    The advice in Self Love: Finding peace and happiness is of a spiritual nature but captures many points which are relevant. The concept of self-love is not a new one, but viewing each experience we have from the point of view of a new beginning, is akin to a peaceful and thoughtful life. In the Aquarian age we rely more on our own moral compass than to blindly follow the authorities. By doing this we learn from our mistakes and move towards making a positive change.

    Akal Pritam suggests that when you are ready to listen and learn, knowledge will be revealed to you. Information travels through light and if we can tap into the power of the Universe we can heal from the past. We all have an inner lion and make choices about how we translate that animal energy and as each generation learns wisdom we must listen to the children of today and learn from their creativity.

    The navel is the first part of our existence to develop, therefor is considered as the root of the soul; energy radiates from this point and as we are educated using the brain only, we are missing out on linking into our true power. Knowledge needs true awareness to become powerful, which can and is experienced through exercise such as kundalini yoga.

    The following chapters explain why it is necessary to experience self-love with examples of practices from ancient peoples. Forgiveness for yourself first, then broadening out to examine the world using tolerance and service to others is an old Hawaiian belief and one that will resonate on the journey to self-love, peace and happiness.

    The positive nature of the practices outlined in the various chapters cannot help but lift and enlighten those who are mindful enough to accept the concepts.

  • Peaceful Being

    Peaceful Being

    Calling the Rain introduces Richard Noll’s debut album Peaceful Being, a rich and beautiful collection of compositions inspired by nature, as in the composition of Calling the Rain when he was watching the formation of a storm moving towards him, while playing his recorder in tribute; the storm and the rain eventually arrived, drenching him.

    Although a multi-instrumentalist, on this album he focuses on using the Recorder as the primary instrument infused with the subtle overtones of native or indigenous flute, which is interesting as traditionally the Recorder was known as the Flute (Flauto), before the flute, oboe, and clarinet saw it fall from fashion.

    Deep and rich, or high and calling, the recorder has a timbre that lends itself to gentle and peaceful composition, which is perfectly presented in the title track Peaceful Being as the call of the recorder underpinned by gentle synthesizer, creates the haunting beauty of the vastness that is nature. Some wordless vocalisation simply adds to the mystique of the moment. This piece was created while he was sitting by the side of a waterfall in New Mexico.

    Nightfall is another delightful piece reminiscent of a slightly more baroque style with the addition of piano, a piece created while camping. His wife, Shaina Noll once again joins in with wordless vocals threading throughout the piece.

    Inner Journey is the longest piece on this album and was created in the desire to encourage the listener to simply take the time to relax, enjoy, and meditate, to take a little time to simply be, to enjoy the time and place: to emerge refreshed.

    Drawing to conclusion a most enjoyable and refreshing collection is Invocation, a tenor solo which underpins the philosophy behind the collection; that of a peaceful reverence to nature and her mystique, which if carefully observed unfolds, there to be enjoyed.

    A simple and incredibly effective combination of recorder, flute, piano, vocals and viola have been blended to create an beautifully soothing, relaxing and peaceful album that brings with it a reverence which is perfect for  reflection and meditation.

     

  • Fat Yoga

    Fat Yoga

    For many people who do not fit the modern stereotype of slim, trim, flexible and ‘fab’, exercising can be a considerable challenge, not just on a physical level but also emotionally. With Yoga, a very flexible, amendable form of exercise, you too can join the growing trend to exercising, hatha yoga style, under the guidance of Sarah Harry, a woman whom after many years of angst is now comfortable in her plus sized body.

    In her words, ‘Fat Yoga’ has something for everyone, so regardless of what size or shape you are in, welcome to the gentle world of Fat Yoga, step by step.

    One thing that does become apparent as you work your way through the philosophy that backs ‘Fat Yoga’ is that it is something that can be adapted to suit people with many heath issues, not just that of being a plus size. So many of the movements described for the fuller figure make them suitable for people with limited movement of flexibility, anxiety issues, stress or as with any form of Yoga,  a simple desire to delve further into mindfulness and benefit from the relaxation techniques which make up an integral component of this form of exercise.

    You do not need to fit the stereotype of fit, young and flexible to undertake this beneficial form of exercise and surprisingly, self-help. All you need is a desire to improve your health, fitness and self –esteem.

    Sarah addresses many of the issues beginners of Yoga are concerned with such as feeling dizzy, especially when in some of the more vertically challenging positions such as Downward Facing Dog or the Warrior, or issues with various body parts such as the knees, shoulders and back.

    She also presents an excellent guide for dealing with Boobs and Bellies that persist in getting in the way, breathing and doing many of the routines with your eyes open or closed.

    An excellent chapter, and one well worth re-reading if you are seriously interested in taking up ‘Fat Yoga’, is Getting Started where points such as food and drink, setting aside time as a part of your everyday routine, breathing and setting down your intentions, your vows and desires before you begin are well presented.

    Why ‘Fat Yoga’ you may ask, but why not: as with all things there first has to be a need and then there has to be a solution – that is why Sarah has written this book and why she has started the movement, equipping not just herself with the tools to make a difference in her life, but offering them to those who feel daunted by their figure shape, are tired of being sidelined or stereotyped and have a desire to make a difference in their lives.

    Namaste!