Year of Yoga: Rituals for Every Day and Every Season
Year of Yoga: Rituals for Every Day and Every Season
Ottawa-based Yin and Vinyasa Yoga Instructor, YouTuber, author, and the face behind Yoga with Kassandra, Kassandra Reinhardt is on a mission to help others feel great with yoga.
Kassandra is the author of “Yin Yoga: Stretch The Mindful Way” (DK Books), has led yoga retreats internationally, and offers online workshops and in-person Yin Yoga training. She is also the creator of the Yoga with Kassandra app, a source for yoga with exclusive video content, journaling features, and more.
With over 2 million people in her online community, Kassandra has truly provided accessibility to yoga and she is expanding her expertise further, with the release of her second book, “Year of Yoga: Rituals for every day and every season” (Mandala Publishing, out June 7th). “Year of Yoga” includes holistic practices for any level student, coinciding with affirmations that illuminate the beauty and possibility each of the four seasons presents. Kassandra and her channel have been featured in CBC, Bustle, PopSugar, Well+Good, and Elle Australia.
Yoga is a dance within . . . and then something inside you grows so big, it spills out like champagne, that’s when you dance on the outside.
—Tao Porchon-Lynch
How to Enhance a Yoga Practice
It’s normal to become uninspired by a yoga practice over time. If you find yourself practicing on autopilot or stuck in a rut, here are some tips and techniques that have helped me to get reinspired.
SET AN INTENTION. Yoga can be like a moving meditation and an act of devotion. Before you begin, close your eyes and ask yourself the following questions:
Why am I stepping on my mat today?
What motivates me to practice?
What does this practice have to teach me?
While intentions can be focused on the physical, see if you can peel back the layers and find deeper meaning from your time on the mat. How does it support your emotional, men- tal, and spiritual health? Let this be your guide and motivation, and aim to weave each pose with mindful intent and awareness.
READ ABOUT IT. Yoga is first and foremost a spiritual practice and philosophy. Much of the work happens internally through svadhyaya, self-study and contemplation. If you’re craving deeper meaning and connection, I encourage you to read some of yoga’s sacred texts as part of your daily ritual. You’ll find reading recommendations throughout this book that can help you enhance and elevate your practice.
EXPLORE THE EIGHT LIMBS OF YOGA. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali provides tools and guidelines to living a life in harmony with the world, ourselves, and the divine. In this text, the eight limbs of yoga are defined:
In Year of Yoga, we’ll explore a few of these limbs, such as asana, pranayama, and dhyana, but the richness of yoga comes from the entirety of its system. To get the most out of your practice, spend some time studying the other limbs.
CLOSE YOUR EYES. Another great way to enhance your time on the mat is by practicing with your eyes closed. This might sound daunting, but it’s an excellent way to really feel your body and connect with your breath. When your eyes are closed, you have to rely on your other senses to guide you. It also adds an extra layer of difficulty to your movements and can push you out of your comfort zone, which is an amazing way to grow and learn. Of course, always make safety a priority and only do this if it is suitable for you.
GO OUTSIDE. You might notice that many asanas, or yoga poses, are named after animals, landscapes, and other elements of nature. Tadasana, Mountain pose, Garudasana, Eagle pose, and Vrksasana, Tree pose, are just a few examples. Personally, there’s nothing that inspires me more than the great outdoors. Infuse your practice with a fresh new perspective by bringing your yoga mat outside and letting nature be your guide.
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Ottawa-based Yin and Vinyasa Yoga Instructor, YouTuber, author, and the face behind Yoga with Kassandra, Kassandra Reinhardt is on a mission to help others feel great with yoga.
