Breaking my blog hiatus with a little video I made recently to share my favourite Qi Cultivation practice, 4-Parts Taoist Breath. It is a great one you can do as a stand alone practice such as in the morning to get the body moving and the Qi flowing, or one to start your yoga practice as a warm up or to move your practice from either yin to yang or yang to yin. 

It's based on the teachings of Paul Grilley and taught to me by my yin yoga teacher trainer Jo Phee in the Yinspiration Yin Yang Flow, Yin Yoga and Shoulder Anatomy module which I completed in 2016 and assisted with in Singapore in 2018 and Utrecht in 2019. 
 
Movement of the body in this way and practices such as yoga and Qigong is great for stimulating cells, circulation, rehydrating tissues and getting the Qi to flow in the body. 

Please note when practicing to allow the feet to pivot and the knees to bend if need be when moving from one part to the next to accomodate your unique skeleton. It can also be done seated, crossed on the floor or on a chair. Watch video for how to do it and written instructions below.

Would love to know in the comments how you went when you give it a go and if you have any questions. 

And if you loved it, please like the video on YouTube and Subscribe to my newsletter and to YouTube so you'll be first to know when I upload my next video. More coming soon.

Part 1 - Gather Qi
Stand with your feet comfortably wide apart. 
Inhale as you circle arms out to the side as you Gather/Cultivate Qi. 

Part 2 - Open Horse
Exhale as you squat, letting your knees and feet pivot as they need to, pushing palms out to the side extending arms at shoulder height.

Part 3 - Draw Qi from Earth to Heaven
Inhale folding forward at hips, let knees bend if they need to, backs of the hands touch the earth and you curl the spine up imagining you are pulling energy from your finger tips from the earth to the heaven. 

Part 4 - Descend Qi to Dan Tian
Exhale the hands descend to the front of the solar plexus/abdomen known as the Dan Tian to store energy there. 

Like a blend of yoga and tai chi, I had the pleasure of learning this yin yang flow amongst many other beautiful practices at Jo Phee’s 50hr Yin Yoga Teacher Training (TT) last year. It was here my Yin Yoga teaching journey began and it was also a big turning point in making Perth feel like home again.
 
Having moved back "home" after 10 years in Melbourne, I was lucky to land on my feet with teaching, but I still didn’t feel settled. I was missing my soul family and the Gita International Yoga teachers where I trained in Melbourne. Flying East once a year just wasn't enough, so it was on my 2016 goals list to do a yoga training and make some soul connections in Perth. I just didn't know which course, or how to connect.
 
As life often does I was lead to Jo through my friend Laura, who attended Jo’s 2015 TT and was holding yin workshops at Momentum Yoga. I went to them all. My my yin love affair had begun. I loved how yin brought together my two loves - yoga and Chinese Medicine. So, when I heard Jo was returning, I sought her out but the TT was sold out.
 
But, when something is meant to be it will find a way to happen.

I originally planned to go to the Malaysian MotoGP that same weekend. However, every plan I tried to make kept falling through. Luckily I had put my name on the TT waitlist and one morning received an email to say a spot was available if I wanted it.  As clear as a Perth day, I knew in my heart in that moment I had to go. My heart leapt at the thought and I knew the GP plans hadn't worked out for this very reason.
 
And of course, it was the best experience ever!!!
I learnt a ton along with 50 other teachers, I made some beautiful soul connections and ended 2016 feeling like I had finally settled in Perth.

It was the perfect reminder to....
 
Make your intentions mindfully,
for energy follows thought...

What we think we create!

So finally, here is a video tutorial of Walk the Elephant to inspire your home practice, with instructions and added suggestions below to help you vary the flow according to your needs.

Note: allow your feet to pivot freely (and knees to bend) as you move from pose to pose as feels good for your body. 

Start with your feet a little wider than hip width apart.
Hands just in front of the solar plexus, often referred to in yin as the Dantian.
 
Inhale and circle your arms out to the side and up above the crown to Cultivate Chi.
(Chi, or Qi, is the subtle energy within every living thing, called by many names including ki in Japan and prana in yoga)
 
Exhale and squat into Open Horse, the feet pivot so the knees bend over the feet, the tailbone sinks down spine upright, whilst you push the palms out to the side extending the arms at shoulder height.
 
Pause here and inhale.
 
Exhale folding forward from the hips into Elephant, moving feet and bending knees as feels right for you, especially if you have tight hamstrings and tend to round the back in forward folds. Aim for the spine to lengthen out of the hips with head, neck, shoulders and arms relaxed.
 
Inhale, taking the left hand to the floor as you twist to the right into Twisting Elephant.
The right hand reaches up for the ceiling and/or as far back as feels good. Use a block or bolster on the floor for the lower hand to help maintain a long spine, if the floor is inaccessible.
 
Exhale, return to Elephant.
 
Inhale and repeat Twisting Elephant to the left, right hand to the floor (block or bolster) with left hand reaching up.
 
Exhale, to Elephant.
 
Inhale taking the left hand to the left foot or leg (same side) as you twist, the right arm reaching up and/or as far back as feels good into Reaching Elephant.
 
Exhale, to Elephant.
 
Inhale, right hand goes to the right foot or leg as you twist to the left into Reaching Elephant.
 
Exhale, to Elephant.
 
Inhale, the left hand moves to the right foot or leg (opposites) as you twist into Arching Elephant, right hand reaching up and/or as far back as is comfortable.
 
Exhale, to Elephant.
 
Inhale, the right hand moves to the left leg or foot as you twist to the left into Arching Elephant.
 
Exhale, to Elephant.
 
Inhale, draw in your abdominals to support the spine as you curl up, scooping energy up in your hands from the earth to the sky, raising the arms above the crown of the head with palms facing down.
 
Exhale, allowing your hands to float back down to the Dantian in front of the solar plexus.

Now, if you haven't already, watch the video to see how it flows. Remember energy follows thought, so even watching alone can have a positive effect!

I would love to hear if you gave it a go, how did it feel or do you have any questions? 
And if you’d like to learn more of these, pop a YES! in the comments below. 
 
Happy Practicing!

Often life has interesting ways of letting us know when we are not standing in our full power!
Just an observation I've made in my own life...

If you've been on this journey with me for some time, you will know that I've dabbled with videos off and on for the past year. Not because I want to be a video super star (though that could have some advantages). Yes, because I want to share with you the amazing things that have changed my life. But more so, because I have always shied away from cameras  and cringed at the sight of myself in videos... and when you're on the path to soulful heart centred living, you realise that there must be something in this. It's like Svadhyana, self study, in yoga.

You see, the things we are most afraid of, 
are often the things that will bring us the most learning and growth.

The resistance to be on video and be seen is perfectly described by beautiful Michelle Marie McGrath from SacredSelf.com in her recent post. Why do we hold ourselves back and fear being seen? For me it's the usual, fear of rejection, not being enough, failure…you name it, there is an element of that in it for me. Even with writing blogs, these fears linger there in the background {if only you knew how many times I re-edit a post before I share it}.

But when you're in business or have dreams of making a difference in the world, 
you can't really do that whilst hiding out in your Cancerian crab shell now, can you?! as Michelle so kindly reminded me.

So, from lessons learnt in the past I know that to take the power back I needed to face these fears head on to dispel the magnitude that they had grown to in my mind. Along with Michelle and a handful of other courageous women {and one man}, I enrolled in the amazing Andrea Glazier's Video Fame Academy.  In which she has been most generously sharing all her expertise and holding our hands as she guides us to show up on video. 

It's enlightening to observe the unrealistic fears and dramas that arise that hinder the path forward, when you decide to put yourself "out there", be vulnerable and seen. In the first week I had a mouth full of ulcers preventing me from talking. Then once you get over it and just get on with it, move past the self doubts, and step up to speak your truth, there's a sense of achievement and it is empowering.

The thing is that we all have a story and experiences to share. 
We are all teachers in some way. Who do we serve by not sharing it, or not shining in our own way. I'm not suggesting everyone needs to be on camera, but rather be ourselves, the unique being that you are! 
As Marianne Williamson shares in her powerful poem from A Return to Love, 

"And as we let our own light shine, 
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. 
As we're liberated from our own fear, 
Our presence automatically liberates others."

 And what would you know, I made a video I am kind of proud of. Well, it is officially only my second one, but I can already see the vast improvement that Andrea has helped me achieve. But most importantly, I hope it's message helps to inspire even just one person on this journey of Life as I share another journey to take the power back, this time over my hormonal health. So here it is...

And if you're hormones are driving you crazy you'll definitely want to watch this short 3min video ;)

As I've found, 
most lessons in life are often just letting us know 
when we are not standing in our full power!

So I'd love you to watch it and let me know what you think in the comments below. 
Why not share if there was a lesson you too took away from my video that you can apply to your life? 
Or do you have an experience of a turning point that led you to take the power back in your life?

Whether you have a hormonal issue or not, may there be something there for you. 

Thanks so much for taking this journey with me.

Shine on lovelies!

In love and light, 
 Tash x

PS: 100 days of Gita Update: going stronger and stronger as the days roll by. And happy to say the filming quality has improved 10 fold since joining VFA. So here is the compilation of my practice for week 5. The sun has been shining which means more yoga in the park, and my most enthusiastic student makes an appearance again :)

PSS: If you'd like to join me for classes in the parks of Perth, happy to say my campaign was a success and we are STARTING THIS SATURDAY 8th NOVEMBER. Might have been my first video which helped do the trick. Really can't wait to start sharing the Gita love!