Week 2 Standing

We looked at improving the strength, alignment and flexibility of our legs.  Two movements to work on. 

The runners start, working slowly and with the breath, repeating 6 times focusing on the alignment of knee over foot.  This pose helps to reinforce the correct alignment of foot and knee and to strengthen the muscles and joints in correct alignment. The pose also helps to release  tight leg muscles.

Utkatanasana, horseman's pose. Holding the pose for 3 breaths, then releasing slightly for a further 2 breaths. Keep the focus on the alignment of foot and knee.  If the back twinges at all keep the hands on the hips.  Repeat 3 times.  This pose helps to strengthen the quad muscles found at the front of the upper leg.  These muscles help to support the knee joint.  With the arms raised this pose works on the core strength.

Week 1

At the start of our 10 classes we worked different areas to release and to strengthen our body.  Areas that are tight or weak may have been discovered, however, once identified we can understand a little better where our work is to be focused.

For a perfect start to introduce home practice we should consider our start up group of exercises.

A reminder

Side bend, Windmill (repeated both sides 3 times), Forward bend 1, Forward bend 2, Easy breathing.

If you need  more clarification on any of these send a request to me and I will e-mail you a worksheet.  Look to adopt a practice that you will be able to maintain, an excellent aim would be 5 days out of 7.

A perfect start to 2017

Welcome to our 2017 blog.

After our classes each week, I will be posting a suggestion of home practice to reinforce the benefits of your weekly practice.  The ancient yogis described our being in layers.  They described three tangible layers, the body layer, the energy layer, which is heavily influenced and linked to our breathing, and the mind layer.

In our first set of 10 classes we will be focusing on developing a home practice for our body layer.

We will reflect at the end of the set of 10 to review our progress.

Five Dimensions of Human System

The ancient yogis developed specific exercises to strengthen and tone five dimensions of the human system. Through observation and study they described five layers of being or five sheaths, each fitting inside the next. Like Russian dolls.

Annamaya -The outermost layer, the physical body. The poses the ancient yogis devised help to nourish our physical body. Bones, joints, muscles, organs, tissues and physiological systems. The asanas help to release tension and to bring us to a state where we are energised and relaxed.

Pranamaya - The second sheath, our energy system. From the moment of our birth, prana, (life force) organises and animates our physical body, giving us health and vitality. The breath is the link between body, mind and spirit. We use the breath with the asanas to help vitalise and stimulate our whole system.

Manomaya - The third sheath, is the mental body, the mind. When we are working with the body and the breath we help to bring a clarity to the mind. Focusing on our body work, focusing on our breath helps us to lose the busy cluttered mind.

The body, the breath and the mind all interact together, if the mind is tense this can be reflected in the breathing, this can be reflected in the posture. we can use our knowledge of posture and breathing to bring us into a quieter, calmer mindset.

The final two sheaths are not quite so tangible as the first three.

Vijnanamaya -the fourth sheath is the personality or intellectural body, sometimes called wisdom or intuition. It is something that is felt by us and can vary from day to day depending how receptive we are. This receptive mode may well rely on sheaths one, two and three.

Anandamaya - The fifth sheath is our emotional structure. what makes us who we are. Something that is unique to us. The core of our being. The ancient yogis believed this dimension to be the deepest because the ultimate aim of their lives was to develop a conscious connection with their source and to realize the joy that results.

Christmas yoga

A busy time of year and a magical time for little ones.

Our yoga practice may take a back seat, but it is always there to help us through this busy time.

Quiet sitting and focusing on the breath can bring us back to a quiet state in a busy day. Sitting in a chair or on the floor with the back straight and the chest open, take the focus to the breath. Observe the breath and then introduce the counting of the breath in and out, with the intention to lengthen the out breath. Use the out breath to let go of tensions and thoughts. Continue with this breathing for 10 minutes, and observe how you feel compared to when you began. You could play some relaxing music at the same time.

Gentle stretches after a long journey or a day of sitting around. Roll out the yoga mat and laying on your back, bring one knee up and take it across the body into the universal twist, holding for 3 breaths, then repeat the other side. Follow this with bringing both knees up and working with the breath taking them to the left on the exhale, back to centre on the inhale and to the right on the exhale. To release the shoulders, follow this with the floor clock.

After some gentle stretches or quiet breathing you may then feel the urge to Salute the sun to bring energy back to the body.

Have a peaceful and happy Christmas

Autumn

Our theme for our Autumn set of classes is core strength and stamina. Our torso has layers of muscle which provide us with a girdle of support. We want these muscles to be toned and flexible. All core movement helps us with this and our work on poses and postures often involve this. A supportive core strength helps us to maintain a good posture whether sitting or standing, and this in turn helps to reduce tiredness. Tadasana lines our frame into a good standing posture, and our seated breathing position sets a good seated posture. Both postures focus on opening the front of the body, allowing space for the lungs and our organs. To avoid kinking the lower back when opening the front of the body, draw the tummy muscles back towards the spine.

Some homework for core strength

1. Lie on back with a block or cushion between the knees, lift the knees towards the chest, take the arms out at shoulder height. On an exhale let the knees fall to the right, on an inhale lift them back to centre, then exhale the knees to the left, continue for 6 each side, then lower the feet to the floor. If the back is feeling sensitive, keep the knees bent and the feet on the floor throughout.

2. Bend the knees and lift the feet off the floor holding them as close to the floor as is comfortable for your back. Hold for 3 breaths and repeat 3 times.

3. Both legs straight on floor. On an inhale raise one leg and lower on an exhale, repeat 6 times with one leg and then repeat with the other leg.

4. Both legs straight on floor. Raise one leg and circle, keeping the leg straight and letting the heel skim the floor. 5 rotations each way and then repeat with the other leg.

5. Finish with a gentle twist. Feet on the floor, knees bent. On an exhale let the knees fall to the right and rest there for 3 breaths then repeat to the left.

Finally if you would like a worksheet with our new salute sun sequence, if you send me a request with an e-mail I will e-mail a copy to you.

Have a good session.

Ujjayi Breathing

The importance of the breath

Ujjayi breathing

A closer look at Ujjayi breathing, taken from Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha. ' Sitting in a comfortable position, take the awareness to the breath in the nostrils and allow the breathing to become calm and rhythmic. After some time, transfer the awareness to the throat. Try to feel or to imagine that the breath is being drawn in and out through the throat and not through the nostrils, as if the inhale and exhale are taking place through a small hole in the throat.

As the breathing becomes slower and deeper a soft snoring sound like the breathing of a sleeping baby is produced in the throat. There may also be a simultaneous contraction of the abdomen, this happens by itself. The sound should be audible to the practitioner only.

Do not contract the throat too strongly, try to relax the face as much as possible. Ujjayi is classified as a tranquillising pranayama and also has a heating effect on the body.

The Sanskrit word ujjayi means victorious.'

Ujjayi can be practised sitting, lying down or even standing.

If the throat is sore lengthen the breath without the sound from the throat. If the mood is low, lengthen the inhalation to create more energy.

Stress

Good stress – eustress    -    Bad stress - distress

Eustress is needed to deal with daily living.  However, a balance is required to keep it at a healthy level, to stop it becoming chronic, causing adverse symptoms, to stop it getting out of control, and turning into distress.  To keep the body and mind healthy they need to be kept in homeostastis, where all systems of the body and mind are maintained at equilibrium.  One way to help the body and mind get back to homeostastis is deep relaxation.

Deep relaxation is considered as one of the most important poses In the Yoga discipline.  Deep relaxation, Shavasana, is a conscious relaxation which invigorates and refreshes the body and mind.  Tension is released from the physical body, the muscles lose tension, and the whole of the physical body lets go, releases.  The mind becomes quiet, and calm.  The stillness of the body halts the accumulative effects of physical tension from building up, and causing physical stress to the system.  As the muscles relax more blood flows through them keeping them healthier.  The same applies to the organs of the body as tension is released they are free to function at a more efficient level.  The breathing becomes calm, the heart rate slows, and the mind calms.  Mental stress levels lower or disappear as the mind becomes quiet and calm.  Clarity of thought emerges and as the mind calms anxieties are reduced.  The risk of chronic stress and the problems that it can bring can be lowered. After deep relaxation the practitioner emerges refreshed, with the body in a calm physical state, and with the mind clear and quiet. 

 Another tool that yoga can offer to reduce stress and improve physical and mental wellbeing is to control the breath to improve the quality of the breath.   ‘Rhythmic, deep and slow respiration stimulates and is stimulated by calm, contented states of mind.  Irregular breathing disrupts the rhythms of the brain and leads to physical, emotional and mental blocks.  Pranayama establishes regular breathing patterns, breaking this negative cycle and reversing the process.  It does so by taking control of the breath and re-establishing the natural, relaxed rhythms of the body and mind’.

 To control the breath and to be aware of the breath and the quality of the breath the practitioner can lower the level of stress in both body and mind.  Good quality breathing, taking the breath deep into the abdomen and slowly releasing, controlling the ratio of the breath, making the exhale longer than the inhale, can contribute to improving the general wellbeing of the practitioner by inducing a state of calm.  The physical body can benefit from improving the quality of the breath, every cell in the body is influenced by the breath taking in good quality oxygen.  The lungs will function more efficiently if all areas of the lungs are exercised.  A healthier body will be lower in physical stress.  The mind also responds in a positive way from controlled breathing techniques. By focusing on the breath the mind can become quiet.  In the book Adrenal Fatigue, there is a section Helping Yourself Back to Health where breathing techniques are introduced as an aid to reducing the effects of chronic stress.  Belly breathing, slowing down breath and counting exhalations are the three methods offered to give beneficial effect in combatting adrenal fatigue.

 Meditation has a positive effect on reducing stress.  Meditation can be done seated or walking, often the breath is used.  The important part is to focus the mind and let the mind find a quiet state.  The practitioner benefits from a calming effect on the mind.  If the mind is quiet and calm, there is no space for anxieties, and this in turn induces a quiet state in the physical body, releasing physical tensions.  After meditation the practitioner emerges calm, and balanced, the mind and body are in harmony.

The practice of Yoga Nidra allows the physical body and the mental body to experience a deep relaxation.  The practitioner reduces or removes tensions in the body, and with these tensions removed or lowered the body functions more effectively and becomes energised.  The mind is also energised when it too loses tension and becomes calm.    Visualization is often used in Yoga Nidra.  If a stress response can be induced just by thinking about a stressful situation, the opposite also applies.  If a practitioner is visualizing calming things, the body will respond. Good vibes can be induced into the body just by visualising something that pleases and calms the practitioner. 

 Deep relaxation, Pranayama, breathing techniques, meditation and Yoga Nidra all help to reduce stress, hence avoiding a downward spiral of wellbeing. This aspect of Yoga is often overlooked.