Maya Fiennes’ Saturday Plan

Maya Fiennes is a well respected Kundalini yoga practitioner and instructor, based in Los Angeles. Trained as a classical pianist, Maya first found Kundalini Yoga when she was looking for something to help calm her pre-performance nerves. She tried other forms of Yoga, but it was Kundalini Yoga that gave her the key to relaxing and controlling her emotions.

What exactly is Kundalini Yoga? Yogi Bhajan, who brought Kundalini Yoga to the West in 1968, describes Kundalini as an ‘uncoiling of yourself to find your vitality and your potential’.  For Maya, it’s a brilliant and effective way to deal with today’s life stresses. ‘It was the one Yoga technique that gave me the simple, quick tools I needed to either de-stress, energise or calm myself. It’s about real life and dealing with its ups and downs’. Maya’s retreats and classes are in high demand in LA, but thankfully her classes are now available online, as are her range of DVD’s and her best selling book, ‘Yoga for Real Life’. 

Saturday

Theme: Sharpen your intuition

The third eye, the eye that sees inwards, is right between your eyebrows and is the place we often focus on when closing our eyes for meditation. Physically the third eye is connected to the Pituitary Gland, which releases serotonin – the neurotransmitter most responsible for our mood.  Working on this energy centre opens up our vision, our intuition.

Child’s Pose

This is very similar to the position we take as babies in the womb, hence the name.  It stimulates the pituitary gland and helps you relax completely.

From the position of sitting on your heels, spread your knees, leaving room for your belly.  Lean forward and rest your head on the floor.  Relax your arms by your side, near your feet, with your palms facing upward.  This is the baby pose.  Relax your breath and meditate at your brow point, just between your eyes.  If you are experiencing low or high blood pressure or you get dizzy, place a mat under your head, so that it does not go lower than your heart, or rest your head in your hands.  Rest in this position for 3-5 minutes.

Visionizer Smoothie

Mango is the king of fruits, rich in bioflavonoids, antioxidants, fibre and Vitamin C.  This delicate shake activates the vibration of light and when combined with the influence of blackberry, it will help you attain a sublime mind.  Flaxseed oil, also known as linseed oil, is nature’s richest source of omega-3 fatty acids and among its many health benefits it can relieve arthritis symptoms, help prevent atherosclerosis and improve mental function in older people.  My kids love it though they prefer it with mint.

• 1 mango, stoned and chopped
• 175g (3/4 cup) fresh  or frozen blackberries
• 240ml (1 cup) filtered water
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
• Place all ingredients in a blender and puree.

For more information have a look at Maya’s Wisdom DVD or Book Yoga for Real Life.