Join me on Sunday March 18th for a yoga workshop covering pranayama (breathing), a restorative asana (posture) practice and meditation.

The afternoon will commence at 2pm with an introduction to and steady progression of breathing techniques helping you to draw attention to and focus on your breath. Most of us barely use one third of our natural breath, leaving us tired, stressed and lethargic. Through learning about and experiencing a fuller breath, you energise your body and brain.

Following this will be a gentle asana practice, focusing on moving your using your breath to move your body. So often we find ourselves in situations of stress, leaving us tense and frazzled, by which point we are barely stopping to breathe, let alone move freely. This yoga practice is designed to allow you the time and space to access your body and its comfortable, natural movement through breathing. This way your joints, limbs and mind open up, stretch out and receive all the oxygen and nourishing blood flow they need.

After all this focus and preparation comes the meditation. A period wherein you are permitted and encouraged to stop worrying, fretting, thinking, stressing and trying!

If any or all of this interests you, please contact me via email or phone to book your place now. Numbers are limited.

WHEN: Sunday March 18th, 2pm to 5pm.

WHERE: 36 Brookhollow Ave, Norwest, Baulkham Hills

COST: $70pp

Followed by a late-afternoon tea.

If you’re after weight loss, healthy living and you don’t want to go hungry, it is easy.

I’ve been writing up a few eating plans for my personal training clients who wanted to make sure they didn’t pack on the weight over Christmas and beyond. I’ve struggled to meet their caloric requirements! According to their BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate – the amount of calories you burn whilst at rest), they ought to be taking in upwards of 1800 to 2000 calories a day. Now, that’s a lot of food. I’ve been scouring Calorie King Australia all morning, trying to add up the numbers, and yet even I struggle to eat the amount of food that meets the 1500 calorie mark. Why? Because it’s all healthy food. It’s unprocessed, whole foods. As soon as you add a burger into the mix, though, you’re through the roof -

McDonald’s Medium Big Mac Meal

Big Mac = 493

Fries = 368

Coke = 258

TOTAL = 1,119

As compared to: 

1 cup grilled chicken = 231

Stir fried capsicum, snow peas and zucchini = 93

with Garlic, Soy Sauce & Ginger = 21

PLUS DESSERT!

100g Berries = 57

Scoop Low Fat Ice Cream = 65

TOTAL = 467

Significant difference, no?

On top of eating the wrong type of calories, a lot of us are seriously…backed up. Yep, this might be a little graphic for some of you, but let’s face it, we all do it, and if you don’t, see your doctor now!

A healthy digestive system ‘empties’ itself out (so to speak) daily. For some, it’s after every meal, for many it should be at least once a day. Any less than this and you’re sitting on a pile of crap (excuse me!). If you’re not emptying out regularly, your body is holding onto and having to store a whole load of rubbish, which prevents it from getting the nutrients it needs from the food you eat. This then leads to your sudden desire for a sweetie or fat laden snack, only to have your sugar levels plummet within twenty minutes of eating, so you then reach for another snack, which leaves you feeling even hungrier and before you know it, you’ve swallowed a 1000 calories worth of sugar. What do you think this will do to your waist line, not to mention your desire to exercise!?

So, no matter how healthy your diet, if you’re not passing waste regularly, it’s likely you’re not well nourished. This leads to bloating, gas, sluggishness, lethargy, headaches and a general sense of ‘blah’ as well as the inability to lose weight.

Solution: Up your good fibre. Vegetables, whole grains (quinoa, brown rice) nuts, seeds, sprouts, pulses (lentils, chickpeas, beans). Yep, it might make you feel a little gassy to start with, but you don’t need to down a can of beans straight away. Ease yourself into it. You’ll feel a load lighter once the works start moving again!

So, back to where we started. Calorie controlled eating. You need to ensure the balance of protein, unprocessed carbohydrate and fats is there, and you also need to drink several litres of water – this being a part of getting your digestion rolling over. This way, your body will be able to make use of all the nutrients you put into it. Consequently you’ll have more energy. Which means you’ll be more inclined to exercise. Oh and then! you start to lose weight. Wow, who’d have thunk it?

How do you lose weight? Eat positive, exercise positive, be positive.

Very simple, really.

If you would like more information on or an example of a balanced, calorie counted meal plan, let me know. I’m happy to help out.

Better yet, drop by the studio and have a chat – you know where I am: 36 Brookhollow Ave, Baulkham Hills, Norwest.

Yoga. What is it?

“Stretching?”

Not just that!

Yoga is a whole philosophy that was developed by men for men as a means of achieving enlightenment. Now it’s available to everyone.

I’m not promising enlightenment – that’s a lifetime and then some of serious meditation! What you do get if you join my Beginner’s Yoga Course is an introduction to what yoga can offer you. Whether you have injuries and need to strengthen, stretch and mobilise joints. If you’d like to lose weight and tone up. If you need to slow down and sleep better. If you need to de-stress and care for yourself (yoga does wonders for lowering blood-pressure!). If you want to improve your sporting performances. If you just want to feel a whole lot better, yoga is for you.

This Beginner’s Course is an 8 week course, one hour per week and will leave you with a simplified understanding of yoga basics. Which means you will feel a whole lot more confident and comfortable (not to mention safer!) when entering a yoga class.

Class numbers are limited giving you more one on one time with your teacher and providing the opportunity for greater learning.

If you want to try yoga, have no idea what it’s about or you simply need a change, then book now.

February 2nd to March 22nd, 2012, one hour per week, 7pm, $150.

All classes are held here at the Baulkham Hills Studio, 36 Brookhollow Ave, Norwest.

Hear from you soon!

Finally, a timetable for classes commencing January 30th, 2012

There are some new classes and some regular ones. There are some new faces and some regular ones of those too! However, everything is bright and shiny with resolution and the will to be happy and healthy, right?

Excellent. Then you’ll love the fact that there are several new classes confirmed for 2012.

Monday nights at 7pm is guided meditation with Sue Holly. Sue has many years experience in both guiding meditation and practicing it. If you’ve got any ailments or conditions, Sue is also a practicing Homeopath and Herbalist and works wonders in helping you find your healthy self.

7:30am Tuesday, for the early birds who wish to kick their day off to an unbeatably good start is Vinyasa Yoga – a vitalising class that clears the cobwebs.

Tuesday 11am is Meditation with Darshna. Meditation is a brilliant way of helping to increase productivity, yet keep your sanity and health! Meditation helps in the lowering of blood pressure, stress levels and anxiety.

Tuesday nights, 5:30pm is Yoga with Sue W for general level practitioners.  Each class focuses on technique and building strength and flexibility within chosen postures (asana).

7pm Tuesday is a new Vinyasa yoga for Beginners, run by Yours Truly (that’s me, Anita, just in case you’re unsure).  A simple flow class involving basic breath (pranayama), asana and relaxation/meditation work – for the more active practitioner.

Wednesdays has a 5:30pm General Level Vinyasa Class, followed by a General Level Restorative Practice at 7pm with Brigette. Restorative practices are brilliant for everyone at any level as they help to bring the body back to a state of balance by gently opening and mobilising joints and limbs using held postures, breath work and relaxation.

Thursday nights brings in the Beginner’s Yoga Course. An 8 week, one hour per week course structured and designed to give you a taste of what yoga is about and to leave you feeling comfortable enough to drop into any beginner level class without feeling like a pork pie (nothing wrong with being a pork pie, sometimes we all prefer not to feel like one, that’s all).

All evening classes run for 75mins and are $20/class.  10 class passes are $180 and are valid for 4 months from date of purchase.

11am Meditation is 50mins only at $15/class.

The Beginner’s Yoga Course is $150 for the 8 weeks, one hour per week.

One-on-one tuition is also available.

I do hope to see you all at a class (or several), here at the studio – 36 Brookhollow Ave, Baulkham Hills.

Why meditate?

Well, are you stressed? Overweight? Unfit? Unhealthy? To busy? Too lazy? Unhappy? Overworked? Moody? Cranky? Can’t sit still to save your life?

Do you want to change? Are you willing to change? Do you want to lose weight? Get fit? Be happy? Be healthy? Improve energy and immune function? Lower stress and blood pressure?

If the answer to any of the above questions is ‘Yes’, meditation will help you. 

If your first reaction to the ‘M’ word is “Oh, I’ve tried that, but I couldn’t handle it for more than 10 seconds.” then you are definitely in for a surprise.

Join Sue Holly and myself for 4 evenings of an introduction to several different forms of meditation. The course is designed to simplify the practice of meditation and make it as accessible as possible to us busy Westerners. Eventually, the idea being, if you practice your preferred method of meditation frequently enough, you’ll be able to slow down, enjoy life, de-stress and live more happily and healthily, moment to moment.

You will be taken through guided meditations, introduced to Yoga Nidra, basic yoga meditation with pranayama (breath practice) and focused meditation.

The course will commence Monday January 23rd and run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday of that week, from 7pm. Classes are one hour in length at a cost of $120 and will be held here, at my Massage, Personal Training and Yoga Studio – 36 Brookhollow Ave, Baulkham Hills.

If you would like to attend (and I do hope you can!), then please email or call me to book your place.

Studio Late Cancellation and ‘No-Show’ Policy

We appreciate that time is precious and our time here at the studio is as valuable as yours.

Please be aware, therefore, that a cancellation fee will be charged for appointments that are canceled with less than 24 hours notice. Failure to arrive for appointments will also result in full payment of the missed session.

This policy applies to all massage, personal training and yoga sessions, pre-paid and post-paid.

Many thanks for your co-operation and understanding in this matter.

                                                               www.anitawhelan.com.au

Yes, strangely enough, this happens every twelve months and strangely enough we go ahead and insist on making resolutions that we know we’ll struggle to keep. Well, it doesn’t have to be the same this twelve months.

Is there something that you set yourself to do last year, but didn’t manage to do? Does that ‘something’ still matter to you? If it doesn’t, get rid of it! If it does, try looking at it from a different perspective. One of two things will happen: you’ll realise it doesn’t matter after all in which case: get rid of it!, or the new light you’ve shed on it, by looking at it from another angle, will highlight its importance to you and you will find it so much easier to prioritise and achieve your goal.

So, if you wanted to lose weight or get fit, but never found the time to do it, look at why you want to lose the weight. Is it because someone told you that you have to? Because you want to be the same shape and size you were fifteen years ago? Because you feel you ‘have to’? Or are you doing it because you want to?

It could be any number of reasons, but unless the reason you’ve set yourself the task of changing comes from a deep-seated desire to grow, improve, progress, learn or feel great and be happy, you’re not going to make any headway at all. Cut all ties to that which is holding you back and you will be able to do anything.

How do you cut ties, if you don’t even know what’s stopping you? Meditation and finding balance in your life, giving yourself time to slow down, even if it’s 10 seconds a day, is one way to start. If you’re up for it, Yoga is one of the best ways to figure out your weaknesses and strengths (mentally and physically!). It helps you discover what you resist and what you find easy and gives you the means and tools to effect and cope with changes.

There is truly something for everyone. Find what matters to you most and do it. You have hereby been given permission to do what you want to do! And please know that there is so much help, assistance, aid, encouragement and motivation out there to help you achieve. You don’t have to do the work on your own, but you can still claim the results as yours once you’ve achieved all that you set out to do.

Have a brilliant Christmas, and a blindingly wonderful New Year (not blind drunk!). 

See you here, at 36 Brookholllow Ave, Baulkham Hills for your 2012 of change, happiness and health.

Yep. You read it right – you’re in for a yoga-kick-up-the-bum. These courses are designed to get you rolling and ready for your year of health, wellness and happiness.

You just said, “Oh, I’d love to, but I’m just too busy!”, didn’t you? If you’re too busy to look after yourself, you are definitely missing balance, which means you need to do this.

Restorative Yoga with Brigette Keeble

A course geared to all levels to help you release tension, catch your breath, calm your mind and settle your thoughts. Suitable for beginners and intermediate practitioners of all levels.

Four 75min classes January 16^th, 17^th, 19^th and 20^th, 7pm.

Course cost $140 p/p

Hatha Vinyasa Yoga with Anita Whelan

An intensive course suitable for intermediate level practitioners covering pranayama, vinyasa, meditation and basic principles of yoga practice.

Four 75min classes, January 9^th, 10^th, 12^th and 13^th, 5:30pm.

Course cost $140 p/p.

$100 deposit required. No refund on late cancellation (3 days notice). Full payment required at commencement of course. All equipment supplied. Course numbers are limited.

Book your place now to ensure you don’t miss out. This is an excellent way of kickstarting your yoga practice for 2012, whether you’re new to yoga or have practiced for some time. We all need a kick up the bum now and then and this, is yours.

Where? 36 Brookhollow Ave, Norwest, Baulkham Hills.

Upper Crossed Syndrome

The muscles most likely to be tight on a person with upper crossed syndrome include:

.Upper trapezius

.Sub occipital

.Deep neck extensors

.Pectoralis major

.Levator scapuli

And that translates to: upper shoulders, back of neck and chest.

The muscles that tend to be weak or lengthened include:

.Rhomboids

.Middle and lower traps

.Deep neck flexors

Which means: front of neck, middle back and between the shoulder blades

Solution!

Lengthen and loosen the tightened muscles using soft tissue treatment such as remedial massage. Stretch the shortened muscles – yoga helps with this!

Strengthen the lengthened, weakened muscles using technique specific exercises that focus primarily on consciously engaging the weakened muscles and disengaging the overutilised muscles. Your personal trainer will be able to help you with this!

Promotion of healthy posture: yoga is an excellent body awareness practice which, over time, as well as stretching tight muscles and strengthening weaker ones, will promote awareness of your body – how you use it and when it is and isn’t happy or healthy.

The Alexander Technique is a brilliant body use practice that encourages inhibition of habit. That is, it develops your awareness of how you habitually use (or misuse!) your body so that you can prevent overuse patterns, which lead to pain and misery!

Self-Myofascial Release using foam roller to help soften tight upper back muscles and open tight chest muscles.

Speak with your massage therapist for further details on how to treat this very common and easily remedied syndrome.

(Source: http://backintoit.com/what-is-upper-crossed-syndrome/)

Due to ill-health, Christine will be unable to run the Crystal Bowl meditation this Sunday. No fear! Though you might miss out on the incredible tones and vibrations of the crystal bowls this time around, Sue Holly has come to the rescue!

Sue is a homeopath and herbalist with amazing skills in healing and meditation work. Sue is kindly stepping in this weekend to provide you all with an hour of guided meditation, followed by a fun and insightful workshop on developing your intuition.

Afternoon tea will still be provided, the workshop will still be held from 2pm onwards and the cost is still $80, so if you’re at all interested and are willing to learn a little bit more about your ability to see more than what’s right in front of you, I’ll see you there (make sure you let me know that you’re coming, otherwise I won’t know how many biccies to bake!). All you need to bring is your wonderful self and a flower. Simple as that!

Of course, for those of you who have placed your deposit and would prefer not to attend (though allow me to assure you that you are totally missing out!!), you will receive a full refund.

When: Sunday 4^th December, 2pm

What to bring: Yourself and a single flower of your choosing.

How much: $80

 

“Feel yourself immersed in the transformational sound of the Crystal Bowls as Christine gently guides you on a meditative journey.”

The studio welcomes Christine Reid, a specialist in the crystal bowls.

Many of you will have had a tiny taste of the crystal bowls in my yoga course. If this miniscule moment of magical sound captivated your ears, then you must join us for a very special afternoon of meditation, sound healing and, of course, afternoon tea!

Sound and vibration has long been a healing method in many spiritual cultures.

“In India, the Orient, Africa, Europe and among the Aboriginals and Amerindians, the practice of using sound to heal and achieve balance from within has existed for many years. The Tibetans still use bells, chimes, bowls, and chanting as the foundation of their spiritual practice. In Bali, Indonesia, the echoing gamelang, gong and drum are used in ceremonies to uplift and send messages. The Australian Aboriginals and Native American shamanists use vocal toning and repetitive sound vibration with instruments created from nature in a sacred ceremony to adjust any imbalance of the spirit, emotions or physical being.” The Wisdom Light

Join us for a very special afternoon of meditation, sound healing and, of course, afternoon tea!

WHEN: December 4th, 2pm for several hours of magic.
WHERE: 36 Brookhollow Ave, Norwest, Baulkham Hills
HOW MUCH: $80
Numbers are strictly limited.