Tag Archives: breathing

Monday Punday

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Too cute not to share.  Laughter is great medicine; contentment breeds calm ~ or here’s to hoping! Naturally, a balanced Yoga practice will stimulate the endorphins; you can also do a lot with breathing exercises.

A great yoga therapy technique to simulate laughter is Kapalabhati

Kapalabhati Pranayama (pronounced (kah-pah-lah-BAH-tee). Kapala = skull and bhati = light (implying perception, knowledge).
The effect of this energizing pranayama is to clear the mind, release emotional tensions, improve digestion, and leave you feeling “brighter,” almost as if your brain was standing in a warm and happy sunbeam.
Build up slowly!
Step by Step Guide:
Sit comfortably, using any support or props.  Try seated tadasana on a chair, if you like.
Focus on your lower abdomen, placing your hands there, one atop the other. Breathe in and then try laughing.
Notice the activity under your hands, as the belly contracts in short bursts.
Inhale, and as you exhale next time, repeat the same “ha ha ha” action but using short exhales through the nose.

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.

Monday Punday

 

Yoga as a Way to Cultivate Open Mind, Body, Heart

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I had this in mind when I practiced today ~ yoga as a way to cultivate open mind, body, heart

I reflected that I was grateful for a space to unroll my yoga mat, stack my props and breathe.

The pose, ustrasana = camel pose, can jam the neck if done in a hurry or incorrectly so it isn’t the first pose in your sequencing. There is an art to opening your upper spine (mid-back) and chest fully and this not only frees the neck but also helps ihelps protect your lower back from compression and improves nearly every other aspect of the posture ~ that’s my yogatherapy tip of the day. It is a pose that really prepares you for pranayama too.

That and “make an attitude to be in gratitude”…an attitude of gratitude can help

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

 

 

 

Breathe

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It is still so cold outside as I look out my window, this is not what I see, but it is the energy I wish to invoke…fresh, growth, potential, possibility, encouragement, calm. I cannot help but take a picture of my houseplant, the new little shoot is just beautiful and symbolic of this season which is upon us.  I actually wrote a blog about purification, if you are interested in reviewing it – click here

new growth

The breath is one of the foundations of yoga practice ~ when breath and body movement are coordinated, energy circulates into the musculature and the opportunity for postural change is enhanced ~ a sunken chest becomes more open, shoulders release away from the ears, digestion improves and so on!

So breathe in fresh energy and release anything with your exhale that you do not need; in this way you are using the breath like spring cleaning even when it is still pretty frozen outside! After a few moments, your nervous system may just move from panic to peace and with very little cost, you have added a dose of regeneration and relaxation to your day 🙂

breathe

Breathing: A Yogatherapy Perspective

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breathe into this moment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The breath, from a yoga therapy perspective, is both tool and toolbox.

Read on : My latest blogpost is now available on MindBodyGreen “Why Breathing Isn’t As Easy As It Seems (And How To Do It With Intention)”

As always, I am available both for workshops and private yoga lessons and you can download further options on my Yoga Mind cd

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

 

Being Kind To Your Body Through Yoga

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“You have to learn how to listen to your body, going with it and not against it, avoiding all effort and strain and centering your attention on that very delicate point, the back of the waist (where the spine moves in two opposing directions). You will be amazed to discover that, if you are kind to your body, it will respond in an incredible way” ~ Vanda Scaravelli , Awakening The Spine

What a beautiful picture this is ~ flowers blossoming where the rib cage is and the pelvis mirrored as a butterfly. If we can learn, and I believe yoga therapy assists this, to open our body with mindful intentionality ~ whether that be with a well placed yoga prop, or just an acknowledgement that we don’t need to ‘attack’ asana, we get better results in the way of improved range of motion, ease and transformation of pain into peace.

Patience and perseverance matter as does practice (time and frequency)  Tissues will adapt according to the demands imposed on them.  That means any ‘stretch’ once a week probably won’t be sufficient  to counter the demands of the rest of the hours of the week.  Make sense? There is no fast track to flexibility, but this does not mean that all yoga therapy is ‘gentle’ however, it can be used as a treatment plan for a healthy and pain free body, or just for better performance in your daily life/sport etc.  Approach practice with kindness and you will be surprised at the benefits.

In reality, we are all individual and should be assessed and treated as such.   I’m available for private yoga classes to help you get on the right track for you.

the body as a miracle of nature

Just Learn To Breathe Properly

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I have given many workshops on breathing, something I believe is so basic, yet often not practiced properly.

Breathing practice seems simple—you breathe in and you breathe out. However we tend to have patterns to our breathing that are personal – our posture, our circumstances, mind, emotions all help create them; and these patterns are often not the most beneficial to our health.   Many students coming to yoga classes have limited, or even unhealthy breathing patterns, and need basic breath training before moving on to more advanced yogic breathing practices.

The breath is

-a powerful tool to inducing greater relaxation and well-being,

-healthy breathing affects our long-term health/aging

-one of the subtlest and most effective doorways to connecting to Spirit or the sacred essence of who we are, which is at the heart of Yoga practice in general.

To learn, I have a host of zen ideas for you; you can check out my meditation tips in various articles, some breathing and relaxing tips on my Yoga Mind Cd; I try to adress basics in my public yoga classes in Tenafly or am available always for a private yoga class so we can work on your untangling your knots and improving your breathing togetherjust breathe:simple!

 

Yoga For Better Shoulder Health

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Life affects posture; If you get to class with these habits, the  asanas will be painful ! Practice should heal (yogatherapy).  My approach is to focus on precise, better body biomechancs and safety. Check out my fantastic blend between a yoga session and a massage called Yapana® Stretch One on One.  Poor posture affects breathing too ~ check out some breathing and relaxing tips on my Yoga Mind Cd;  join one of my public yoga classes in Tenafly or book your private yoga class with me, we will work on your goals together and carry you forward into a healthier YOU

 

how we carry