{quite the nudge}
send a little peace and love out there today.
sit quietly and follow the breath. breathe in peace, love, and forgiveness for yourself.
bless yourself and all you may be personally blaming.
move on to those you love, sending them peace, love, and forgiveness.
next to those you have trouble with.
and last to the the world!
-taken from Tosha Silvers OUTRAGEOUS OPENNESS
{dharana}
The sixth limb of yoga is concentration. Assuming you've worked your way through the first five limbs already, then you have a nice clear head to move onto this new goal. Focus your attention on a single point and you can still the mind, preparing yourself for meditation.
Think of this limb as your "be here now". Use your concentration to stay present in the moment.
{using a block}
Don't let yourself be resistant to using a block for your practice. A block can be a strong aide when you are new to class, a strong aide when you need a few more inches, and a stronger aide for a seasoned practice to get deeper and more open.
Here are a few of my favorite uses for a block:
1. Balancing Half Moon. Placing a block under my hand helps me to lift and open in half moon.
{neck and shoulders}
A tight neck and shoulders is an unfortunate fixture of many of my days! Every bit of stress and tension (good and bad) have is knotted up right there. Here are a few things that help me!
1. Foam Roller: rolling out my back on my foam roller is helpful. I also thread the needle with my foam roller in front of me, resting my neck on the roller.
{pranayama}
The fourth limb of yoga is our breathing practice. The body is based on our breath. Breathing practices encourage a steady flow of energy through the body.
Prana means "life force" and Ayama means "control". The LITTLE BOOK OF YOGA defines pranayama as "aiding the movement of life force through the body by controlling the breath, and is a foundation of yoga practice."
Focusing on your breath can bring calm to your body and your mind. Use breathing exercises as a form of meditation or just to calm yourself during a stressful time.
{shoulder stand}
Shoulder stand stretches the neck, shoulders, and the throat. Lay down on your mat, stretch arms long beside you and press down into your palms. Use the core to lift legs and low back off the mat and bring hands to low back. Walk your hands down your back and straighten and stack the body. Working to bring your body in to a vertical position.
Push through feet and firm shoulder blades. Keep head still without looking side to side to protect the neck. You can place a folded blanket under the shoulders for support for the neck if you are uncomfortable.
A few weeks ago, a friend asked me for some tips on managing stress. Here is what I came up with!
Hi! Okay, it’s really hard to pinpoint the things that I did to help manage my stress. I knew I was stressed at my job, but it was such a normal part of my life that it wasn’t until I left that I realized just how much It affected my life.
{asana}
The third limb of yoga is the physical practice. Yoga asana, the pose, were designed to prepare your body to sit for meditation.
Challenge yourself for the next 30-days. Attend a few extra yoga classes. On the days you can’t, roll through some Sun A’s before work your after your workout. Before bead, take a child’s pose, ragdoll, and legs up the wall.
{upward facing dog}
From chatarunga, we flip the feet and find an arch. Pressing tops of feet and hands into the mat, we lift the body. Pulling shoulders back to open and spread the collarbones. Shoulders safely over wrists and gaze lifted.
This pose either feels uncomfortable and a little scary on the low back, or light and open. Check out this great article from Yoga Gypsy for tips on your updog!
click below for soem great tips from Yoga Gypsy:
The Branches of Yoga
The different branches of yoga reflect the diversity of our temperaments, goals, and individual personalities.
• BHAKTI-devotion
• HATHA- physical exercise
• JHANA- wisdom
• KARMA-service
• MANTRA –sound
• RAJA-meditation
