aromatherapy

What is Yin Yoga?

Posted on June 3, 2020 by Lisa Peronne

“Yin Yoga: Let’s move inside and have a look at the interesting things we find.” – Unknown

Most people who think about yoga are familiar with Yang yoga, where the muscles are the primary focus. Yin yoga focuses on the deep connective tissue (fascia, ligaments, joints, and bones), which open up when poses are held for an extended amount of time.

This form of yoga was developed by a martial arts champion, Paulie Zink, in the 1970’s, where he taught a combination of India’s Hatha yoga with China’s Taoist yoga, which both had some long-held poses. Yin combines theories from Traditional Chinese Medicine’s meridians, and Traditional Indian Medicine’s nadis. Meridians are the path through the energy of “qi” flows through, and nadis are channels where the energies of prana (life force) travel. These energy paths are the same as Hinduism’s concept of chakras, which we have spoken of in numerous posts.

In Yin, most poses are either in a sitting or lying position, and are held for 2-5 mins each. Breath is a major component, for without deep breathing, it’s difficult to both sink into the pose, and hold it. This deep, or diaphragmatic, breathing triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls stress, blood pressure, immunity and hormones. Activating this system, through conscious breath moves one into a relaxation mode.

Yin revitalizes the tissues of the body by lengthening the tissues, thereby becoming more pliable. It’s through this subtle release that takes one deeper and deeper into a pose. It restores the body’s range of motion, returns us to our body’s awareness, makes us slow down and prepare for a meditative state, allows ourselves compassion for our body, and to observe and sit with the emotions that arise during this time.

As I mentioned in my post Journey to becoming a Yoga teacher, emotions and memories are stored in our connective tissue, and the stretching open of these tissues, creates an outlet for these to become present on a conscious level again. When you also combine the meditative state, and being in the present moment together, for some, it forms the perfect conditions for emotional release, something that has occurred fairly regularly for me. It used to be a sudden and unexpected purge, but after practicing this for so long, it’s now just a gentle, flowing release of any left over by-product I haven’t yet addressed.

While Yin is considered “easier” in someways physically, it is a practice that is not for just anyone. People who prefer Yang yoga, sometimes have problems with being in their inner space for any length of time, and find Yin “difficult”. It’s a practice for people ready for going deeper inside themselves, to cultivate a sacred space internally.

To practice this type of yoga, one must be willing to find stillness within the body and the mind, so that one can concentrate on breathing, releasing fully into the pose. In this way, there is a level of comfortable discomfort that is found, which is needed to push to the next level of connective tissue opening up. This comfortable discomfort should never shift into pain, just a state of uncomfortable. There will be no growth without discomfort.

There are many variables that can take place practicing Yin that affect the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual planes, while also stimulating the senses of sight, smell and sound. In this way, Yin yoga can be a very fulfilling experience.

Teachers of Yin yoga, usually give “dharma” talks during the long-held poses. This could include the explanation of the anatomy involved in the pose, the chakra associated/activated with the pose, or they will explore spiritual and personal growth concepts, or even read poetry or sing.

In my class, I do a sequence that addresses the shoulders, neck and hips, since that is where most people store their stress. Due to that, these areas also tend to be very tight. First, I create a space of relaxation, with dimmed lighting, burning incense, and slow, peaceful, music. Then I start my students in the meditative state of Child’s pose, while I speak of focusing on the breath.

We then move through approximately 15 poses, for a time frame of about 45 mins, starting with the shoulders/neck and ending with the hips. During the holding of these poses, I read from personal soul growth or enlightenment books, with my students focusing intently on the words, as opposed to the comfortable discomfort that starts creeping in eventually.

When the transitioning poses are completed, the final rest phase of savasana (corpse pose) presents itself, where I dim the lights even more, and play a long (10 min) song. Along with this, I create a sound bath with singing bowls, rain sticks and chimes. I spray an aromatherpy, that has herbs that are related to the sacral and throat chakras, which tie into the shoulders, neck and hips. Along with the aromatherapy, the song also carries with it a frequency that resonates with the soundbath instruments, creating a healing sound the body uses to clear any blocked energy pathways (chakras). I believe a longer rest period is needed in Yin, in order for the body to incorporate and integrate all that occurred during class.

Its always so gratifying and fulfilling for me to see my students so relaxed and glowing after class. The fact that I am able to create a healing experience for my students has got to be one of the most amazing feelings there is.

Please feel free to check out the studio I work at, and if you’re a local, I invite you to come try a class! Hard-Yoga, Huntington Beach

Thank you for reading. xoxo

Ascension and Raising our Vibrational Frequency: Why It’s So Important to Overall Health.

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Lisa Peronne

“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.” – Nikola Tesla

Like the above quote, inventor and engineer Nikola Tesla also (1856-1943) stated, “If you could eliminate certain outside frequencies that interfered with our bodies, we would have greater resistance toward disease.” The following year after Tesla died, researcher Bruce Tainio (1944-2009) was born and continued along this vein of work, stating that the healthy body resonates a frequency of 62-72 MHz (MHz is equivalent to 1 million Hz). When the bodies frequency lowers to 58 MHz, disease starts. At 57-60 MHz, we become susceptible to colds and flu, at 42 MHz, cancer and at 25 MHz, death begins. Ironically, Tainio died of cancer at the the age of 65, while Tesla died at the ripe older age of 86 of age appropriate heart disease.

So now that we have established that better physical health is correlated to higher frequency on a cellular level, let’s talk about how it also affects mental, emotional and spiritual health.

We have all heard the term “good vibes.” My aunt gave me a shirt that reminds me of this positive fact.

Dictionary.com defines “good vibes” as: a slang phrase for the positive feelings given off by a person, place, or situation.

Our thoughts are connected to our vibrational frequency. Positive feelings are generated by positive thoughts, while negative feelings are generated by negative thoughts. What you “feed” yourself mentally is what will manifest in your life. The Law of Attraction, first mentioned in a book by author Helena Blavatsky back in 1877, is the concept of “like attracts like.” It is the ability to attract into our lives whatever we are focusing on. So if we focus on positive aspects by surrounding ourselves with positive people, thoughts and actions, then the same will be returned to us. The same is said about negative aspects. When we belittle, judge, or criticize ourselves, other people or situations, what we emit outwards, will also be returned to us.

When I find myself thinking or speaking negative, or low frequency, thoughts, it is returned to me by the people that become magnetized to me and my vibration. I find myself doubting myself and abilities, feeling betrayed by the people important to me and a significant change to my health, through sickness, weight gain, and skin and hair problems, to name a few.

When I change my Law of Attraction to higher frequency and positive thoughts and actions, then that also is returned to me through the people that are magnetized to me, who are also on a higher frequency. My skills become enhanced, I feel healthy and happy, my weight goes to a healthy level and signs of physical issues disappears.

There are many things that can contribute to making it easier to reach a higher vibrational frequency, thereby, reaching optimum heatlth and wellness for your body, mind and soul.

Environment

Creating an environment of peak wellness can start with changing your environment. Eliminate negative influences from your life, through who you come in contact with, possibly leaving an energy draining job or decluttering your home, all have a huge impact on how your feel about your space.

When I surround myself with happy like-minded people, take a risk to find work that supports my passion and keep my home clean, it definitely makes a huge difference on how I feel about myself.

Foods

They say “you are what you eat.” Eating nutrient rich, natural (if not organic), whole foods has a direct correlation to the health of our physical bodies but also to our mental state as well. Processed or fast foods are full of chemicals and preservatives that create a toxic environment in our body. These foods have a low to zero frequency and will have a huge impact on your thoughts and feelings. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables, non-hormonal and chemical free lean meats, whole grains, plant-based pastas, high quality herbs, plant-based oils and omega-3 fats can make a significant difference in how you feel. Also, using caffeine and alcohol in moderation is key.

When I eat healthy and keep my coffee and wine in check, I feel lighter and cleaner, as opposed to drinking more than one cup of coffee or going overboard on wine, where I experience dense and heavy energy. Prolonged and heavy use of either has created a downward spiral of extreme highs and depressing lows for me.

Chakras

In the last post, we talked about chakras and how they influence the energy fields within the body. Keeping your chakras aligned, open and flowing through listening to chakra soundbath music can assist easily and effortlessly. Also, going for a Reiki energy healing session is another easy technique that can have a profound effect.

When I go to regular Reiki sessions and get a chakra pendulum reading to tract the movement of energy in each of my meridians, I am able to stay on top of the function of my chakras, and can determine what areas of my life might need additional work and adjustments. I also play the crystal bowls, which are each tuned to a specific chakra frequency, in my soundbath and yoga classes to assist myself and my students.

Essential oils

Essential oils contain extremely high frequencies ranging from 52 MHz to 580 MHz. While there is still debate about the efficacy of oils, applying them directly to your body (use high or therapeutic grade) or spraying or diffusing them throughout your house, certainly can’t hurt. And it creates a pleasing smell that definitely helps how we feel.

Aromatherapy is another technique I use in my yoga and soundbath classes to create relaxation and a pleasant sensation. While I usually have one or two students that choose not to be sprayed, most seriously enjoy it. When I use essential oils in my home through diffusion or heat, people that visit comment on how nice and enjoyable my house feels with these comforting smells. Similar, I believe, the way a home-cooked meal smells.

Healing crystals

Another concept up for scientific debate, is the power crytstals have over healing and whether they can contribute to raising your vibrational frequency. But one thing that is evident, is belief can change much. So like essential oils, crystals can do no harm and may actually contribute to better health. Crystals like all other matter consist of energy and this energy is harnessed in a technique called crystallization and they vibrate at different frequencies depending on their matter, size, thickness and their color or light frequency. Unlike human frequency, which is unstable and easily influenced, crystals are stable energy that doesn’t change. They have a fixed, repeating, geometric pattern. There are many ways to use crystals to boost your psychological thoughts and emotions, for different crystals are known to beneficially enhance these certain areas. But another way to be more focused on their use for raising your frequency is to apply them to your chakras. There are many crystals that can correspond to each colors that are associated with each of the chakras, as we spoke about in the last post. Using the color guide below, using these crystals on your chakra areas while receiving a Reiki energy session or even just holding them to transmit their energy can be helpful.

Chakra	Color	Crystal/Gem
Root	Red	Tourmaline/Ruby
Sacral	Orange	Jasper/Garnet
Solar Plexus	Yellow	Amber/Topaz
Heart	Green	Adventure/Emerald
Throat	Blue	Lapus Lazuli/Sapphire
Third Eye	Purple	Amethyst/Amethyst
Crown	Violet/White	Diamond/Quartz

Chakras, colors and the associated crystals

My aunt uses chakra crystals during my Reiki energy healing sessions. I often will feel heat emanating from them on any chakra that is low functioning or closed. I have multiple necklaces and bracelets that I wear on special occasions. I also hold certain crystals when I am meditating or having a full moon ritual with my friends. When a powerful conversation is going on, these crystals will become extremely warm. I also have a specific twin-peaked quartz crystal that becomes so hot, I have to put it down until it cools. My personal experience with crystals has been definitive so I carry a lot of faith in them.

Using these techniques can help achieve a higher vibrational frequency, thereby, creating a level up on ascension, which is a shift in consciousness. These shifts can be a painful process, but each time creates a lighter feeling of existence and a powerful inner healing of core wounds.

Stay tuned for a deep discussion of ascension and how to deal with the power of transformation.

Thank you for reading. xoxo

Journey to becoming a Yoga teacher

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Lisa Peronne

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear…” – Unknown

I started my yoga journey 14 years ago. It started with a free community class offered within walking distance of my home. I had two small children, a husband and worked from home. I did nothing for myself except drink some wine while watching TV with my family. That was the extent of my self-care.

We lived in a teeny tiny town on the Northern California coast and I knew this community class would have scores of people that I knew from my neighborhood. But the drive to do something, anything for myself outweighed any awkwardness that might entail. So off I went.

And awkward it was. Seeing the mayor, council people, town shop owners, the newspaper editor and many other townsfolk just made for strange bedfellows when dealing with doing yoga for the first time. But honestly, I think everyone felt the same way I did.

I continued to go every week until the teacher suddenly disappeared and the students tried to continue on our own. This faded away after sometime and that was it. But I had fallen in love.

Time went on, we bought a house, opened a wine shop business, and I continued to work from home. Once again needing an outlet, I tried out the local community college yoga class for two semesters and then moved to a private studio where I learned of all the different types of yoga.

I loved the atmosphere of the private yoga studio. I instantly felt at home. We were required to remove our shoes at the door and walk into an incense burning lobby where we could drink tea and sit on the overstuffed couches waiting for the classes to begin. At this studio, I tried Gentle yoga for the first time and something unexpected happened.

This Gentle Yoga was based on Yin Yoga where you hold poses in a seated position or prone position for extended amounts of time. At the time, I had not taken Yin Yoga before, so I didn’t realize this was a form of yoga that gets into the deep fascia layers where memories and emotions are stored and when stretched open, these memories and/or emotions can be released.

At the time, my husband and I were going through a very stressful period of trying to help our youngest daughter get off of drugs and off the streets. These yoga classes were the only thing that seemed to keep me sane. I was sitting in a pose for an extended amount of time and suddenly this flood of emotions and flashes from my childhood came rushing through me. Tears started streaming faster than I could stop them and snot came dripping out my nose. This was one of the worst forms of ugly cry possible. And I was in a room with a bunch of people I didn’t know and I couldn’t stop.

As I was leaving, and trying to hide my puffy, red face, the kind instructor said to me, as I passed by her, “It’s normal, don’t worry”. I shyly nodded and thanked her. At least I now had some knowledge that what happened and what continues to happen-no longer ugly crying each time though, just a gentle flowing of the tears-is normal. But I still didn’t know why it happened, until years later when I learned holding a pose for an extended time can cause this emotional release.

Some of my favorite yoga memories were at that studio: the peaceful tranquility of the studio, the post-yoga saunas, the yoga teacher who became my massage therapist, and my good friend, Mary, who would join me once a week for a class. We would grab a beer and a salad after class at the pub next door to the studio, and that is when I learned that yoga can become a lifestyle. It was 2012 and when my spiritual journey began.

After Mary and I followed our favorite teacher, Gabrielle, to two different gyms, she decided to stop teaching so she could focus solely on her massage practice. It was then that I met Christine. Christine taught a Vin-yin style class and this is when I learned how to incorporate meditation into yoga. She invited me to a meditation class she taught weekly with her husband and the world of mediation opened up for me exponentially. Christine created a major shift in my life.

I took a job on the Southern California coast and became married to my work trying to restore a dysfunctional environment to the detriment of my health. For the first year, I had given up all the pursuits of happiness and felt myself sink into a deep pit of despair. Another good friend, Pam, was visiting me from Northern California and she asked if I would consider going back to some of these pursuits for my general well-being. I had noticed a yoga studio next to my apartment, so I went in to check out a class. I read all the descriptions and chose to take a Yin class.

Now mind you, while I had experienced components to Yin yoga before, I hadn’t ever truly experienced Yin in its true form or potential. I started taking a Sunday morning class with the studio’s owner, Monica. She called the two Sunday morning classes she taught “Yoga Church”. It was truly that. She would incorporate readings from various spiritual personal growth books, chakra aromatherapy, soundbath and meditation. I felt myself connecting with the Divine again. While I had been continuing on my spiritual path since 2012, making sometimes painstakingly slow progress all the way to sudden, rapid, unexpected emotional purges, this was the first time my personal growth was becoming directly linked to my yoga classes. Up until this point, it was just an extension of it.

After about a year of doing Yin, not only did it accelerate my spiritual growth, it also increased my physical flexibility by another 50%. I thought I had reached my peak of range of motion by the time I was in my mid 40’s, but here I was at 51 becoming almost as flexible as I was in my 20’s. This is when I realized that while I enjoy various types of yoga and will continue to do different forms, Yin Yoga is my calling.

My teacher, Monica, was about to become my mentor when she asked if I would be interested in attending her teacher training. This caught me off-guard, since I had never considered being a yoga teacher before. She said she felt I would be a natural at it. I considered what she said. I had never really seen myself as a teacher before, but I was running and overseeing a teaching wildlife hospital where I taught technicians, interns and pre-vet students everyday. And I loved that part of my job, more than anything.

So after a lot of consideration and talks with Monica, I took a leap of faith and signed up for the teacher training. I was only doing it to further my personal growth, since I didn’t want to commit to teaching with the demands of my job at the time. But two weeks after graduation, Monica contacted me and asked if I would teach a Yin (Stretch) class. I agreed, without hesitation.

Teaching Yin Yoga is as natural to me as breathing. I model my classes from Monica’s themes. I learned chakra aromatherapy and soundbath to include in my classes, along with a spiritual theme to read each time. My students are amazing, grateful humans and the overwhelming love I feel during and after class, when I see how they look and hear how they feel, confirms I am on the right path.

After years of contributing to the healing of beautiful animals, I now see the beauty of helping to heal the human collective.

Thank you for reading. xoxo Namaste.

**If you would like to join me on the mat, please visit Hard Yoga to have a look at the schedule. If you are not a Southern California resident, Monica also offers an online library of classes.

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