Let's Twist Again...

If you would like to have a little more flexibility in your spine, you might want to try this gentle twisting pose.  In addition to strengthening your back muscles, this twist may help with any digestive problems you may experience.

Remember - honor your body.

Sitting in a chair with your feet flat on the floor - take a deep breath in and gently lift your spine.  Exhale, roll your shoulders up, back and down.  Place your left hand on your right leg, and inhale once more.  On the exhale, slowly turn your upper body to your right.  Slowly bring your head to the right so you are looking over your right shoulder.  Bring your right hand to the back of the chair.  Breath in an out here for 3-5 breaths.  Be mindful of your neck.  Only twist as far you feel comfortable.  Take an inhale and on the exhale, slowly come out of the twist.

Notice how that felt.  Good?  Yes?  Let's balance ourselves out by twisting to your left now.  Namaste~

Seated Forward Fold

For many of us, the forward folding pose may not be the best idea.  If you have back issues, or osteoporosis, the full bend folding in half may compromise the health of your spine.  But, with modifications, you can receive the benefits of a relaxed stretching of the back.

Sit towards the front of your chair.  Bring your feet wide so that they are in line with the legs of the chair.  Bring your hands to the tops of your legs.  Take a deep breath in, lifting the spine.  On the exhale, slowly bend forward keeping the spine elongated.  Bend as far forward as you can comfortably while keeping the head in line with the spine.  Stay here for a breath or two.  Then, take another deep breath in and on the exhale, slowly lift yourself back into the seated position.  Repeat once or twice more.  To finish up, slowly make large circles with your torso as if you had a hula hoop around your waist.  Make several circles in one direction.  Switch sides.  Slow down the circular movement.  Be still.  Take a nice big breath in and out.  Ahhhhh!  Namaste!

Warrior I

This is a beautiful example of Warrior I - a pose that provides us with strength, stability, and balance. Notice the front foot and how it's firmly planted on the mat.  You see the stretch in the back leg and foot.  Now, take a look at her spine.  It's straight and lifted.  Her arms are raised high - but notice that her shoulders remain in place.  With all four limbs extended, she is in perfect balance.

And, how about that view?????  

Stretching into Monday

If I told you about a stretch that will develop your core strength, stability and co-ordination, would you be interested in trying it?  Yes?  Yes?  Ok, then, here we go:

This is an upright stretch that appears to be quite simple.  You may need a bit of practice to master the pose.  But don't be discouraged!  Keep in mind that you want your movements to be smooth and precise - and synchronized with your breath.

Breathing in, gently raise your arms overhead.  At the same time, lift your heels until you are balancing on the balls of your feet and your toes.  Lengthen your body by extending the sides of the waist and reaching up with your arms as far as you can go.

As you breathe out, make a controlled descent onto your heels and lower your arms back to your sides.  Here, you are synchronizing the length of your breath with the tiny movement of your feet and the much bigger movement of yours arms.  Drop your heels very slowly.

Take your time and try to do at least 6-8 repetitions.

(This stretch is from the book Yoga Bliss by Tara Fraser)

Namaste~

Monday Morning Warm-up

There's a little gem of a book called A Morning Cup of Yoga by Jane Goad Trechsel.   The poses are clearly written and she has cute pictures of a woman in her PJ's doing yoga.

Stand with your feet a comfortable distance apart.  Double inhale as you open your arms as wide as possible and lift your chin slightly.  On a double exhale (with audible "ha-haaah"), bend your knees, taking the weight onto your heels.  Swing your arms forward, bringing palms together in front of you.  Lower your chin.  Double inhale as you straighten up, open your arms wide once more, and lift your chin.  Repeat 3 times, gently opening and closing your body.  Namaste~

Strengthen mid back

Here's a great way to provide strength to your mid back area and help with good posture, too!

Either seated or standing:  Bring your arms out to a T position and then bend at the elbows.  Spread your fingers wide.  Inhale and squeeze your shoulder blades together bringing the elbows back.  Exhale and release back to neutral.  Work up to 10 repetitions and when completed, rest your hands down to your lap (if seated) or by your side.  Finish up by doing a few shoulder rolls - both forward and back.  Namaste~

Every breath you take...

Residents nearby have been asked to evacuate their homes due to a huge brush fire in the Golden Gate Estates area.  This fire poses serious danger throughout the community.  We are fortunate in that  it's not as close to our condo...but, the residual smoke and ash are very much present here.  The cars are covered in soot and ash, as well as the stairs and railings, etc.  The smoke is heavy in the air.  There's an odd taste in  my mouth.  Deep inhaling is not a good idea.

The breath is critical in yoga.  Inhale; exhale.  Coordinate breath with movement.  Sounds so easy, doesn't it?  But, ask someone with respiratory issues how easy it is to breathe and you'll probably get a different story.  I realize now that I have been taking my breath for granted.  I just assumed that breathing would continue on auto-pilot for me.  But, now I see differently.  During these past few days when we've been secluded inside, I have developed a rich appreciation for the simple act of breathing.  Now, when I breath in, I will remember to say a silent thank you for the beautiful ability to just breathe!

New Yoga Mat

On Tuesday, I had an emergency dental appointment.  I had booked a yoga class in Bonita Springs but didn't think I'd make it from the dentist in time.  But, as it turned out, the dentist took me on time and I was able to take the morning class.  Of course, as I was driving there, I realized that I didn't have my mat with me.  Not to worry!  This studio has plenty of mats to use - as well as cushions, blocks, straps, etc.  The studio is lovely and large.  It can hold at least 40 people on the main floor and has a balcony for extra room.  This isn't a chair yoga class but it is gentle yoga.  I sure needed this after the stress of the dentist and the 40 minute drive.  Oh, and after the class, I bought myself a new mat!

Start your Monday off right!

Whenever I experience any anxiety or worry, I know that it's time to slow down...specifically, slow down my breathing.  I have a few good breathing exercises that always seem to "center" me and help invoke the relaxation response.  Here's an example:

To start, I sit in a straight backed chair, feet firmly placed on the floor.  I sit forward a little bit so my back is not touching the chair.  I lift my spine up and bring my shoulders back.  My head is aligned with my spine.  (I refer to this as my "regal" seat.  Picture a Queen on her throne!)

My hands rest in my lap or on my legs.  I will breath in and out through my nose.  Breathing through the nostrils filters the air coming in.  Now...I begin with the 4-count breath.   With each inhale, I slowly count to 4.  I then pause.  I exhale and count to 4.  I repeat this sequence for a minute or two.  Focusing on the breath as opposed to what's causing my worry allows me to let the worry go and relax.  It may take a little practice to sit still but as a wise Yoga teacher once told me, "It's called a yoga practice, not a yoga perfect."  Namaste~

Yoga at The Pars

We wrapped up our 8th season of Yoga at The Pars at the end of March.  And, what a successful season it was.  Classes were full every Thursday and Friday.  In fact, there were people on the waiting list to get in.  Many of the students, though, have been coming to class here since we started in 2010. And, I personally can vouch for the progress that has been made.  People who had trouble with balance can now stand on one foot for longer than 20 seconds (the barometer for "good" balance) and can do the "tree" pose with ease.  And, others have told me that yoga helped them to release stress, and provided them with more flexibility.

Beyond the physical poses, though, the class has embraced "karma" yoga as well.  This year we had a class project where we donated personal care items to an organization called Youth Haven.  This organization provides shelter and services to kids in the greater Naples area who have been victims of abuse and/or neglect.  The yoga class really responded in a most generous way.  We collected 22 bags of toothpaste, shampoos, body wash, etc.  Giving...without any expectation of receiving...describes this wonderful yoga community here at The Pars.  Lucky me!  I get to share my yoga practice with them!