12 Days of Christmas - Day 1

"As most of you may know, I will be taking some R&R off over December, but that doesn't mean you should miss out completely on you yoga practice. 

Each day for 12 days leading up to Christmas I will upload a yoga posture that you can try at home.

This is going to be a great opportunity for you to get stronger, leaner and healthier over the Christmas break, so you look and feel fabulous coming into the New Year"

Day 1

This pose is a passive, supported variation of the Shoulderstand-like Viparita Karani. For your support you'll need one or two thickly folded blankets or a firm round bolster. You'll also need to rest your legs vertically (or nearly so) on a wall or other upright support.

Anatomical Focus

• Legs
• Abdomen
• Chest
• Neck 

Therapeutic Applications

• Anxiety
• Arthritis
• Digestive problems
• Headache
• High and Low blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Migraine
• Mild Depression
• Repository ailments
• Urinary disorders
• Varicose Veins
• Menstrual cramps
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Menopause

Benefits

• Relieves tired or cramped legs and feet
• Gently stretches the back legs, front torso, and the back of the neck
• Relieves mild backache
• Calms the mind

Contraindications and Cautions:

Many teachers maintain that Viparita Karani is an inversion, and as such should be avoided during menstruation. Others though recommend the pose during menstration. Check with your teacher before performing this pose during menstruation. As with any inversion Viparita Karani should be avoided if you have serious eye problems, such as glaucoma. With serious neck or back problems only perform this pose with supervision of an experienced teacher. If your feet begin to tingle during this pose, bend your knees, touch your soles together, and slide the outer edges of your feet down the wall, bring your heels close to your pelvis. 

Before performing the pose, determine two things about your support: its height and its distance from the wall. If you're stiffer, the support should be lower and placed farther from the wall; if you're more flexible, use a higher support that is closer to the wall. Your distance from the wall also depends on your height: if you're shorter move closer to the wall, if taller move farther from the wall. Experiment with the position of your support until you find the placement that works for you.

Start with your support about 5 to 6 inches away from the wall. Sit sideways on right end of the support, with your right side against the wall (left-handers can substitute "left" for "right" in these instructions). Exhale and, with one smooth movement, swing your legs up onto the wall and your shoulders and head lightly down onto the floor. The first few times you do this, you may ignominiously slide off the support and plop down with your buttocks on the floor. Don't get discouraged. Try lowering the support and/or moving it slightly further off the wall until you gain some facility with this movement, then move back closer to the wall.

Your sitting bones don't need to be right against the wall, but they should be "dripping" down into the space between the support and the wall. Check that the front of your torso gently arches from the pubis to the top of the shoulders. If the front of your torso seems flat, then you've probably slipped a bit off the support. Bend your knees, press your feet into the wall and lift your pelvis off the support a few inches, tuck the support a little higher up under your pelvis, then lower your pelvis onto the support again.

Lift and release the base of your skull away from the back of your neck and soften your throat. Don't push your chin against your sternum; instead let your sternum lift toward the chin. Take a small roll (made from a towel for example) under your neck if the cervical spine feels flat. Open your shoulder blades away from the spine and release your hands and arms out to your sides, palms up.

Keep your legs relatively firm, just enough to hold them vertically in place. Release the heads of the thigh bones and the weight of your belly deeply into your torso, toward the back of the pelvis. Soften your eyes and turn them down to look into your heart.

Stay in this pose anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. Be sure not to twist off the support when coming out. Instead, slide off the support onto the floor before turning to the side. You can also bend your knees and push your feet against the wall to lift your pelvis off the support. Then slide the support to one side, lower your pelvis to the floor, and turn to the side. Stay on your side for a few breaths, and come up to sitting with an exhalation.

Personal Challenge ( Forearm Posture)

25.6.2013

This is a strong pose and I have not even kicked up into a forearm balance. I'm going to work at building shoulder strength and gain the confidence to kick up. I am finding the challenge being having to look forward while my forearms support my body with legs walking closer to the body, I really felt this in my hamstrings where I thought in downward facing dog being able to have feet flat on the floor that my hamstrings had lengthened, proving each pose is different for sure.

Challenge Yourself ( A Plank Challenge)

Your breath will get you through the demanding poses, for instance I will challenge myself to hold a plank pose for one and building to two minutes, which is around 10 - 20 long, deep breath cycles.

Not only will this build core strength, but you will also cultivate internal strength, stamina and will power. By staying in a poses longer than you want can help find stillness of the body and mind and this is the most challenging aspect of Yoga. I'm learning that holding poses are more challenging than flowing and moving and just as rewarding. 

25.6.2013

I was able to start off strong, alignment felt good and breath flowing nicely.  Thinking that I have practiced this pose many times in class and teaching, but I was wrong it is defiantly going to be a challenge. 

26.6.2013

I am feeling really tired today, could easily go back to bed , however with many items on the agenda for today I need to build stamina, plank pose is a good pose to help me in this area. Omg I actually held plank for 11 breaths but they were quick but controlled, just need to slow the breath down , feeling it in my wrists, upper arms , core already since starting plus mt teaching and personal practice has been twists and core work. But I am happy with progress of today's plank. 

27.6.2013

I did not try this challenge today.

28.6.2013

As I moved into position my back actually cracked wich was great :)

Now onto serious matters.. I was holding the plank Pose pretty strong and confident, breath was deep and long. Was retaining breaths at same length for inhale and exhale, I got to 10 breaths, then I was feeling pressure in my lower back , the core and arms. Typing this my upper arms are like jelly, lower back is feeling sore. Will need to work out why and adjust accordingly. 

6.7.2013

After not working ony challenge for a few days , after a few rounds of a sun salutation A , I rested in DownDog and inhaled into Plank , was able to hold for 10 deep controlled breaths , by the 10th breath my body was shaking and was feeling the heat generate within my body. Felt pretty good today, nice and strong. Namaste !!

Yoga Journal

24.6.2013

A morning Yoga class is a great way to start your day off just right, so why is it I am confused if I want to go or not? Is it the cold outside, feeling tired, many things to do today or even lack of discipline? 

I am yet to figure that question out, but yet I have decided to make the commitment to go and I know I will benefit greatly from the experience in many ways, I will post when I return about my experience. 

Ok I'm am back home after my practice, let me tell you what a difference a practice makes and possibly because I was dragging my feet to even get there but I am so happy I did. Class was just what I needed as I do suffer lower back issues and yoga keeps it on the right track, I find that when I don't go after a week I really feel it in my back, Yoga has become my therapy In more ways than one. There were numerous challenging postures for me today but my breathe was very open and long , was easier to move  from pose to pose with the guidance from the teacher :) 

One of the challenging poses was a forearm balance , I have decided to set myself a challenge in getting stronger, more confidence and be able to look forward while kicking up into the pose. 

Feeling really good now I didn't practice I even found myself singing to music happily in my car while driving. 

Namaste xx 

 

Easter might be a great time to relax… if only you could

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.

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

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