Yoga at Home for Absolute Beginners!

Yoga Exercises for Beginners: How to do the Lion (helps sore throats too!)

Yes - Halloween (one of my favorite holidays) is just around the corner so I thought I'd give you a scare!  In all candor, years ago, the first time my then husband saw me do this exercise one morning, he jumped back in alarm.  Despite the frightful or some would say silly appearance of this facial yoga technique it has many benefits.  Read the step-by-step instructions below and give it a whirl.  It won't make you look 25 if you're 55, but it can keep your face and neck better toned than they would be otherwise.

Book Excerpt - Copyright 2010

Lion (Sanskrit name is Simhasana)

"Yoga facial toning promotes the production of healthier, more resilient cells and facial muscles in the gentle way Mother Nature intended, from the inside out." Rose Hong Tran, Yoga Facial Toning.

Type of yoga pose: Can be done seated or standing

Body parts targeted:  Face and throat 

How to do the pose:

1.    Sit in a comfortable position on your mat in a half-lotus pose or Japanese sitting position or in a chair with your spine erect.

2.    Arch your back slightly forward and stretch your arms out stiffly at the elbows.  Spread your fingers far apart.

3.    Inhale deeply and then exhale strongly forcing all stale air from your lungs.

4.    Open your mouth as wide as you can and your eyes as wide as possible.

5.    Extend your tongue out of your mouth as far as it will go- as if you were trying to touch your chin with it.

6.    Hold this position motionless for 10 seconds.

7.    Slowly draw your tongue back into your mouth, close your mouth, and relax completely.  Allow your hands to relax on your thighs.  Inhale and exhale deeply.

8.    Repeat the exercise. 

Practice Time:  Start by holding the pose for 10 seconds, add five seconds a week until you’ve built up to 30 seconds.

Number of repetitions:  3 in a practice session.  Can also be done any time of the day to wake up your face.

Key benefits from this pose: 

1.    Increases energy and vitality in the face and throat – perks up the face.

2.    Stretches away tension lines in the face and neck.

3.    Helps prevent or minimize wrinkling.

4.    Helps firm sagging face and neck muscles.

5.    Increases circulation and stimulates nerves in the face and neck.

6.    Stimulates and massages the larynx.

7.    Can stop or alleviate sore throats.

8.    Helps to remove a double chin.

Special tips and Laura’s experience with this pose:

   

 

Exhale fully when you stick out your tongue.  This can seem hokey, but some yoga teachers suggest roaring as you exhale and stick out your tongue to enhance the pose. Keep your eyes wide open during this pose. 

I have not had sore throats for several years (just two since I stop eating red meat, poultry, and dairy products in 2002). You can nip sore throats in the bud and alleviate the discomfort by doing this funny looking facial exercise – I can vouch that it worked for those two sore throats.  

Yours for sticking out your tongue for great benefits,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

 

 

 

Yoga Exercises for Beginners: How to Relax and Warm-up with Neck Rolls

Yoga neck rolls are an excellent way to relax and warm up for the rest of your yoga practice.  They're one of my favorite yoga techniques because they can be so soothing.  Below is an excerpt from my book which tells you exactly how to do them. Enjoy!

Neck Rolls

Type of yoga pose:  Can be done standing or sitting. Sitting in a cross-legged, half-lotus or full lotus position enhances the relaxation benefits of this exercise.

Body parts targeted:  Neck and upper back

How to do the pose:

1.    Stand or sit erect and relaxed with your hands and arms at your sides or on your knees if seated.

2.    Breathe in and out slowly and relax for a few seconds.

3.    First inhale and gently drop your head so that your chin is resting on your chest on or below your collarbone or as far as you comfortably can reach in the beginning.  Hold for one or two seconds and exhale as you slowly raise your head and resume its upright position.  Repeat this movement two more times.

4.    Inhale and gently drop your head toward your back so the back of your head is touching your back or as far as you can comfortably go. Hold for one second.  If you are very stiff and haven’t done many neck movements in years, you may experience discomfort. Take it easy and move gently. Exhale and move your head back slowly to its upright position.

5.    Inhale and turn your head as far as is comfortable to the left side (no, you are not going to do a full head turnaround as in the Exorcist!), hold for a second, exhale and return your head to the center starting position. Be careful not to move your shoulders as you turn your head to the side.  You want to maximize the neck stretch.  Repeat twice more. Do the same movements to the right side and back three times.

6.    Inhale and move your head straight downward to the left side, hold for a second, exhale, and return head to upright position. Repeat twice more on left side.  Do the same movement on the right side three times.

7.    Inhale and drop your head very slowly until your neck is completely limp and your chin is resting on your chest on or below your collarbone, or as far as you can comfortably go.

8.    Ever so slowly, roll your head to your right side.  Keep your neck loose and allow the weight of your head to pull your neck muscles. Imagine you are a marionette and someone is gently maneuvering the strings that move your neck.

9.    Continue moving your head slowly until your head is touching your back.  (You are making a half, not a full circle).

10.Exhale and gently roll head back to the front.  Lift your head and resume its upright position.  Repeat twice more on the left.  Do the same movements on the right side three times.

Practice time:  3 repetitions of this pose takes about 5 minutes.

Number of repetitions:  3 on each side.

Key benefits from this pose:  

1.    Helps warm you up for your yoga session.

2.    Relieves stiffness, tension, and pain in the neck and upper back.

3.    Enhances flexibility and mobility of the neck.

4.    Helps tighten the area right under the chin.

5.    Smoothes lines from the neck and helps elongate the neck.

6.    Relaxes body.

Special hints and Laura’s experience with this pose:

The neck is an area of the body that tends to collect neuro-muscular tension that can cause pain and stiffness. Once, when I was 24 years old I spent an entire day typing at an office. I barely moved as I focused on completing a project.  Big mistake!  I put undue stress on my neck.  My neck became so stiff that I could hardly turn my head for the next 3 days! I had to take several warm baths before the stiffness eased and before I could resume turning my head and moving my neck normally.

Neck rolls are feasible for most beginners. If you have had any neck injuries or whiplash, check with your physician or medical advisor first. If done very gently, however, neck rolls can help to strengthen the neck area and heal it from injury. As yogi Erich Schiffman recommends in his book, Yoga – The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness, keep your eyes closed as you do the neck rolls to “magnify the sensations.”

At first, you may hear cracking or graveling noises in your neck as you move your head. I heard mild crunching at the top of my neck when I began doing neck rolls. However, with consistent gentle practice, your head should be able to revolve smoothly as if it had been well lubricated and any crunching or cracking noises should be minimal.  Remember, never jerk your head in any way. Think  s – m – o – o – t – h   movement.

You can fit in neck rolls throughout the day as an afternoon tension reliever at your desk or at night before sleep to totally relax you.  If I have trouble sleeping, I do the neck rolls.  However, I usually do neck rolls in the morning as a warm-up for my daily yoga session.

Copyright 2010

 

 

 

Yoga for Beginners: How to do the Arm and Leg Stretch - Book Excerpt

 
The arm and leg stretch above is another one of the more challenging poses I do every other day, alternating it with the eagle.  I often do it against a wall because I still lose my balance sometimes.  Below are the instructions.

Arm and Leg Stretch

Type of yoga pose:  Standing

Body parts targeted:  Upper arms, legs, back, and spine

How to do the pose: 

1.    Stand tall on your mat with your hands at your sides, chest held high, abdomen in and your feet and heels together. Inhale and exhale slowly at least once.

2.    Gradually raise your left arm into the air until it is above your head but not completely perpendicular to it.

3.    Place all your weight on your left leg.

4.    Bend your right leg at the knee and slowly raise your right foot up until you can grasp it firmly, yet gently, with your right hand.

5.    In slow motion, inhale deeply and pull your right leg up with your right hand.

6.    Bend your body backward at your waist.

7.    Move your left arm as far back as is comfortable and without losing your balance.

8.    Let your head drop back gently and slowly until your eyes are looking upward. 

9.    Hold the pose motionless for 5 seconds.

10.To exit this pose, take a few seconds to bring your left arm forward while also releasing your pull on your right leg. Relieve the backward bend of your spine.  Come forward gently with your head.

11.Release your right foot and let your right leg descend to a normal standing position.  Lower your left arm back down to your side in slow motion.

12.Inhale and exhale slowly for a moment or two and repeat the pose on the opposite side.

Practice time:  Start by holding the pose for 5 seconds on each side during the first week and add 5 seconds each week until you can hold the pose for 15-25 seconds.

Number of repetitions:  1-2 on each side

Key benefits from this pose:

1.    Develops your sense of balance.

2.    Gives your spine a gentle, backward stretch that can be energizing.

3.    Relieves and reduces tension in the back and thighs.

4.    Increases your poise and grace as you sit and walk—leading to improved posture.

Special hints and Laura’s experience with this pose:

Stand tall and erect when you do this pose. Imagine you have the grace and poise of a swan gliding across a placid lake. Learning to maintain your balance during this pose may take a few weeks or months of practice. I have found that keeping my eyes fixed on a point in the ceiling can help. If you lose your balance, lower your arms and leg gently, pause, regain your composure, and redo. It helps to do this pose next to a wall so you can catch yourself and regain your balance if you start wobbling.

Sometimes you may suffer setbacks. No problem. This pose requires special balance and coordination – no wonder it’s been one of the more difficult ones for me to master. Some days I can keep my balance perfectly.  Other days I am wobbling back and forth like an inexperienced trapeze artist on a tightrope! 

Enjoy the stretch and have fun with it, regardless of how long you can keep your balance. Doing this pose makes you more conscious of your posture and encourages you hold your head high! You’ll feel more energized and confident!

Copyright 2010

Yours for keeping your balance,

 Laura Venecia Rodriguez

 

Yoga for Beginners: How to do Easy Eye Movements

Yeah, yeah, I know I look strange here.  But, I am just doing a helpful yoga eye exercise. Paul McCartney even does this exercise - you can watch him on youtube.com. Probably most people don't even think about exercising their eyes as part of their fitness program.  However, considering how much time many of us spend before a computer screen or watching TV or videos, it can benefit us to do some yoga eye exercises. They're easy and can be effective in relaxing your eyes and easing eye strain.  Step-by-step instructions from my book follow below.

Yoga Eye Movements

Type of yoga pose:  Can be done seated or standing and may be combined with poses such as the lion or the shoulder stand.

Body parts targeted:  Eyes, eye muscles, and nervous system

How to do the pose: 

1.    Sit in a comfortable position on your mat or in a chair with your spine erect.  Or, if you prefer, you can stand.

2.    Keep your eyes open throughout this exercise.

3.    Picture a large, ordinary clock in front of you with the numbers 1 to 12 in bold black.

4.    Look up at the imaginary number 12 on the top of your clock dial and stretch your eyes upward as far as possible in your sockets when practicing this technique.

5.    Begin moving your eyes clockwise around the imaginary dial stopping for one second at each number. Hold your head straight and motionless.

6.    When you have finished moving your eyes clockwise from 12 and back to 12, perform the same movements going counterclockwise, i.e., moving from 12 to 11 to 10 and so forth.  When you have returned to 12, close and rest your eyes, pausing for a few seconds before repeating the movements.

7.    Perform the eye movements in a complete circle 2-3 times alternating from clockwise to counterclockwise.

Number of repetitions:  2-3 rotations in a practice session. Can also be done any time of the day to sooth and invigorate your eyes.

Key benefits from this pose: 

1.    Removes tension in the eyes.

2.    Relieves eye fatigue.

3.    Relaxes the entire nervous system.

4.    Strengthens eye muscles.

5.    Can relieve tension, headache, and eye aches.

 

Variation of the Around the Clock Eye Movements

The around the clock eye movements can also be done with the eyes closed.  When the eyes are closed the movements should be more relaxed and easy-going. Be gentle with your eyes. Never force your eyes to look to the farthest extent of their sockets.

Special hints, Laura’s experience with this pose:

Follow the eye movements by lying in the sponge pose. This will relax you and is a soothing way to complete your daily yoga routine. Take a couple of minutes during the day to do these eye movements when your eyes are tired and if you feel stressed. You can also combine the clock eye movements with other yoga techniques such as the lion or the shoulder stand.

Yours for strengthening your eyesight and your insight,

 

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

 

 

Yoga for Beginners: How to do the Eagle

Here's how to do one of the more challenging poses I do.  I have to admit, I often wobble getting into this one and lose my balance.  It takes practice but you definitely feel the toning action in your calves and thighs.  The instructions from my book follow.

Eagle (Sanskrit name is Garudasana)

Type of yoga pose:  Standing 

Body parts targeted:  Legs, thighs, upper back, hips, and knee joints

How to do the pose:

1.    Stand erect and focus your eyes on one spot in front of you at eye level.

2.    Inhale and shift your weight onto your left leg. With your left leg (which is standing) slightly bent, bend and raise your right leg off the ground.

3.    Wrap your right leg around the front of your left standing leg and tuck your right raise foot behind the left knee. To stay balanced, you may need to bend your left standing knee slightly more.

4.    Next, extend your left arm in front of you and cross your right arm, bent at the elbow, over your left arm at the elbow and gently lock that position so that the right elbow is resting on the left arm at the point where the upper and lower arm meet.

5.    Entwine your hands so your right wrist is wrapped around the left wrist and your hands are clasped palm to palm.

6.    Place your forehead on your clasped hands and rest in this pose for a few seconds, keeping your balance.

7.    Exhale and gently bend forward, taking at least 5 seconds, until your chest rests on your upper leg and knee. Keep your arms entwined. You should look like an American eagle ready to swoop down on its prey.

8.    Hold the pose for 5 seconds (inhale and exhaling deeply) and taking at least 5 seconds to come up slowly, vertebra by vertebra.  Raise your head last. Gently unclasp your arms and legs.

9.    Repeat on the opposite leg.

10.At first, when you are developing the balance and coordination needed to hold the pose, you may have to adjust your balance by gentling touching down the right leg to the floor as you rise up out of the pose.

11.Repeat pose by standing and shifting weight to right leg.

Practice time:  Hold for 5 seconds; add 5 seconds a week until you can hold the bent over position for 20-30 seconds.

Number of repetitions:  1 or 2

Key benefits from this pose: 

1.    Improves and develops balance, poise, and nerve coordination.

2.    Tones legs and thigh muscles.

3.    Stretches upper back muscles and hip and knee joints.

Special hints and Laura’s experience with this pose:

This exercise may appear strange but it’s relaxing and superb for improving balance and coordination.  You will feel the toning of your calves and thighs. I feel it every time!

The key is to move gradually and deliberately to maintain your balance and to synchronize your breath with your movements.  At times I can maintain my balance for only a few seconds without wobbling.  If you cannot bend forward and stay balanced when you start this pose, stay balanced in the standing pose for the stated time. After a few days or weeks of consistent practice, you should be able to bend forward and achieve balance in the “eagle” position.  If you tend to wobble as I do (often!), do the pose near a wall to catch yourself.

 Copyright 2010

Yours for gaining the strength of an eagle,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

 

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Yoga for Beginners: Silly Myths Persist!

You would think that given yoga's growing popularity that people would not still have the same fears and misperceptions that arose when yoga started to increase in popularity in the United States in the mid-to-late 1960s, especially after the Beatles stayed in India for a while. But, ignorance and misconceptions still persist. 

Just last week I read a story about a Southern Baptist leader, Albet Mohler, who warned Christians against doing yoga.  He stated that  he objects to "the idea that the body is a vehicle for reaching consciousness with the divine."  Well, when I was a child and teen I went to a Society of Friends meeting (i.e., church).  The Society of Friends is also known as the group called "Quakers" which refers to the  "quaking" of their bodies when they experienced reaching a consciousness of the divine.  Many denominations I think experience or achieve consciousness with the divine through their bodies...

Surprisingly, it turns out misconceptions about and bias against yoga is not limited to conservative Christians.  Even certain Muslim groups have banned yoga. However, as people who practice yoga know - you don't have to change your religious beliefs or lack thereof - yoga is for people of all faiths or no faith.  I do agree with one person who responded to Mohler's diatribe against yoga.  She said about her yoga practice, "What I found is that it opened my spirit, it renewed my spirituality." "That happened first and then I went back to church." Personally, yoga has strengthened me in my body, mind, and spirit and I feel a greater oneness with all people and gratitude for all of life.  That's what spirituality and a consciousness of the divine mean to me...So silly myths...be gone!

Yours for celebrating yoga,

 

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

Beginners Yoga: How to Do the Backward Bend - Book excerpt

The backward bend shown above is invigorating despite its seeming simplicity.  Below are step by step instructions on how to do it.

Backward Bend 

Body parts targeted: Toes, feet, ankles, arches, knee joints, upper thighs, spinal column

How to do the pose:

1.    Kneel on your mat with your hands on your thighs, palms down, and you knees and feet together. 

2.    Sit so that your buttocks are resting on your heels.

3.    Sit erectly with your entire body weight resting on your heels. (Segment 1)  (This is also known as the Japanese sitting position.)

4.    Optional Segment 1(A) – move up slightly so you are sitting on your heels supported by your toes as shown in the photo below. Hold this pose for 5 seconds.  Then move gently back into the Japanese sitting position.

5.    Now move your hands to your sides so that your fingertips are touching the floor.

6.    Slowly, walk back with your hand, a few inches at a time until your hands are about 1 to 2 feet behind your feet with your palms down, roughly at shoulder width, and your arms should be parallel. Your elbows should be straight (but not rigid) and your fingers should point back n the same direction as your toes. (Segment 2)

7.    Lower your head and neck backward slowly until they are hanging down limp and relaxed.

8.    While keeping your buttocks on your heels, and without removing any of your body weight off your feet, move your abdomen upward and forward, thereby arching your spine backwards.

9.    Staying still, hold this position for 5 seconds (Segment 3) (as shown in photo).

10.  Slowly lower your abdomen to its original position.

11.  Raise your head and neck gently.

12.  Walk forward with your hands until you are again seated upright in your original pose.

13.  Move into the child pose and rest there for about 10 seconds.

Practice time:  Start by holding each segment of the pose for 5 seconds maximum and add or 2 seconds per week until you can comfortably hold each segment for 20-30 seconds.

Number of repetitions:  1-2

Key benefits from this pose: 

1.    Enhances flexibility of your toes, ankles, and feet.

2.    Strengthens toes.

3.    Develops rib cage, bust, and chest, and helps to improve your posture.

4.    Releases tension from the upper thighs

5.    Gives the spinal column a mild backward stretch helping to restore its elasticity and making it more limber.

6.    Can increase circulation in the head and face and give you a sense of renewed energy.

Special tips and Laura’s experience with this pose:

If you have neglected your feet and toes (and most of us probably have), proceed with extra caution and care when doing this pose. Our feet and toes have numerous bones and muscles that we must handle gently. One thing I learned in doing this pose is how critical details are when learning a yoga pose. Although Yoga for Beauty and Health was one of my first and best comprehensive instructional yoga guides, for a couple of poses and specifically this one, the instructions and photos are missing a few critical steps.  As a result when I used the incomplete instruction to teach this pose to my friend, Debbie, during our high school tour of the United Kingdom, she had great difficulty with it and hurt one of her feet. The instructions I have provided you above, however, include the missing steps. You need not worry!

Copyright 2010

Yours for bending back into shape,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

 

Yoga for Beginners: How to do the Locust

 

In my previous post, I emphasized that yoga IS a weight-bearing exercise and helps to strengthen the bones. Below you will find the instructions on how to do the locust shown in the above photo. This is one of the more challenging poses that I do and share in my upcoming book, but it's worth the effort!

Locust Pose (Sanskrit name is Salabhasana)

Type of yoga pose:   Prone

Body parts targeted:  Hips, buttocks, lower back, abdomen, and thighs

How to do the pose:  

1.    Lie face down on your abdomen on your mat with your face resting on your lower lip.  Your arms should be at your sides.

2.    Extend your toes straight out and bring your heels and toes together.

3.    Clench your hands into fists and place your fists thumbs down so that your hands are like firm levers.

4.    Inhale deeply, tighten your whole body, push downward with your arms on your fists and raise both legs up into the air as high as you can.

5.    Hold your legs up in the air for 3-5 seconds while holding your inhalation.

6.    Slowly, gently, and smoothly lower your legs back to the mat taking at least 3-5 seconds or longer while exhaling smoothly. (Don’t collapse into a heap!)

7.    Inhale and exhale deeply for at least one full breath.

8.    Allow your body to go limp.

9.    Repeat if desired.

Practice time:  Start by holding the pose for 3-5 seconds during the first week and add a few seconds each week until you can hold the pose for 10 seconds.

Number of repetitions:  1-2

Key benefits from this pose:

1.    Strengthens the muscles of the buttocks, lower back, abdomen, and thighs (and helps create the infamous “yoga butt!”)

2.    Firms and trims the hips, buttocks, and thighs.

3.    Improves circulation in the organs in the abdominal cavity.

4.    Helps boost the libido by benefiting the sexual glands and organs (sex becomes sexier!)

Special hints and Laura’s experience with this pose:

This pose can be one of the most strenuous for non-athletes like me because you have to lift much of your body weight.  That’s why it is an effective strengthening pose.

Use your fists as firm levers to push and hold you up in the air.  Keep your thumbs again the floor and keep your fists close to your sides.  When you go up into the locust, move your body weight onto your chin and your arms.  Also, it can help to visualize your legs high up in the air as you raise and hold them there.

Be patient with this pose. Don’t worry if you can hold it for only 3 seconds for days, weeks, or even months. Consistent practice is the key. This pose challenges me because I have never had much upper body strength. After doing this pose I have to catch my breath and inhale and exhale deeply several times.

I’d like to make one other point about the Locust.  I do it as part of a trifecta of poses—the cobra, bow, and locust poses in that order and they form one segment of my daily practice. I find they naturally flow together and enhance the benefits of each other.  Together, these poses have proven an effective antidote to lower back pain. I discovered this recently when I was not paying attention to my posture at my work desk during a long writing project. I rose from my desk and my lower back protested in pain. The pain didn’t dissipate until I did a sequence of these poses that unwound the kinks in my back. What wonderful and immediate relief they provided—I was delighted!

Copyright 2010

Yours for enjoying weight-bearing yoga,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez