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SALABHASANA - LOCUST POSE BENEFITS

Salabhasana - Locust pose week

This week we focused on the locust pose known as salabhasana in Sanskrit. Salabha means a Locust. The name comes from the posture looking like a locust resting on the ground (well here its on a flower).

 www.colourbox.com

This posture and the many variations you can practice has so many wonderful benefits. Lets list just a few.

• Aids Digestion
• Relieves gastric troubles and flatulence
• Relieves pain in the back, both the sacral and lumbar regions
• The bladder and prostate glands also benefit from this posture and remain healthy
• Stimulates the sympathetic nerve system
• Helps posture
• Promotes Kidney function 
• Tones the bum 
• Relieves stress

So as you can see many benefits to doing this pose.

So on a metaphysical level the spine represents the support of life. When we have trouble in the back may be its time to look a bit deep. The metaphysical cause is the deeper under lying reason as to why we are experiencing the pain and the body is trying to give you signals so that you can address the issues. Below i have listed the three areas of the back and i have touched on the metaphysical reflection.

Upper back (which we worked on) - Lack of emotional support, feeling unloved, holding back
Middle Back - Guilt, Stuck in all that stuff back there "Get off my back"
Lower Back - Fear of money, lack of financial support

So this is just a really brief description but each (33 vertebrae) vertebrae represents a metaphysical reflection but i am not going to going into that just now.

We worked on the heart space this week and as you can see above (if your struggling with this area of the back) it is connected to feeling unloved or holding back love along with a few other things. We worked on opening up the upper back and heart (heart chakra) by breathing into this space and practicing locust to create more space. This allows us to breath through things restricting us and in time allowing us to begin to give and receive more love freely - helping us break through insecurities and fears.

So if you feel a lack of love or you feel blocked to give love allow yourself to focus on this space, breath and may be practce this wonderful pose but make sure you warm up before going straight into any yoga pose.

We can all do with breathing into this space as well as working into back bends that nurture the spine.
Even if you do not have any problems in this upper area it will only do you good, as you will open up and allow your spine to recieve aswell as getting all the physical benefits i have listed above. 

"Love is the bridge between you and everything" Rumi.

Below is a little video i created to share love and locust pose with you. I have added most variations we did in class apart from supported leg lift locust.

I have included the full locust (above and in video) which we didn't do as i would want to do one to one for safety reasons. But i am going to do a tutorial video for variations this week.

An affirmation you may wish to use if you are struggling in your upper back is:

"I love and approve of myself. Life supports and loves me."

References/resources

Books: 

You Can Heal Your Life [Paperback]

Louise Hay

• ISBN-10: 9780937611012
• ISBN-13: 978-0937611012
• ASIN: 0937611018

Heal Your Body [Paperback]

Louise Hay

• Publisher: Hay House UK; 4th Ed., Expanded, Rev edition (1 July 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0937611352
• ISBN-13: 978-0937611357

http://www.vitalaffirmations.com/health/healingaffirmations.htm#.UwpZCDd6yrA

http://www.compassionatedragon.com/metaphysics2.html

http://www.ecoutetoncorps.com/en/online-resources/metaphysical-definitions-20-illnessesdiseasesdisorders/

http://keeperofbalance.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/louise-hay-list-of-common-illnesses-and.html

http://www.vitalaffirmations.com/health/backupper.htm#.UwpZEzd6yrA

Eagle Pose - Garudasana benefits

"Garuda means eagle. it is also the name of the king of the birds. Garuda is represented as the vehicle of visnu and as having a white face, an acquiline beak, red wings and a golden body." Light on Yoga - B.K.S. Iyengar

I have attached a link below if you wish to read more about the Hindu and Buddhist mythology behind this amazing powerful bird.

http://jayarama.wordpress.com/2011/04/30/garuda1/

The pose itself has many wonderful benefits including 

• Strengthens the feet, ankles and calf's
• Stretches feet, legs, thighs, hips and lower back.
• It helps to remove stiffness from the shoulders.
• It's also advised for removing cramp in the calf muscles.
• helps to improve concentration
• helps to improve balance

The king of the birds transported Lord Vishnu through the celestial realms...eager to help humanity in its fight against demons. We all have a powerful eagle within us that wants to soar high....find yours!

Tutorial video for you here :-) Get your yoga on....

 

Vasisthasana - Side Plank Pose week

Vasisthasana - Side Plank Pose week

 This weeks pose is the wonderful side plank. So you might be thinking ohhhhh god nooo, i really dislike this pose or may be your thinking yes!!! I really want to work my core. Either way i want to say that when we don't like a pose and don't want to do it we more than likely really do need to do it. May be you struggle with this because your core is very weak and more often than not we like to shy away from things that are a struggle. Hey we all do it, even me :-) But remember it doesn't have to be unpleasant that's why i give modifications so you can choose one that suits you and your body right now. Forget the person next to you! They don't walk out with your body after practise, you do! And if you do what the person next to you does and they do the full pose arms wrapped around there legs than you will feel the consequences not them the next day.

So why is it important to work into side plank? Well many reasons but the most obvious to begin with are it strengths and stretches the wrists, legs, arms and belly. It helps with sense of balance and requires concentration so helps us to focus. This pose is one of the best poses for working the entire core and is known to target the weak muscles called the quadratus lumborum as seen below.

http://www.yoganatomy.com/2013/12/quadratus-lumborum-yoga-anatomy/

Evidence has been proven that weak core is more likely to lead to lower back problems so lets get side planking!!! :-)

http://www.serctherapy.com/low_back_pain_article

Detailed tutorial video coming soon on different modifications and alignment.

YOGA FOR PREGNANCY

YOGA FOR PREGNANCY

During pregnancy we can feel alienated from fitness and its particularly hard for those who have always been physically fit to then stop exercising, and why should you! I advise you don't!!!!

Its not a disease its a gift!

So here i am introducing you to a new resource that i will be providing for pregnancy. 

I have attached my first YOGA FOR PREGNANCY video for those who wish to still open up their bodies and feel a deeper connection to their growing baby. Please do not do my videos until you are 15+ weeks unless my video states it is for the first trimester.

Here is a beautiful quote from the book that my teacher of Pregnancy Yoga wrote.

"By practising yoga, an expectant mother invites harmony into her body. Since the baby within is not only dependent on you physically but also sensitive to your mental and emotional states, equilibrium can only enhance the mother-baby bond. The baby feels more secure and your confidence in your innate capabilities increases." Yoga for pregnancy ~ Wendy Teasdill

Hope you enjoy :-)

YOGA FOR SLEEP, INSOMNIA AND RELAXATION

Yoga for sleep, insomnia and relaxation

So in today's world sleep can be something that we become deprived of very easily. We have a million things to do and if we stop to sleep we won't get them done. On the contrary our life can become so stressful that we just can't get to sleep even when we try. Sleep can become a problem for us in many ways, stress and worry can stop us from sleeping, getting to bed at different times every night can have an effect and not to mention travelling and sleeping in different places if you work away from home. To contend with this when we do finally get to sleep we wake up to feel worse or even more exhausted.

So how can you help yourself to sleep better or deeper at least when you do manage to lay your beautiful head on the pillow to recharge your batteries. Well i have done a little tip list to help you. So even if you can implement one of these things in your life it will hopefully help your body during resting times.

So first of all why do we need to sleep? 

"When we sleep, our brain takes that time to clean out the build-up of brain junk we accumulate during our waking hours. Sleep is pretty much necessary for our body’s mental street-cleaners to come out and do their work." ~ http://www.geekosystem.com/understanding-sleep/

"We have to sleep because it is essential to maintaining normal levels of cognitive skills such as speech, memory, innovative and flexible thinking. In other words, sleep plays a significant role in brain development." ~ http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/articles/whatissleep.shtml

Sleep problems can happen due to stress levels being high and this is due to the Vata Dosha in the body rising. Not sleeping properly or at all can then become a factor that causes other problems within the body such as constipation or depression and much more. 

So we know it is extremely important to sleep so here are a few tips to hopefully help.

• Avoid drinks with caffeine in them, especially after 5pm 
• Eat healthy, fresh fruit and veg
• Drink water
• Try to cut out or down refined sugary foods, cakes, sweets and drinks.
• Stop yourself from watching violent programs and this includes limiting the NEWS 
• Try to limit heavy food intake after 6pm
• Do a yoga practise when ever you this WILL REDUCE stress levels
• Meditation before you go to sleep
• Have a warm bath 
• Massage oils onto your body (slightly warm sesame oil, brahmi oil, jatamamsi oil)
• Use an eye mask especially if you are travelling if light can disturb you.
• Use ear plugs if travelling
• Drink warm milk add a pinch of Nutmeg or Cardamon to it - YUM
• Eat Cherries they are good for stress and mental fatigue
•  Drink Chamomile Tea

FOR YOU: Here is a Free Yoga Video with a asana sequence and pranayama practice that you can also try to help with any sleeping problems that you may have.

 

PS: Happy Boxing Day

HOW TO OVERCOME PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PAIN

So last night i decided to incorporate the theme of pain into yoga class. Yes that was their reaction also, PAIN???? But let me explain. 

My opening quotes was 

So a few of my beautiful yoga students have certain ailments, injuries and "suffer" with pain. But my theme was to get them to melt and surrender and except the pain. We so often have pain in our lower back, shoulders, knees and not only on a physical sense but also an emotional level such as sadness, depression, anger, irritation and much more.

My theme was based on the Buddhist teachings. 

Visualise this....

Being shot by an arrow and this shot causes us pain either physically or emotionally.

We then allow ourselves to be shot by another arrow (the second arrow). Which ultimately causes us even more pain because we allow the mind to cause us more suffering by being cross with ourselves, blaming or letting ourselves dwell and think about what has been, what we want back, what was which then may spiral into depression, anger, blame and much more.

So to avoid more suffering the wise man will only allow himself to be shot by the first arrow. 

So how do we stop ourselves getting shot by that second arrow? 

Well during class i approached this by allowing students to explored there own pain from the first arrow, locating any given area that they experience pain in, this could be physical or also emotional. I gave them time to locate and feel the sensations and what was actually happening in their body rather than what the mental thought process was creating. Rather than avoiding or pushing it away i encouraged them to feel the sensations let the feelings rise and fall, experience them, learn from it instead and become unattached. 

I asked them to breath the breath into the area, saying "hello" yes i know you are their pain! Riding the waves. Nothing is ever still, the body will continue to change just like all things around us will. Embrace the experience now and take the journey and allow yourself to melt into it and accept it rather than fight it causing yourself more suffering.

So instead of fighting with the sensations allow yourself to have Patience, acceptance and be non-reactive towards it allowing yourself to be unattached and live a much more free and peaceful life.

When touched with a feeling of pain,
the ordinary uninstructed person
sorrows, grieves,
and laments, beats his breast,
becomes distraught.
So he feels two pains,
physical and mental.

Just as if they were to shoot a man with an arrow and,
right afterward,
were to shoot him with another one,
so that he would feel
the pains of two arrows.

–The Buddha

I hope this can help even just a little if you are suffering with anything at the moment. 

Namaste beautiful friend :-)

HEALING THE HEART CHAKRA

This week has been an interesting week as we have worked on the heart chakra.

During my own time working on this chakra i have had some moments of tears, the physical sensations have been something that i can only describe as a heavy feeling in my chest centre. 

I find this chakra as well as some of the others to be quiet amazing. I guess being aware of my own body, energies and its balances and in balances i have certain chakras that i personally work on alone more than others. 

The colour that respresents this beautiful heart chakra is green. It is also known as the Anahata Chakra and it is the 4th chakra, located in the centre of our chest (between the breasts), to be even more precises it is bewteen the 4th and 5th thoracic vertebrae. This chakra is the ruler of the heart, upper back, breasts, lungs, blood and circulation, skin, immune system, arms and hands. 

At this chakra a transition takes place from the lower three chakras which are much more personal (our foundations) to a more interpersonal place. This chakra really allows us to take ourself away from the ego and move into a place of unconditional and divine love. 

The diagram below shows the symbolic image of Anahata Chakra. The black point at the top of the triangle represents the energy moving up through the heart chakra into the next three chakras of a more evolved, transpersonal consciousness, if the energy rises we can feel devotion, pure , divine and love. The lower black point on the bottom traiangle represents the energy moving down, being unable to move through the heart chakra, if this accures we feel desire, jealousy, sadness and despire. 

All of the petals running around the image show all the amazing qualities of Anahata Chakra :-) 

When the chakra is balanced we feel: 

• Compassionate
• Truthful
• Sensitive
• Receptive
• Unconditional Love
•  Generous
• Radiating Warmth

 When unbalanced in this chakra we feel:

• Needy
• Jealous
• Confused
• Abuse of love
• Abuse of drugs/alcohol
• Angry
• Hateful
• Uncaring
• Unfeeling
• Unforgiving

If this chakra is unbalanced physical problems can accumulate in the areas that the heart chakra is connected to; such as heart problems, circulation problems, lung issues and asthma and other breathing issues.

So hopefully you now have a good idea if you are more balanced or unbalanced, but what causes us to be unbalanced and what do you do to balance?

Many things can causes this chakra to become blocked and we are all different, events that have happened to you that caused sadness, somebody hurting you badly, a broken heart, your trust being destructed. This chakra registers the quality of love in our life and if our unconditional love is tampered with or taken for granted this can effect us deep inside this chakra. As we grow up we are small, Innocent, naive and it can be damaged during this time also, as all we thrive off is unconditional love, protection and to be free when being young. The heart centre holds deep emotions and the body tries its best to protect us how ever it sees fit and this can result in the heart chakra being unbalanced. It can also happen at any time during our life and it can also be seated in the heart centre for many years before we even register a problem here due to us not being in touch with our self and body.

How to start balancing Anahata chakra, well without a dought taking your yoga class is definitely advised. If you do your own home practice work with back bends to open the heart, back bending can feel overwhelming for those who are holding pain in this area from past events, be gentle with yourself and give your body time to open. Meditation on the heart chakra is also a very nurturing way to allow relief in this area, you may have build up contractions within this space from past memories and events and breathing into the heart can help enormously, i do suggest doing this with a teacher for guidance to begin with (i shall do a meditation for this to guide you through a meditation practice on the heart). 

Gem stones can be used (keeping them close to you) The gem stones for this chakra are Rose quarts, emerald and jade among others may be used under your own intuition. 

Foods that can compliments Anahata are sattvic foods that will calm and support the energy such as nuts, seeds, fruits and yogurt. 

Also giving unconditionally, helping and doing selfless service. As Krishna says to Arjuna in The Bhagavad Gita "Arjuna must act selflessly, out of a sence of duty. He must work not for his own sake, but for the welfare of all" p71, Chapter three, selfless service, The Bhagavad Gita, Eknath Easwaran.

So i hope this post sheds some more light on The Heart Chakra we have been working on this week.

Reference: http://www.yogajournal.com/basics/898?page=5
http://www.yogaindailylife.org/esystem/yoga/en/180400/chakras/anahata-chakra/
The Bhagavad Gita, Eknath Easwaran, Nilgiri Press
Chakra Work, Mary Horsley, Octopus Publishing,

WHAT IS YOGA?

I did a video on what is Yoga....

Hope you enjoy :-)

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THE IMPORTANCE OF SHAVASANA

Shavasana plays a very important part of our yoga practice and i have to say i try to emphasis this in my classes. 

This part of the yoga practice can be the most difficult to master, due to us lying and trying to quieten everything especially the wandering mind. Most people struggle to begin with when attempting relaxation (so your not alone if this is you), this is quiet normal due to the stresses we are surrounded with in day to day life. Our mind is being pulled all over the place with different challenges, tasks and demands from moment to moment outside of yoga class and to train the mind to be still is a task in itself to begin with. 

So how do we begin to master this section of the practice? The first thing is we don't beat our self up when our mind wanders, our regular yoga practce in itself with make it easier and easier as our mind becomes more still. Our yoga practice starts the one pointed concentration due to our postures and the following of the breath during asana work, so when we come to rest over time the mind with naturally begin to quieten, but you will have odd days where it wont. 

When you first begin and you struggle with lots of thoughts in Shavasana if the teacher isn't guiding you through a relaxation or visualisation then bring your awareness to your breath, watch it, do not change it just watch, and if your mind drifts bring your awareness back to your breath again gently. Remember there is no right and wrong and don't judge yourself or be disapointed if the mind wanders, you should praise yourself for just being at class in the first place!

Shavasana = Sava = dead; also know as corpse pose requires you to lie on your back, legs a comfortable distance apart with the feet falling to the corners of your mat. Your arms a nice distance away from your body. I encourage palms to face up towards the sky (in order to receive/being open). If you feel vulnerable then placing palms down or moving onto your side is always an option to make you feel safer. The shoulders should move away from the ears to create space in the neck, and the neck should be long and chin to chest but not scrunched up to chest....nice and long. If pregnant then this position is not recommended but instead take it onto your side. Glasses are advised to be removed so they don't press on nerve endings and cause discomfort.

So we now know how lie in shavasana and if the mind wanders how to try and guide it gently to the breath, but why is it so important to do this pose when we have so much to get done at home!

Well i believe that out of all the poses this pose is the most important pose and its so important to do this at the end of class even if it is just for 3 minutes.

Why? Because after your yoga postures this asana allows the body to reset, rest and recoup. We never get time to rest in this way and here we can do it, we must learn to take advantage of it.

"The stress of modern civilisation are a strain on the nerves for which Savasana is the best antidote" Light on Yoga (iyengar)

It helps to lift fatigue from the body and tiredness after the asanas. Another amazing benefit is that it allows the whole psychophysiological system to relax.

So what better way to end your yoga session than with relaxation in savasana, so next time you want to rush off and cant stop thinking about the jobs you have to do when you leave think to yourself WAIT THIS NEXT FEW MOMENTS WILL BENEFIT ME LONG TERM PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY, AND HELP ME BE MORE PRODUCTIVE WHEN I LEAVE CLASS. SO LET GO, RELAX AND ENJOY!