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The Gunas • Yoga Philosophy Explained
The three Gunas, or subtle energies that shape the body, mind, and spirit. The yoga philosophy of tamas, rajas and sattva explained. How do the Gunas influence life and yoga practice, and how do you balance them for clarity, peace, and freedom.

Ailsa Burns
Sep 16, 20255 min read


Guided Savasana: To complete your yoga practice
Join Ailsa for a relaxing and soothing guided Savasana. Ailsa will guide from Downward Facing Dog to a supine twist before leading you into a rejuvenating and restful Savasana, or Corpse pose. The Savasana portion of the video is accompanied by music that has been thoughtfully chosen to help deepen the Savasana experience for you. Ailsa completes the practice by guiding you out of your Savasana so that do not need to set distracting timers and alarms and instead, you can take

Ailsa Burns
Aug 19, 20251 min read


Sthira & Sukha Explained
What is an asana ? The word " asana " means "posture" and comes from the Sanskrit root "as," which signifies "to stay," "to be," "to sit," or "to be established in a specific position." In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, asana is described as having two key qualities: sthira (steadiness) and sukha (ease). These qualities not only apply to yoga practice but also to how we live our lives. Patanjali’s Sutra, " Sthira Sukham Asanam " (Yoga Sutra 2.46), explains that the ideal postur

Ailsa Burns
Sep 20, 20246 min read


Yoga Nidra for Beginners: An introduction & guidelines for practising Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra, translated as 'yogic sleep', is a guided meditation that takes you into a deeply restful state, balanced between wakefulness and sleep. Imagine being in the sweet spot where you are not fully awake but you are not quite asleep either. This is where Yoga Nidra takes you, offering your body and mind the opportunity to rest and rejuvenate. You have arrived on this article because you are obviously curious about Yoga Nidra and therefore, I thought it would be useful

Ailsa Burns
Sep 19, 20246 min read
The Vayus Explained
In the yogic tradition, there are several models and maps which are designed as tools for self-enquiry and to help practitioners understand the experience of life. The yogic model of the Vayus (or Pancha Prana ) helps to explain the five distinct pathways of Prana in the body. By understanding and working with the Vayus , we can tap into the deeper layers of our physical, mental and spiritual health. When the Vayus are functioning optimally, they are said to help the min

Ailsa Burns
Sep 17, 20247 min read


YOGA NIDRA for SLEEP & Insomnia 🌙 25 minute (Dark Screen, Voice Only) #2
This 25 minute Yoga Nidra for Sleep & Insomnia is designed to help you relax and prepare for sleep.

Ailsa Burns
Apr 16, 20241 min read
6 Unexpected Benefits of Yoga
Unexpected benefits of yoga for health & well-being. From building self-discipline to nurturing body awareness.

Ailsa Burns
Aug 16, 20237 min read
The Niyamas Explained
Discover the profound philosophy of Niyamas in yoga, fostering simplicity, contentment, self-discipline and self-discovery.

Ailsa Burns
Aug 1, 202310 min read
The Yamas Explained
Embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and growth by exploring yoga's foundational principles, the Yamas, or moral restraints.

Ailsa Burns
Jul 17, 20238 min read
The Koshas Explained
If you have attended a yoga class or meditated, you will understand that the experience goes far beyond the physical. Many people, myself included, proclaim to have begun attending yoga classes for the possibility of physical benefits but found themselves returning again and again for the well-being and mental effects as well as the undeniable sense of peace and ease that the practice helps to cultivate both on and off the mat. Understanding the yogic model of the Koshas hel

Ailsa Burns
May 12, 20235 min read


A ritual for the Leo New Moon
I am delighted to be creating this Leo New Moon ritual in collaboration with my lovely, intuitive and exuberant friend, Haley of Haley Comet Astrology . Join Haley and I for a ritual to celebrate the Leo New Moon. We will be guiding you through three videos that explore: 🌑 everything you need to know about this exciting transit 🌑 a 20 minute fiery yoga flow 🌑 a 20 minute Yoga Nidra to harness the potent potential of the Leo New Moon, helping you to cultivate an abundance

Ailsa Burns
Jul 22, 20222 min read


Yoga Nidra Sankalpa (or intention) Explained
January is the time of year associated with New Year Resolutions and setting goals for the year ahead. As I write this, it is the beginning of 2022 and I, personally, have already been bombarded with adverts for fitness platforms, weight-loss apps and everything else related to 'New Year, new you'. It is exhausting! The constant quest for self-improvement can be overwhelming and in a Capitalist society the emphasis is always on growth. We always need to striving for more;

Ailsa Burns
Jan 24, 20224 min read


5 Benefits of Yoga Nidra
If you attend yoga classes regularly, you might have experienced a form of guided meditation that encourages you to sense each part of...

Ailsa Burns
Jan 21, 20225 min read


Sleep Hygiene 😴 How to Sleep Better
It comes as no surprise to me that the events that have disrupted our global community for the past 18 months have caused the number of...

Ailsa Burns
Jul 12, 20216 min read


Yoga Nidra Sleep Meditation 🌙 Scottish Female Voice (Dark Screen)
Scottish Female Voice Yoga Nidra Sleep Meditation. I will guide you through a 20 minute sleep meditation to help you unwind and relax.

Ailsa Burns
Jul 4, 20211 min read


How to do Yoga Nidra
In this video, I explain how to practise Yoga Nidra and how you can incorporate a Yoga Nidra practice in to your daily routine.

Ailsa Burns
Jun 13, 20211 min read


Homecoming 🌞 A program for returning to your yoga practice
15 days of yoga over the course of 3 weeks with each yoga class lasting no more than 30 minutes. I have been practising yoga since 2008...

Ailsa Burns
Mar 30, 20213 min read


Yoga Nidra for Positive Energy 🌞 20 minute Guided Meditation
20 minute Yoga Nidra for Positive Energy. I guide you through a Yoga Nidra practice that helps you to nurture feelings of positivity.

Ailsa Burns
Mar 8, 20211 min read


Why does yoga feel good? 😊 The Relaxation Response Explained
There is no doubt that yoga is booming in popularity. Wellness is one of the world's fastest growing industries. In the UK, almost half a million Brits are taking part in yoga classes each week and in the US, 36 million Americans practise yoga. Yoga must make us feel good if we keep returning again and again, right? But, why? In this article I thought it would be interesting to discuss this. Why does yoga make me feel so good? The short answer to that question is: The

Ailsa Burns
Feb 17, 20213 min read


The Chakras Explained
The term Chakra might be a word that you have become familiar with as you navigate yoga classes online or attend classes in a studio. It is popular for yoga teachers to theme and sequence classes around the concept of the Chakras and, therefore, I thought it would be useful to explain what Chakras are and what they can mean for our yoga practice. To fully understand the concept of the Chakras, we need to understand the term Prana . In yoga philosophy, Prana is life-force en

Ailsa Burns
Oct 27, 20204 min read


The 8 Limbs of Yoga Explained
In its essence, yoga is a philosophical way of living your life. The physical movement of the body and the seated meditation practice that we associate with a Western yoga class, comprises only two aspects of the eight philosophical principles, or limbs, that underpin the practice of yoga. My aim as a teacher is to share that yoga is so much more than an hour-long weekly class and, in this article, I will explain the eight limbs of yoga. The non-dualist traditional of yoga d

Ailsa Burns
Oct 7, 20205 min read


Make habits stick. 4 ways to build a yoga habit.
With any habit, we know that a regular and consistent yoga practice can be beneficial for our body, mind and overall well-being but despite these glaringly obvious benefits, it can be very difficult to nurture this habit. Over the past few years, I have picked up a few tips and tricks that help me maintain a relatively consistent yoga and meditation habit and I thought it would be useful to share these with you. 1. Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good The above quote

Ailsa Burns
Aug 27, 20204 min read


4 Yoga Book Recommendations. Part 1.
A question I often get asked from students is what books should they read about yoga. I love it when I get asked this question because not only is it something that I love to research myself but it also means that whoever asked me this question is keen to explore, learn and get curious about their own yoga practice. In my over ten years of practising and learning about yoga, I have barely scratched the surface of books covering the subject. There is so much more to read an

Ailsa Burns
Aug 24, 20203 min read


Elemental Yoga Explained
I love to sequence classes themed around the elements. Not only is it a nice way to remind ourselves of our connection to nature but there is also a significance in yogic philosophy. In yogic teachings, there are five elements in nature; earth, water, fire, air, and ether (or space) and they are each linked to five of the seven chakras. The chakras are the energy centres in the body and are associated with states of consciousness, physical areas of the body and aspects of

Ailsa Burns
Jul 31, 20203 min read


The Types of Yoga Explained
Translating the jargon on a yoga studio timetable or deciphering the style of yoga you are in the mood to practise when choosing a video on YouTube can be an overwhelming task, especially if you are relatively new to yoga. As the popularity of yoga has grown so has the list of types and styles of yoga. Therefore, I thought it would be useful to define some of the most popular styles of yoga including the types of yoga I teach and showcase on my YouTube channel . With all s

Ailsa Burns
Jul 2, 20205 min read


What is Yoga Nidra and what are the benefits?
If you practise yoga regularly, I am sure that you have experienced some sort of body scan led by a teacher during Savasana at the end of a yoga class. Well, in its essence, this is a form of Yoga Nidra. Yoga Nidra literally means 'yogic sleep' and is a form of guided meditation that leads you into the healing and deeply restful state between waking and sleeping. It is an extremely accessible form of meditation; there is no effort involved, it is always guided by a teacher

Ailsa Burns
Mar 25, 20205 min read


Sankalpa: Why do we set intentions in yoga?
Happy New Year to everyone! I hope you are welcoming 2018 with open arms, hearts and minds. It really feels like this year is going to be an incredible year and if seeing Oprah on the Golden Globes is anything to go by then it is going to be the year of female empowerment! Anyway, I am sure you have read countless articles and headlines across the internet talking about the time between Christmas and New Year and January onwards being the time of reflection on the past year

Ailsa Burns
Jan 9, 20184 min read


10 tips to prepare you for your Yoga Teacher Training Part 1. Frog Lotus Yoga International
I am back! And I am sorry for my absence from the blog and my somewhat absence from social media (especially Instagram stories where I bore people with my daily goings on). For those of you who don't know, at the start of September I left my full time job to become self-employed providing freelance marketing services as well as to pursue my dream of becoming a yoga teacher. I have wanted to become a yoga teacher for four years now after I spent an incredible two months volun

Ailsa Burns
Nov 16, 201710 min read
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