Yoga Emojis Made In Melbourne

That's right! When you can't say it in words and only a downward dog followed by a trikonasana and crow will fully express your intentions, the only answer is a full library of yoga emojis.

There's over 400 icons to choose from, handily sorted into categories with both English and Sanksrit names. You just copy and paste the icons into your texts and voila! Yog-emotions all laid out for friends and family to acknowledge and appreciate.

For teachers, the great benefit of Yogoji is being able to grab icons for each pose and create sequences with a tap-and-go approach. Rather than draw funny sketches or write lengthy lists, plan your class with easy icons. Genius!

Made by a yogi in Melbourne, the fabulous Heidi Ireland. After a back injury in 2011, Heidi discovered the restorative and uplifting life of yoga - starting with a hip hop yoga habit! She then completed her Yoga Teacher Training and made the segue from marketing and strategy towards yoga instruction and lifestyle.

Yogoji is the ideal result of a yogi teacher awareness with digital marketing and media appreciation. Fun and useful for teachers, and enormous fun for yoga students, the mildly curious and the casual "whenever I can find the time" yoga participant!
RELEASE DATE:  09 August 2016
PLATFORM:  iOS9+ iPhone 5 and above
PRICE:  AUD $2.99 /  USD $1.99 / GBP £1.49 

Get it here.

Top 5 Youtube Yoga Videos

I can't emphasise enough how joyful and important it is to go to yoga classes in person when you can. Being in the company of others, sharing your space, hearing other people breathing, the room warming as you all move together, it uplifts the soul. It's yoga.

But! Accepting that travel, work, health and other commitments make this difficult, having online go-to videos is an excellent backup. It is also a really smart way to augment your practice, so that if you are focusing on achieving handstand or you want a different perspective on how to get into poses, you can find a teacher who speaks to you.

You need a mat, enough space to swing your arms and legs around beyond the mat, and access to water if you need it.

Yoga Flow 
45 Minutes
Advanced
Dynamic vinyasa flow with a fabulous instructor from Yoga Vine.

Down N Dirty Dog Dives
2 Minutes 11 Seconds
Advanced
Niko does a Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svavasana) variation that is super tough on the triceps and will appeal to advanced yogis. 
Follow up with his Plank Variations.

Headstand For Beginners
7 Minutes 7 Seconds
This isn't all fun and games! There's a pan flute. Having warned you, this is an excellent way to explore headstand if you haven't done it before.
This got me into headstand for the first time. Truly. Kudos to you Ananda Yoga!

Sophie from Ananda also talks you through Crow Pose for Beginners. Also an excellent guide.

Super challenging Vinyasa Flow
60 Minutes
Love Leigha's creative sequencing and her calm, well paced movements and teaching voice. Try it.

All Levels Flow

45 Minutes

Another Leigha video - this one is a little less advanced and allows you to enjoy Leigha's creative class without feeling lost in a pose that is too challenging.

Yoga for Beautiful Skin, Great Digestion and Controlling Anxiety

Yoga alone won't give you glowing, unblemished skin but it definitely helps. A smooth, strong digestive system that is essential to your immune system and hormones working harmoniously is going to improve your overall energy, mood, health AND your skin, hair and nails.
Lastly, a healthy body and a body that is working to process nutrients, fight inflammation and infection, battle everyday environmental stress and enable great sleep and circulation is going to increase your ability to deal with psychological and emotional anxiety.

Here's what to do.

• Eat moderately. Eat what you like, but also consider that you need a balance of healthy fats (avocado, salmon, walnuts, seeds, sardines), protein (lean meat, tofu, soy, fish) and carbohydrates (fruit, vegetables, wholegrain oats, breads, brown rice, gummy bears).
• Eat slowly and chew thoroughly. This not only allows you to break down your food more thoroughly so that it can pass through the digestive system easily, but it also tells your brain that you are satisfying your appetite and gives you time to enjoy your food.
• Wait half an hour to an hour prior and before eating to gulp water, tea or coffee. It interferes with digestion and the absorption of vitamins and minerals from your food.
• Take a probiotic capsule daily. I prefer Naturopathica GastroHealth.

Yoga Twist for Digestion

Your yoga move for great digestion is any twisting move. This stimulates the gut, massaging the internal organs, and relieves some of the tension in your lower and mid-back, allowing you to breathe easier. Remember to extend up through the spine and don't slump while you twist!

Beautiful Skin needs cleansing, moisture, and most of all, exercise. This increases and improves circulation so that blood flows to the skin, renewing it with fresh blood flow, nutrients and increasing cell turnover so that dull skin can shed and refreshed, new skin cells can flourish.

• Use a sunscreen. If you exercise outdoors, a hat and sunscreen are non-negotiable if you want beautiful skin. It will also protect you from the majority of skin cancers. 
• Cleanse with gentle, targeted products. There are so many cruelty free, natural and gentle products on the market. I love Sanctum Organics - you'll find the details in the previous blog post!
• Avoid touching your face too much. Your fingers will distribute oil and dirt so if you can avoid resting your chin in your palms, do.

Downward Dog for Great Skin

Your yoga move for fabulous skin AND battling anxiety is downward dog. Strongly pushing your heels down, your palms and the pads of your fingers gives you a powerful foundation. Allowing the blood flow to circulate to your head increases your energy and stamina. Remember to keep your abs braced, your shoulders broad and drawn back to your hips and away from your earlobes. 

Breathe deeply through your nose right down your spinal column.

Exhale slowly.

Hold as long as you can then gently bend your knees, pull your bum back to your heels and stretch forward along the ground.