Dear All, Here is a thirty minute practice that you can easily do at home in the evening before you go to bed, it can help you to sleep restfully. For this practice it will be useful to have a bolster or some cushions or pillows which will serve as such. You will also need a little bit of wall space, about the width of you, and I recommend investing in a lavender eye pillow or something similar to help to minimise sensory input.

You don't need to do the entire practice in order to benefit from it. You can choose either the legs up the wall pose, the reclining twist or the relaxation if you are short on time. If you wake up in the night and you are using this recording to help you to get back to sleep, I recommend the reclining twist, or you could also try one of the yoga nidra recordings that I have posted alongside this one.

Please be comfortable in this practice, don't try to keep up with the recording at the expense of being comfortable. Restorative yoga depends on the absolute comfort and support of the body, so do take your time to set up your pose exactly how you like it.

This time is for YOU. Don't be afraid to take it as it will make you into a more giving, loving, productive person when you go back out into the world.

This goes out from me to you with love,

Hari OM, Morven.

If you want to get in touch you can email me at communityyogabristol@gmail.com, or find me on Facebook, and if you would like to come on retreat with Yoga by Nature then find out about our latest retreats here.  Sweet dreams...

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These practices for lower back pain are very popular! Here is another  sequence. It's a little longer than the last one  - a 90 minute session I recorded at Bristol City Yoga recently. It's fairly dynamic and will keep you on your toes whilst focusing on keeping the lower back safe and strong and the core working functionally.

Please practice with Ahimsa (non-harming) to yourself and stay within your limits. Yoga is not supposed to hurt so if you are in pain then simply stop doing what you are doing.

Come on retreat! www.bristolcommunityyoga.co.uk for more info on our Spring retreat from 3rd to 6th May. Autumn retreat details tbc. We promise you nature, delicious food, inspiring yoga and treatments galore. Send me a message on communityyogabristol@gmail.com.

Hare OM,

Morven

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Dear All,

This is a class I recorded this morning while the snow piled up outside and the pavements already were becoming icy. The class is focused on preparing the body to contend with the cold weather and the challenges that walking on the ice poses to our balance and to particular muscle groups. We also do a heating, energising breathing practice to create free central heating!

You will need a block, a belt and a bit of wall space.

Stay warm.

Hare OM! Morven

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Welcome to this podcast! This is a recording of a workshop that I regularly run in Bristol called Yoga for Healthy Sleep. During the workshop we have a yoga class, followed by discussion on how yoga philosophy can help you manage your thoughts and get to know your mind better, with a view to utilising this knowledge in helping us to switch off and rest when it is time. The final part of the workshop is a deep relaxation(Yoga Nidra). If you want to do the full practice then follow this class with one of the yoga nidra recordings in this list of podcasts.

All of these poses are specially chosen as they help you to find a restful sleep pattern. Some of them help to expend stored energy and some of them help to calm the nervous system. You can do this practice any time but I recommend the dynamic and standing poses for the morning and the static, restorative poses for the evening before bed.

Please get in touch with any questions on communityyogabristol@gmail.com. Also - come on retreat with us at Yoga by Nature. If you are anywhere near Dorset on 3rd to 6th May 2013 then come and join us - it's affordable at £220 for 3 nights' stay and it promises to be a lovely group of people.

Enjoy your practice. Hare OM, Morven

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This class is suitable for Level 1 Thrive Yoga - quite an energetic one though! You will need a belt, a couple of blocks (or something to improvise with!) and some wall space. A great class for you if you are wanting to strengthen your lower back and ease your shoulders.

I am very happy to share this practice with you. If you would like to keep in closer connection then please find me on Facebook under Bristol Community Yoga. Join the mailing list here to receive news of workshops, retreats and classes. Our next retreats will be at Bristol City Yoga, Bristol on 27th  January 2013 and 3rd to 6th May 2013 at Springhead, Dorset.

Practice well. Hare OM, Morven

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Hello all, This is a Yoga Nidra practice that I recorded at Bristol City Yoga during Week 6 of the Introduction to Meditation Course. Although Yoga Nidra is not meditation, it is deeply relaxing and it can help to open the subconscious mind, relax the body and prepare you for meditation. This practice has a chakra visualisation - if you are not already familiar with the chakra system then I recommend finding a guide - there are many available free on the Internet.

The best time to practice this is in the afternoon - instead of a nap. Try not to sleep!! If it is before bed it will almost certainly send you to sleep and can be a valuable tool to manage insomnia. This practice goes out to you, whoever you may be!   Morven

ps visit me here: www.bristolcommunityyoga.co.uk/ bristolcommunityyoga (Facebook)

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Hello all,

This podcast is a recording of a meditation from Week 6 of  the Introduction to Meditation course at Bristol City Yoga in Bristol. Existing students, this is for you to practice at home. For those out there in cyberspace it can stand alone as a meditation. The course will be published online soon so get in touch with me if you wish to learn more and I will keep you updated on that.

The focus of the session is building your home practice. In this final session of the course, we practice a longer meditation. This one is roughly 25 minutes and guides you through "Metta" or Loving Kindness meditation. Loving kindness is a wonderful tool to learn to help to build compassion and unconditional love for yourself and for those with whom you are in relationship. Don't worry if you have difficulties in cultivating the emotions spoken about. Emotions cannot be made to order, so if you feel stuck in any part of the meditation then just sit with that. There is no right or wrong!!

For details for the next course at BCY, drop me a line at communityyogabristol@gmail.com. You can find out more about me and about yoga and meditation classes, retreats and workshops at www.bristolcommunityyoga.co.uk

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This is a of meditation from Week 4 of  the Introduction to Meditation course at Bristol City Yoga in Bristol. Existing students, this is for you to practice at home. For those out there in cyberspace it can stand alone as a meditation. The course will be published online soon so get in touch with me if you wish to learn more and I will keep you updated on that.

The focus of the session is on the chakras and this meditation prepares for chakra meditation by drawing awareness to the energy of the spine. It is also a very good way of becoming familiar with the way in which the breath can change the shape of the spine and massage and nourish in a gentle and healing way.

For details for the next course at BCY, drop me a line at communityyogabristol@gmail.com. You can find out more about me and about yoga and meditation classes, retreats and workshops at www.bristolcommunityyoga.co.uk

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This is a witness meditation from Week 5 of the Introduction to Meditation course at Bristol City Yoga in Bristol. Existing students, this is for you to practice at home. For those out there in cyberspace it can stand alone as a meditation. The course will be published online soon so get in touch with me if you wish to learn more and I will keep you updated on that.

The focus of the session is mindfulness in our outer lives. This meditation can help us to tune into the inner world of thoughts to get a sense of how we are feeling, how our mind is orientated at that time and from which emotional platform of the psyche we are speaking when we interact with others.

For details for the next course at BCY, drop me a line at communityyogabristol@gmail.com. You can find out more about me and about yoga and meditation classes, retreats and workshops at www.bristolcommunityyoga.co.uk

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This is a meditation from Week 5 of the Introduction to Meditation course at Bristol City Yoga in Bristol. Existing students, this is for you to practice at home. For those out there in cyberspace it can stand alone as a meditation. The course will be published online soon so get in touch with me if you wish to learn more and I will keep you updated on that.

The focus of the session is mindfulness in our outer lives. This meditation is a good preparation for mindfulness in the senses, the breath and the thoughts. Connecting with how are bodies are in the present can help us to relate more authentically with others.

I love hearing from you! Let me know what you would like to hear more of or just get in touch with questions and comments. For details for the next course at BCY, drop me a line at communityyogabristol@gmail.com. You can find out more about me and about yoga and meditation classes, retreats and workshops at www.bristolcommunityyoga.co.uk.

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