Digestion and emotions: Which brain do you use?

Galavasana (Image © Robin Ellen Lucas)Digestion and emotions are connected. The belly holds a lot of power. The power center is accessed by activating mula bandha and uddiyana bandha.

The vagus nerve connects digestive system / enteric nervous system in the gut to the central nervous system. Read more here about the digestive system and its anatomy. It's important to have optimal digestion to practice Ashtanga yoga, but also in life as its dysfunction can cause a ricochet effort on other anatomical systems and optimal subtle body health.

what you cannot see

Having said that, in this pose, Galavasana,

Click to read more ...

How essential oils have enhanced my Ashtanga yoga practice and life

Image © Robin Ellen Lucas

why essential oils and ashtanga yoga?

When I first started to experiment with essential oils, I thought of their scent which brought to mind the emotional sparks that would be kindled within me. I began with the more well-known oils mixed in with my bubble bath. Lavender, Patchouli, Sandalwood, to name a few... When I was going through a challenging time, a friend insisted that I put some Frankincense on the bottoms of my feet and top of my head. I did as instructed and I didn't know why. I trusted.

Fast forward to years later... I now am quite the essential oils investigator extraordinaire. After stumbling upon a close friend's website while I was buying some of her artwork, my intuition clicked on the "essential oils" tab to dive into this deeper. What else was there to know? Why was I drawn to these little brown bottles of elixir and how could they shape my holistic health practices?

Click to read more ...