A warm welcome! London UK / September 2013

Hello everyone,

I am absolutely delighted to bring you my first ever blog-space post. So a big welcome!

Being a wellness warrior of sorts I am committed to living a healthy, balanced and happy life so my blog is dedicated to these matters. My aim is to deliver interesting, engaging, and cutting edge editorial related to health, yoga, wellness, nutrition & balance so that we can all live a better life!

If you haven't already then please subscribe to my blog, or should I say 'our blog' because I want you to feel at home here too. Just go to the section on the right hand side that says 'follow by email' and pop your email address in to keep up to date with new posts, giveaways and news. The first 30 subscribers to the blog will be entered into a prize draw and have the opportunity to win a FREE one to one yoga session with me so don't delay! (If you live far away we'll have a one to one Skype yoga consultation about your practice!)

So here is a taste of what's to come:

5 Yoga poses for de-stressing and relaxation

How to transform your home into a yoga retreat in 7 easy steps!

6 foods to avoid at all costs

Yoga philosophy - Learn about the eight limbs of yoga

In praise of slowness - How to slow down and appreciate life

Please be in touch. I LOVE hearing from you all and will reply to each and every one of you individually!


Mounira

mouniraalmenoar@hotmail.com

07811 699 335 - UK contact number

0421 813 452 - Australian contact number

5 Yoga poses for relaxation and stress relief. London UK / August 2013

5 Yoga poses for relaxation and stress relief

Every day I make a little time to turn inward, be with myself, relax and connect. It makes 'me' feel like ME again. It makes me able to rejuvinate. It helps me to be more patient, loving & giving, and it develops what I like to call my inner glow; you know, that warm, happy feeling you get inside when you are relaxed and all is well :-)

Try these 5 yoga poses and feel the inner glow! 

Just 5-10 minutes a day can make all the difference to your stress levels!

ONE - Childs pose - Balasana

This is a fantastic pose for cooling the body. If you feel hot and bothered, angry, out of breath or stressed this is a great pose for calming down and cooling down! Close your eyes, empty your mind and take at least 10 deep breaths in this pose.

TWO - Bridge pose - Setu Bandhasana

This pose calms the brain and central nervous system so it's great for stress. It also improves digestion and reduces fatigue. Breathe deeply, keep your feet hip width apart and parallel, close your eyes and enjoy the feeling.

THREE - Corpse pose - Savasana

This is the king of all poses and I LOVE it! Allow your body to melt into the floor (palms up and legs flopping outwards) With every exhalation of the breath, release any physical stress you are carrying. Surrender the mind, allow the body to fall away and relax! Utter bliss people! Even 10 minutes a day in Savasana will make a difference to your day. Do it!

FOUR - Headstand - Sirsasana

By performing the headstand you will send fresh oxygenated blood to the brain and flush many toxins away. This will make you feel refreshed and can alleviate stress headaches. The reversal of prana (life force) will encourage you to change old patterns too, so whilst in this pose perhaps think about any old bad habits you want to replace with good new ones! This posture will also calm and sooth your mind, body and spirit. FOR ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS ONLY! Contact me for a 121 if you want to learn how to do this pose.

FIVE - Legs-Up-The-Wall (or in this case 'tree') pose - Viparita Karani

If Savasana above is the king then this has to be the queen of relaxation poses and I can't recommend it enough! This is a super-duper semi-inverted all rounder pose. Just 10 minutes a day in this pose can have so many positive effects on the body including mind calming, relief of mild back ache and another opportunity to connect with the breath! So if you are feeling overwhelmed by life then take some time out and strike this pose as Madonna would say. The blood and prana (energy or life force) flows in the opposite direction to normal in this semi-inverted pose, and flushes the organs with fresh new oxygenated blood and life force; any toxins are flushed away leaving you feeling wonderful. It helped to get rid of my varicose veins too - yippee!