Lana Lile Yoga

19/11/2020

Simple postures. Letting go of expectation and welcoming exploration. Just tuning in to how you feel. What's tight? What's full of freedom? Then exhaling, softening, resting.

My practice has developed a lot like this. It's become a place to tune in to what a busy work life feels like in the body. Stress relief is one of the main benefits that's created my yoga practice and one of the main things I seek to share with those who practice with me.

I've taught a lot of corporate yoga classes over the past 5 years and creating an honest space of release in the midst of hustle and bustle is kind of my favorite thing.

So bring your hustle and bustle, and we'll breathe and move and just be. Simple.

18/11/2020

It's been quite some time since my last post. Time spent pondering this concept on my heart. Time spent growing. Time discovering what it's like to teach from a place of overflow.

If you're stuck at home or love being cozy at home. If you need to breathe or love the exhale. If you're new to yoga or love a slow and fun class. I might just have what you're looking for.

It's called Urban Grace and it's been on my heart for a long while. It's slowly coming to fruition and at the moment it exists as a weekly yoga class in a dedicated online space where we can move and breathe and just be. Together. Apart. In one flow.

Find my simple schedule at https://www.lanalile.yoga/ or https://app.ubindi.com/Lana.Lile

05/11/2020

Thanks to everyone who participated in tonight's class with BeMSA! What an honor to be a part of their week of raising awareness for breaking the taboo on mental health.

If anyone would like to follow more yoga classes, you can always find my online schedule at https://app.ubindi.com/Lana.Lile - plus, I'll likely be adding more classes to the list soon!

Grace & Peace,
Lana

You are so welcome whether you're a beginner or a life-long practitioner. I try to offer a space where you can stretch, strengthen and also find calm and grace. My training has a background in hatha yoga and flow yoga and you'll find elements of these styles in my classes, moments of stillness and a...

09/01/2020

Day 9: Hosanna in the Highest

About seven months ago I sat on my knees in a yoga class as the instructor guided us through the warm up. We were breathing and raising and lowering our arms to our inhales and exhales. She stopped us, and asked us to try again. This time, to move our arms as if they were moving through honey, apparently we were all moving a little too quickly.

As I breathed more slowly and moved more slowly everything changed. All of a sudden I could feel every muscle in my arms and shoulders working together. Every movement felt intentional and strong. The simplest of instructions, “raise your arms like they are moving through honey”, made me realize that in so many of my poses I would benefit from slowing down.

Fast forward seven months to last Sunday as I sat in a pew at church. We were slowly moving through the liturgy, from the prayers to the Lord’s Prayer and into Communion, when together we said,
“Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.”*

I had already been reflecting on that yoga class and all of a sudden it came together. Now, as I slowly and intentionally stretch and raise my arms, I connect with these lines.

I lift my arms and acknowledge the holiness of the Lord.
I engage my muscles and connect with the feeling of His God-given power and might.
With arms spread wide I imagine the fullness of Heaven and earth being saturated with His glory, and I praise Him, singing “Hosanna in the highest!”

Shared by: Lana Lile, Brussels, Belgium

*From the Book of Common Prayer, referring to Isaiah 6:3 and Matthew 21:9

03/01/2020

02/01/2020

Day 2: Thankfulness

"Often it is a lot easier to complain than to be grateful or thankful. When the weather is cold we complain that it is too cold. When it is warm, well then, it is often ‘way too hot.’ Politicians are rarely talked about in the media when they succeed but often only when they fail or fall. In marriage it often can be significantly easier to see the downsides rather than the good sides of your spouse.

If you have two buckets standing in front of you and the one bucket symbolizes complaints and negative thinking, while the other symbolizes positive thinking and thankful thoughts, which bucket would be filled the easiest?

We would do well to focus more on thankfulness and gratitude. What we fill our minds with, is also what will influence our everyday life. Awareness about what we can be thankful for - big things as well as small things - can help us have a more positive everyday life.

It is good to focus more on gratitude.

The positive influence of gratefulness is mentioned repeatedly in the Bible. Being grateful does something to us and for us. It makes us more capable of appreciating our faith and the gifts from God.

Being thankful reminds us that everything is given by God. Life, friends, nature and the body are all gifts that we have been given. Let us avoid taking it all for granted and instead thank our Creator for these marvelous gifts."

We pray:
"Thank you for this life, for this day, for the trees, the sun and the houses.

Thank you for the people I know and those I don’t know. Thank you for letting me be part of this wondrous universe.

Thank you for Your care, for the angels that you send my way, for the whimsical, the near and familiar, and the far and wild things.

Thank you for dreams and for the creative forces that you put into my soul. Let my life reflect the joy that comes from you." Amen.

(Excerpt from 'Meditative Movements' by Rie Frilund Skårhøj, Denmark, used with permission.)

02/01/2020

Day 1: Surrendering to God

Today, try a forward fold:
- As you lean forward you are welcome to bend your knees so the pose becomes somewhat relaxing.
- Let go of your head and the tension in your neck.
- This pose is bowing down and surrendering to God.

Give it to God:
- As you stand tall, I invite you to mention before God some of the things that 'bind you' or cause you to worry. When you mention them before God, take a deep inhale and then as you exhale, bow forward and say, "I surrender. I let go to you, God!"

Repeat as many times as you like.
Mention one thing at the time.

~ by: Rie Frilund Skårhøj, Copenhagen, DK

29/12/2019

**We hope you're ready for a fun surprise!**

For so many of us January is a dark and cold month where we wait for days to lengthen into Spring and Summer, yet the new year is such a good time to take a moment to reconnect. So we're excited to share with you 31 days of devotions as we journey through January with God!

Each morning, you'll have the opportunity to open a FREE devotion and spend a few focused moments with the Creator.

The devotions will consist of sound meditations, written devotions, calming CrossYoga videos, Bible verses, picture meditations and more.

Everyday we will upload an encouraging devotion to bring light to your day. Check back here on CrossYoga Europe or via our Danish, Norwegian and Swedish pages/groups for daily updates.

We are excited to journey with you!

07/12/2018

While I haven't come up with a brilliant Advent plan, God keeps dropping little bits and hints into my life and I'm using this season to create something new. So as I go through the process of creating, I'm going to share those bits of inspiration along the way this Advent season - a season where God is very much in the process of creating. Creating a child, creating expectation, sending hints to wise men searching for a savior.
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On my commute to work this morning I'm intrigued with this bit on Jesus' DNA: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-devotions-from-lutheran-hour-ministries/id277921401?mt=2&i=1000425252296 (Podcast: Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries, Ep. "A Strange Turn of Phrase ")

18/11/2018

You guys I haven't posted since JUNE 😱 What a boatload of beautiful life has happened since then.

I'm chewing on a Holy Yoga Advent series. Some mix of cozy holiday atmosphere, deep anticipation of the King, yoga drenched in Jesus' promises and time together to ponder and consider. I'm thinking both in-person and virtual options. Who's in?


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p.s. Photo is from a recent trip to St. Andrews, Scotland - go there ;)