Category Archives: relaxation

Breathing Techniques For Mindfulness

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Breathing Techniques For Mindfulness:

If you are thinking stressful thoughts the body will hold onto them and create knots in the muscles, this post gives breathing techniques for mindfulness. “Whatever you are FOCUSING upon is TRAINING you into a habit of thought” ~ Abraham Hicks

So what would happen if you focused on your breath? It would not change the situation, but it would alter your perception. I just experimented with this at the dentist. First focused on my breath, then the drilling (OWWW) then back to my breath. Drilling still there, I was calmer though. My heartbeat wasn’t pounding. So … taking this to another situation seems like a good stress management plan.

mindfulness

mindfulness

This is a great reminder. The breath is the link between mind and body. If you are thinking stressful thoughts the body will hold onto them and create knots in the muscles (etc). This is why learning to use your breathing in a conscious (mindful) way will help you in all kinds of ways by triggering the parasympathetic response (relaxation response) in the nervous system. Like anything it takes practice, and the good news is I am available here in Jersey City for private yoga lessons or to give a workshop at your studio 🙂

“If you want to conquer the anxiety of the moment, live in the breath” ~ Amit Ray. Anxiety can be very loud, and this noise can cloud judgemtn. What would happen if we could just be, in silence?

mindfulness

inner listening through mindfulnness

Focusing on the essential natural breath ( a practice from my YOGA MIND cd) is easy to use and learn, because it basically requires you to cultivate awareness more than “technique”, and can be done even 5 minutes a day – anywhere: car, subway, bus, walking, at your desk…

Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Meanwhile this is one of many breathing techniques for mindfulness – you simply repeat to yourself when you breathe in, breathing in relaxation and when you breathe out, you focus on breathing out tension. It just takes a few moments to breathe mindfully so give it a whirl

breathing in and out

Calm Mind = Heaven

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The key=relaxation.

Benefits of Relaxation:

– deepening your breathing,
– reducing stress hormones,
– slowing down heart rate and blood pressure,
– relaxing your muscles
– increases energy and focus,
– combats illness,
– relieves aches and pains,
– heightens problem-solving abilities,
– boosts motivation and productivity
– increases happiness, by releasing dopamine, seratonin, oxytocin and other immunomodulators to change brain chemistry

To start a practice click here or contact me for private yoga classes. 

mind carries heaven

Savasana Funny

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This is hilarious!

Everyone is different of course, some people “can’t” relax, some people fall asleep instead of relaxing. I find in many classes that I have seen, there is only a 5 minute savasana; it isn’t enough. Mostly I think people just want to come in and bang out a work-out, but you really aren’t doing your Yoga justice to omit the very core of practice ~ integration, calm, witness, awareness, dropping into your light body…..

You can build a sustainable relaxation practice on your own. By that I mean, time spent on the mat that cultivates the calm tools for getting through daily stress.

There is one track on my Yoga Mind cd that I like for learning, called Diving Deeply into Relaxation, I think you can listen to a clip on I Tunes

If you are a bit overloaded by Saturday, which many of us are, just taking some time to lay out your mat, cover your eyes, and turn the world to mute will refresh you. Try it 🙂
Savasana funny comic

The Power Of Relaxation And Letting Go

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The Power Of Relaxation And Letting Go ~ reaping the benefits through yoga ~You get to move on, grow, transform, have a new day, a new opportunity, you get to reboot, refresh, release, embrace

When will you let go what makes you unhappy? It is called a yoga ‘practice’, so today on your mat, before beginning, touch base with the most tension-full place you have and allow the light of your practice, of your inner being, to permeate that place, calming it and releasing just a little. Move in the direction of balance and healing. If it suits you, include my yoga therapy breathing exercise to create joy, or one of the tracks from my Yoga Mind cd or book your private yoga class with me ~ am happy to guide you mind/body/soul  🙂

letting GO

 

 

 

Meditation Funny

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Wouldn’t this be great since most of our thinking is worry/stress based?

meditation funny

If you have a lot on your mind, it takes more effort to push thoughts away than to cultivate the witness…just be yourself, honour, and spend 15 – 20 minutes on relaxation in addition to your yoga mat practice.

Yoga Therapy : A great ‘clear the mind’ pranayama is Kapalabhati Pranayama (pronounced (kah-pah-lah-BAH-tee). Kapala = skull and bhati = light (implying perception, knowledge).

This wonderful breathing exercise will clear the mind, release emotional tensions, improve digestion, and leave you feeling energized and “brighter,” almost as if your brain was standing in a warm and happy sunbeam.
Build up slowly!
  1. Sit comfortably, using any support or props.  Try seated tadasana on a chair, if you like.
  2. Focus on your lower abdomen, placing your hands there, one atop the other. Breathe in and then try laughing.
  3. Notice the activity under your hands, as the belly contracts in short bursts.
  4. Inhale, and as you exhale next time, repeat the same “ha ha ha” action but using short exhales through the nose.
  5. Your inhales can be long, passive and slow, the exhales will be shorter bursts.  You can keep your hands on the belly and use them to pump the abdomen until you are comfortable and feel more adept at the rhythm.

I am available for private yoga classes, great way to build your home practice safely and should you need guidance, my Yoga Mind cd has several tracks that will lead you to that mindful altered state of deep letting go.

The benefits of finding calm through Yoga

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“What makes the mind so powerful and difficult to ‘still’ is its rajasic impulse to do – to think about what to do, and about what to do about what it is thinking, and so on” ~ Doug Keller

Sometimes the body needs to do less as well.  What I love about restorative yoga is that it helps the mind settle as the body learns to let go into gravity. This prepares us for the sweet practices of yoga such as meditation and relaxation which help us so much in daily life.

The benefits of silence are numerous. Click HERE for the top 7 that come to mind and HERE to check out my cd, which will help you along the way.

If you typically think a lot during the physical practice of yoga, it could be that you haven’t quite got the right alignment information – so – I am available for private yoga classes to help you get in touch with the power of silence within. For now: food for thought: The benefits of finding calm through Yoga  are numerous and silence is stress relief…

silence is a place

A yoga therapy breathing practice for joy

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celebrate what is rightThe breath is the link between the mind and the body; the key to finding the peace and joy that resides within. This is an exercise that anyone can do, you can do it at the end of your savasana, or meditation, or as a yoga break anytime.

Choose a comfortable set up for your practice. I have 3 different ones to choose from on my Yoga Mind cd. I was always told that palming the eyes creates a fresh perspective, it is also super important for our ‘staring into screens’ culture as it brings relaxation to the the eyes themselves as well as triggering a parasympathetic response in the nervous system.

Gently rub your palms together for about 15-30 seconds, feeling the warmth and visualizing it as healing energy.  Place your palms on the brow and cheekbones – as opposed to the sensitive eyeball area.  You can let the top throat pull up and back lightly and allow your head to be somewhat heavy into your hands. Tune into your breath, and let the thoughts and images fade into the palms as you feel the warmth from your breath passed back to you from the palms. Let your face feel hollow. When you are ready, let your eyes open from bottom to top and notice how you feel, how the breath feels. Focus in on any new sensations of release of tension, that is always a place of peace and joy.

If you would like any personal assistance, and to learn more breathing practices, I am available for workshops and private yoga classes

 

All you do is