Newsletter
Newsletter 2010
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Join Pam on Thursday
Evenings this winter for Flow & Relax or Brian on Wednesdays for the
Month of December for Yoga for Stress
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If you are short on
time (don't stress) you can choose one or just of few of the poses,
you don't need a warm up for any of the poses in this practice...
Ujjayi Breath (Victorious Breath)
Sit
in comfortable a comfortable cross legged position or lay on your back.
Deepen and broaden your inhales and lengthen and complete your exahales.
Allow the resonance of this breath to come from the back of your throat.
Practice this breath seated for a few minutes focusing on the sound and
depth of the breath, then continue for the whole session.
Bitilasana Marjaryasana (Cat Cow
Stretches)
Come
onto all 4, spreading the fingers wide and pressing into the inner
hands. Engage the core to lengthen the lower back. Inhale, lift the
tailbone, lengthen the lower back, scoop the heart center forward and
look up. Then exhale, tuck the tailbone, round the lower and upper back
and tuck the chin into the chest. Continue for 10 cycles
Anahatasana (Heart Pose/Puppy
Pose)
From
all 4s place the hips over the knees and engage the belly to lengthen
the lower back. Begin to walk and stretch the arms forward until the
forehead comes to the floor (if the forehead does not reach the floor,
rest it on a block.) Press the hands down and lift the forearms up, make
sure the lower back stays long. Stay for 5-10 deep breaths.
Balasana with Side Waist Stretch
(Extended Childs Pose)
From
all 4s, bring the big toes together, separate the knees a little more
and shift your hips back to your heels. Stretch your hands forward away
from your hips and lift your forearms off the floor.
Keep your arms
outstretched and your shoulders level as you walk your hands to the
right until you feel a nice stretch in the left side waist or arm. Stay
for 5-10 deep breaths. Walk your hands back to the center and switch
sides.
Sucirandhrasana (Thread the
Needle)
From
all 4s, thread your right arm beneath your left and take the back of
your right shoulder to the floor. Press your left palm into the floor to
help you twist your upper back. Pull your hips back to the right a
touch. Stay there or extend your left hand towards the top and center of
your mat. Stay for 5-10 deep breaths and switch sides.
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward
Facing Dog)
From
all 4s, tuck your toes, press your hands forward and down and take your
knees off the floor. Extend your chest back towards your thighs, and
lift your sitting bones until you have a straight line from your wrists
to your hips (shoulders in extension, not bent). Keep that length in
your spine and begin to straighten your legs. Do not let your shoulders
come forward, even if the knees need to stay bent. Lift your arches and
actively stretch for 5-10 deep breaths.
Anjaniasana (Lunge)
From
Downward Facing Dog, lightly step your right foot forward between your
hands. Bend your right knee and lower your left knee to your mat (a
blanket can be handy to pad the knee cap). The outside edge of your
right foot should be parallel to the edge of your mat and the left toes
should point straight back behind you. Press your feet and come up so
that your shoulders are over the hips. Place your hands on your hips.
Square off your hips by squeezing them towards midline and pulling the
right hip back and the left hip forward. Rock your left frontal hip
point up to lengthen your lower back, then reach your hands overhead.
Hold for 10 deep breaths. Bring your hands to the mat and step back to
Downward Facing Dog before switching sides.
½ Surya Namaskar (½ Sun
Salutations)
Stand at the top of your mat in Mountain pose. Engage your legs to lift
your arches, engage your belly to lengthen your lower back. Inhale lift
your arms up, exhale swan dive forward and fold in half, inhale lift up
half way to a flat back with hands on your shins, exhale fold back in
half, inhale with a flat back come all the way up to standing reach your
arms up, exhale pull your hand down to your heart center. Practice 3-10
cycles.
Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined
Bound Angle Pose)
Lay
a bolster length wise on your mat, fold a blanket and place it at the
far end on top of your bolster. Sit in front of the bolster with your
hips on the floor. Bend your knees and place the soles of your feet
together and let the knees drop open. Place a block beneath each thigh
to support the hips, then lay back onto the bolster and place your head
on the blanket. Take your arms out to the side, palms face up and close
your eyes. Practice lengthening your exhale in your Ujjayi breath until
it is double the length of your inhale. Hold for 2-10 minutes. To come
out press into your arms to sit up and use your hands to pull your knees
back together.
Supported Balasana (Supported
Childs Pose)
Take
your bolster and put it in front of you. Sit with your knees forward and
your feet back, lift your hips and slide the end of your bolster beneath
your hips. If your knees are uncomfortable, lift your hips higher and
maybe support them on a block instead of the bolster. Lay forward onto
your bolster, if your torso is too long and your head cannot rest on the
bolster, slide your hips back onto a block or onto your heals and use
the entire length of the bolster for your torso. Place a blanket beneath
your forehead (so your nose does not squish into the bolster) and rest
with your head down for 2-5 minutes.
Supported Bharadvajas Twist
Coming out of childs pose, slide off your heels so that you are sitting
on your right hip. Put your bolster by your right hip extending out to
the side. Inhale lengthen your spine. Exhale twist your torso so that it
faces towards your bolster. Lay your torso on your bolster and take a
neck position that is comfortable to you (look to the right for more
intensity, look to the left for less). Let your arms drape out to the
sides. Or if you want a more active version, push the palm of your right
hand into the floor (elbow points towards the ceiling). Hold for 2-5
minutes and switch sides.
Viparita Karani
See pose of the month for complete
instructions.
Often called the "Fountain of Youth
Pose" because of its amazing restorative qualities.
Benefits:
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Calms
the mind and relieves stress and anxiety.
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Improves circulation.
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Relieves tired or cramped legs and feet.
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Helps
maintain thyroid health and keep hormonal balance.
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Helps
with insomnia.
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Gentle
stretch for the back of the legs, front torso and the back of the
neck.
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Can
aleviate mild back and head aches.
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Reduces mild depression and lifts overall mood and energy.
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Detoxifying, especially if done after core work and twists.
Directions for Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall):
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Place
a blanket or bolster a few inches away from a wall.
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Sit on
the edge of the blanket with one hip against the wall.
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Lean
back slightly and rest your forearm on the floor.
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Slide
a bit closer to the wall so that your bottom sitz bone is close to
the wall.
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Turn
and slide both of your feet up the wall.
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Your
hips should be as close to the wall as is comfortable for the backs
of your legs.
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The
blanket should be under your sacrum and there should be space for
your pelvis to rock towards the wall.
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Take
an arm position that is comfortable for you.
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Relax
here for 5 – 10 minutes.
For a More Active Viparita Karani:
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Engage
your legs and balance out your feet, so that if there were a block
on the bottoms of your feet, it would touch all 4 corners of both of
your feet. But keep your arches lifted. Hold for several minutes.
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Slide
your legs apart so that you have a comfortable stretch in your inner
thighs and you form a V on the wall with your legs. Keep your feet
and thighs active and make sure your toes and knee caps point
straight out into the room. Hold for several minutes.
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Draw
your heals as close to the hips as is comfortable with the soles of
your feet together and your knees apart. Gently rock your pelvis
towards the wall. Soften your hips. Hold for several minutes.
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Extend
your legs back up the wall, relax everything and focus on your
breath for several minutes.
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