|
Our Ambassador
|
|
Petra "My life's story is a typical example of an old Czech proverb: "You'll get the biggest slice from the loaf of bread you don't want."
As a child I spent a lot of time of reading books rather than playing outside with other children -- any exercise or movement was like a punishment for me. I was really not interested in any sport until I was eighteen and visited a gym for the first time"
says Petra Hetmerova - recognized and published yoga instructor and yoga retreat organizer in Europe. Petra's DVD "Yoga Harmony" produced by European Spa & Yoga will be released in 2010.
|
|
Bolster SALE |
offered for limited time only
with 17% discount
for $49 only
to buy your own bolster
organic cotton
|
|
Yoga in Europe
|
 |
|
"If someone would have told me 10 years ago that I would engage in yoga in any of its forms, I would have thought he was mad.
Not because of yoga itself, but rather because of the nature of yoga in Central Europe during the period in which I grew up. During this time, the Communist regime was suppressing yoga as a religious movement that contradicted communist doctrines."
Read more about Petra's yoga journey by
|
|
|
Greetings!
The European Spa & Yoga team (ES&Y) has prepared some interesting articles for you in this current issue! You can read bellow about Yoga Therapy and the importance of using yoga props, and even download a FREE yoga props guide from our web site by clicking here. Also in this issue you will meet our newest ES&Y ambassador from Europe, Petra, as she writes about her personal yoga journey amidst the political changes in Central Europe. This newsletter's special offer: a 17 % savings on our eco-luxurious bolster for only $49. The cover and the stuffing are made from organic cotton. To buy your own bolster click here.
|
|
Therapeutic Benefits of Yoga
What is Yoga Therapy? Simply stated, Yoga Therapy is the application of specific yoga postures to address specific health issues, while taking into account a person's current body condition.
Yoga has a wide range of therapeutic benefits, but in addition to understanding the benefits, it is equally as important to know the contraindications of certain postures: which postures and movements should be avoided based on any specific health or athletic limitations.
There are a wide variety of postures to choose from in order to maximize the practitioner's desired health, athletic, or spiritual improvement. All of these variables inspired Yogini Zuzana Kolinkova to catalogue hundreds of postures along with their associated health benefits, athletic benefits, and contra-indications. Her many years of research in this area has culminated in the creation of a computer data base that allows her to design effective Yoga Therapy routines specifically matched to the needs of each client, while taking into account their specific health issues and level of athletic conditioning.
In addition to understanding which postures provide the greatest benefit, performing these postures correctly is vital in order to achieve maximum benefit. An effective Yoga Therapy routine includes the proper use of yoga props. The props allow the practitioner to stay longer in the postures and gain a greater therapeutic benefit. "There is a common misunderstanding of the use of yoga props", explains Zuzana. "Many people believe that props are just for beginners or inflexible people. Yoga props do help in these areas, but even for very advanced and flexible students yoga props can bring them greater therapeutic benefit".
She illustrates this idea with the simple example of the Triangle pose (Trikonasana). When performing triangle pose with the hand supported on a block the practitioner is able to completely ground the legs while maintaining the spine in the level of the hips to maximize movement of the spine and rib cage. In this way a much deeper, therapeutic stretch is achieved rather than emphasizing the athletic elements of the posture.
In order to get the most meaningful experience from yoga it is necessary to find the right set of postures that respond to an individual's particular needs and desires. Yoga Therapy allows the practitioner to find these postures more quickly and effectively. Especially when you are not able to attend yoga class on a regular basis, it is important to know which few postures you should focus on in your 10-20 min self practice at home to have the greatest impact on your mind and body. To read the article Therapeutic Benefits of Yoga click here.
Zuzana is teaching a series of Yoga Therapy Workshop during month of November. For more info contact Zuzana via her web site www.europeanyoga.com.
|
I have my roots (and still live) in the CzechRepublic -- a small country in the heart of Europe. In the years prior to 1989 it was forbidden to talk in public about the main mission of yoga. Yoga was present only as an old Indian physical training system and it never ascended to the academic/university level in its full conception.
Christianity was also just barely tolerated and it was removed from schools and official educational systems. The government had control over information mediums: newspapers, television and radio. Books, as well as a private correspondence, from foreign countries were censored, and it was not possible to travel to foreign countries that were not communist countries.
I was born during this time and grew up in a loving environment with great parents, so the political climate was normal for me as it was the only one I had known as a child. I thought that everyone around the world was living in these same conditions. Later, I was able to start putting together the mosaic of the world around me.
To read the article Yoga in Europe by Petra Hetmerova click here. |
|
Our mission is to create a fusion of art, science, and environmental responsibility.
We offer a trusted on-line relationship for Spa, Yoga, and Wellness products that have been carefully selected in the tradition of the finest European Spas.
European Spa & Yoga Team |
|
|
