Hañsa Conversations

In the exercise, fitness, and yoga industry, the word 'core' is often associated with strengthening exercises for the mid-region of our body. In this episode we discussed what makes up the core region of our body and how it supports the rest of the body from a bio-mechanical perspective. We also discussed dysfunctions that may arise if the core becomes rigid.

Our head is one of the primary centres of our body that helps us navigate our kinesthetic relationship. In this episode we talked about how we can build connection to this region. We also talked about perception and orientation of sensing the body that can be influenced by the head. This includes how the inner spaces of the head can affect the tone of the rest of the body.

In this episode, we invited Susan Allen to share about Meditation. Susan started meditation in her teenage years and after a career in Mechanical Engineering, became a yoga and meditation teacher and have been teaching in the last 20 years. Susan shared her journeys in Meditation and some styles of meditation that she has learned. She also shared the important components of meditation, as well as the best way to begin a meditation practice.

The thorax is a region in our body that is rather complicated. In this episode, we discussed the characteristics and attitude of the thorax and how it connects the upper and lower region of the body. We also talked about the diaphragm and the ribs and how the thorax region contributes towards our whole-body connectivity.

The pelvis is a part of our body that tends to be quite mysterious. In this episode we talked about why some people find it difficult to connect to their pelvises. We also talked about the behaviour of the pelvis and some dysfunctions that are related to the pelvis, as well as ways that we can do to better connect with our pelvis.

Kosha is an idea from a classical yoga philosophy that describes layers or sheaths of our body. In this episode, we discuss the Kosha system, the relationship between all the layers and our interpretations of it.

In this episode, we talked about happiness and pain, in the context of yoga, yoga therapy, as well as life in general. We also talked about how our biases affect our views of the world and that the world is made up of opposites. What are some of the key things that we can observe to navigate this life?

In this episode, we talked to Jane Hardcastle, a yoga therapist and teacher with 30 years of experience in the health industry. We discussed therapy values, the business of therapy and the business of yoga. We talked about what is important in the therapy and client relationship. We also talked about some important aspects in maintaining our wellness.

Just like other movement practices, there is always a risk of injury in the practice of Yoga. In this episode, we talked about injuries in the world of yoga. We discussed some of the issues that are contributing to the injuries, the behavior of injuries and what can injuries teach us.

In this episode we talked to Raphan Kebe, an international somatic movement teacher and the creator of Space and Flow, a movement-based yoga practice. Raphan shared the idea behind Space and Flow and the principles behind it. We also talked about the ideas of freedom and limitations and some of the ways that we can work with them.

There are more reluctance from both yoga teacher and students in giving or receiving hands-on assistance. In this episode we talk about hands-on assist in the practice of yoga, the effect on touch on human, the use of touch as a tool for communication and how to approach hands-on assistance in this pandemic/ post-pandemic era.

In this Season 2 premiere of the Hañsa Conversations, we have Cecilia Li (Hañsa therapist, teacher, Manager of Hañsa China, and Director of Hañsa Integrated Movement Centre) as a guest to join the conversation. Cecilia started yoga early when it started to enter china and has seen the growth of it throughout the years. We talked about influences and correlation of Chinese healing practices like Tai Chi and Qi Gong with yoga and the current evolution of Yoga and Therapy in China and the rest of the world.

Yoga is often said to be a Mind Body practice that leads us to some sort of transendence. In this episode we dive into the different aspects of Mind & Body. How do we build awareness of our body? Should we trust our body? How does the reality of aging come into play? We also talked about a different way of look at transcendence and some approaches on how we can live our lives.

In this episode, we dive into a discussion of Flow. Starting with a discussion on Hañsa Flow and its elements, that leads into a discussion of what is Flow? How does one maintain a state of flow? How can we cultivate ourselves through a flow practice, especially the hañsa flow practice.

What is biomechanics? How do we connect with the way we move and align with the way our body functions? In this episode, we talk about different ways of perceiving biomechanics through the Hañsa Therapeutic lens.

What is posture? Is there such thing as a good posture? How do we know what is right for us? In this episode we talk all things posture in relation to human development and functionality. We also talk about posture in the current world of Yoga.

On average, humans breathe roughly 17,000 to 30,000 times a day. The breath is intimately connected to many aspects of our lives. In this episode, we talk about the how the breath is linked to our body, our mind, our emotion. We also talk about the breath from the perspective of Pranayama, the yogic breathing practice, and discuss from a hañsa perspective, what is advisable when it comes to these practices.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, our whole world has changed. In this episode, we talk about change and why dealing with change is difficult? This pandemic has also brought yoga & wellness classes to online platforms. We discussed its possible impacts on the practice of yoga and how we can maintain our self-practice during this time of change.

In this episode we take a step back to share the story of Hañsa - how did it come about and what are some of the ideas, values and philosophy behind it. Hopefully, this gives you a little bit more understanding of Hañsa.

With most of the world's population going into social distancing, isolation, and quarantine, what can we do, individually, to maintain and manage health - physically and mentally?