A wonderful reminder that we can all take time out to relax by Janet Lowndes
Easter might be a great time to relax… if only you could
Peak Pose
Our Peak Pose in this weeks class was Boat Pose - Paripurna Navasana
Anatomical Focus: Thyroid
Benefits: Strengthens the abdomen, hip flexors, and spine, Stimulates the kidneys, thyroid and prostate glands, and intestines. Helps relieve stress, Improves digestion.
Contraindications and Cautions: Asthma, Diarrhea, Headache, Heart Problems, Insomnia, Low blood pressure, Menstruation, Pregnancy.
Neck injury: Sit with your back near a wall to perform this pose. As you tilt your torso back rest the back of your head on the wall.
How do you practice Boat Pose?:
Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Press your hands on the floor a little behind your hips, fingers pointing toward the feet, and strengthen the arms. Lift through the top of the sternum and lean back slightly. As you do this make sure your back doesn't round; continue to lengthen the front of your torso between the pubis and top sternum. Sit on the "tripod" of your two sitting bones and tailbone.
Exhale and bend your knees, then lift your feet off the floor, so that the thighs are angled about 45-50 degrees relative to the floor. Lengthen your tailbone into the floor and lift your pubis toward your navel. If possible, slowly straighten your knees, raising the tips of your toes slightly above the level of your eyes. If this isn't possible remain with your knees bent, perhaps lifting the shins parallel to the floor.
Stretch your arms alongside the legs, parallel to each other and the floor. Spread the shoulder blades across your back and reach strongly out through the fingers. If this isn't possible, keep the hands on the floor beside your hips or hold on to the backs of your thighs.
While the lower belly should be firm, it shouldn't get hard and thick. Try to keep the lower belly relatively flat. Press the heads of the thigh bones toward the floor to help anchor the pose and lift the top sternum. Breathe easily. Tip the chin slightly toward the sternum so the base of the skull lifts lightly away from the back of the neck.
At first stay in the pose for 10-20 seconds. Gradually increase the time of your stay to 1 minute. Release the legs with an exhalation and sit upright on an inhalation.
Anatomical Focus: Thyroid
Benefits: Strengthens the abdomen, hip flexors, and spine, Stimulates the kidneys, thyroid and prostate glands, and intestines. Helps relieve stress, Improves digestion.
Contraindications and Cautions: Asthma, Diarrhea, Headache, Heart Problems, Insomnia, Low blood pressure, Menstruation, Pregnancy.
Neck injury: Sit with your back near a wall to perform this pose. As you tilt your torso back rest the back of your head on the wall.
How do you practice Boat Pose?:
Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Press your hands on the floor a little behind your hips, fingers pointing toward the feet, and strengthen the arms. Lift through the top of the sternum and lean back slightly. As you do this make sure your back doesn't round; continue to lengthen the front of your torso between the pubis and top sternum. Sit on the "tripod" of your two sitting bones and tailbone.
Exhale and bend your knees, then lift your feet off the floor, so that the thighs are angled about 45-50 degrees relative to the floor. Lengthen your tailbone into the floor and lift your pubis toward your navel. If possible, slowly straighten your knees, raising the tips of your toes slightly above the level of your eyes. If this isn't possible remain with your knees bent, perhaps lifting the shins parallel to the floor.
Stretch your arms alongside the legs, parallel to each other and the floor. Spread the shoulder blades across your back and reach strongly out through the fingers. If this isn't possible, keep the hands on the floor beside your hips or hold on to the backs of your thighs.
While the lower belly should be firm, it shouldn't get hard and thick. Try to keep the lower belly relatively flat. Press the heads of the thigh bones toward the floor to help anchor the pose and lift the top sternum. Breathe easily. Tip the chin slightly toward the sternum so the base of the skull lifts lightly away from the back of the neck.
At first stay in the pose for 10-20 seconds. Gradually increase the time of your stay to 1 minute. Release the legs with an exhalation and sit upright on an inhalation.
To Eat or Not to Eat – Before a Yoga Class ????
Isn't this a question we all have asked over our Yoga Journey, i know i have and i have also learnt the hard way what the answer is, read the attached article, it explains the dos and dont's on eating before a yoga class.
http://yogalifejourney.com/new-to-yoga/to-eat-or-not-to-eat-before-a-yoga-class/
This is amazing! The power of yoga :)
For those of you that haven't seen this, it is one of the most heart touching videos to grace the surface of the internet!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McLeerGhnd4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McLeerGhnd4
Synthesis of Yoga
A question was asked to me
the other day; the question being: what are
the benefits and the purpose of yoga? My reply was, my yoga journey started a
few years ago it was for a healing purpose only as I have lower back issues
situated in the lumbar region, when I don’t practice often, but now my journey
has changed to now studying yoga.
Through yoga I feel the difference from when I
first started to now, I am able to still my mind and calm my body through Asana
poses, combined with relaxation, meditation and pranayama which when practiced
regular can assists in lengthening the breath and allow the flow of prana (life
force) from the base ( Muladhara Chakra) all the way up the center to the crown
( Sarashasra Chakra) and therefore being
able to be in postures longer.
With regular practice you can
unblock any blockages that are inside your inner channels and with this
unblocking you are able to become aware of your body, mind and knowing how far
you can go in your practice, this is important as yoga is not about bringing
harm to you or anyone practicing, it is about learning Ahimsa which means no
harm.
Through regular practice you
are able to calm the chatter which can be negative thoughts running through our
minds, this is called the manas mind.
In becoming aware of myself
inside and out I now understand the core of yoga and practice on a daily basis
the 8 limbs of yoga, also known as the path that forms the structure of a yoga
practice. I have learnt not to cause harm to myself and others, love myself and
others, let things go that are out of my control and I have also learnt how to
control my emotions.
Through Yoga I have learnt we
have layers or sheaths that work within our bodies, there are five in total and
are also known as the koshas, recognized as energy within our subtle system.
The five koshas are controlled by three gunas that are Sattva (this has a
spiritual quality), Rajas (this has an active quality) and Tamas (this has a
dull quality). These Gunas are found in all living things and all three are
present in our yoga practices.
Yoga has been life changing
for me in many ways and I invite others to embark on this journey too.
Namaste
What is the Synthesis of Yoga for you?
Magic of Yoga
This is my story down the yogic path, i know
Yoga is different for everyone, but for me it is magical and helped me
grow from a shy, scared , nervous, even stubborn person into a person
who can let go of ego, can now be in front
of a class and teach the one thing that has saved her from herself. I
had real life issues that we all have in our life and the path to become
a yoga teacher wasn't what i was looking for but i needed to find
myself and needed a direction for my life and therefore my family.
looking back i see my growth with yoga and as a teacher, pretty much like a tree, where the concept uplifts the interior life to walk tall. The tree – our body – grows up through the root, stem, sap, crown and birdsong, through the seasons.
I have the joy of meeting different people and realizing that we are all coming to a yoga class for different reasons and i have meet numerous students who are in the same situation that i was in when i started my yogic path, we share tails and i see the sparkle in their eyes that there is hope or light at the end of their tunnel as there was for me, and all because they came to a yoga class and meet the amazing many teachers out in the yoga community that have become there saviors and all due to caring, compassion and encouragement through their teaching skills.
I can feel the growth welling up inside me as a teacher and confidence grows with each class i teach, i am more grounded and believe in myself so much more now than when i started my teacher training. All my class mates will know what i am talking about and agree with my words.
I love to able to share with people the one thing i needed to help me find myself and hope that Yoga can be for others the one thing it is for me.
Yoga is a different path to each and every one of us but to me it is a magic light that has been lit inside my mind, body and soul and i am grateful each day that i am am able to do something i love and feel happy inside.
Namaste xxx
looking back i see my growth with yoga and as a teacher, pretty much like a tree, where the concept uplifts the interior life to walk tall. The tree – our body – grows up through the root, stem, sap, crown and birdsong, through the seasons.
I have the joy of meeting different people and realizing that we are all coming to a yoga class for different reasons and i have meet numerous students who are in the same situation that i was in when i started my yogic path, we share tails and i see the sparkle in their eyes that there is hope or light at the end of their tunnel as there was for me, and all because they came to a yoga class and meet the amazing many teachers out in the yoga community that have become there saviors and all due to caring, compassion and encouragement through their teaching skills.
I can feel the growth welling up inside me as a teacher and confidence grows with each class i teach, i am more grounded and believe in myself so much more now than when i started my teacher training. All my class mates will know what i am talking about and agree with my words.
I love to able to share with people the one thing i needed to help me find myself and hope that Yoga can be for others the one thing it is for me.
Yoga is a different path to each and every one of us but to me it is a magic light that has been lit inside my mind, body and soul and i am grateful each day that i am am able to do something i love and feel happy inside.
Namaste xxx
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