I taught a special Easter Sunday Yoga Practice that focused on Rebirth. As we enter the season of Spring, it's a perfect opportunity to shed the old and welcome the new. Here are three yoga poses you can do at home that will help you to release old feelings, thoughts, and sensations, to make room for the new. That new space also creates an opening to receive, accept, and live YOUR greatest potential.
Start by sitting on your yoga mat in a comfortable cross legged position. In stillness and silence set your intention. This intention is that thing (or several things) that you are now ready to release in your life. Take a few breaths to bring awareness to these ideas. Next, set the intention of what you'd like to welcome in your life. Take a few breaths to fully visualize yourself living in this new way.
Release The Old
Take your left hand and place it on your right knee. Take your right hand and place it behind you on the floor at the center of your spine. Press down into the floor with this hand in order to help extend your spine. Breathe in deeply to further help your body sit up taller. As you exhale, draw your navel in toward your spine then, from this lower region of your body, begin to twist toward the right side of the room. Do this for at least 10 breaths so you can feel a full twist in the spine.
Imagine what is going on inside your body. As you twist, you are wringing out your internal organs just like you would wring out the dirty water from a sponge. This is a wonderful way to cleanse your insides. Keep in mind what else you are intending to release with this yoga posture. On your final exhale, unwind the pose and face forward. Repeat this pose on the other side.
Death of the Practice
At the end of each yoga class, you may be familiar with the pose called Savasana. It means Corpse Pose. In Ashtanga, it can mean the death of the practice. As you move through your yoga poses, your body experiences many sensations. You may also experience various emotions. All of this with the idea of making changes and shifts in your body, mind, and spirit. The Corpse Pose symbolizes the death of the "old" you so you can now step into the "new" you. Take a moment now to lie down in Savasana. Stay in this pose for a few minutes to symbolize the release and death of your old ways.
Rebirth
After your moment in Savasana, bend your knees so your feet can press directly down into the floor. With an exhale, lift your hips into the air. Once you have lifted your hips, walk your shoulders together; squeeze your shoulder blades together. You are now in Bridge Pose which is a heart and hip opener. Remain here for 10 breaths. This opening can facilitate the welcoming of the new you - those new things you are now welcome to receive. You are opening yourself up to your greatest potential.
After Bridge Pose, feel free to take another few minutes sitting in stillness. The same sitting posture you were in at the beginning of your practice. Take note of how you now feel. Do you feel different? New? Reborn?
Namaste
Showing posts with label release. Show all posts
Showing posts with label release. Show all posts
Monday, April 1, 2013
Friday, February 17, 2012
Wring It Out!
Ever have those weeks where you are just absolutely filled to the rim? You've done SO much during the week that you feel like you can just burst! There's been business meetings, taking the kids to basketball practice, PTA meetings, committee deadlines, grocery shopping, eye doctor appointment, working out at the gym. Shall I go on? The list grows and grows. It can seem endless sometimes. So, what are you doing about it? These things really can't go to the wayside. You can't always call out, "Calgon! Take me away!" (I just tried it, and I wasn't whisked away to a hot bubble bath with rose petals and soft lighting.)
Well, since we cannot always escape the daily grind, at least we can take a few minutes of the day to release some of the tensions that can build up due to heavy schedules. The pose this week will feature a twisting posture: Revolving Triangle. I like the idea of twisting postures. When I teach them, I have my students imagine they are a wet sponge: full, dense, and heavy. In order to be rid of that excess water, one needs to wring out that sponge. We can do the same with our bodies.
Revolving Triangle
Start in Mountain Pose. Set your intention here. Take some deep cleansing breaths to bring your body and mind to the present moment. Also, think a bit about the fullness you've experienced the last few days and the desire to release some (or all) of that heaviness.
Step your right foot forward on your yoga mat. See how wide you can take your feet. See if they can move relatively close to the edges of your mat. Have your right foot pointing directly forward on your mat while the back foot is more at a comfortable angle so the entire foot is planted on the mat. Make sure both legs are straight. Place your hands on your hips and be aware of the alignment of your hips.
Now, while holding onto your hips, imagine you're holding onto a big pitcher of water that you're ready to pour. Tip the pelvis so that the right hip drops and the left hip lifts as if you're pouring water out of the pitcher down your right leg. Tip as far as you can go while maintaining a nice alignment in the hips. (The right leg should remain straight.) You may begin to experience a stretching sensation in your right hamstring. Allow the torso to match the angle you've created in the tipped pelvis. Now, extend the right hand toward the floor (it doesn't have to touch the floor; perhaps the hand rests on the inside of your leg) and reach your left hand toward the ceiling. You are now in Extended Triangle Pose. Now we are ready to wring it out!
As you exhale, rotate your torso, maintaining an extended spine, so that your left hand is now reaching down toward the floor and your right hand extends up toward the ceiling. This is a challenging yoga pose, but very effective. (If you need a block to place your hand on, please use one.) In this pose, you're not only experiencing the twist in the abdominal region, but also you're gaining flexibility in your hips, legs, and spine. Hold the pose for 5-10 breaths. When you're done, carefully unwind and return to Mountain Pose and prepare to repeat the pose on the other side.
Remember, while holding this posture, think about that wet sponge that you are now wringing out. It may take several breaths (particularly the exhales) to move into this pose deeply and to wring out the sponge completely. When you return to a neutral posture, experience the lightness in your body - having released some of the tension and heaviness your body has been holding onto. The Revolving Triangle Pose can be your own Calgon experience!
Namaste
Well, since we cannot always escape the daily grind, at least we can take a few minutes of the day to release some of the tensions that can build up due to heavy schedules. The pose this week will feature a twisting posture: Revolving Triangle. I like the idea of twisting postures. When I teach them, I have my students imagine they are a wet sponge: full, dense, and heavy. In order to be rid of that excess water, one needs to wring out that sponge. We can do the same with our bodies.
Revolving Triangle
Start in Mountain Pose. Set your intention here. Take some deep cleansing breaths to bring your body and mind to the present moment. Also, think a bit about the fullness you've experienced the last few days and the desire to release some (or all) of that heaviness.
Step your right foot forward on your yoga mat. See how wide you can take your feet. See if they can move relatively close to the edges of your mat. Have your right foot pointing directly forward on your mat while the back foot is more at a comfortable angle so the entire foot is planted on the mat. Make sure both legs are straight. Place your hands on your hips and be aware of the alignment of your hips.
Now, while holding onto your hips, imagine you're holding onto a big pitcher of water that you're ready to pour. Tip the pelvis so that the right hip drops and the left hip lifts as if you're pouring water out of the pitcher down your right leg. Tip as far as you can go while maintaining a nice alignment in the hips. (The right leg should remain straight.) You may begin to experience a stretching sensation in your right hamstring. Allow the torso to match the angle you've created in the tipped pelvis. Now, extend the right hand toward the floor (it doesn't have to touch the floor; perhaps the hand rests on the inside of your leg) and reach your left hand toward the ceiling. You are now in Extended Triangle Pose. Now we are ready to wring it out!
As you exhale, rotate your torso, maintaining an extended spine, so that your left hand is now reaching down toward the floor and your right hand extends up toward the ceiling. This is a challenging yoga pose, but very effective. (If you need a block to place your hand on, please use one.) In this pose, you're not only experiencing the twist in the abdominal region, but also you're gaining flexibility in your hips, legs, and spine. Hold the pose for 5-10 breaths. When you're done, carefully unwind and return to Mountain Pose and prepare to repeat the pose on the other side.
Remember, while holding this posture, think about that wet sponge that you are now wringing out. It may take several breaths (particularly the exhales) to move into this pose deeply and to wring out the sponge completely. When you return to a neutral posture, experience the lightness in your body - having released some of the tension and heaviness your body has been holding onto. The Revolving Triangle Pose can be your own Calgon experience!
Namaste
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Release
It seems that our bodies have become accustomed to holding stress. There are so many things happening around us. With so many ways to reinforce and share news of stress, worry, and concern, our bodies cannot help but absorb these energies. These energies easily settle into our joints, muscles, bones, and organs.
Because our bodies become used to these sensations, we sometimes think that this is a normal feeling for the body to have. We have forgotten how it really feels to be relaxed. If we have the opportunity to go to a massage therapist or a restore yoga class, we are reminded of those feelings of relaxation, but we sometimes step out of the therapist office or off the yoga mat and immediately back into our stressful world.
Here is a home practice that will help remind us that being stressed is not the normal state of the body. The two poses described will exaggerate the feeling of stress as well as remind us of how to release that stress.
Eagle Pose
We will use this posture as a binding and balancing pose that emphasizes the state of stress. Start by standing in Mountain Pose. Be sure you feel rooted into the earth and connect to your breath. Inhale and extend your arms over head. On the exhale, slowly lower your arms and pay attention to them as you bring them down. Cross your right arm underneath your left. They will intersect at the elbows. Keep your arms crossed then bend your elbows so your hands are reaching upward. Continue to wrap your arms around each other and interlace your fingers. Your arms will be directly in front of your face.
Next, bend your knees as if you were going into Chair Pose. Keep your right foot on your yoga mat and then cross your left leg over your right. The hamstring of the left leg will be directly on top of the thigh of your right leg. Squeeze tightly so that there is no space between your legs. You may even be able to wrap your foot of the left leg around the calf of the standing leg.
You are now in Eagle Pose. Hold the posture and continue to breath deeply. As you hold the pose, continue to squeeze the arms and legs together even more tightly. Experience the tension in the body while holding the pose. To add more tension, lift your elbows slightly so your triceps are parallel with the floor. Further, push your arms slightly forward. These actions will add more tension in your back. Keep your focus forward. You will notice that you will be looking directly at your arms unable to see the wall in front of you clearly.
This entire pose and sensation can remind us that we hold a lot of tension in our bodies and this tension may even block our vision; we are unable to see clearly the path in front of us. We are stuck behind an obstacle - and that obstacle is often ourselves.
Warrior II
Now it is time to release the tension. Slowly begin to unbind your arms and legs. Lift your left leg and take it to the back of your mat. Extend your arms out so they are parallel to the floor. You will end up in the Warrior II pose. Your right knee is bent (about 90 degrees), your right arm is extended out over the right leg. Your focus is over your right hand. Your left leg is straight and your leg arm is extended out over your left leg. Experience the freedom in your body as you have opened yourself up. Your arms are now extended, your heart and chest are open, your hips and legs are also free. Hold this pose and settle into the release of tension and tightness. Repeat these postures on the other side.
As an intention, be aware of the worries and stress that you currently hold while in Eagle Pose. As you release into Warrior II, also release those worries and stress. Create an open mind and body. As you gaze over your extended hand, see your clear path in front of you.
Namaste.
Because our bodies become used to these sensations, we sometimes think that this is a normal feeling for the body to have. We have forgotten how it really feels to be relaxed. If we have the opportunity to go to a massage therapist or a restore yoga class, we are reminded of those feelings of relaxation, but we sometimes step out of the therapist office or off the yoga mat and immediately back into our stressful world.
Here is a home practice that will help remind us that being stressed is not the normal state of the body. The two poses described will exaggerate the feeling of stress as well as remind us of how to release that stress.
Eagle Pose
We will use this posture as a binding and balancing pose that emphasizes the state of stress. Start by standing in Mountain Pose. Be sure you feel rooted into the earth and connect to your breath. Inhale and extend your arms over head. On the exhale, slowly lower your arms and pay attention to them as you bring them down. Cross your right arm underneath your left. They will intersect at the elbows. Keep your arms crossed then bend your elbows so your hands are reaching upward. Continue to wrap your arms around each other and interlace your fingers. Your arms will be directly in front of your face.
Next, bend your knees as if you were going into Chair Pose. Keep your right foot on your yoga mat and then cross your left leg over your right. The hamstring of the left leg will be directly on top of the thigh of your right leg. Squeeze tightly so that there is no space between your legs. You may even be able to wrap your foot of the left leg around the calf of the standing leg.
You are now in Eagle Pose. Hold the posture and continue to breath deeply. As you hold the pose, continue to squeeze the arms and legs together even more tightly. Experience the tension in the body while holding the pose. To add more tension, lift your elbows slightly so your triceps are parallel with the floor. Further, push your arms slightly forward. These actions will add more tension in your back. Keep your focus forward. You will notice that you will be looking directly at your arms unable to see the wall in front of you clearly.
This entire pose and sensation can remind us that we hold a lot of tension in our bodies and this tension may even block our vision; we are unable to see clearly the path in front of us. We are stuck behind an obstacle - and that obstacle is often ourselves.
Warrior II
Now it is time to release the tension. Slowly begin to unbind your arms and legs. Lift your left leg and take it to the back of your mat. Extend your arms out so they are parallel to the floor. You will end up in the Warrior II pose. Your right knee is bent (about 90 degrees), your right arm is extended out over the right leg. Your focus is over your right hand. Your left leg is straight and your leg arm is extended out over your left leg. Experience the freedom in your body as you have opened yourself up. Your arms are now extended, your heart and chest are open, your hips and legs are also free. Hold this pose and settle into the release of tension and tightness. Repeat these postures on the other side.
As an intention, be aware of the worries and stress that you currently hold while in Eagle Pose. As you release into Warrior II, also release those worries and stress. Create an open mind and body. As you gaze over your extended hand, see your clear path in front of you.
Namaste.
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