Take a moment to quietly practice along with this video on a breathing exercise calling on the Golden Light.
How to Do the Prana Breathing Exercise — powered by http://www.livestrong.com
On a personal note, this is one of my most delicious poses. If you’re new to yoga, you might be snickering over my choice of words. But try it, and you will find poses that are “delicious” or “yummy” to you. No kidding! The ones you want to turn to to wash away your stress or worries, or ones that leave you rejuvenated.
The prop that you will want for this pose is a round bolster. Some people might prefer a rectangular bolster, or yoga blankets. We offer a variety of bolsters to choose from: a variety of color choices, cotton, organic cotton, or hemp. To see all of our bolster choices, click here.
This pose is a little awkward to get into, but well worth it. I have a different way of getting into this pose, than how YJ describes below. I would rest my left side hip on the left end of the bolster, with my buttocks (sit bones) flat against the wall, knees bent. Then as you roll onto your back, extend your legs straight up the wall. Some other people somersault into this pose, but (to me) that is too energizing to go into a relaxation pose. No matter how you choose to enter this pose, I hope you enjoy it.
Viparita Karani
Excerpt from Yoga Journal – visit YJ to learn more about this pose, such as the benefits.
(vip-par-ee-tah car-AHN-ee)
viparita = turned around, reversed, inverted
karani = doing, making, action
Step by Step
The pose described here is a passive, supported variation of the Shoulderstand-like Viparita Karani. For your support you’ll need one or two thickly folded blankets or a firm round bolster. You’ll also need to rest your legs vertically (or nearly so) on a wall or other upright support.
Before performing the pose, determine two things about your support: its height and its distance from the wall. If you’re stiffer, the support should be lower and placed farther from the wall; if you’re more flexible, use a higher support that is closer to the wall. Your distance from the wall also depends on your height: if you’re shorter move closer to the wall, if taller move farther from the wall. Experiment with the position of your support until you find the placement that works for you.
Start with your support about 5 to 6 inches away from the wall. Sit sideways on right end of the support, with your right side against the wall (left-handers can substitute “left” for “right” in these instructions). Exhale and, with one smooth movement, swing your legs up onto the wall and your shoulders and head lightly down onto the floor. The first few times you do this, you may ignominiously slide off the support and plop down with your buttocks on the floor. Don’t get discouraged. Try lowering the support and/or moving it slightly further off the wall until you gain some facility with this movement, then move back closer to the wall.
Your sitting bones don’t need to be right against the wall, but they should be “dripping” down into the space between the support and the wall. Check that the front of your torso gently arches from the pubis to the top of the shoulders. If the front of your torso seems flat, then you’ve probably slipped a bit off the support. Bend your knees, press your feet into the wall and lift your pelvis off the support a few inches, tuck the support a little higher up under your pelvis, then lower your pelvis onto the support again.
Lift and release the base of your skull away from the back of your neck and soften your throat. Don’t push your chin against your sternum; instead let your sternum lift toward the chin. Take a small roll (made from a towel for example) under your neck if the cervical spine feels flat. Open your shoulder blades away from the spine and release your hands and arms out to your sides, palms up.
Keep your legs relatively firm, just enough to hold them vertically in place. Release the heads of the thigh bones and the weight of your belly deeply into your torso, toward the back of the pelvis. Soften your eyes and turn them down to look into your heart.
Stay in this pose anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. Be sure not to twist off the support when coming out. Instead, slide off the support onto the floor before turning to the side. You can also bend your knees and push your feet against the wall to lift your pelvis off the support. Then slide the support to one side, lower your pelvis to the floor, and turn to the side. Stay on your side for a few breaths, and come up to sitting with an exhalation.
The following two poses show two examples using Mexican Yoga Blankets. We sell two different types of Mexican Blankets – Premium and Classic. Both offer lots of color combinations, so hopefully you can find a color scheme you like! We have also created some “packages” to offer some better pricing on buying a group of items. You can find some Yoga Starter Sets with Mexican Blankets in our store — a great way to get everything you need at one time.
Salamba Sarvangasana
(sah-LOM-bah sar-van-GAHS-anna)
salamba = with support (sa = with
alamba = support)
sarva = all
anga = limb. There are variations of Shoulderstand that are “unsupported” = niralamba, pronounced near-ah-LOM-bah)
Step by Step
Fold two or more firm blankets into rectangles measuring about 1 foot by 2 feet, and stack them one on top of the other. You can place a sticky mat over the blankets to help the upper arms stay in place while in the pose. Then lie on the blankets with your shoulders supported (and parallel to one of the longer edges) and your head on the floor. Lay your arms on the floor alongside your torso, then bend your knees and set your feet against the floor with the heels close to the sitting bones. Exhale, press your arms against the floor, and push your feet away from the floor, drawing your thighs into the front torso.
Continue to lift by curling the pelvis and then the back torso away from the floor, so that your knees come toward your face. Stretch your arms out parallel to the edge of the blanket and turn them outward so the fingers press against the floor (and the thumbs point behind you). Bend your elbows and draw them toward each other. Lay the backs of your upper arms on the blanket and spread your palms against the back of your torso. Raise your pelvis over the shoulders, so that the torso is relatively perpendicular to the floor. Walk your hands up your back (toward the floor) without letting the elbows slide too much wider than shoulder width.
Inhale and lift your bent knees toward the ceiling, bringing your thighs in line with your torso and hanging the heels down by your buttocks. Press your tailbone toward your pubis and turn the upper thighs inward slightly. Finally inhale and straighten the knees, pressing the heels up toward the ceiling. When the backs of the legs are fully lengthened, lift through the balls of the big toes so the inner legs are slightly longer than the outer.
Soften the throat and tongue. Firm the shoulder blades against the back, and move the sternum toward the chin. Your forehead should be relatively parallel to the floor, your chin perpendicular. Press the backs of your upper arms and the tops of your shoulders actively into the blanket support, and try to lift the upper spine away from the floor. Gaze softly at your chest.
As a beginning practitioner stay in the pose for about 30 seconds. Gradually add 5 to 10 seconds to your stay every day or so until you can comfortably hold the pose for 3 minutes. Then continue for 3 minutes each day for a week or two, until you feel relatively comfortable in the pose. Again gradually and 5 to 10 seconds onto your stay every day or so until you can comfortably hold the pose for 5 minutes. To come down, exhale, bend your knees into your torso again, and roll your back torso slowly and carefully onto the floor, keeping the back of your head on the floor.
If you would like to read more about how to make modifications for this pose, or the benefits of the pose, visit Yoga Journal. YJ has great detailed information on Yoga poses.
From Shoulderstand, many practioners will then go into Plow Pose or Halasana
(hah-LAHS-anna)
hala = plow
For further instructions on properly getting into Plow Pose, you can visit Yoga Journal’s website.
In much of the world today, people do not shake hands when they meet. They may hug formally and kiss one another on the cheek, as in Eastern Europe and Arab states. They may bow softly, eyes turned to the ground, as in Japan and China. The Hawaiian greeting, termed honi, consists of placing the nostril gently beside that of the person greeted, a kind of sharing of breath, which is life and prana.
For Hindus, of course, the greeting of choice is namaste, the two hands pressed together and held near the heart with the head gently bowed as one says, “Namaste”. In Sanskrit namas means “bow”, and te means “to you”. Thus namaste means “I bow to you”. The hands held in union signify oneness, the bringing together of spirit and matter, or the self meeting the Self.
The namaste gesture also acts like a simple yogic asana, balancing and harmonizing our energies, keeping us centered, inwardly poised and mentally protected. It closes our aura, shielding us psychically. In keeping us from becoming too externalized, thus we remain close to our intuitive nature, our more expanded being. It draws us inward for a moment.
*Excerpt courtesy of Hinduism Today
A Ritual of Honoring Your Inner Light
Like other significant rituals, namaste can become an unconscious gesture or it can be an ongoing opportunity for affirming life. “As I walk this path of life, spirit embodied in physical form, opportunity presents kindred spirits I can honor. I can recognize the Light within their physical form and that we share this earth journey”. Not bobbing and weaving all day long, hands pressed together, but taking occasional sacred moments to remind one’s self and to share the knowing of life beyond the physical and what a celebration our time here on earth is.
Practice in front of a mirror. Look into your face, your eyes, your heart, until you have a sense of your more-ness. Place your palms together, bow slightly and honor your inner light. In the midst of a stressful day, this simple practice can bring much needed dignity and balance. Remember that from a place of honoring Self, you will treat others in like kind. They will be impacted and as ripples on a pond, your whole world can be touched by the simple gesture of you honoring your Light, your beauty, your gift.
*from the CD cover of Namaste. This CD offers soothing background music for your Yoga practice, plus a second CD offering a 15-minute guided Meditation session.
The following video is just under four minutes long and will take you thru several nice exercises to build strength on the ball. Before starting the video, get your yoga mat and stability ball ready.
10 Best Poses for Men
Most men might think that Yoga is for “girls”. Until they try it! Then they learn how much strength and balance is required, and learned, doing these poses. Here are 10 poses that Baron Baptiste believes will benefit men the most for their stretching and strengthening power. Click on the image above to view the slideshow from iYogaLife.
This is a great article reminding us as to The Health Benefits of Yoga – Research Shows How Yoga Affects the Mind, Body and Soul. If you’re new to Yoga, you might be a skeptic. But if you’ve been practicing Yoga, I’m sure you’ll be nodding your head and saying “yep, yep, yep” to yourself. Especially in this hectic world of ours where days are jam-packed with activities, it is rejuvenating and re-energizing to take an hour for yourself and quietly focus inward.
Join Yoga Alliance in celebrating the spirit of Yoga next month. Visit their site Yoga Day USA
to find a workshop or class near you. Many of these classes are being offered for free, or nearly free, by many registered yoga teachers on January 23rd. You could use this day to try Yoga for the first time, to advance your practice, or just to enjoy the energy that a yoga class gives.
Hope to see you there!
A series of short clips of a DVD, this video will introduce you to how to incorporate a Yoga Ball (aka Stability Ball) into your practice. The video is less than 4 min and is located in a beautiful setting – perhaps Utah? I’m guessing.
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What better way to share the joy of yoga, then to share this video with Shiva Rea in White Sands National Monument? Yoga in rolling sands…seemed fun and appropriate!
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