Yoga nidra means yoga sleep. You lie on the floor in corpse pose and let everything go. One hour of effective yoga nidra is effective to four hours of sleep. Need I say more? Yoga nidra is a great way to relax as well. Typically, after my gentle yoga class I will have my students practice yoga nidra. It's a guided meditation to bring you relaxation, positivity and rejuvination.
My yoga teacher, Sara Devi has a yoga nidra podcast you can listen to on her Web site. Make yourself comfortable with some bolsters and blankets and rest well.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Relieve Back Pain with Yoga
Men always complain about their lower backs hurting. Men hold the majority of their stress in their lower back.
YOGA BENEFITS THE BACK BY:
Practice these stretches for relief of back pain frequently, holding them comfortably for 5 to 10 breaths.
Cat Stretch - Start out on your hands and knees with a flat back, in a human table position. Place your hands, fingers spread wide directly under your shoulders, eyes of the elbows facing one another and knees directly under the hips. Head is held loosely as you gaze at the floor between your hands. Inhale, and as you exhale, arch your back toward the ceiling, tuck your chin in to your chest so that you are looking at your navel, and tuck your tailbone underneath. Hold, then release back into table position.
Downward Facing Dog - Place your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders. Spread your palms, fingers spread wide, eyes of your elbows facing each other and turn your toes under. Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press your chest towards the floor. Continue breathing as your press your thighs back into your femurs and stretching your heels onto or down toward the floor. Firm your outer thighs and roll the upper thighs inward slightly while continuing to firm the outer arms and press the bases of the index fingers actively into the floor. Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them and draw them toward the tailbone. Keep the head between the upper arms.
Childs - Kneel on the floor. Touch your big toes together and sit on your heels, then separate your knees about as wide as your hips. Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs bringing your hips to heels. As you broaden your sacrum across the back of your pelvis, lengthen your tailbone away from the back of the pelvis and bring your forehead to the floor. Lay your hands on the floor alongside your torso, palms up, and release the fronts of your shoulders toward the floor. Feel how the weight of the front shoulders pulls the shoulder blades wide across your back.
YOGA BENEFITS THE BACK BY:
- Relieving your lower back pain
- Increasing your flexibility
- Strengthening your spinal and preventing future injuries
- Lengthening your hamstrings on the back of your legs
- Opening up your shoulders
Practice these stretches for relief of back pain frequently, holding them comfortably for 5 to 10 breaths.
Cat Stretch - Start out on your hands and knees with a flat back, in a human table position. Place your hands, fingers spread wide directly under your shoulders, eyes of the elbows facing one another and knees directly under the hips. Head is held loosely as you gaze at the floor between your hands. Inhale, and as you exhale, arch your back toward the ceiling, tuck your chin in to your chest so that you are looking at your navel, and tuck your tailbone underneath. Hold, then release back into table position.
Downward Facing Dog - Place your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders. Spread your palms, fingers spread wide, eyes of your elbows facing each other and turn your toes under. Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press your chest towards the floor. Continue breathing as your press your thighs back into your femurs and stretching your heels onto or down toward the floor. Firm your outer thighs and roll the upper thighs inward slightly while continuing to firm the outer arms and press the bases of the index fingers actively into the floor. Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them and draw them toward the tailbone. Keep the head between the upper arms.
Modified Downward Facing Dog - (using the wall as a prop)If you have severe back pain, use the wall as a prop, and place both hands on the wall (same alignment as above) and walk them down to where it's comfortable for you. Also try taking the legs wider will open up your lower back muscles.
Sphinx - Lie on your belly, legs side by side extended. Firm your tailbone toward your pubis and lengthen it toward your heels as you rotate your thighs inwardly. This helps broaden and lengthen your lower back and sacrum (the downward-facing triangular bone at the back of your pelvis). Reach actively through your toes behind you as you continue to lengthen your tail toward your heels to protect your lower back. Your buttocks should be firm but not clenched. While your legs are active, your tongue, eyes and brain should be quiet. Now set your elbows under your shoulders and your forearms on the floor parallel to each other. Inhale and lift your upper torso and head away from the floor into a mild backbend. The final step to building a solid foundation in Sphinx Pose is to bring awareness to your lower belly, the area just above the pubic bone and below the navel. Lightly draw it away from the floor to create a dome that rounds up toward your lower back lengthening the sides of your torso. This is very subtle—soothing your lower back and awakening your upper back.Childs - Kneel on the floor. Touch your big toes together and sit on your heels, then separate your knees about as wide as your hips. Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs bringing your hips to heels. As you broaden your sacrum across the back of your pelvis, lengthen your tailbone away from the back of the pelvis and bring your forehead to the floor. Lay your hands on the floor alongside your torso, palms up, and release the fronts of your shoulders toward the floor. Feel how the weight of the front shoulders pulls the shoulder blades wide across your back.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Beginner Yoga Tips
The first thing people say to me when I tell them they should try yoga is "I'm not flexible." Most of the time, it’s men who make this statement (sorry to call you out like that fellas).
Well listen up inflexible people, male or female...you don't need to be flexible to practice yoga. Yoga was originally practiced by men; they would sit all day meditating. The physical practice of yoga didn't start until their bodies began to deteriorate from sitting so long. The only requirement for learning and practicing yoga is that you have an open mind, you're alive and breathing.
YOGA TIPS FOR BEGINNERS:
1. Breathing is the most important part of yoga. Focusing on your breath during poses can help you soften and go deeper in poses. Breathe into areas of your body that contain tension. As you exhale visualize tension dissolving and releasing from your body.
2. Wear the proper yoga attire. Avoid wearing socks, unless it's yoga-friendly socks, specially made to practice yoga with...the one with grips on the bottom. Regular socks can cause injury because you will slip on the mat. Make sure you also wear comfortable clothing that allows your body to breathe.
3. Release your ego...there is no competition in yoga. Listen to your body and don't force a pose. If you fall out of a pose, are tired or out of breath, simply go into a resting pose like child's or downward-facing dog. This is your practice and your body so make sure you honor it.
4. Avoid heavy meals before your yoga practice. I once made this mistake. You cannot practice yoga to your full potential with a stomach full of food. Eating a piece of fruit or having a cup of tea before your practice is ok, but avoid a Thanksgiving feast prior to your yoga practice.
5. Practice with acceptance. Place no judgment on yourself. No judgment means no injury. Some days you may find your balance or flexibility is better than others. I sure do. You have good yoga days and not so good yoga days. Practicing with awareness is important. Listen to your body and don't force it if it's screaming in pain.
6. Look within yourself. Do what's right for you... it is your body not the person's next to you with their arms twisted behind the back and head on the floor. Look within yourself and feel what's going on inside with your body. Practice a pose and return to back to mountain pose, closing your eyes and noticing any effects within your body from the pose.
7. Move with grace riding your breath. Use minimal energy and practice effortlessness, as you float from pose to pose riding your breath. You can achieve this by using small muscles to activate large muscles while in poses. Channeling lines of internal energy and power during poses and your everyday life conserves your life force.
Well listen up inflexible people, male or female...you don't need to be flexible to practice yoga. Yoga was originally practiced by men; they would sit all day meditating. The physical practice of yoga didn't start until their bodies began to deteriorate from sitting so long. The only requirement for learning and practicing yoga is that you have an open mind, you're alive and breathing.
YOGA TIPS FOR BEGINNERS:
1. Breathing is the most important part of yoga. Focusing on your breath during poses can help you soften and go deeper in poses. Breathe into areas of your body that contain tension. As you exhale visualize tension dissolving and releasing from your body.
2. Wear the proper yoga attire. Avoid wearing socks, unless it's yoga-friendly socks, specially made to practice yoga with...the one with grips on the bottom. Regular socks can cause injury because you will slip on the mat. Make sure you also wear comfortable clothing that allows your body to breathe.
3. Release your ego...there is no competition in yoga. Listen to your body and don't force a pose. If you fall out of a pose, are tired or out of breath, simply go into a resting pose like child's or downward-facing dog. This is your practice and your body so make sure you honor it.
4. Avoid heavy meals before your yoga practice. I once made this mistake. You cannot practice yoga to your full potential with a stomach full of food. Eating a piece of fruit or having a cup of tea before your practice is ok, but avoid a Thanksgiving feast prior to your yoga practice.
5. Practice with acceptance. Place no judgment on yourself. No judgment means no injury. Some days you may find your balance or flexibility is better than others. I sure do. You have good yoga days and not so good yoga days. Practicing with awareness is important. Listen to your body and don't force it if it's screaming in pain.
6. Look within yourself. Do what's right for you... it is your body not the person's next to you with their arms twisted behind the back and head on the floor. Look within yourself and feel what's going on inside with your body. Practice a pose and return to back to mountain pose, closing your eyes and noticing any effects within your body from the pose.
7. Move with grace riding your breath. Use minimal energy and practice effortlessness, as you float from pose to pose riding your breath. You can achieve this by using small muscles to activate large muscles while in poses. Channeling lines of internal energy and power during poses and your everyday life conserves your life force.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Yoga for Stress Management
Your life can get crazy. I know my life gets crazy and sometimes I have to step back and reflect before I take action or react on my emotions.
"That's life, that's what all the people say. You're riding high in April, shot down in May.But I know I'm gonna change that tune, when I'm back on top, back on top in June." - Frank Sinatra
Life is full of situations out of our immediate control. It is what it is. The past few weeks I've been dealing with a lot of challenges in my day-to-day life. Between the stresses of work and family (it's times like these, where everything seems to be crashing down upon me), that I realize how much yoga has saved me from completely freaking out and losing it. I've encountered many people who seek yoga to help with their stress management and I can completely relate.
Before I realized yoga was my path in life, I would handle situations completely the wrong way. Reacting before I think of how I feel and why I feel the way I do. I've made progress with my own stress management when I'm off my yoga mat but I still have the occasional "freak out" where I handle the situation the completely wrong way. Rather than judging myself for the way I handled the situation, I try to reflect on what I could have done better and how I can apply that lesson in the future.
As a Gainesville yoga teacher, I try to teach others breathing techniques or certain yoga poses in class that they can take with them and use in stressful situations. I feel good teaching others yoga. I feel good knowing that I am helping others learn how to cope with their struggles in their own lives. I don't know my students struggles or stresses, but what I do know is their calm expressions, bright smiles and glows on their faces as we end class. It's at that point I know I've reached them, hopefully for the better.
Lately, I've received great feedback from students (and even client's from my full time job who have sought yoga advice via email). My students have said to me "I'm hooked!" and "I am definitely experiencing benefits from the classes!" and “I definitely felt better the next day after your class!"
I feel satisfied knowing that they too are learning to manage their stress through yoga. Incorporating a yoga practice with pranyam, meditation, and asana practice quiets and calms the mind. Sometimes I leave a class that I've taught and realize that I too needed to be reminded to breathe...not only while practicing on my yoga mat but also off. A simple reminder is all it takes sometimes to bring our perception of "how bad things are" to "things could be way worse and I'm grateful for where I'm at and how far I've come."
It's important we learn to accept things and situations for what they are. Sometimes, things are just out of our control and accepting that is the first stepto turning your attitude around and managing your stress.
For Gainesville Yoga Classes and Gainesville Meditation and Relaxation check out the Haile Plantation Yoga Classes.
"That's life, that's what all the people say. You're riding high in April, shot down in May.But I know I'm gonna change that tune, when I'm back on top, back on top in June." - Frank Sinatra
Life is full of situations out of our immediate control. It is what it is. The past few weeks I've been dealing with a lot of challenges in my day-to-day life. Between the stresses of work and family (it's times like these, where everything seems to be crashing down upon me), that I realize how much yoga has saved me from completely freaking out and losing it. I've encountered many people who seek yoga to help with their stress management and I can completely relate.
Before I realized yoga was my path in life, I would handle situations completely the wrong way. Reacting before I think of how I feel and why I feel the way I do. I've made progress with my own stress management when I'm off my yoga mat but I still have the occasional "freak out" where I handle the situation the completely wrong way. Rather than judging myself for the way I handled the situation, I try to reflect on what I could have done better and how I can apply that lesson in the future.
As a Gainesville yoga teacher, I try to teach others breathing techniques or certain yoga poses in class that they can take with them and use in stressful situations. I feel good teaching others yoga. I feel good knowing that I am helping others learn how to cope with their struggles in their own lives. I don't know my students struggles or stresses, but what I do know is their calm expressions, bright smiles and glows on their faces as we end class. It's at that point I know I've reached them, hopefully for the better.
Lately, I've received great feedback from students (and even client's from my full time job who have sought yoga advice via email). My students have said to me "I'm hooked!" and "I am definitely experiencing benefits from the classes!" and “I definitely felt better the next day after your class!"
I feel satisfied knowing that they too are learning to manage their stress through yoga. Incorporating a yoga practice with pranyam, meditation, and asana practice quiets and calms the mind. Sometimes I leave a class that I've taught and realize that I too needed to be reminded to breathe...not only while practicing on my yoga mat but also off. A simple reminder is all it takes sometimes to bring our perception of "how bad things are" to "things could be way worse and I'm grateful for where I'm at and how far I've come."
It's important we learn to accept things and situations for what they are. Sometimes, things are just out of our control and accepting that is the first stepto turning your attitude around and managing your stress.
For Gainesville Yoga Classes and Gainesville Meditation and Relaxation check out the Haile Plantation Yoga Classes.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Yoga Makes Life Easier
A great reminder popped up on my iGoogle page today: “The next time you are really upset, take the opportunity to have yourself a good cry. Life is suffering. There is always bad to counter good and vice versa. Have a good cry. It is one of the best meditations you can have, though you do not want to overdo it. Picture yourself sitting on the bank of a gentle river and, from time to time, see a log come floating down the river. Follow the log, observing it floating past and out of sight.”
I've been told, “life is not meant to be easy. Life is meant to be hard.” Lately, I feel like life has been on super hard mode for me...pretty much beyond hard, cranked up to expert level. On that note, I am super thankful to have yoga in my life since it essentially makes my life easier.
Remembering to breathe is the hardest part though. Once you learn to recognize you are not breathing, you can become aware and it makes situations a lot easier.
I encourage you to become aware of your breath not only in your yoga practice but in everyday situations. Yoga is a way life, practice it often. For yoga in Gainesville, check out my Gainesville yoga classes.
I've been told, “life is not meant to be easy. Life is meant to be hard.” Lately, I feel like life has been on super hard mode for me...pretty much beyond hard, cranked up to expert level. On that note, I am super thankful to have yoga in my life since it essentially makes my life easier.
Remembering to breathe is the hardest part though. Once you learn to recognize you are not breathing, you can become aware and it makes situations a lot easier.
I encourage you to become aware of your breath not only in your yoga practice but in everyday situations. Yoga is a way life, practice it often. For yoga in Gainesville, check out my Gainesville yoga classes.
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