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Yoga For Bloggers-What Has Yoga Got To Do With Blogging?

By | Blogging

Guest Post by Ntathu Allen

Welcome to the first of a series of posts focusing specifically on the numerous benefits of yoga for bloggers.

What Has Yoga Got To Do With Blogging?

At first glance you may be thinking what has yoga got to do with blogging?

It’s All About You

If you can put aside your views about the philosophical and spiritual teachings embedded in yoga you will see that the practical relaxation techniques and physical exercises, offers you a simple way to care for the most important part of your blog.  You.

You Are The Most Important Part Of Your Business

Everything you write, create, market, or sell comes through you. Without you and the energy you put into your work, your blog and your business would not exist.

Your body is made up of trillion and trillions of cells. Flowing through each cell is energy, your vital energy known in yoga as chi or prana.

Here is a simple quiz.

There is no right or wrong answer

1.  How often during your day do you stop what you are doing to check your twitter updates and Face book status?

2.  How often during your day do you stop what you are doing to check how you are breathing and how well you are sitting?

Answers on a postcard…

How Can Yoga Help You Grow Your Blog?

Here Are 3 Benefits

  1. Yoga encourages you to tune into your body and listen to what it needs.

You put time and effort into making your blog look pretty and functional; you research your niche, you fine tune your social media updates and comment freely on other posts.  Do you invest the same level of commitment to your body and emotional well-being?  How much time and effort per day do you invest in looking after yourself?

  1. Yoga Helps You To Relax, Rejuvenate and Recharge Your Mind, Body And Spirit

Time and time again I see exhausted executives and worn out mums come to yoga classes desperate for a way to learn how to relax and  release the tension and pain locked in their body. Here are five quick stress relieving tips you can try: 5 Quick Stress Relieving Tips When Life Sucks.

  1. Yoga Helps You To Love Your Body

Your body is your most precious gift. You need to find ways to maintain your energy and get a balance between being overworked and stressed and at ease in your body.

What is Yoga? 

  1. Yoga is about balance and creating and maintaining a free flow of energy through your body.
  1. Traditionally yoga consists of a series of yoga exercises known as asanas, yoga breathing techniques known as pranayama, relaxation and meditation practices. If you are new to meditation and want to find out more about this practice check out this post about three of the obstacles you need to overcome when you meditate: Meditation for Beginners.
  1. To the ancient yogis, the body was seen as a vehicle for your soul. Yoga acts as a bridge to enable you to connect with and create a seamless flow of energy between your inner and outer world.
  1.  Yoga and meditation techniques help you to be present and focus on one thought at a time. For example, your eyes and mind are reading this piece yet it is your heart and emotions which are taking in the subtle impressions and vibes. As you read, numerous questions, thoughts and comments flow through your mind as you connect what you are reading with what you know about yoga and about blogging.  Your mind might start going off on a tangent and you lose your train of thought. For example, try this body awareness exercise.

As you read are you aware of what is going on in other parts of your body?

Are you aware of your breathing?

What are you sensing in your legs, your feet, and your toes?

If you have toes and feet, are you even aware of what they are doing right now?

Are you aware of how you are sitting?

How aware are you of your posture and the way you are sitting?

Did you know the way you sit affects your energy? Poor posture is the cause of many minor ailments, aches and pains, all of which affects how well you can focus and concentrate on your work.

What about your back? What is going on with your spine?

In yoga you are taught that you are as young as your spine. If you have ever suffered from back pain you will know how painful it is.

What Else Is Yoga About? 

1.  Yoga is about balance.

As you practice the physical postures and learn how to meditate and use your breath to energise, calm and focus your mind, you gain clarity and insights into  how you want your business to grow and fit in with the rest of your life.

2.  Yoga encourages you to stop, pause, tune in and see what is going on inside and how that affects what is going on around you.

The more aware and conscious you are with what is going on inside your body, the easier it becomes for you to tap into your inner reserves and stay healthy and vital throughout your day. The more care, love and attention you give to your body, the easier it is for you to manage the multiply demands on your time from your family and work as you strive to grow your business.

What is Pain?

Pain is your body’s way of alerting you to the fact that something is out of alignment.

You know what it is like. Have you ever been so engrossed in your work that when you stop to answer the phone, do you realise your back aches and shoulders feel tight and tense? Some of my students are so used to sitting hunched over their computers they don’t even realise just how much stress and tension they carry in their body. Here are seven common signs of stress: 7 Signs You are Stressed.

Try this simple stress relief exercise

Take a moment right now to sit up straight, find your sitting bones and sit on them, (your sitting bones are the knobbly bits you can feel in your  buttocks) lengthen your spine and neck, lower your shoulders and create as much space as you can between your ears and shoulders. Slowly roll your head from side to side, relax your jaw and soften your gaze.

Next…

Stretch both arms straight up above your head. Place your left hand on your right wrist and gently stretch your right arm as you lean over to the left.

Can you feel that stretch along the whole right side of your upper body?

Take 2 more deep breaths in and out through your nose as you continue to breathe deeply into the stretch. Relax your arms and rest your hands in your lap.

Close your eyes and just observe for a moment or two how your body feels.

Can you feel the difference between one side of the body and the other?

Repeat that stretch-relax –breath sequence, this time placing the right hand on your left wrist and stretching to your left. Breathe deeply 2-4 times.

And then…

Rest your hands on your lap, close your eyes as you focus on your everyday breath; tune in and be aware of all sensations flowing in and around your body.

How do you feel now?

If you have a pen nearby stay in the flow and jot down your first few thoughts.

Do you feel calmer, clearer, relaxed and focused?  Or do you realise just how tired you are and long for more moments in your day to rest, relax and recharge? 

If you are a yoga beginner you have just had your first insight into what yoga can do for you, your health and ultimately your business.

Yoga offers you all that and more.

And over the next few days, I am going to share with you simple yogic techniques and meditations which you can easily slip into your hectic schedule to boost your energy and keep your mind focused and alert.

The idea is to avoid burnout and exhaustion and give you the tools to self care and maintain your energy levels so you can effortlessly enjoy  being with your family and productive at work.

Thank you for taking the time to pause, reflect and honour your body.

If you enjoyed this article feel free to share the love and link back to it from your own blog. Take care and thank you.

Ntathu Allen is a mother, blogger, yoga teacher and author, Ntathu Allen strives to encourage busy mums and entrepreneurs to weave moments of calm and rest into their busy life so you have the energy to have more fun time with your family and be positive and productive at work. Ntathu can be contacted at www.yogainspires.co.uk and www.thenextgoal.com

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Comments

  1. Rose says:
    December 21, 2011 at 7:28 am

    Absolutely daily exercise or yoga routine is very good for healh.

  2. Jarrod from Woodlands TX says:
    December 19, 2011 at 7:00 am

    This sounds new to me. I never knew that there’s a lot of things we can benefit from Yoga. I’ll try this out and hopefully it will rejuvenate and recharge my body. Thank you for sharing.

  3. Adeline from Life and Leisure
    Twitter:
    says:
    November 25, 2011 at 11:44 pm

    Very interesting post, Ntathu! I haven’t really done any yoga lately, but ever since I went back doing my workout in the gym, I am surprised on how much ideas I am getting for my blog. It seems that exercising, whether working out in the gym or doing yoga, can really help you de-stress and get your blog juices flowing, doesn’t it?
    Adeline recently posted..Survive the Holiday Season: 7 Easy Money Saving TipsMy Profile

  4. Bertha says:
    November 25, 2011 at 9:59 am

    Great advice Ntathu, Yoga adds value to one’s life and yes, even more so in blogging…
    Bertha recently posted..Counsellors PerthMy Profile

  5. Khleo Thomas says:
    November 22, 2011 at 11:00 am

    As soon as I read this I actually went and did Yoga. I don’t do it nearly enough, and considering I work for myself I should make time to do it more.
    Khleo Thomas recently posted..Videos: AMA Performances – Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, and DrakeMy Profile

  6. DiNaRa says:
    November 22, 2011 at 4:51 am

    I woould say that this is a very nice comparison and very unusual in fact. I am doing yoga, but I didn’t see any connection to the blogging, but I will pay more attention. I can only tell that yoga helps me to become more balanced and positive. I need to become like this in blogging.

  7. Dave Pilgrim says:
    November 21, 2011 at 2:20 pm

    This is really important and great content. When blogging or getting into a muse one must have a very clear mind and yoga is a great way to do that. Excellent post!!!
    Dave Pilgrim recently posted..Free Itouch App called Drake’s TowerMy Profile

  8. Tessa from Website Design Portland says:
    November 21, 2011 at 6:23 am

    I just enjoyed very much on reading this post. I really felt relaxed on doing so. Hope to practice yoga daily to increase my concentration power and to be more energetic. Looking forward for more tips.

  9. Mark from High Resolution pictures says:
    November 21, 2011 at 1:17 am

    Yoga is great way to stay healthy and if we stay healthy then our blog will improve for sure.

  10. WordPress Hosting says:
    November 20, 2011 at 4:19 pm

    Is this more on yoga or incorporating yoga with blogs? But anyways I do see the positive outcome out of it.
    WordPress Hosting recently posted..Domain Name Promotion Only at $10.99/yearMy Profile

  11. Bijuterii online says:
    November 20, 2011 at 2:22 pm

    I am a yoga beginner and I also own a few blogs so…i find your article very helpful and interesting.

    Thanks Ntathu :) wish you all the best!

  12. Paras Sharma says:
    November 20, 2011 at 10:41 am

    Lolz, i first laughed on the title, but when i read carefully i realized it is must for every tech geek, as after some time your tummy will go beyond control.
    Paras Sharma recently posted..Why You Need a Professional ResumeMy Profile

  13. Ravit says:
    November 20, 2011 at 9:36 am

    I have no doubts it works together. After I do some exercise my writing is much bettere… fresh and productive!
    Ravit recently posted..Best colors for small roomsMy Profile

  14. Anna says:
    November 20, 2011 at 3:53 am

    I was doing a bit of yoga a year ago and then I changed the place of living and I stopped and now I regret about it as yoga helped me to feel reliefed and relaxed. i like the way the post give the links between yoga and blogging. I got real pleasure while reading the post.

    • ntathu allen says:
      November 22, 2011 at 7:33 pm

      Thank you Anna, i really hope you get back into yoga, check out my site http://www.yoaginspires.co.uk for more ways you can weave more yoga into your daily schedule. It is hard to get back into you, but at least you ahve the feeling in your DNA so its only a matter of time before you are back on the mat. Remember yoga isnt just the physical, take a moment now just to pause, lengthen your spine and relax your jaw and lower your shoulders and breathe, slowly gently and deeply for a few minutes and hey presto you feel relief and relaxed. Thanks for sharing. take care
      ntathu allen recently posted..Happy Thanksgiving–Wherever You Are–From TheNextGoalMy Profile

  15. Raj says:
    November 19, 2011 at 9:19 am

    I have learned some basics of Yoga when I was younger, but they are pretty difficult to implement! I am somehow disillusioned to believe that sleeping is similar to yoga and hence I always sleep when faced with stress before the monitor! But I do hope that I am able to learn yoga as soon as possible! Thanks for this inspirational post…
    Raj recently posted..The Definitive Guide to Developing Your Social Media Strategy – Part 4: How to Define Your Social Media Marketing GoalsMy Profile

  16. Neeraj Sachdeva says:
    November 19, 2011 at 9:10 am

    Excellent post Ntathu, love it how you have linked those two. Very practical tips and as an advice to others, definitely check out her articles on The Next Goal, she knows a thing or two about Yoga!
    Neeraj Sachdeva recently posted..Self ConfidenceMy Profile

  17. Tom
    Twitter:
    says:
    November 19, 2011 at 3:30 am

    Yoga is great for everyting :) You just probably need to incorporate healthy diet too :) Do everything frequently and results will come :)
    Tom recently posted..Metāla žogi un jaunbūveMy Profile

    • ntathu allen says:
      November 22, 2011 at 7:43 pm

      You are right Tom , healthy diet is another essential part of a healthy yogic liefstyle. In yoga you are encouraged to eat foods which cleanse, nourish and nurture your mind body and soul, these foods are known as satvic foods, and are foods which are eaten in their natural state as possible, easily digestible, ideally plant-based (no meat) and eaten in a calm relaxed mindful manner. Sitting for lengths of time at a computer can lead to you ahve the muncies and when that happens it is easy to mindless snack. If you do mindless snack aim to snack on healthier options and take your time…as you say frequently results are best.
      ntathu allen recently posted..Happy Thanksgiving–Wherever You Are–From TheNextGoalMy Profile

  18. Joe says:
    November 19, 2011 at 12:04 am

    What does yoga do to blogging? Nice line there. This has been a wonderful read and I have acquired some good tips for blogging. Thanks for sharing this information. I could add a few tips myself.
    Joe recently posted..how to get a girl to like youMy Profile

  19. Nishadha
    Twitter:
    says:
    November 19, 2011 at 12:02 am

    Some interesting tips, As someone who sits in front of computers whole day these tips are very helpful. I already have a software installed to remind me to take a break and try to do some simple exercises during the break, I will think of adding some of your tips.
    Nishadha recently posted..Get Traffic to New Blogs Methods That WorkMy Profile

  20. lacarpet says:
    November 18, 2011 at 10:39 pm

    Hey Ntathu,
    Thanks for the reminder, I almost forgot that ME ( YOU ) is also a part of a blog making steps. I almost forgot it because of the heavy loads of jobs I needed to be done. With this reminder, for sure I could concentrate on the jobs without feeling weak or stressed out. Thanks.
    lacarpet recently posted..Proper Crawl Space Ventilation Can Improve Living Space Air Quality Inside Your HomeMy Profile