Yoga with kids

When you are staying at home with kids, (especially when younger than 6 months) it is not very easy to get away to a yoga class in a nice and calm yoga centre with candles, trendy fitting, all possible kinds of bolsters to get you comfy and last but not least, nobody to disturb your moment of peace. Nevertheless, doing yoga and meditating is my anchor to well being and that calm and patience that is needed with kids.

This is me sitting in easy pose before the era of two kids, when we had only one and he would nap between noon and 2 pm. It was predictable and convenient. Now, it is very rare that both of them sleep at the same time, except at night, but then I need to sleep as well unfortunately.

So, the solution for me is to do yoga at home. Sometimes if my hubby is at home and it's weekend, I run a few kilometers first and then stretch and do yoga and meditate. Otherwise, I just start doing my yoga and let the kids hang out/play around me or join in if they want. It is about staying with my practice through the hurdles, although it will not be like I had planned. It may well turn into a funny game for my son and he will start playing with me, pretending I am a horse when I do cat and cow. Yes, it is funny too :) I need to be very flexible (in my head) and not get hung up on results and ideas. Being with kids teaches you to let go of expectations and start flowing instead. Because kids flow, all the time. They are in a constant flow.

This picture series very clearly shows what can happen when doing yoga with kids/kids around. Like I mentioned, the lessons you learn may not always be the ones you intended to learn. Life will give you what you need, not what you want. Learn to surrender to the wisdom of the universe and open your heart to the teachings that are available through everyday situations.

I do get angry, frustrated and tired as a mother but running, yoga and meditation helps me keep my calm and let go of unnecessary stress. And learning to be more flexible and detached to the outcome of our activities also helps in many other situations of life. This is why I love doing yoga with my kids even if they bang a balloon in my head ;)

Namaste!

Linda

The magic of music

Most, but not fully everyone, likes some kind of music. What is it that causes some to not get through a day without music? Some music makes us feel bad and other make us feel good. Music moves us. Music is constant in our lives, whether we want it or not.

Jordero doing a mantra workshop at Yogabolaget. Mantramusic is soothing for the soul and creates a meditative state of mind.

Scientific studies show that music affects our hormone levels and these in turn guide our lives more than we can imagine; sleep, weight, energy, sex drive and much more. Music thus has the ability to help you perform better and do more but also relax, unwind and sleep better. Calm music helps the body to physically relax. It also helps to adjust the mind so that we both get better memory and become less worried. The body's healing processes have also been shown to work better, and therefore, music is used for better rehabilitation after surgery. Playing music or singing also slows down the aging of the brain and improves its ability to capture new information. Playing together can be very playful and creative and even improvising can create magic!

We love to play and sing. We play with our children, our guests and love to travel with a bunch of instruments.

It seems that music has a significant healing effect on us and can positively affect the body in several aspects if we use it correctly. Becoming aware of the strong impact that music has on us can help us make wise decisions in our everyday lives. Here are 3 tips for your everyday life: 1. Use the music to help your body energize or relax. 2. Consider the sound image and sound level of public places where you are staying or dining and choose a sound image with care. 3. Use the music when you need to heal the body or mind - in stress, burnouts and other illnesses.

Singing bowls

In meditation and yoga, singing bowls are often used to help balance, heal and create a relaxing beautiful sound. Singing bowls have been used both ritually and therapeutically in many cultures, including Japan, China, Tibet and Nepal. The sound of singing bowls correlates with our inner sounds and chakras. Within feng shui the sound is used to clean energy fields. We often use singing bowls in the beginning or end of meditations, yoga or mantra.

I dream that one day I can deepen myself more in the art of singing bowls and also learn to play gong. At Biskops Arnö Folkhögskola, this is possible. They describe it like this:

"All living has vibrations. We live in a universe of sounds and we can consider ourselves as beings of sound. All our feelings, thoughts and physical states can be described as vibration. When we are well-behaved and happy, symphonies are created. When we suffer of ill health and depression disharmonies are created."

Very beautifully described, we appreciate that. 🙏

I want to finish by sharing the sound of one of our singing bowls and our Steel Tongue Drum Handpan at a Sadhana with me and our youngest, only 5 months. I hope this short set can inspire you to create beautiful symphonies, alone or together with others.

With love,

Linda

Sources:

1. https://www.scienceofpeople.com/scientific-benefits-music/

2. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/may/16/the-science-of-songs-how-does-music-effect-your-body-chemistry

3. https://www.expressen.se/halsoliv/7-saker-du-behover-veta-om-hormoner/

4. http://www.biskopsarno.se/det-helande-ljudet-av-klangskalar/