Gainesville Chair Yoga

Anyone can do yoga. This week I was teaching a hatha chair yoga class for seniors at the Gainesville Healthcare Center. Chair yoga is a gentle yoga practice using a chair rather than a yoga mat. Chair yoga students can be of any age or experience level. Many of the seniors were in wheelchairs and others were just seated in chairs which didn’t even matter since we remained seated for the entire practice.

We started our Gainesville chair yoga by focusing on our breath and taking deep inhalations and exhalations. Next, we warmed up our fingers, wrists and shoulders, eventually incorporating full upper-body movements and gentle twists. We also chanted the vowel sound of our names simultaneously creating the sound of “om.” I ended the chair yoga practice with a yoga nidra for seniors focused around bringing love into our hearts and growing strong spreading love to others around us.

The seniors’ responses after the 30 minutes of chair yoga were amazing! It felt wonderful to see all of the seniors smiling and rejuvenated from our chair yoga practice. The subtle yoga movements stretching and detoxifying our arms, fingers, wrists, shoulders, and spine increased our bodies circulation. The breathing all increased the oxygen flow into our bodies. What was most amazing to me, being a power and ashtanga yogi was how much I could taste the toxins in my mouth from such small gentle movements…sometimes it’s the gentle yoga practice that were receive the most benefit from. Think about it...t’s the little things we take for granted, like wiggling our fingers and bending our wrists.

I look forward to teaching more seniors yoga at other Gainesville Healthcare facilities. Incorporating wheelchair yoga for seniors at these facilities will benefit seniors physically and mentally. Contact Yogi Raina today to setup your Gainesville chair yoga class for seniors, group and private lessons available.

Awareness of the Self

A good friend of mine called me the other day to share with me the following reminder: "When the position becomes uncomfortable, note how your ego/self wants to be released from the the discomfort. Observe this truth without condeming it or identifying with it. Keep your mind relaxed. Let your soul tell you when to end the meditation."

Awareness of the self and releasing discomfort not only applies to your yoga practice but with any situation in your life that is uncomfortable. It could be a relationship or job, a living situation or even way of life.

Use yoga and meditation to become aware of your self. Release your ego and let go of the oars. Follow your inner vibrations...float downstream rather than struggling upstream.

Yoga Breathing for Sinuses

Inverted yoga poses, such as downward-facing dog and half moon help with sinus congestion, as does certain breathing techniques like Lions breath. For a quick fix, try this pineal yoga breath for sinus relief.

The Pineal Gland Breathing Technique relieves sinus congestion and pressure from sinus headaches. It also increases your depth perception.

PINEAL BREATH FOR SINUS RELIEF

1. Place your pinky fingers to the outside of your nostrils, ring fingers on the outside of the bridge of your nose. middle fingers right by the crevices of your inner eye lids, and thumbs in your ears.

2. Take a long deep inhalation through your mouth like your sucking air through a straw.

3. Tilt your head up and exhale slowly out of your mouth making a hissing noise.

4. Repeat this breath 3-5 times.

Schedule your custom yoga class for sinus relief with Gainesville yoga teacher Raina Van Cleave.

Yoga on the Beach at Anna Maria Island

Every Fall, as Mother Nature sheds her Summer skin and transitions into her Fall wardrobe, I’m with my family at the beach house on Anna Maria Island. And let me just emphasize that I'm on the verge of going crazy from too much family time. Here I am trying to maintain my cool among all the craziness, chaos, drama and over-planning (bless their lil' souls) making me need to retreat to a yoga sanctuary. And I had actually looked for yoga classes in the area but the local studio's yogis are on vacation...isnt' that ironic? So, I made my retreat to the sand, under the warming sun, breathing in the ocean air--- and no complaints here!

In an effort to regain my sanity, I did yoga on the beach. I took my bamboo mat (purchased from a generic beach stores for a $2 BARGAIN!) unrolled it, plopped it on the sand right in front of the ocean waves and began with some yoga breathing (pranayam). Sitting in easy pose (half-lotus) I inhaled through my nose and exhaled through my nose, filling my belly and drawing my navel into my spine. Letting my breath flow through my body was a simple task as I visualized the ocean waves rolling up to shore on each inhalation and retreating to sea with each exhalation. My breath flow was one with the ocean flow.I did a few sun salutes and some of my favorite standing yoga poses, such as triangle, wide-legged forward fold, downward facing dog, and forward fold. I interlaced seated poses and inversions into my practice as well, such as headstand, elbow stand, reclined twist and marichyasana with a bind.

And this isn’t the first time I’ve practice yoga on the beach. A few weeks ago I did some yoga before paddling out to go surfing. Ironically enough, I couldn’t even make it past the break. I tried three times and no success…I just got pounded by the ocean waves. You have good days and bad days...this goes for everything, work, yoga, school and surfing. Placing no judgement on your performance is really one of the hardest parts for me.

It’s my dream to live on the beach and practice breach yoga every day. Just like us the ocean is alive. It’s intriguing to think about the ocean as a living being; full of energy and a sanctuary amongst itself. It provides shelter and a habitat for creatures of the sea. And its mood can be peaceful at times and angry at others, just like humans.

Doug Swenson Yoga Workshop: Sadhana Yoga

Attending Doug Swenson’s yoga workshop at Prana Vinyasa School of Yoga was a true inspiration. His sense of humor in conjunction with his unique yoga training was by far one of the best workshops I’ve ever been to. And the best thing, my body felt revived and energetic after the weekend of four sessions. His adjustments in yoga poses were gave my body a sense of freedom. After each yoga session I felt like I was floating inches above the floor.

Doug teaches Sadhana Yoga. Sadhana yoga’s purpose is to create a holistic balance between learning and teaching, power and softness, intellect and fitness. Doug taught me to continue the energy flow in my asana practice. For example, as we moved into tadasana (mountain pose) Doug had us raise our arms stretching out like eagle’s wings.

DOUG SWENSON's YOGA WORKSHOP TOPICS INCLUDED:

1. Vinyasa Yoga / Ashtanga Yoga / Power Yoga / Yin and Restorative Yoga

2. Principles of demonstration, observation, assisting, and instruction
3. Influence and respect for mixed styles and Yoga tradition
4. Developing a flexible mind and body
5. Yoga adjustments and partner Yoga
6. External and internal rotation of the body

I would highly recommend checking out Doug Swenson’s sadhana yoga DVD’s or yoga books. And if you have the opportunity to train under him don’t let that opportunity pass you by.

Shedding the Light on Enlightenment

Sometimes all it takes is someone else to become enlightened in order for you to shed the light on your enlightenment. This enlightment may not stick permanently but it's good to reflect on in it in the moment.

While I was attending the 2008 Webmaster Jam session (an event so very different than attending yoga training) I had that moment of enlightenment. I was shown a video of Danny Packer,a traceur. A traceur is an activity with the aim of moving from one point to another as efficiently and quickly as possible, using principally the abilities of the human body. In this video he says, "I feel sometimes it is as important for us to see our mistakes as it is for us to see ourselves at our best, it gives us direction and allows us to progress looking backward as well as forward. So these are my simple truths."

And when you have one of these moments, try to remember to take that knowledge with you because life is about the journey and experiences...not the destination or end result.

For yoga in Gainesville Florida visit my Web site.