Transformation and renewal through your yoga practice: My newsletter
It has some quick links for you, to video tips and basic info to help you spring forward with renewed energy
Yoga For Renewed Energy
Tag Archives: yoga therapy
Are some poses meant for fun?
In every pose, that which steadies is the breath. That being said, just because you are “deep breathing” doesn’t mean you are working within your safe stretching limits.
“the perfection of the body consists of (possessing) beauty, charm, strength, and the power of a thunderbolt” ~ Patanjali
Let us not forget discrimination, knowing how to listen to your body, your instincts and just practicality. Standing on your head, on a towel, with your neck bent in a tripod headstand (see below) not smart.
Learning how to do this posture to release tight upper trapezius and gain core strength ~ Ah, now there is a reason to learn yoga as therapy – not as fun/performance art…No offense Marilyn, but I would not be smiling in your set-up. If this sounds remotely practical and way more sensible you should contact me for private yoga lessons
Learn To Be Calm With These Yoga Practices
“Learn to be calm and you will always be happy”
The message here is to find your own path to your inner peaceful center ~ a state where you are calm and can respond, rather than react, to the circumstances you are facing.
People sometimes think that they are breathing properly when in fact, their patterns of tension are restricting rather than rewarding. If you want to learn more about the yoga therapy of breathing click here
The most simple breathing practice for stress relief is to practice the Essential, Natural breath. For detailed instructions click here or contact me either to schedule a workshop at your yoga studio for CECs or a private yoga lesson to help you understand how you can improve your breathing and breathing posture
Happy Easter Asana
Yoga as Therapy tip of the day: Savasana – there are so many ways to set up for it. You really just need a 15 minute or so window. Many classes are run with 3-5 minute practices – this does not provide adequate rest to the body or nervous system; although it is a good idea to have a short ‘time-out’ after practice if you are then going to include a pranayama or meditation. You will go deeper; and remember – it is called “practice” so just look at it like that and enjoy 🙂
Y.O.G.A
Yoga -Your opportunity For Growth And Awakening
As you get into tension areas in your body and start to undo the patterns that restrict your movement, a funny thing happens – you start to breathe better, feel more confident, respond better to daily stresses and challenges. If you are an athlete, you perform better, recuperate better. Heal. Reboot. Relax. Focus.
Yoga is like an open door into dimensions of yourself that you did not know, an opportunity to grow and awaken
Your Postural Core And The Role Of Yoga
As you can see, the load we put on our spine can create certain imbalances. We each have a postural core – so what is the role of yoga? As a psycho-somatic discipline it means that everything we think,do, feel is reflected in our bodies (body-mind-spirit=one)
Finding out who you are before you step onto a yoga mat is useful, especially in finding your path and practices to move toward symmetry. Beyond that, the more subtle aspects of yoga practice can show us areas and patterns of thinking and acting that only add more stress and load.
Awareness is the key. Even for something as simple – for this skeleton as stopping to hold the telephone with one ear…but you can see how even the basic pose – tadasana – standing mountain, would be a challenge to maintain.
Once we understand and make connections between muscles, posture, movement, impingement, we can then bring in a series of remedies to help create more ease for the individual. This is basically the goal of the therapeutic approach of yoga. I think that once a student is empowered through a private yoga class assessment, they have an increased knowledge base for practicing on their own, or in group classes where the cues may not address their specific situation.
Savasana Funny
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 🙂
Yoga Therapy for wrist discomfort
Yoga therapy for wrist discomfort:
This infographic reminds us that – since we spend most of our day off the yoga mat, the movements we make repetitively, like typing on the computer can build up their own tension. “Working for long hours at the computer with improper wrist/hand posture can develop ache/pain/tingling or swelling of the wrist. If ignored, this can become a serious condition…”
If you then bring that tension and the posture it has created in fingers, wrists, hands, to your downward facing dog, plank, chatturanga, handstand etc, it can build up into some serious issues.Some of the tips given in this infograph are to keep your wrists straight while typing and using the mouse. As well, it is important to take min-breaks in your day. If you check out my video clip, you will find a few suggestions for this break. Finally, remember that your wrists are part of the entire arm and shoulder chain, so the posture you have in the upper trunk will indirectly and/or directly be affecting your hands.
I think it is important to know who you are in asana, as well as how you are in asana. For example, if your goal is to remedy wrist discomfort, then you may either need props or modifications. Going into a group class when you have carpal tunnel and just banging out 100 down dogs is neither safe nor mindful. As always, any remedy depends on the status of the practitioner. Unsure? I give private yoga lessons 🙂
Daily maintenance is good to keep neutralizing the little stresses before they become major issues (like carpal tunnel syndrome) ~ and I like a mindful minute here and there so that when I do get over to my mat, I know who I am, how to modify, what poses and warmups will help/heal rather than strain/compress…to watch a yogatherapy tip from my computer to yours click the link: Yoga Therapy for Computer Hands
Yoga Prop Perfect
I teach yoga with yoga props, and love it. There I said it. Why? Click here for a blog devoted to the benefits of using them. No matter who you are I can bet that somewhere in your practice, a strategically placed prop will empower and power up your yoga practice.
You can see in this comic that T-Rex has short arms so the blocks help to add length which makes the pose more accessible to him. This means better alignment which = he is going to actually benefit from the asana rather than be overloading his spine, chest, arms etc. Your arms may not be ‘short’ but they might be extra tight.
Basically if the stretch feels too far away, bringing it closer with a well placed prop or two is going to allow you to stay in it longer and it will overall be healthier, so try it next time ~ reduce struggle and compression and increase comfort, stability and strength…so adapt and invite your practice to find you where you are or you are welcome to contact me for private yoga class assistance
Menu of The Day : Health and Wellness
Let’s start with a balanced yoga class. I teach today in Tenafly at 10:30 ( we may actually do some balancing poses!) ~ and/or
Add a balanced breathing practice from my Yoga Mind cd at the end of the day to unwind after being so busy ~ and/or
Book a private yoga class with me to assess your needs and assist you in creating a personal practice and a balanced you
