Yoga at Home for Absolute Beginners!

Yoga at Home for Beginners: New Book Excerpt - Knee and Thigh Stretch

My soon to be released book is with a book designer at the moment, receiving its final touches.  Here is an excerpt that explains how to do the knee and thigh stretch that appears in Chapter 8. 

 

Knee and Thigh Stretch or Bound Angle Pose (Sanskrit name is Baddha Konasana; baddha means bound; kona means angle) - Copyright 2011

Type of yoga pose:  Active, seated 

Body parts targeted:  Thighs and legs

How to do the pose:  

1. Sit erect on your mat with your legs straight out in front of you, knees straight, toes and heels together.

2. Bend both legs at the knees and slowly bring your feet toward you, heels together, until the soles of your feet are as close to your groin as is comfortable.

 

3. Intertwine your fingers and grasp both feet with your hands. Continue to sit tall.

4. Sitting erect and continuing to hold your feet with your hands, slowly press down as far as you can toward the floor without straining or experiencing pain. 

5. Hold the pose motionless for 10 seconds.  

6. Slowly and gently ease the pressure from your legs and allow them to rise and return to their original, relaxed position.

7. Inhale and exhale slowly for up to 5 seconds and repeat the pose if desired.

 

Variation of this pose (sometimes called the “Tailor pose”)

1. Sit on your mat with your legs straight out in front of you and heels and toes together.

2. Bend your legs at the knees and bring your feet toward you until they are roughly at the distance from your body that your knees were when your legs were extended. (However, it can be valuable to try this pose with the feet at different distances from the pelvis/groin area.) Press the soles of your feet together, intertwine your fingers, and clasp your hands over your feet.

3. Bend your elbows outward and bend forward aiming your forehead for your heels.  Rest your elbows on your calves, thighs or the floor.  Hold for 10 seconds while inhaling and exhaling evenly.

Practice time: Hold the pose for 10 seconds during the first week; add 5 seconds each week until you can hold the pose for 30 seconds.

 

Number of repetitions:  1-2 

 

Key benefits from this pose: (including the variation):

 

1. Removes tension from the thighs and back.

2. Increases flexibility along the inside of the thighs and in the tendons.

3. Stretches seldom-used muscles and tendons of the inner thighs and enhances limberness.

4. Helps tone and slim the thighs.

5. May eliminate pain in the hip joints.

6. Helps energize the legs by releasing tension and increasing strength.

7. Enhances the way you walk – you will soon have more bounce and vitality to your step.

 

Special hints and Laura’s experience with this pose:

 

Always sit tall and erect; avoid slumping or you won’t reap the maximum benefits!  Do not bob your legs up and down to try to maximize your stretch. Never push or strain.

When I began this pose my legs stuck almost straight up in the air! Being able to reach the floor with my legs bent seemed impossible.  Nevertheless, patience and persistence prevail.  It may take you a few weeks or even a couple of months before your legs can reach the floor.  Don’t be discouraged. Your thighs benefit even if you can stretch your legs only a bit in the beginning. Over time, gravity and daily downward gentle pressure on your legs will do the trick!

Copyright 2011

Yours for flexibility with yoga,

 

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

 

 

 

Yoga at Home for the Beginner: Book Excerpt! - Knee to Chest Press

I have finally given birth!  To the book above which is now in the book designer's hands. She's taking charge at this point.  The book should be available in March 2011 from Amazon.com.

In the meantime, I share an excerpt from the book which explains a relaxing warm-up pose, the knee to chest press and the backward stretch.  Enjoy!

Knees to Chest Press and Backward Stretch

Body parts targeted:  Back, abdominal muscles, and neck

How to do this pose: 

1.     Lie on your back on your mat in a relaxed position; legs together and arms limp at your sides.

2.     Inhale and bring your left knee up to your chest, press your knee firmly against your chest with both hands intertwined.

3.     While continuing to press your knee firmly against your chest, move your foot gently in a clockwise circular direction three times while holding the knee in place pressed against your chest. 

 

4.     Exhale slowly and gently extend left leg back fully onto the mat.

5.     Inhale and repeat same movements with your right knee. Exhale.

6.     The sequence with the left and then right knee should be done three times on each side.

7.     Now gently stretch your entire body—first lift and s-t-r-e-t-c-h- your arms backward on the mat as if you are a swimmer doing a backstroke.  F-e-e-l the soothing stretch and enhance it by interlacing your fingers and stretching your arms back an inch or two more.

9.     Bend your toes back and forth to enhance the stretch.

10.  After completing the sequence, you may shift into a seated pose by gently turning to one side and leaning onto your slowly, slowly lift yourself into an upright seated position. Always ease in and out of the pose—never jump up or jerk out of a pose.

Variation of step 2:  When pulling up the knee, press it against the forehead by moving your forehead toward your knee. Hold and move your foot gently in a clockwise circular direction three times.  Exhale and release, extending your leg back onto the mat.

Key benefits of this pose:

1.     Warms up and prepares the body for more challenging poses.

2.     Relaxes and unwinds leg muscles.

3.     Helps relieve stomach gas and constipation.

4.     Eliminates tension in the back.

5.     The variation of step 2 strengthens abdominal muscles and neck.

 

Special tips and Laura’s experience with this pose: 

 

 

I do the knee and chest press and backward stretch immediately after the egg roll pose and before doing neck rolls. These stretches allow my back and leg muscles to unwind and release stiffness in my thighs and back. I am then warmed up for more challenging poses.

Your for increased relaxation and flexibility through yoga,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

Copyright 2011

 

 

Yoga at Home: The Eyes Have It - Learn Even More About Eye Yoga

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the improved vision in my right eye that might have resulted from the simple yoga eye exercises I have been doing the past couple of years.  I received a comment from a woman who has improved her own eyesight through yoga and other exercises that my improved vision "is not a coincidence."

She also pointed out that the eye yoga exercise I have been doing is a much simplified version of more powerful eye yoga techniques that can create improvement much faster than I experienced. 

I checked out the woman's website and read her story. Against the advice of her eye doctor,she improved her vision permanently through studying and using numerous eye exercises including yogic eye techniques "described in the book of Yogi Ramanantata" and "that have existed for centuries and have helped millions of people restore perfect vision."

Most intriguing!  I may have to add these techniques to my practice and see what happens. Her website contains numerous articles and free videos that you can check out.  Plus she has written a book about how to naturally restore your vision.  Go to:  http://www.snezha.com.

Yours for improved vision with yoga,

 

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

Awaken the Wisdom Within Communications, LLC

Yoga Away from Home: Yoga While Cruisin' Saves My Back!

Yes, this is the cruise ship I traveled on through the Eastern Caribbean a few weeks ago.  It's a BIG ship that has room for over 3,000 travelers.  As massive as it looks, the cabins or "staterooms" as they are called vary widely in size.  No, I did not have a room with a view.  I had one of the most interior rooms and it was quite "cozy."  Less than 100 square feet it was it seemed be.  I think it must have been built with those Lilliputians in Gulliver's Travels in mind.  I am not complaining - the cabin was actually an excellent lesson for your interior designers who want to maximize space.  But, it was quite small and left minimal room to do spread out a yoga mat and do yoga. Granted, the cruise line did offer yoga classes - but for a fee.  I wanted to invest my money on other things.

This was one of those times that my "pipsqueak" size came in handy and by moving around a glass table here and a trash can over there, I was able to create enough space to lay out my mat and practice yoga. And, it's a good thing, too!  Yoga came to my rescue one morning.  I was doing some of my early reading when I first awaken and I must have been unaware of my sitting posture because when I got up from the bed, whoa!  My lower back felt as if it had been put into a vise!  It was incredibly stiff all of a sudden and I could barely bend over. (It reminded me of the time I was 25 and had been typing all day without a break and then could not move my neck or head.) I could not lift the little glass table to put it out of the way for my yoga practice.  For a couple minutes I really got scared..."Had I put my back out?  Was I going to be laid up for days unable to move from the cabin and unable to present my talks?"

I paused and did some slow yoga breathing to calm down. Except for my lower back, I was still mobile.  I paused and  listened to my body. I decided that I would do whatever yoga moves I could do - albeit gingerly. I sensed that yoga would help get the kinks out of my lower back.  So, I went into my yoga practice extremely slowly and extra carefully.  I did several repetitions of poses targeting the lower back - i.e., the cobra, child's pose, and bow.  The first time I did the cobra I felt like a 120-year old woman barely able to move my back.  I only went as far as was comfortable.  But, guess what.  I repeated the pose and my back seemed to ease up!  By the end of my practice, I was almost back 100%!  I was so grateful for yoga coming to the rescue once again - on my cruise!  For those people who think yoga can be dangerous- "bah, humbug."  I discovered that sitting on a bed can lead to incredible lower back pain if I don't watch out!

Yours for back relief with yoga,

 

Laura Venecia Rodriguez