Breath - Week 1

How often do we think of how we are breathing? do we ever consider the quality of our breath?

The breath is a powerful tool readily at our disposal, and by spending a little time looking at how we are using our breath and then noticing the effect ii can have, we can make good use of this very powerful tool.

It benefits us to be aware of the different areas that are available for us to breath into, and to be able to direct the breath to the area of our choosing when we want. In yogic terms the tummy breath is the calming breath and may be the one you notice you are using before you go to sleep. The thoracic breath is the invigorating breath and is often the one we will use when tackling a big problem. Shallow breathing, into the upper chest is where we breath when we are in panic mode. Each individual will have a natural tendency for either thoracic or tummy breathing,there is no right or wrong, but to be aware of which area the breath is using enables us to change to suit different situations.

Calm controlled breathing can take us out of a stressful state.

The controlled breathing we use at the start and the end of our class can offer great benefit and is worth practising regularly.The out breath is longer than the in breath, the ratio to aim for is the count of 4 in and the count of 6 out. This helps to keep the blood healthier by taking out more carbon dioxide, it also has a calming effect. If practised for 10 minutes uninterrupted it will reset the stress tolerance level.

Breath well

Reflection - Week 10

Our last class always has a longer relaxation, this gives our bodies and minds time to be really quiet and still. This quiet time is a good starting point for reflection.

Over the Easter break take some time to have a think of what you want from your yoga and the order of priority that you would put it in.

We all look to maintain a good flexibility and strength in our bodies, and there is a great benefit to gain from being aware of where our weaknesses and imbalances are.

Breath awareness and a good breathing practice can be an important part in maintaining a healthy body.

Finally reducing stress, both physical and mental is something a yoga practice can give us.

Have a good Easter, give time for reflection and if you pin point which is your priority, take it another step and look to see if you could put more time aside to work on it.

See you week beginning 28th April

Balance - Week 9

We all need balance in our lives. Mind, body and emotions,all benefit from being balanced. Yoga can help with all three areas. The body work we do in class helps to bring balance to our muscles and body structure. It is good to be aware when there is an imbalance in our body, from that awareness we can then work at reducing the imbalance. Taking time out for ourselves and for our yoga gives us the opportunity for the mind to be released from the daily tasks that make up our lives, this in turn can calm emotions that can build through a stressful or even just a full and busy day.

Breathing is an excellent exercise to bring balance to the mind and the body. Nadi Shodhana Pranayama, alternate nostril breathing, increases vitality and lowers level of stress and anxiety which helps to bring balance, it also cleanses.

Sit in a comfortable position with the back straight. Place the right hand thumb over the right nostril and the ring finger and little finger over the left nostril, the two middle fingers rest on the bridge of the nose. The left hand rests on the left thigh with the palm turned up The inhale and exhale are the same length. .Close the right nostril and breathe in through the left, close the left and breath out through the right. breath in through the right and then close the right and breath out through the left.This is one round. Try working 10 rounds and when finished release the hand and breath normally through both nostrils.

To work on improving your standing balance, work with bare feet and spend time spreading the feet so that they have an even contact where they release into the floor. Make sure that the knees are not locked.  Lift one leg off the floor and hold in position, then repeat with the other leg. When this exercise becomes very stable try with the eyes closed.

Keeping a good balance in our body reduces the risk of falls.  Working on balance also improves our concentration.

Next week is Week 10, the last class of the set which means we will have a long relaxation at the end of the class to look forward to.

Backs - Week 8

Do we ever give thoughts to our backs unless they ache? Our posture plays an important role in protecting and strengthening our backs. Poor posture can put a strain on the spine and over time a weakness can develop and then backache.

Being aware of our posture and reducing the amount of time we let our backs slump can help to give us more strength in our backs.

Tadasana, the basic standing pose sets us into a good posture.

From Tadasana, roll down into rag doll forward bend. Let the chin rest on the chest, then slowly let the back roll down. Bend the knees if the ham strings are tight, continue releasing down until the back is hanging down like a rag doll. To come back up, slowly let the back uncurl and roll back up into Tadasana. This can be repeated several times. Let the muscles works in a controlled and smooth way, this will help to strengthen back muscles.

Putting movement into the spine helps to keep it healthy, and reduces the risk of injury. Bridge pose is a good pose to work and strengthen the back muscles. Lie on your back with your feet hip width apart and the heels in close so that you can touch the back of the heels with your fingertips. Rolling the spine up and down on the floor in a controlled smooth way, putting as much movement into the spine as possible. To complete the pose take the hips up as high as you can, then pushing into the floor with the upper arms lift the chest as high as you can, tummy stays passive. Then roll the back down in a slow controlled movement.

A brief thought on twists and turns. Whenever you are twisting or turning always lengthen the spine on an inhale and twist or turn on the exhale.

Finally, releasing a tired back at the end of the day. Lie down on the floor at a right angle to the sofa, with the legs up on the sofa seat, your bottom as close to the sofa as possible, alternatively you could lie at a right angle to a wall with the legs up the wall, again with your bottom as close to the wall as possible. Both positions help to release the back and rest the legs,

Core - Week 7

It feels good to have stability in our lives and in our bodies. To build stability into our body we need to exercise our muscles, we want them to be toned and flexible. It is important for our core muscles to have strength and flexibility to give us core stability.

The core muscles interlace and surround the middle section of our body. There are three layers of lateral abdominal muscles, each layer working in a different direction. These muscles benefit from being toned and strengthened, but we do not want them rock hard,

The organs of the body are located in the core and they function better if they have freedom of movement, our body needs to be able to twist and turn with ease. By strengthening our core muscles we are also helping to support our back, some back pain may be a result of weak core muscles.

Your body will tell you which of the exercises are the right level for you. If your back starts to hurt then more basic core work is needed.

A good place to start, lie on your back with the knees bent and hands on tummy. Lift the feet off the floor, you should feel your tummy muscles begin to work, take your feet as close to the floor as is comfortable for you, if your back hurts the feet have to go higher.

Next into cat position, take one leg back, tuck the toes under, then take the second leg back, toes tucked under, bring the bottom down so the body is in a straight line- plank pose. The tummy muscles automatically come into action when the second leg goes back. You can walk in and out of this pose working the core muscles.

To give the wrists a rest from plank pose, the front part of the body can be supported by the forearms. Interlace the hands, have the elbows straight under the shoulders, the legs are the same as for cat, take one leg back, toes tucked under then the second leg back, toes tucked under, and bring the bottom down so the body is in a straight line, otherwise known as dolphin plank.

To work the core from a seated position try these variations of boat pose. Sitting with the knees bent, hands supporting underneath the upper thigh, keep the chest open, walk the toes in closer to the body and lift them off the floor. take the hands away from the legs and you will feel the core muscles begin to work. If you are comfortable with this and would like to take it to the next step you can bring the feet up until the lower leg is parallel with the floor, again take the hands away.

Always work within your comfort zone, It is good to feel the muscles work but be aware if they are tiring. Building up the muscle tone slowly is much better than straining and risking injury.

Finish with a gentle twist, sitting cross legged lengthen the spine before turning first to the right then to the left, repeat 3 times always turning on an exhale.

A final thought on core, do not forget the core of your individual being, take time to sit quietly once a day to touch base.

Standing - Week 6

As our bodies age and we cope with both physical and mental tensions that are part of life, an awareness of what good posture is can make a difference to our health. For our bodies to work efficiently structural health is needed. We need to be aware of when our posture is in need of adjusting and make those adjustments. We need to train our muscles and frame to support good posture without tiring.

Standing poses are invigorating, not only do they work the legs but they bring vitality to the body They help to boost the adrenals and the kidneys.

Tadasana is the basic standing yoga pose, Tadasana means mountain pose, the pose should feel solid, but not rigid. It should have a sound base.

Tadasana helps to reinforce the structure of the body to work evenly, it reinforces good posture.

Work the pose from the feet up, Even pressure on the base of both feet, play around with moving the weight from front to back, side to side and notice the effect is has further up the body. If the feet are not working evenly then the imbalance will reflect all the way up the body. Check the wear on the soles of your shoes, are they wearing evenly?

The knees should be straight but not locked, be aware of the hips, they should feel level.

The chest should be open, visualize the shoulder blades sliding down the back, this helps to create a feeling of space at the front of the body. This feeling of space is created by releasing the muscles down the back rather than letting the back arch.

Visualize the spine as a string of beads that are being pulled upwards through the crown of the head. The back of the neck should be long and the chin parallel with the floor.

Tadasana can be practised any time you are standing, it will help to promote awareness of good posture, which in turn ensures a better working body.

A sequence using a selection of standing and leg working poses is Salute the Sun.

A daily practice of Salute the Sun repeated 3 times offers the following benefits

Improves overall strength, flexibility and endurance. Helps slim the belly, hips and thighs, improves posture and balance and promotes graceful movement. Increases the strength and efficiency of the heart, improves circulation. Thoroughly cleanses the lungs of toxic gases and increases lung capacity. Tones the digestive system and abdominal organs. Stimulates the endocrine glands particularly the thyroid. Tones the reproductive organs, can help relieve PMT. Relieves tension, calms the mind and develops concentration. In addition something that I have noticed in class is that it makes you smile.

See you next week.

Feet,Legs and Hips - Week 5

It is important to appreciate the part that our feet play in our well being. They support us and if we listen they give us feedback as to how well we are using our bodies. If we ground well with our feet and work our feet equally, giving way to gravity equally, the messages sent upwards will be one of balance. Not locking the knees and letting the joints of the ankle and knee work with space around them continues the message of balance.

The foot is stimulated by walking and if used well it helps to stimulate the rest of the body. The foot has elastic fascia rather than muscle and like all elastic it needs to be used to keep it pliable. Watch for tension in your movements and if tension creeps in then make an effort to reduce it. An interesting book on the approaches to feet by different cultures is Born to Run: The Hidden Tribe, by Christopher McDougall.

Some work to do at home on the feet and legs. Repeating each action 6 to 10 times:

Sitting on the floor and starting with the right foot and left hand, interlock fingers in between the toes and work the toes back and forth, then let the toes work the fingers back and forth. With the fingers still in place use them to guide the foot in a circular motion working the ankle joint, first in one direction and then in the opposite direction. After working both feet and ankles with the fingers interlaced, then release the toes.

Toe bending

Now scrunch the toes up tight and then stretch and lengthen them out.

Ankle bending

Move the feet backwards and forwards bending from the ankle joint Ankle rotation Now circle the ankles moving in one direction, then change to the opposite direction. By popular request we must not forget windscreen wipers, moving the feet from side to side, turning from the ankle joint.

Knee bending

Follow on with supporting the upper thigh of the right leg with the hands, raise the foot until the leg is straight and then release and let the knee bend and foot drop. Repeat with the other leg.

Knee crank

Finally supporting the thigh of the right leg with the hands and the foot off the floor, circle the lower leg one way and then in the reverse direction. Again repeat with the other leg.

These are the anti rheumatic movements recommended in the book Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati See you next week.

Introduction to the Journal

The journal will be used to pass on extra information that is intended to complement and follow on from our yoga classes. It may be a follow up to references that are made, or it may be a more in depth look at what we will have worked on. I may also report on workshops that I attend or articles that I have come across that I feel may be of interest. Basically more about yoga. Looking forward to our next class where we will be working on feet, legs and hips.