Yoga at Home for Absolute Beginners!

Guest Post: 5 Rituals to Enhance Yoga at Home by Katherine Hanlon

Yes, readers - it has been ages since I've updated my blog! 

But, in 2022, I plan to offer your monthly blog posts to inspire and enhance your yoga practice.

Hopefully, you have continued your yoga practice at home in 2021. To enhance your home practice, please enjoy the guest post submitted this month by writer Katherine Hanlon.

She works with a group that is immersed in the world of mindfulness, self-care, and spirituality.  Check out their website:  https://mindfulsouls.com.

 

5 Mindful Rituals to Enhance Yoga at Home

You probably know that yoga is a super beneficial physical practice for the body, mind, and soul.

But as relaxing and restorative as yoga may be, it is not easy. Therefore sometimes, we need extra motivation to go back to the mat. What if you could complement your yoga practice in different ways to help you enjoy the exercise more? Maybe even explore more of your spiritual side at the same time? Let's take a look at five mindful rituals that can surely enhance your yoga practice at home!

Meditation

Meditation and yoga go hand in hand. Meditation is often a big part of yoga classes. It can be a great starting point for your yoga session as it will set a foundation for a focused and quiet mind.

Meditation also helps keep the mind sharp and clear, perfect for enhancing your yoga progress and helping you do yoga postures correctly.

You can also end your yoga session with a meditation to reflect on what you've learned, how you've progressed, and to express gratitude for being alive.

Aromatherapy

What can be more wonderful than moving and flowing together with beautiful scents from nature?

Aromatherapy offers a diverse set of applications. You can choose from creating a ritual with essential oils or engaging in smudging, topical skin applications, bath bombs, and beyond.

To best enhance your yoga practice, diffuse essential oils evenly to cloak the space around you. Aromatherapy is used principally for stress relief and relaxation, which relates to yoga perfectly!

Here are some of the best scents for your home yoga:

Lavender is excellent for relaxation and has calming properties.
Peppermint can improve concentration.
Sandalwood's scent heightens mental clarity.

Mantra Repetition

The word "Mantra" comes from Sanskrit, meaning "to release the mind." And there's even a separate meditation method known as "Mantra meditation." Saying and repeating a particular mantra may help you concentrate and eliminate an unwanted stream of random thoughts.

However, a mantra will only be effective if you truly believe the idea behind it or if it has personal meaning for you. Therefore, make sure to create a mantra that is unique, impactful, and important to you. You can also use ancient and powerful chants such as OM that are time-tested and will act as a powerful meditation tool.

You can use a mantra during your pre-yoga meditation or while doing yoga.

Use Natural Crystals & Their Energy

I know what you might be thinking – and that's alright! Even if you are highly skeptical of crystals' metaphysical properties, having a crystal nearby or in your hands can help you relax more and be more present at the moment. Natural crystals are best paired with meditation, or they can serve as a lovely decoration. And it is all about feeling the comfort of the natural mineral or making the yoga space feel more cozy and welcoming. Crystals have the power to inspire and change how we approach spirituality and its practices.

Here are the best crystals for mediation or yoga:

Rose Quartz and its soft pink colors can give a sense of self-love and bliss during yoga practice.

Labradorite properties and rainbow colors are excellent if you enjoy a bit of mystical ambiance in your space.

Selenite crystal and its blank white surface can blend in perfectly if you love having a minimalistic design around you.

Journaling

You are probably confused and wondering how journaling is even related to yoga? Keeping a diary can benefit people of all ages and help you with your yoga practice!

Journaling has the unique power to free your mind of any feelings, thoughts, and experiences that might distract you during yoga practice. You can also log your progress and goals as well as identify challenges you observe during your yoga practice.

The clarity you gain from journaling will allow you to focus better on your performance, improve your flow, and move more swiftly between asanas.

Conclusion

And there you go! Don't hesitate to try these mindful rituals and see if they positively impact your overall well-being and yoga practice. And who knows, you just might be pleasantly surprised!

_______________

Thank you again, Katherine Hanlon, for your guest post!

To my blog readers - yes, do yoga at home mindfully!

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

 

 

Yoga at Home: Holistic Yoga Approach to Insomnia

Have insomnia?  Join me in an experiment this month.

 

 

 Below are instructions for the alternate nostril breath and neck rolls

 

Alternate Nostril Breath

 

Type of yoga pose:  Can be done seated or lying down 

Body parts targeted:  Lungs 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 lie down on your back on a mat or other flat surface).
2. You may choose to close your eyes.  Closing your eyes enhances the relaxation and calming effect of this technique.
3. Place your left thumb on but not closing your left nostril and place your index finger and middle finger on your forehead in the space between your eyebrows.  Exhale deeply from both nostrils.
4. Press down upon your left nostril with your left thumb and breathe in through your right nostril, expanding your abdomen and filling your lungs to the count of 4 or 8 or whatever count is most comfortable for you.
5. Press your index and middle fingers down on your right nostril and hold your breath for a count of 4.
6. Raise your left thumb off your left nostril and exhale all the air in your lungs through your left nostril to the count of 4 or 8.
7. Without changing the position of your hand, follow by breathing in through your left nostril for a count of 4 or 8.
8. Now press your left thumb down on your left nostril so both nostrils are closed.  Hold your breath for a count of 4.
9. Lift your index and middle fingers from your right nostril and exhale through your right nostril for a count of 4 or 8.

This completes one round of alternate nostril breathing.  Switch arms for the next found of breathing and go through the same routine starting by exhaling through both nostrils and then inhaling through the right nostril.

Number of repetitions:  3 rounds or do the breathing for five minutes alternating nostrils. With practice, build up the counts so you are inhaling, holding, and exhaling for a count of 8. Do this breathing technique any time of the day when you need to relax, clear your mind, or slow down your pace.

Key benefits from this pose: 

1. Increases “prana” – i.e., the “life force” or energy in the body.
2. Helps clear air passages.
3. Relaxes and calms body, mind, and nerves.
4. Clears mind.
5. Balances opposite currents in your body and helps restore equilibrium.
6. Functions as an excellent way to begin your yoga session, as a prelude to meditation, or for winding down after doing poses.
7. Quiets the mind and can help in overcoming insomnia.
8. Strengthens the nervous system and improves circulation.
9. Relieves sinus conditions by dissolving obstructions in the nasal passages and can increase immunity to colds.
10. Can alleviate headaches (or anxiety stomach aches).
11. Helps develop overall serenity.

 Laura’s special hints and experience with this technique:

Inhale and exhale without strain in and out through the nose, not through the mouth.  When you begin this technique, you may notice, as I did, that one nostril is clearer than the other. I had trouble breathing through my right nostril. Don’t worry—over time both nostrils will clear and you will breathe through each one with no problem. And, some yogis say that our nostrils sometimes take turns being “in charge” throughout the day. 

You can use this breathing technique to increase your energy during afternoon lulls or whenever you need to “pep” yourself up. I have used the alternate nostril breath technique to alleviate occasional anxiety and stomach aches by breathing and focusing on the words, “deep relaxation.”  Within 2 to 3 minutes, the stomach pains subsided. This yoga breath technique can also quiet the body and mind before meditation or sleep. At bedtime, lie down in your bed and do 5 to 7 rounds of the alternate breath technique to relax and release all tension.

 

Yoga 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.    Smooths 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.

 

 

Yoga at Home: Sharing Yoga with My College Classmates

 

A week ago (June 4, 2017), I had fun sharing my daily yoga practice with my Wellesley College classmates.  In the above 2 photos, I demonstrate the bow and the half-locust poses.

I try to avoid using cliches, however, it's hard not to focus on how the years have zipped by when you attend your 40th college class reunion. As one of my classmates exclaimed, "where did 40 years go?!"

No matter how many years go by and as long as I possibly can, hopefully, until the day I "dance off the planet" (as 97-year young yoga instructor, Tao-Porchon Lynch says what she plans to do when her time is up), I will continue to practice yoga.

During the plans for the reunion, I was asked to give a yoga class and I agreed, emphasizing that I would share SLOW, GENTLE poses best suited to beginners, period.  And, that's what I did in the 45-minute session on a (finally, after numerous gray days) bright, sunny Sunday.

At the beginning of the class I shared my key tenets of a daily home yoga practice:

1)  "Slo' mo is the way to go" - I move into and out of yoga poses slowly and deliberately.  This allows you to really FEEL the pose.

2)  "The power of the pause" - take a short break (often going into the "child pose" as a relaxation poses between other poses) between each pose to allow your muscles to regroup and recover from a stretch.

3) "No pain or strain is all gain" in a gentle hatha yoga practice.  Challenge yourself, but never push, tug, or force your body into a pose.  A few years ago, according to an article in the Yoga Journal, over 16,000 people enter emergency rooms every year because of injuries sustained in a yoga class - no doubt the result of trying to go further than the body was ready to do

4)  Inhale and exhale deeply while practicing.  Synchronizing your breath with your movements enhances the energy boost you gain after a yoga session.

Some of my classmates are real athletes. Others may have not done too much physical exercise recently.

Whatever level they were, my classmates enjoyed the poses I shared - as apprehensive as I was in providing instruction that may have been "too basic".  I received many compliments after the class. People told me how great they felt.

One classmate told me that during the final Savasana pose (the sponge pose I call it - when you lie on your back and totally relax for several minutes at the end of a session), as she listened to the relaxing yoga music -  strong feelings welled up inside her.  And a gush of tears flowed.  Yes - in addition to its physical benefits, yoga can at times, release a much needed emotional release of pent up feelings.

In sharing my yoga practice with my college classmates, I realized once again, that indeed, you do not have to do the most complex, pretzel yoga poses to benefit greatly from yoga.  Start with wherever you are, move gently, and consistently,  inhale and exhale deeply, and you may just forget that 40 years have elapsed since you finished college!

Yours for enjoying gentle hatha yoga, 

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the yoga at home coach for beginners

 

 

 

Teaching Yourself Yoga: Arm and Leg Stretch-Another Balance Pose

The arm and leg stretch is a yoga balance pose I alternate with the Eagle pose.

Greetings fellow at home yogis!

As I said in last week's refresher on the Eagle Pose, improving balance is important. And, I was drawn to this pose because of its promised benefits to increase "balance, poise, and grace."

Back in 1970, when I first began to learn yoga, I found the arm and leg stretch yoga pose in the book, Yoga for Beauty and Health by Eugene Rawls and Eve Diskin. My two copies of this "ancient" tome are falling apart-- the pages are yellowed and frayed. Nevertheless, the teachings in this book are timeless!  Most impressive to me was the authors' assertion that:

"Our lack of normal physical activity results in the diminishing of our sense of balance, and it is this loss of the normal sense of balance that is responsible for the impairment of grace and poise..." 

However, when you improve your balance with the arm and leg stretch and other balance poses, Rawls and Diskin claiim that you regain natural poise and grace, and in turn, increased self-confidence. Moreover, you gain a "lightness" of being and energy throughout your entire being.  I have experienced this myself, even if I have not perfected the pose.

Need any more convincing to try this pose? I would think not!  Instructions follow.  Enjoy! 

 

Yoga 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 15-30 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 my 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!

Yours for keeping your balance with the yoga arm and leg stretch,
 

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the self-taught yoga coach for beginners

 

 

 

 

Yoga at Home: Refresher on Hip Opening Pose to Balance Your Energies and Forces

The ankle to forehead stretch from the side (shown above) and from the front (shown below)

The ankle to forehead stretch is wonderful for stretching the muscles around your hips and keeping your hips open.  It furthermore counteracts the imbalances that a sedentary lifestyle can create. 

A while back, I wrote about how important it is to open the muscles in and surrounding your hips if you have a sedentary profession.  Well, since the previous post in which I shared information about the book Sitting Kills, Moving Heals, I have come across more information about how vital hip opening poses are, especially when you sit too many hours during the day.

In the latest issue of Yoga Journal, yoga instructor Ray Long shares that years ago he asked B.K.S. Iyengar, "what's the key to mastering yoga?"

Iyengar replied, "To master yoga, you must balance the energies and forces throughout the body." 

In subsequent years, Long studied this concept and he said that he learned that "balancing forces is particularly crucial when it comes to addressing the feeling of 'tightness' many of us have in our hips."  This tightness often results from sitting too long during the day.  Also, sitting leads to shortened hip flexors and weak hip extensors which in turn cause the hamstrings to work harder.

Stretching the muscles around the hips helps to maintain healthy mobility.  And, one of my favorite ways to do this (which I have written about before, but "repetition is the mother of skill," as motivational speaker Tony Robbins used to say) is by doing the ankle to forehead stretch shown above.  I do this pose during every yoga practice (six times a week) and I continue to reap the benefits.

Here are the instructions for how to do this excellent yoga pose from my book, Yoga at Home: Gain Energy, Flexibility, and Serenity in 20-30 Minutes a Day.

Start out gradually and enjoy! 

 

Ankle to Forehead Stretch

Type of yoga pose: Supine (seated) pose

Body parts targeted: Hips, hip joints, sciatic nerve, legs, and upper arms.

How to do the pose:

 Sit on your mat with your legs extended straight out in front of you. Your toes and heels should be together.

1. Bend your left leg at the knee and bring your left foot toward you so you can grasp it with your hands.
2. Take your left hand and place it under your ankle over the region of your outer ankle bone.
3. Grasp your leg foot with your right hand holding it with a firm (but not tight) grip around the arch.
4. Using the strength of your arms and bending your head forward as far as your balance will allow you, lift your left leg up drawing your ankle toward your forehead.
5. When you have reached your forehead with the inside or your ankle or have brought your ankle as close to your forehead as you comfortably can, lift your left leg up drawing your ankle toward your forehead.
6. Hold this pose for 5 seconds inhaling and exhaling as needed.
7. Slowly lower your left leg back to the mat taking at least 3-5 seconds. Inhale and exhale deeply for at least one full breath.
8. Stretch your left leg out in front of you and perform the same movements with the other (right) leg.

Practice time: Start by holding the pose for 5 seconds during the first week and add a few seconds each week until you can hold the pose for 30 seconds.

Number of repetitions: 1-2

Key benefits from this pose:

 Stretches, tones, and firms the muscles and connective tissues of the hips. Opens the hips.

1. Acts as a therapeutic treatment for the hip joints and benefits the sciatic nerve.
2. Tones, beautifies, and increases flexibility in the legs.
3. Strengthens upper arms.

Special hints and my experience with this pose:

I really feel the stretch and strengthening benefits of this pose each time I perform it.

When you first do this pose, you may be unable to you ankle with your forehead. This signals just how much your hips and the muscular area where the thighs and buttocks join need to unwind and loosen up. As I suggest when you start other poses, think “baby steps.” There’s no race or competition. Bring your foot as close to your forehead as you can without causing yourself pain and hold your stretch firmly at that farthest point.

With consistent practice, your body will ease up, you will regain normal flexibility, and soon you will be able to bring your ankle to your forehead. Once you can reach your forehead with your ankle, hold the pose motionless for the stipulated time.

Yours for balancing the energies and forces throughout your body with daily yoga,

 

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, The Beginner's Yoga at Home Coach

 

Yoga for Beginners: 20+ Million Americans "Practice" Yoga

I practice the locust post six times a week.  I believe yoga is a lifestyle and that daily practice (5-6 times per week) is vital for maximum benefits.

Recently, at work I came across an article discussing the recent profit margins of Lululemon Athletica, an upscale yoga apparel company.  Last year, Luluemon gained notariety when its store managers required women to prove that the yoga pants they had bought were too see-through. When these customers returned the pants to the store, they reportedly had to don the pants and show their derrieres to demonstrate just how see-through the fabric was to receive a refund. This apparent lapse in managerial judgment likely led to a decrease in Lululemon's store foot traffic the following year. 

Nevertheless, Lulemon's sales have remained healthy and its profit margins strong. This, the article postulated, can be partly explained by our nation's "obsession" with yoga.  According to the most recent "Yoga in America" study conducted by the Harris Interactive Bureau, the number of Americans who practice yoga rose 29 percent to 20.4 million in 2012 (which equates to 8.7 percent of U.S. adults) from 15.8 million in 2008.  In addition, yoga practitioners spend $10.3 billion a year on classes and products, including equipment, clothing, vacations, and media, almost double the $5.7 billion spent in 2008.

Impressive.  Yet, I wonder how the survey defined yoga "practice."  Although it is encouraging to note the substantial rise in people who say they pratice yoga, I am a bit skeptical about what those numbers really mean.

According to the study, 38.4 percent of the practitioners have practiced yoga for one year or less; 28.9 percent have practiced for one to three years, and 32.7 percent have practiced three years or more. Other data reported concerned gender (82.2 percent of yoga practitioners are women and 17.8 percent are men) and level of practice (44.8 percent consider themselves beginners; 39.6 percent consider themselves intermediate, and 15.6 percent consider themselves expert/advanced).

The survey also asked for the major reasons for beginning yoga and the responses were: flexibility (78.3 percent), general conditioning (62.2 percent), stress relief (59.6 percent), improve overall health (58.5 percent) and physical fitness (55.1 percent).

As I have often stated, my experience with yoga has taught me that daily practice for at least 20-30 minutes is essential for gaining the maximum benefits listed above from yoga. On the rare occasion that I miss two days in a row of practice, I feel an immediate difference in my body.  I am stiffer and less energetic.

Granted, going to a 60-90 minute class once or twice a week is helpful and definitely better than not doing yoga at all.  However, I am acquainted with people who do this and I do not see them fully reaping the rewards yoga can bring. Just as people who say they jog or swim for exercise - how often they do so and for what length of time is more significant in determining if they are an actual runner or swimmer.

Consequently, I would like to see the next "Yoga in America" study also ask how often and how much time every week the yoga practitioners actually practice. Assuming they tell the truth, that would be a more meaningful gauge of how many Americans are truly doing yoga, in my not always humble opinion.

Yours for doing daily yoga for maximum gain,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginner's Yoga at Home Coach

  ^TM

Also see:  http://www.DoYogaAtHomeNow.com

 

Yoga Practice: Yoga Helps You Stay Youthful

 

 

 A few decades ago, I could not lower my feet all the way to the mat when doing the plough.  But, now I can.  What does that say about aging?  Perhaps "Bah, humbug" as Ebenezer Scrooge would exclaim...But, it also proves that sometimes you can do things later in life that you could not do earlier in your life...There are no set rules.

I am entering the phase of life when some of my peers are starting to complain of certain aches and pains and are taking a constricted view of what they can do physically.  Or even worse, lapsing into the refrain of "oh, I am having a 'senior' moment."

If you do this, STOP!!!!  DO NOT define  yourself by your chronological age!  Although we cannot deny the year we were born, we can refuse to be limited by it.  I believe that "like wine, we can get better with time," if we maintain a consistent, focused, and heart-felt yoga practice."

And, I have role modes such as my spiritual coach, Carole Dore (www.caroledore.com) who reinforce the belief that aging can be defied. She has begun a crusade to prove that aging is a fallacy and she is the most young-spirited and young-looking 70 year-old I have ever seen (and that is NOT because of plastic surgery or botox).  Also, I have the good fortune of having a very youthful uncle who embodies staying active (he loves cross-country skiing in the crisp, cold winters of Maine) and alert at age 81.

Because the practice of yoga helps you gain energy and flexibility it naturally helps to keep you youthful. According to yoga instructor Ina Marx, yoga is pattened after the natural movements of animals (no wonder so many poses are named after our fellow creatures such as the lion, the cobra, the crow, the pigeon, the eagle, the locust, and the crane). And in the August 2014 Yoga Journal article, "Learn Crane Pose," we learn that the crane is a symobl of youth and happiness throughout Asia. Hmm.

I believe that the most important reason yoga helps keep you youthful or can restore your youthful vitality is because it stimulates the circulation of our vital life energy (referred to as "prana") throughout the body through scientifically designed stretches, inversions, and accompanying deep inhalations and exhalations.  About 8 years ago when I began practicing yoga more mindfully and with greater attention to my breathing in sync with the poses, my energy soared.

If you have never done yoga before and you consider yourself to be starting at an "older" age, whatever that means to you, it is not too late. All you need to do is take baby steps, proceed gradually, listen to your body continually, and never push yourself to the point of pain. Also, just stop thinking about your age - discard all notions of aging.  Really, what purpose do they serve?  None.

One of my favorite books, Live Youthfully Now, has some some excellent suggestions and affirmations for staying youthful.  Here is one that I have adapted into an "afformation" (i.e., an affirmation worded as a question).  Consider using it before and after each yoga practice and notice how you feel physically and emotionally.  

"Why is is so easy for me to experience youthful enthusiasm, youthful energy, and youthful optimism all day long?"

Yours for feeling a healthy 25 even if you are 45, 55, 65, and beyond, through the practice of gentle, focused yoga, 

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginner's Yoga at Home Coach

  ^TM

Also see:  http://www.DoYogaAtHomeNow.com

 

Improve Your Balance with the Eagle Pose!

  The Eagle pose helps improve your balance!

Acording to certain schools of thought (as reported in a recent issue of the Yoga Journal), beyond childhood and young adulthood, few of us participate in activities that engage our body's ability to maintain balance.

I have never been very coordinated and haven't tried sports requiring a lot of balance.  I  went water skiing once when I was 19 but could not get above a low squat on the skis. My beau says he wants to get me out on snow ski slopes during the winter but he may have to drag me there... 

Being able to keep your balance and remain upright can be even more significant as you age because, many people in their 70s and beyond are vulnerable to severe injuries and life-threatening falls.  I often fear that my mother, now 82 and who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in her late 60s, will take a dangerous, incapacitating spill.  She hasn't tried yoga even though she has seen me do yoga since I was 15 and practiced in her living room at night.  I was hoping to lead by example but I can only do so much...

Nevertheless, you can learn  yoga poses such as the Eagle shown above which help improve your balance. Can I always stay in the Eagle for 30 plus seconds without losing my balance a bit?  No - sometimes not!  I had to "practice" photo shooting this pose several times so I could show it to you in the photos below.

But, it feels great when I do and I accept whatever I can do on any given day.  Some days I can balance easily with no problem at all.  Other days I am wobbling back and forth like a trapeze artist on a tightrope for the first time. 

Regardless, the effort I put into the Eagle I believe helps my overall balance, poise, and body awareness. If you haven't already tried to Eagle, see the instructions below and give it a shot!

Eagle (Sanskrit name is Garudasana)

Type of yoga pose:  Standing pose 

Body parts targeted:  Legs, thighs, upper back, hips, 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 and it may help to hold out both your arms to your sides, parallel and in an L-shaped angle to keep you balance.

 

1. 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.
2. Entwine your hands so your right wrist is wrapped around the left wrist and your hands are clasped palm to palm.

 

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

     2. Exhale and gently bend forward, taking at least 5 seconds, until your chest rests on your upper leg          and knee. Keep your arms entwined. As Jess Stearn said in his book, Yoga, Youth, and          Reincarnation, you should look like an American eagle ready to swoop down on its prey.

 

1. Hold the pose for 5 seconds (inhale and exhaling deeply). Then take at least 5 seconds to come up slowly, vertebra by vertebra.  Raise your head last. Gently unclasp your arms and legs.
2. Repeat on the opposite leg.
3. 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.
4. 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: 

 Improves and develops balance, poise, and nerve coordination.

1. Tones legs and thigh muscles.
2. Stretches upper back muscles and hip and knee joints.
3. Helps relieve varicose veins.

 Yours for improving your balance with yoga!

  Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginner's Yoga at Home Coach

 

  ^TM

Also see:  http://www.DoYogaAtHomeNow.com

 

 

 

Yours for improving your balance with yoga,

 

 

Yoga Can Alleviate Depression

 The ankle to forehead stretch helps release tightness and constriction in your hip joints. This can lead to increased energy and a more positive outlook if you have been feeling "down" in any way.

Another of the 21 benefits that yoga offers that is discussed in the September 2013 issue of the Yoga Journal is its ability to alleviate depression.  In recent years, researchers have been investigating the impact that a yoga practice can have to help dispel the dark moods of depression.  

A Brown University psychologist has explored yoga as a type of moving meditation to which depressed people can more easily respond. Apparently, depressed people may find it difficult to practice a seated meditation because their minds tend to dwell on problems and negativity.  However, because yoga involves physical movement, it may be easier for people experiencing depression to direct their attention off of their problems.

Also, in 2007, a small study conducted by UCLA researchers examined how yoga affected people who were clinically depressed and for whom prescribed antidepressants were providing only partial relief.  A group of patients who practiced Iyengar Yoga three times a week reported significant drops in depression and anxiety.

Like meditation, yoga poses apparently increase the acitivty of the left prefrontal cortex-an area of the brain that is associated with positive moods and emotional resilience.  Well, I am no scientist and cannot offer any professional opinion about this - I can speak only from personal experience!  Doing yoga HAS gotten me out of funks on the few occasions that I have experienced waking up with the "blues."

From my totally unscientific, anecdotal viewpoint, I believe that yoga can act like a light beam to dispel the darkness of a sad mood because it helps to release tightness and stuck, constricted energy.  At least for me, if I am feeling down but make sure I do my yoga practice anyway, the release of tension and constriction makes me feel more open and resilient.  And my energy soars.  As a result, within a few minutes or at most an hour or two, a blue mood will dissipate.  It's been amazing.

Although I would never claim that yoga is a panacea for depression, it certainly is worth considering for anyone suffering from depression.  I believe that opening and stretching your body and increasing your physical flexibility through yoga poses can open your mind to greater "possibility thinking" and positive solutions.

Yours for lifting your spirits with yoga,

 Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginner's Yoga at Home Coach

  ^TM

Also see:  http://www.DoYogaAtHomeNow.com

 

Beginners' Yoga at Home: The Cobra is Superb for Your Spine!

 

 

The cobra pose is superb for enhancing the flexibility of the spine

 

 Above, my business associate, E.G., performs a more common variation of the cobra

The September 2013 issue of the Yoga Journal includes an article that explains 21 ways that yoga can improve your health. Of those 21 ways, I have especially noticed and enjoyed increased flexibility in my spine.  On occasion when I have slept in an odd position or have sat in an airplane for hours and become stiff in my spine and lower back, the cobra pose has come to my rescue.

The Yoga Journal article shares the research results of a group of Taiwanese researchers who "scanned the vertebral disks of a group of yoga teachers and compare them with scans of healthy, similar-aged volunteers."  The researchers found that the yoga teachers' disks seemed to have less degeneration in their disks than is typical for their age.

Furthermore,  the researchers speculated that the yoga instructors' spinal disks were in better shape because of the way the spinal disks are nourished and yoga's impact on them.  Apparently, "nutrients migrate from blood vessels through the tough outer layer of the disk; bending and flexing may help push more nutrients through this outer layer and into the disks, keeping them healthier."

Fascinating!

The cobra pose is one of my favorites for keeping my spine flexible.  When I have become stiff and done the cobra pose very gently and carefully, I have felt and heard my vertebrae "pop" back into their proper place.

Instructions for the cobra follow below. 

Cobra  (Sanskrit name is Bhujangasana—boo-jang-GAHS-anna, bhujanga means serpent) 

Type of yoga pose:  Active, prone backbend

Body parts targeted:  Upper back, neck, shoulders, upper arms, spine, buttocks

How to do the pose:

 

1. Lie on your stomach with your face and forehead down on your mat with your hands at your sides, palms up, and your head resting on one cheek. Allow your body to relax. Your legs and feet should be together.
2. Gently raise your head so your chin is resting on the mat.

     3.  Slowly raise your eyes to the top of their sockets. Inhale as you raise your head and back.

     4.  When you can raise your head no further, continue raising your truck up off the mat with the top           of your chest leaving the floor first until you can lift your trunk no further using your back muscles           alone. 

      

    5.   Bring your arms slowly forward and place your hands, with your fingers pointing toward each                   other about six inches apart, under your chin.  

     6.  Aided only slightly by your arms, continue to lift your trunk (breathing in and out deeply as feels             natural to you), bending your spine upward and back like a snake, vertebra by vertebra, until you           can go no further without straining.

     7.  When you have reached your farthest point of flexibility (keeping the lower half of you body on               the mat from navel downward), hold the pose motionless for 5- 10 seconds (whatever length of               time is comfortable for you). Keep inhaling and exhaling in a smooth, even rhythm.

     8.  Come down out of the pose by bending your arms slowly at the elbows and allowing your trunk to           descend one inch at a time. In succession, return your abdomen, middle chest, and finally, upper             chest to the mat. Keep your head up until your entire chest has returned to the mat.

     9.  When you can support your upper body without your arms, bring your arms back to their original             position at your sides.

   10.  Lower your head and then your eyes until your forehead is once again face down on the mat.

   11.  Turn your face onto your cheek and let your body become limp.  Breathe easily and rest a few                 moments before repeating the pose or going on to another pose.

Practice time:  Start with 5-10 seconds and increase by a few seconds each week until you feel comfortable holding the pose for 25-45 seconds.

Number of repetitions:  1-2

Key benefits from this pose: 

1. Removes tension from your back, spine, and shoulders.
2. Stretches and adjusts every vertebra of the spine from the neck to the base of the spine and restores youthful flexibility.
3. Strengthens and increases flexibility in the upper back and shoulders.
4. Develops the muscles of the chest and bust.
5. Firms and streamlines buttocks.
6. Revitalizes and awakens entire body.
7. Enhances libido by massaging the sex, thymus, and thyroid glands.

 My special hints for this pose:

The cobra is not a pushup and therefore your groin does not leave the ground (at least the way I do it!). Do this pose in slow motion. Take at least 10-15 seconds to raise your head and trunk off the mat to enter the pose and do this sequence just as slowly in reverse to exit the pose.

Keep your heels together while holding the pose for maximum effectiveness. Go up only as far as is comfortable. Be patient—it may take you some time to master this pose. But, no worries, you will still benefit whether you can stretch a little or much more.

Your heart may pound for a few moments after completing this pose.  That’s because you are lifting a bit of your body weight while engaged in it.  I also often do the lion pose (facial stretch) or eye movements while doing the cobra.

 Yours for keeping a flexible spine with yoga and especially the cobra pose,

 Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginner's Yoga at Home Coach

  ^TM

Also see:  http://www.DoYogaAtHomeNow.com