Pose of the Month

CORPSE(Savasana) (Sha-VAHS-anna) With Diaphragmatic Breathing  This is a fabulous 'CHILL OUT' pose Instruction:  Setting up the pose: Supine position- Lay on back, legs straight and comfortably apart with feet & knees 'flopped open"-away from each other. You may place folded blanket or towel under sacrum or head for ease or comfort if necessary.The idea is to have the body as level as possible so don't let head or hips go too high. At  first, place hands  palm side down, onto low belly - i.e.between pubic bone and navel. This will allow you to master the action of this type of breathing.  Once you've got the hang of the "Belly Breath" you may relax arms onto floor, far enough away from your sides so that both palms easily face upward toward the ceiling. OK, now begin breathing... Inhale thru the NOSE....Create an inflating /ballooning belly. Right under your hands. When full-Exhale thru the NOSE...the belly deflates and your hands seemingly go for a ride as the belly falls back toward the body. REPEAT. Continue inhaling and exhaling thru the nose as you focus deeply on the action of the abdominal muscles stretching as they balloon with the inhalation and as you LET GO these muscles gently contract with every exhalation. GOOD, now keep breathing with the utmost attention on the rise and fall of the abdominal region. FYI- at first you may have no movement in the low belly region and may not be able to figure out how to make this happen--KEEP PRACTICING. It doesn't take long before the tiniest belly movement grows into the diaphragmatic breath!   Now(relax the arms to yoiur sides-palms face up) continue diaphragmatically belly breathing. Inhale and feel the floor(or whatever you're lying on) support all of you. Then take a bigger belly breath IN to anchor that acknowledgment. You'll deeply exhale and feel muscles let go a bit more sinking more fully into your surface. Continue belly breathing... Next direct your focus to your face and head and take another deeper, bigger breath into the belly, on the exhale realx features of the face, eyes sink deep, slacken the jaw and relax the tongue and the neck muscles....Keep Breathing...INHALE belly ries and EXHALE, let go and the belly falls. Now you are ready to systematically relax the entire body from head to toes. Take as much time as you need to really LET GO of the body. DON's skimp on the tight spots, injured areas, or necessary organs in need of radiant health. Finish with each toe of each foot...Keep belly breathing... it is easy to get distracted by thoughts. If this happens start over with a deeper belly breath and resume from the body part you last relaxed until finihing with the feet and toes. Relax here -Remain in CORPSE pose for 5-10 beautiful minutes...Feel the PEACE and Tranquility in and around you. Relaxation is a blessing. Notice how the breath is a gentle, even, smooth flow.  BENEFITS: This challenging pose brings deep relaxation to nerves and muscles and helps them eliminate the build-up of tension. Helps release those tightly bound muscles which block energy and blood helping to increase blood flow deeper into the body. Practiced in the evening, it is  excellent for promoting sleep as it acts as a superb natural tranquilizer. A splendid tool for managing stress, controlling pain and dealing with anxiety states. It is a useful compliment to other treatments for those with heart disease. It trains you to conserve energy and contributes to vitality and poise. Your circulation improves, and your heart rate and blood pressure are regulated. Brings a calming effect on your mind as the rhythms of your brain change. Brings a feeling of refreshment and rejuvenation. Performed after asana it allows your body to absorb the energy released by the asanas to gain full benefit from them.

Pose of the Month

COBRA-(Bujangasana) (boo-jang-GAHS-anna) When performed slowly and smoothly, exercises the spine, vertebra by vertebra, from the lumbar region to the neck, limbering and strengthening it. The front body--jawline thru legs-- are beneficially stretched. The circulation is stimulated, and the dense network of nerves in the spinal column receives an additional supply of blood. The pose improves digestion and relieves constipation. It normalizes glandular activity, and is said to correct menstrual disorders and to be excellent for the reproductive organs. This pose exercises the spinal vertebra, nourishing the spinal nerves with blood. Instruction:  Setting up the pose: Prone position- Lay on belly, forehead on floor. Hands directly under shoulders. Feet hip width apart with toes pointed, pressing tops of feet and toenails firmly into floor. (You may place folded blanket or towel under hip bones if necessary.) Middle fingers parallel each other and pointing straight ahead. Draw elbows into ribcage easing shoulder blade tips downward, toward kidneys. (Notice how this activates the upper back muscles and opens the chest.) Create a buoyant chest/heart space. Feel your collarbones move sideways....Breathe....Continue breathing thru your nostrils, Inhale and feel the support of the upper back muscles as you AGAIN engage the elbow & shoulder blade action. Forehead remains on the floor relax jaw and neck....Breathe... Now you are ready to begin Bhujangasasa : With all the elements from above intact- Pretend to roll a marble with your nose across the floor as you S-L-O-W-L-Y  raise you face/head and eyes.  (Drawing an imaginary line from your nose across the floor to the front wall.) PAUSE here and Breathe... correct any splaying elbows. Press tops of feet down into floor while pointing them toward back wall thus stretching the entire body in opposite directions. Draw the tailbone toward the feet. Keep legs engaged.Gently fine tune all the above actions in your body while breathing --your breath should remain free and easy. If breath is restricted come down and repeat again with less 'efforting' BUT more awareness and gentleness. Relax here -Remain in pose for 5-10 beautiful easy breaths...Feel the length of your back body & spine; crown to tailbone in an even, smooth arc. On and Exhale ...S-L-O-W-L-Y lower in reverse order. Draw imaginary line from front wall across floor to nose. Tucking chin, nose, eyes then resting  forehead back onto floor... release arms straight back at side turn head to one side and rest..  BENEFITS: This is a marvelous pose to loosens shoulder joints, strengthen upper back; improve posture,tones the butt muscles; increases lung capacity.This pose is said to stimulates the thyroid and balance the adrenal glands; improve kidney functioning; release blocked energy from the pelvic region. A posture of prime importance because it increases influx of blood into abdominal organs. Relieves indigestion, constipation, and flatulence, with a similar stimulus for the spinal region.

Pose of the Month

CAT/COW POSE Instruction:  On hands and knees-Table position- (Hands, shoulder width/Knees, hip width). Place folded blanket or towel under knees if necessary. Middle fingers parallel each other and point straight ahead. Begin breathing thru your nostrils and feel the support of the hands, knees, shins, and feet. Feel the length of your back body & spine; crown to tailbone even like a table top. Keep arms straight & muscles huging the arm bones. Relax here for a few breaths. Next-deeply inhale thru nostrils.. as you Exhale-Press arms downward. Curl head downward & tuck tail under as if they could touch underneath.(convex spine).Feel spine rounding to sky. Back body spreading as it is stretched. Allow both chest & belly to hollow. Gaze at navel. Inhale -Lift head & tail upwards. Feel spine arching(concave spine). Sitz bones raise to sky. Sink between the shoulder blades. Feel your chest spreading, armpits float forward, collarbones widening, heart opening. Press hands down keep arms straight and firm arm muscles to the bones. Shins press downwards as groin hollows. Gaze upward. Find your rhythm (in sync with your breath) and continue in fluid manor--arching as you inhale and rounding as you exhale. Add to exhalation the awareness of rounding more into the kidney area and add the action of drawing the navel deep to spine to squeeze as much stale air out as possible-without strain. The navel action tones the digestive system and firms the abdominal muscles. Observe the rippling action of the energy up & down your spine. Remember to keep your face and jaw relaxed. AS your spine warms up deepn your breath. Flow 10-20X BENEFITS: This is a marvelous pose to keep spine flexible and strong. It helps maintain good posture and overall well-being. Strengthens muscles of the back and abdomen. Great for back aches. This pose makes the spine more supple, reduces fat on the abdomen, tones the nervous system, improves circulation, aids digestion and corrects constipation. It also corrects menstrual disorders. NOTE: A Wonderful post-natal  exercise to return the uterus to the normal position after childbirth.