Yoga for a healthy belly!

It's that time of year when indulgence sometimes gets the best of us.  Here's a practice to help your belly feel and function at its best this holiday season...

The Blissful Belly Home Practice

Seated Breathing – Inhale into the rib cage then the belly. Draw the belly in to create your Exhale.

Baddha Konasana Backbend – Feet together, knees apart, fingers behind. Inhale chest open and up. Exhale to relax.

Side Stretch – One hand to floor for support, other arm up, stretch side open with breath.

Pandangusthasana var. - Legs up, squeezing thighs, lift shoulders up and use hands to hold head up. On Exhale, take pubic bone and rib cage toward each other. On Inhale release.

Elbows toward knee - Press soles on the floor, both elbows to a knee on exhale. On inhale return to center.

Supta Mandukasana var. - Legs in frog (feet lifted, knees apart, right angles at ankles, knees and hips), lift shoulders and use hands to lift head. On exhale, draw pubic bone toward rib cage.

Vajarasana – on knees, arms up. On exhale fold forward with spine long, hands palms up to low back. On inhale, lead up with your heart.

Down Dog → Up Dog – Exhaling, lift tail up toward sky, lengthening spine (down dog). Inhaling, reach heels back and take chest forward between your arms, shoulders back. Avoid sagging, keep legs and belly engaging in updog.

Parvritti Utkatasana - Weight in heels bend knees deeply as if sitting down. Tail points to floor, legs engaged. Maintain alignment with knees over feet, hips square, weight even in feet. Twist to one side, taking hands or elbow to opp knee.

Cobra – Lie on belly, lengthen legs and press pelvis down. Inhale chest forward and up, stretching sternum long.

Malasana – Squat on balls of feet, lengthen spine.

Ardha Matsyendrasana – sitting, bend one knee and hold that knee with opposite arm. Twist toward knee. Breathe belly and thigh toward each other, spine long.

Puvana Muktasana – lie on back and draw one knee in toward chest, breathe. Move to other side. Then both legs at once.

Jathara Parvritti – Knees toward chest, arms wide. Twist to side and breathe there with shoulder blades on the floor.

Bridge – Soles on the floor, arms by your sides. Exhale the bottom and back up. Sternum and tail reach away from each other.

Savasana – Rest :-) 

My favorite Moon Salutation - core stabilizer, hip flexor opener, encourages digestive health :-)

So, it appears this is the year of the moon for me. We truly have had some spectacular moon rises (big orange half moon just the other night :-) But maybe its more about the opening of moon salutations, getting into those nooks and crannies and forgotten (avoided?) parts of the body to open, strengthen and stabilize. 

This moon salutation is a variation on my absolute FAVORITE one. I first found it in a little book called "Morning Yoga, Evening Yoga" can't remember the author but its a lovely little book. We've been playing with it in my Slow Flow class this semester and I've added some teaks lately. 

This is heavy on the kneework, so plan ahead with appropriate props and remember to back off where you need it. I have found it especially helpful with my bad knee (2 surgeries many years ago) but it demands respect and mindfulness.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Pranayama and Meditation!

Change your energy and deepen your awareness with these pranayama (breathing) and meditation practices from our Hawaii Yoga and Meditation Retreat last month. For those of you that were there, I hope this will help ground your practice once again.  For those of you that missed it, I hope this will give you a jumping off point to expand your practice!  As always, let me know if you have any questions... play, enjoy!

Breathing Practices...

Dirgha

Ujayii

Nadi Shodhana

Anuloma Viloma

Anuloma Ujayii

Om-sounding breath

Meditations

Om - neverending

Pure Sound - hearing without dialogue

Smell - smelling without dialogue

Sight - seeing without dialogue

Touch (like mala beads or hands resting on the knees)

Conscious Eating (total awareness of taste, sight, sound, smell, sensation)

Object (Samyama)

Pure Awareness - just be with yourself

Ujayii (meditating on the sound)

Movement Meditation (like Sun Breath)

Practice to open and stabilize the upper back and shoulders

Arm balances can be a wonderful way to strengthen and stabilize the shoulders and a great way to open the arms and hands, provided you have prepared properly for them.  This home practice from my upcoming (starts Wednesday!) Slow Flow series "Open Your Wings and Fly" will help you with that preparation.  Its also great for folks with habitual upper back and chest tension. Get ready to take flight! 

Gentle Hip Openers

Lower body a little creaky and tired?  Try this gentle hip opening practice to improve circulation and mobility.  As a plus, you may get some nice opening in your low back and relaxation for your mind!

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Inspiration!

I've been in Hawaii for the last week, preparing and beginning our Feast for the Senses Retreat.  We've been exploring our senses one by one in this place of abundance - so far we have immersed in the worlds of sight, smell and touch with beach trips, walks in the jungle, snorkeling coral reefs and plenty of yoga everywhere we go.  Its been a joy and an inspiration to practice here as you will see from the slideshow, if you follow this link.  Even if you couldn't join us, take a few moments on your mat and off to open your senses to the world and notice how your environment inspires your own practice!

Stress-busting Breath

Do you ever have one of those days when your stress levels begin to climb up toward panic?  What do you do to stop the onslaught?

When I have those days (yes, it even happens to yoginis:-), I do Nadi Shodna.  It slows me down, helps me to concentrate on the present, reminds me to feel what's really happening not just the hype distracting me toward panic. I'm sure there are plenty of physiological changes happening, a whole thesis could be written on it - but in those moments, all I care is that it works.  Five rounds and my world is a better place!

Here's how to do Nadi Shodna:
Set Up
If you are following tradition, fold the first two fingers of your right hand into your palm (Vishnu Mudra) and use your thumb and right finger to manipulate your nostrils.
If you are not following tradition, use any hand/position that works for you.
If you are stuffed up, use your mind rather than your digits to manipulate your breathe.

Do
Exhale all of your breath.
Close your right nostril and inhale through the left.
Close the left, open the right and exhale.
Inhale through the right.
Exhale through the left.
That is one round.
Keep going. Made your breath as gentle and sweet as possible.

Receive
When you have completed your rounds of Nadi Shodna, put your hand down and breathe gently through both side.  Feel, notice, enjoy..