Yoga Class

Marley in Halasana.

After a lovely hot summer our regular yoga classes will resume at the end of August. The first class will be on Tuesday 31st August at  5.30pm and then every Tuesday after until mid-December. Friday classes will resume on September 3rd at 9.45am and continue until December. Classes are 7.50euros per class on a pay as you go scheme and we'll still be working from our great venue: Casa de la Sonrisa. I look forward to seeing you there.

Massage Converts

Helen massaging Jennie at our favourite location of the ultra trail - Jatar

During the race we were suprised to find a percentage of the runners who had never had a therapeutic or sports massage before. None of these runners realised the benefits of post race massage and after talking to them I think we persuaded them that not only were post race massages well worth it but also pre-race and regular massage. We had several converts and we hope that once they go home they can find someone to work with who can help them get the most from their training and races and improve on their times and stamina.

Al-Andalus Trail

Here's Annick massaging Colm McCoy after the fourth and hardest stage of the Trail.

After 62kms of hard running through the countryside ending with a 4km uphill section to get to the campsite the runners were glad of some relaxing massage.

This year we used Helen's anti-fatigue oil on a test group and got a positive response from it. We know it works but it's always good to get feedback from impartial participants who have been pushing their bodies and muscles to the limit. The consensus was it helped muscles recover quicker and there were no 'heavy legs' the next day.

Ultra Trail 2010

The Al-Andalus Ultra Trail 2010.

If you elect a post race massage to help ease the legs for the next days running, ask to be massaged with our specially formulated anti-fatigue oil.
This base oil plus essential oils works quickly and effectively to ease tired muscles and is something our masseurs use on themselves at the end of a long session of working with the athletes.
You will have the opportunity to purchase a 50ml bottle of this exclusive mix for 5 euros.

Al-Andalus Ultra Trail

Once again Asura Yoga are providing the massage support for the Al-Andalus Ultra Trail, a 230km cross country race staged over five days.
This year the race takes place between the 12th and 16th July, more details from: http://www.alandalus-ut.com/
The participants will have the opportunity to elect for post race massage throughout the event and our masseurs will be at each race camp to assist the runners. Massages are 10 euros for 10 minutes.
However, on the arrival weekend of 11th/12th July our team will be at your pre-race venue, the Manzanil Hotel in Loja and will be available for longer massage sessions. We will also be pre-booking massages for during the race stages so speak to either Sami, Helen or Annick at the hotel and book your spot on the couch.

Yoga Mat Bags

These 100% cotton yoga mat bags are available in five colours: black, navy, burgundy, olive green and lilac. Each bag has two side pockets with button fastener, a shoulder strap and drawstring top closer. The bags are approximately 75cm x 20cms.

9.00 euros each + 3.50 euros p&p (Europe only)

Email for bulk buy discount details.

Estas bolsas de algodón 100% estera de yoga están disponibles en cinco colores: negro, azul marino, burdeos, verde oliva y lila. Cada bolsa tiene dos bolsillos laterales con cierre de botón, una correa para el hombro y la parte superior del lazo más cercano. Las bolsas son de aproximadamente 75cm x 20cms.

9,00 euros cada bolsa + 3,50 euros gastos de envío

Para compras por volumen y detalles de descuento envia un correo electrónico

Anti Muscle Fatigue

After a training session, intense yoga session or a race you can feel some fatigue in the major muscles. The level of fatigue or ache will vary depending on the amount of training you have done or the type of race you have participated in. A great way to alleviate muscle fatigue is to rub in our specially formulated Anti-Fatigue oil. Use after showering, no need to massage it in just rub it on your skin and let the active ingredients work.
We often use this oil in the course of our normal work. Not just on our professional athletes to assist with the reduction of lactic acid build up in the muscles but also on ourselves. After we've been working a race and massaged maybe ten or fifteen people one after the other, this mix helps us deal with fatigue in the hands, arms, shoulders and legs. It's ideal for anyone who has an active job or hobby. If you would like more details or to buy some oil please email me.

Easter Yoga Retreat

 This year we're having a special Semana Santa (Easter) yoga break. You can choose to stay with us for either four days or seven days. Starting on April 1st until April 7th we'll be providing two yoga classes per full day, with one class on arrival and departure days.  There will be excellent home cooked vegetarian food, and the retreat is full board no matter how long you stay with us. A full range of on-site massage therapy will be available during the break and we can arrange for a variety of activities if you want to have a more active break: from bike hire with or without guide, to guided walks or a visit to the Alhambra Palace you can choose the level of activity you want on your break.
To stay with us for four days the fee is:

• 360 euros per person, shared en-suite room (double or twin)
• 415 euros, single en-suite room

To stay with us for the full week the fee is:

• 625 euros per person, shared en-suite room (double or twin)
• 725 euros, single en-suite room

Our nearest airport is Granada at 45 minutes. Malaga airport is around 1 hour 15 minutes. We can arrange airport pickups and the price depends on the number of guests are sharing the transport. Please ask on booking.
In the first instance please email us for availability.

Piriformis Stretch

This pose is wonderful for stretching the muscles of the hips, thighs and buttocks.
Start this posture seated on your sit bones with your legs straight out in front of you.

• bend the right knee and place the foot on the floor
• take the right outside ankle to the left thigh just above, not on, the left knee
• reach behind you and place your hands on the floor
• sitting tall, slowly begin to bend the left leg until you feel a good stretch in the right leg and hip
• press the right knee away from the body to help make a straight line between the knee and foot
• only bend the left leg to a comfortable extent, never over stretch or over strain
• try to maintain a tall spine with the chest lifted
• hold for between five and ten breaths before slowly straightening the left leg and moving the right leg back to the floor so both legs are straight
• repeat the above with the left leg

photo courtesy of Yoga Journal

Navasana - Boat Pose

This very effective pose strengthens abdominals and quads as well as working the back and chest muscles.
Start from seated making sure you are on your sit bones and your legs are straight in front and just a little apart. Next:

• bend both knees and put your feet to the floor
• place your hands behind your thighs near the back of the knees and keeping the spine straight start to adjust your weight until you are balanced on your bottom
• lift the feet until your shins are level with the floor, and make a straight line between knees and feet, do not allow the feet to move inward or the knees to drop out
• flex the feet and ensure your chest is lifted to maintain a long spine
• release the hands from behind the knees, straighten your arms with the fingers pointing towards the feet with the arms parallel to the floor
• maintain the leg lift and hold for between five and ten full breaths
• to release the pose place your hands behind the thighs near the backs of the knees and bending the knees take the feet to the floor as you adjust your weight forwards
• straighten the legs and relax for a few moments

photo courtesy of Yoga Journal  

Perfect Quad Stretch

It's more usual to stretch the quads while standing. This is perfectly acceptable but more often than not when I watch people stretch in this way they are doing it incorrectly and not really benefiting from the movement. A foolproof way of quad stretching is by lying on the floor.

• begin by lying prone in a straight line, make sure both hip bones can be evenly felt against the floor
• place your forehead to the floor or if this is uncomfortable put your left hand under your forehead and rest your head on the hand
• press your pubic bone into the floor, 'tipping' the pelvis and lengthening your spine, maintain this position throughout the stretch
• bend your right knee and reach behind to grasp the foot or ankle with the right hand, try not to lift the chest and shoulders off the floor
• on an out breath, ease the foot closer to the buttocks while maintaining both hip bones on the floor and the pubic bone pressed into the floor
• try to ease the foot closer to the buttocks on each out breath, do this for five breaths before releasing the foot to the floor
• rest for two breaths then repeat using the other leg and hand

Often when I teach this in class students find it more difficult and they achieve a greater stretch than if they use the standing version.

Tuesday Class

We've been working hard and having fun during our regular evening classes. Each class, I try to challenge the class with a posture that they may not have tried before. In all our classes we have a combination of standing, seated, prone postures, twists and balances.  
Flexibility of the spine is a key aim in yoga to allow for prana to flow freely throughout the body and the nadis.

Jaffa Cakes

Preparation time 30 mins to 1 hour
Cooking time 10 to 30 mins

Ingredients
For the cakes
4 free-range eggs
100g/3½oz caster sugar
100g/3½oz plain flour, sieved
For the filling
1 x 135g/4¾oz packet orange jelly, chopped
1 tbsp orange marmalade
125ml/4½fl oz boiling water
200g/7oz good quality dark chocolate, minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids, broken into pieces

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. For the cakes, bring a little water to the boil in a pan, then reduce the heat until the water is simmering. Suspend a heatproof bowl over the water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Add the eggs and sugar to the bowl and beat continuously for 4-5 minutes, or until the mixture is pale, fluffy and well combined.
3. Add the flour, beating continuously, until a thick, smooth batter forms.
4. Half-fill each well in a 12-hole muffin tin with the cake batter. Transfer the tin to the oven and bake the cakes for 8-10 minutes, or until pale golden-brown and cooked through (the cakes are cooked through when a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean.) Remove from the oven and set the cakes aside, still in their tray, until cool.
5. Meanwhile, for the filling, in a bowl, mix together the jelly, marmalade and boiling water until the jelly has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Pour the filling mixture into a shallow-sided baking tray or large dish to form a 1cm/½in layer of jelly. Set aside until completely cooled, then chill in the fridge until set.
6. When the jelly has set and the cakes have cooled, cut small discs from the layer of jelly, equal in diameter to the cakes. Sit one jelly disc on top of each cake.
7. Bring a little water to the boil in a pan, then reduce the heat until the water is simmering. Suspend a heatproof bowl over the water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Add the chocolate and stir until melted, smooth and glossy, then pour over the cakes. Set aside until the melted chocolate has cooled and set.

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash soup
Nice and warming with a touch of curry spice.
If prepared with vegetable stock it will be suitable for vegetarians.
Ingredients
2 pounds ( 900g ) of butternut squash flesh, cut into cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and cubed

1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 flat teaspoon of curry powder, mild or medium strength
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground pepper
3-4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
Method
1. boil the butternut squash cubes and the bay leaf in some water until nearly tender
2. sweat the chopped onion in the oil until transparent
3. add the crushed garlic, trying not to burn it
4. mix in the curry spice and stir
5. pour the cooked butternut squash into the mixture
6. add potato cubes, stock and salt and pepper, simmer until cooked
7. blend to a creamy consistency
8. serve with crusty rolls, delicious.

Retreat February 25th-28th

Our end of February retreat is designed to invigorate the body after the natural slow down of winter. With a combination of lighter food and invigorating yoga we'll wake up our systems, get the blood pumping and elevate the positive emotions with meditation and pranayama. Every day we have two sessions of yoga. Each session comprises asana, meditation and pranayama. Using precise instruction and where needed hands on guidance we'll help you get the most from your practise.
Shared rooms for this retreat are 340euros per person and single rooms 360euros. There are only two single rooms available for this retreat. Contact us by email for a booking form.

Hamstring and Spinal Stretch

This is an intense stretch of the hamstrings and back. Only go as far as you can when stretching, never over-stretch or over-strain. Yoga is not a competition and if you don't take care and approach each stretch with concentration, attention and without ego you can injure yourself. Whether you are in a class or practising at home alone you should approach each asana (posture) in the same way: as well as you can on any given day. Some days you'll have better stretching days than others, in the same way you have better running or cycling sessions.
Begin by standing with the feet parallel and just a little apart near the back of your practise mat:

• imagine you are standing on a clock. Turn the right foot so the toes point at 1 o'clock then take a large step forwards with your left leg keeping the left foot at 12 o'clock
• align your hips straight ahead
• inhale and raise both arms above your head
• exhale and bend forwards from the waist, keep the chest and head lifted looking ahead of you, this keeps the back flat
• when you can't bend forwards anymore with a flat back relax the chest and head towards the leg, relax the arms towards the floor and if your hands reach the floor just relax them without placing your weight on them
• if you cannot stretch down very far, that's fine. Just relax your hands and arms either side of your legs
• breathe slowly and deeply and try to consciously relax the muscles in the legs, buttocks, back and shoulders
• take 5 long slow breaths before lifting the head, shoulders and chest to make a flat back and come to standing on an in-breath
• bring both feet together and stand straight for a few moments before doing the posture with the right leg forwards

The key to this posture is deep, slow breathing and not rushing. It takes around 30 seconds for a muscle to start relaxing in a stretch so take your time. If at any time you feel pain, or your legs shake, then slowly come out of the posture and next time don't try to push yourself so hard.

Reflexology

Foot reflexology uses pressure points over the feet and ankles which correspond with locations throughout the body. By treating points on the feet the therapist can affect change within the body. Sometimes points on the feet can feel quite sore when the therapist is working them, this usually indicates an area that requires work and is quite normal. There are times when treating an area directly isn't appropriate: open wounds, burns, very recent injury... and this is where reflexology is very useful. Reflexology is very relaxing and our experienced practitioners can tell a lot about you from your feet. For people who can't bear to have their feet touched it is possible to use hand reflexology instead.

Therapeutic Massage

This massage is exactly what it says. Therapeutic. It's not designed to relax you mentally or physically, it's designed to treat a problem. Using a combination of sports, physiotherapy and Swedish massage techniques a therapeutic massage can help you recover from injuries as well as assist with prevention of injury when combined with correct training techniques. Usually during a therapeutic massage only specific areas are treated rather than the whole body being worked on. Though, if you've really overdone it, you can have a full body therapeutic massage. Usually only for the brave!

Indian Head Massage

Indian Head Massage is very relaxing and uplifting. A masseur friend once described it as 'shaking everything up and then calming and smoothing it down'. It's excellent for the scalp and if you suffer from thinning or very fine hair regular head massage does seem to help reduce loss. You also get a wonderful massage of the upper back and shoulders and the face. It's one of my favourite massages and if you've never tried it I can highly recommend it.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy: This is the art of using combinations of essential oils with a base oil and massaging the personalised mix into the skin. The essential oils for your massage are chosen and mixed just before your massage and after a consultation. Helen will use the oils which are best for you to get the result you need. This is a wonderful, relaxing treatment and you can opt for a full body massage or a back massage. There are many essential oils and each has a different effect on the emotions, body and mind. To achieve the correct mix and a good result takes skill, sensitivity and a good touch. Whether you need uplifting, or relaxing, to develop more concentration and focus or to soothe aching muscles there is a combination of oils just right for you.

Alhama de Granada

Alhama de Granada is a small historic town in the Poniente Granada region of Andalucia, comprising Moorish style white houses, traditional plazas and surrounded by beautiful countryside. We have natural hot springs, Roman bridges, 13th Century churches, the Los Tajos gorge and many more wonderful places and things to explore. A traditional Spanish town the majority of Alhama residents are Spanish and the bars serve wonderful tapas with your drink. Only 45 minutes from Granada airport and an hour from Granada city we are perfectly placed for a short or long break.

Alhama de Granada

Winter in Alhama de Granada can be cold and snowy but it's a clean dry cold rather than a damp UK cold. Usually the skies are blue and even when grey are bright. We're over 900m above sea level and only an hour away from the Sierra Nevada ski resort so you can combine yoga with skiing if you want a different pace to your break.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

This fabulous salad is great warm or cold and goes beautifully with fish, chicken, tofu, lasagne etc... make it just before eating or the day before to allow flavours to develop.
Ingredients:
2 tblsp virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 medium red pepper finely diced
200g canned corn (use good quality and drain and wash if salted)
100g black beans (follow brand instructions for soaking and cooking)
1/2 cup roughly chopped coriander
1/4 cup roughly chopped mint
1 tblsp pomegranate molasses
1 finely chopped chipolte chilli
Method:
saute in olive oil on moderate heat the garlic, red pepper, chilli and cumin for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and mix through the corn and black beans. Put everything into a serving bowl and add molasses and herbs and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately or refridgerate.

Yoga for Runners

Targeted yoga can greatly benefit runners. Going to a specialist class that will help you stretch and strengthen the fascia, muscles, tendons and ligaments that are used when running will decrease your chance of injury during a race and increase your ability to recover after a race. To gain maximum benefit it's worth working with an experienced teacher who can best advise you on which postures to concentrate on. At Asura Yoga we have experience working with trail runners, extreme runners, keen cross country runners and runners who run for their own fun. We've provided not just yoga classes but remedial, sports and relaxation massages for our athletes. Every year we work with Axarsport during their training camps and provide support services and massage for the Al-Andalus ultra marathon. Bring your group to Aura Yoga and we will help you get the most from your sport.

Next Retreat

Our next 4 day retreat is 28th January until 31st January. Email for joining details and payment options.
February retreats are: 11th-14th and 25th-28th.
Inclusive of all tuition, meals and handouts. 340euros per person/shared room and only 360euros for single room.

Four Day Retreats

Lots of fun was had on our last retreat. Groups are deliberately kept small: max 10. That way I can keep a close eye on everyone and make sure every person works safely, within their own limits and feel they get attention during the class.
Personally I hate going to large classes where the teacher can't possibly keep an eye on everyone and the classes are by rote. I like a class where if someone struggles with something I can advise them or if necessary give them a different posture. That way you get the most of our yoga.

Casa de la Sonrisa

We're really lucky to have a partnership with Casa de la Sonrisa. Not just for our regular yoga classes but also for our winter retreats. It's a lovely Andalucian style hotel in Alhama de Granada and our hosts Carla and Norbert are wonderul. All rooms have central heating, are en-suite and comfortably furnished. All our retreats, whether week long or four day are fully catered using the best local produce. All retreats are fully inclusive of tuition and meals and we have some wonderful masseurs working with us if you want to opt for a massage.

Hatha Vinyasa Class

Our regular classes have started and the newly decorated and kitted out yoga/meditation room is working well. Tuesday evening classes are a bit more challenging than Friday morning class so it's worth trying both to see which suits you best. All classes include asana, pranayama and meditation and more classes will be added around our retreat schedule. After class we sit down for a nice cuppa.