Life goes on...thank God.

It's now a year since I finished treatment, and already it feels like a different chapter of my life.

Ivy, my second grandchild is now nine weeks old, and such a pleasure to be with, along with her two and a half yr.old sister Faye.
Yoga fills my days- teaching Contemporary sessions in the mornings, and Yoga for Pregnancy two evenings a week.
Must get back behind the camera and record another video.

Life is good, and I'm so grateful to be well and able to enjoy each and every day.

A Quick Fix -15 min. daily practice.

why this picture...I just like it!

Enjoy this simple sequence of Yoga postures. The first part is with music, and no instruction. It allows you to get into a flowing rhythm of movement that takes you home, back into your body. Then, you will

 be guided into deeper stretches to loosen the hips and shoulders, free the spine, and calm the mind.

If practiced in the morning, this Quick Fix will create the energy needed for the activities of the day ahead. However, an evening practice will help to settle the mind and prepare the body for a good night's sleep.

Always check with your doctor before starting any new exercise routine.

A reminder of daily medication during treatment.

An everyday practice (15 mins practice)

Back to work!

It's wonderful to be back on the mat in the role of teacher again. I'd like to do another video session, but with your help! Please email me, or comment on what sort of a session you would like on the blog. Let me know what you would like to address in your practice.
I'd love the feedback, so that I could be creative, and come up with some ideas for you.

I've just realised that the email info@sighleyoga.ie is not working at the moment due to changes being made on the website. So, please email me again with any requests for a practice at sighleyoga@gmail.com

Guest Post from Jillian McKee

Yoga Harmonizes Body, Mind and Spirit During Cancer Treatment

Patients practicing at Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan

The practice of yoga has been around for centuries, but its popularity has grown dramatically in the West in the last few decades. It's no wonder -- yoga has been shown to have numerous holistic healing benefits. The regular practice of yoga improves one's overall flexibility, balance and concentration. It also lowers stress levels and promotes a calm, balanced, centered feeling. In a nutshell, the practice of yoga promotes a deep and sustained feeling of inner peace in body, mind and spirit.

Much has been said lately about the importance of the ability to "be present" in life. Yoga definitely helps increase this capacity. In fact, it is difficult not to "be present" in one's body while engaged in the practice of yoga. Many of the poses require focused attention, concentration and balance, which encourages keeping one's awareness in the here and now. This practice then naturally carries over into the rest of life, even when the practitioner is not engaged in yoga.

Yoga has proven extremely valuable and helpful in fighting and overcoming cancer. There is no doubt that yoga improves quality of life during cancer treatment, even in terminal cancers such as mesothelioma. In some cases, it can even raise mesothelioma life expectancy.  In addition to promoting healing, it can also minimize the stress and side effects of chemo and radiation. A gentle yoga practice during cancer treatment helps the body to process and alleviate toxins more efficiently, improves circulation, lowers pain levels and also reduces anxiety and depression.

A recent article on the ABC news website referenced a study funded by the National Cancer Institute's Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine. They reported that yoga dramatically helped to reduce the side effects of cancer treatments in patients, particularly insomnia and fatigue. From the article:

"Sleep disturbances and fatigue are an enormously burdensome problem among cancer survivors... In the trial, 410 patients who had completed cancer therapy were split into two groups: one that participated in a four-week-long, twice-weekly yoga program, and one that did not. Compared to how they felt beforehand, the survivors who participated in the yoga program afterward reported improvements in sleep quality and fatigue. Yoga participants also used less sleep medication than they did before the program, while non-yoga participants actually increased their use of sleep medication. Patients were enthusiastic about the classes, and 86 percent attended more than half the sessions."

Thank you Jillian for this post.  Nemaste   Sighle

Quackometer

Since I was diagnosed last September with breast cancer I have been inundated with well meaning people, often people I hardly know telling me " to eat this "and "try this form of treatment" - it cured my friend!

It was difficult enough to come to terms with a medical route to recovery without hearing so many other voices of "try this instead".

At one point, while I was feeling delighted to be completing Chemotherapy, someone (who was selling a treatment ) told me that " Chemotherapy and Radiation doesn't work " but I needed this other treatment if I wanted to be well.

I am aware of the fact that the medical route doesn't cure, or even help everyone. Each individual will experience a unique journey with cancer. I know that there are many who have found their way back to health with a change of diet, and complimentary treatments instead of conventional treatments.

However, I get angry about food supplements, and treatments that make all sorts of statements, and can suggest a cure for cancer when often there is no research to back up these claims.
I've always enjoyed a healthy diet, and over the years have explored many wonderful healing arts. Yoga has however remained my first love.

Now, when someone suggests I try this or that I go on the Internet to see and check out a site on quackery! So far... it has saved me a fortune!

Please do let me know if you have experienced pressure of this kind, or whatever views you may have about the post.

Relocation -I'm on the move...

Classes in Contemporary Yoga
will start again from September 18th in my new venue (see below).

Contact me if you would like to book a place on either
 Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday morning:  10.30am-12.30pm.
New- Tuesday Evening Class at 7pm-8.30pm ( good back care routine)

Tel 085 726 5827  or email; info@sighleyoga.ie

All information will soon be on my website www.sighleyoga.ie

          The Institute of Psychosocial Medicine

2 Eden Park, Summerhill Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland

Warrior Spirit - Yoga for confidence & courage

Broken Arrow

This morning I'm reminded of a line, or two from a poem by Danna Faulds;

All you've ever longed for is before you in this moment,

If you dare to draw a breath and whisper - yes!

Some years ago I attended a Shaman's Journey Workshop and did one of the most scary things I've ever done... I broke this arrow on my throat! This morning I decided to come back to the blog with one of my favorite practices, however I needed a push! So, I went looking for the arrow, found it and smiled. It takes great courage, and grace to wake up and choose to live, and love life fully. Warrior spirit is a short sequence I practice on days when my mind handcuffs me, and holds me back from appreciating and living life fully in the present moment.The invitation is to open the mind and allow each breath to bring present moment awareness. Appreciate  the "in" breath as energy/ prana, then phase, soften, and settle into whatever is happening within. Let the prana work its magic. Each " out" breath can be a letting go, a release of tension or holding on to past experiences. Now... find that moment of stillness at the end of the exhalation  - a home coming and wait with patience for the next breath of life to be born.  Nemaste