Yin Yoga for SPRING!

It’s springtime in New England and in my mind we’re waking up from not just the winter, but two long years of the ups and downs of pandemic life. Bringing this energy into balance will be important for all of us for our overall health and wellbeing. Yin Yoga does an amazing job of bringing our bodies, minds and spirits back to balance, so I thought I’d share this sequence for you specifically focused on postures that influence the meridians associated with Spring.

You can download this sequence below and practice along with it. Here are a few notes that will help you in your practice:

• You’ll need a timer to help you stay in the postures for the appropriate length of time.

• You can always do less but, especially if you’re new to the practice, I wouldn’t advise doing more.

• For Sphinx you can always substitute supported bridge (lay on your back, lift your hips and place a yoga block or something else under your low back, lower your hips to the support and rest there).

• For Sleeping Swan (often known as pigeon) you can take Figure 4 instead (lay on your back, cross right ankle on top of left thigh. Stay there or draw left thigh into your chest with your hands. Repeat on the other side).

• If Shoelace is inaccessible take Half Shoelace instead by straightening the lower leg. Support under the straight knee may be helpful.

• Don’t skip Shavasana! It’s the one pose you CAN extend the time on if you wish.

Click the image to download your sequence!

If you’re ready to come back to In Person Yoga classes with me, I’m offering a few this month at a beautiful new space in Amherst, NH.

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Five Minute Yoga Break - Live on the floor!

Chairs. They are something we don't even think about in this country. They're everywhere! We use them all the time without a second thought. But have you ever considered what they're doing to your body? I often ask people that come into the studio what they do for a living because it instantly gives me great insight as to why they might find certain things challenging. More and more, everyone's work involves sitting in a chair for long hours using a computer. The more we sit in chairs, the more our hips tighten up, our low backs get compromised and our core strength heads right out the window!

I know this first hand. I used to work in NYC at a job where I was at a desk working at a computer 7 or more hours a day. I did that for over five years. Add to that a long commute and I was definitely not feeling my best in those days!

So if you can't quit that day job just yet, what's the solution?

LIVE ON THE FLOOR!

In other countries they do just this. Furniture is sparse at best and they typically sit on the floor, play on the floor and generally live their lives on the floor. I recently had a student tell me they saw pictures of people squatting while waiting on line in India! I'm willing to bet you'd get some funny looks if you did that in the U.S.A. ;-)

But here's what you can do. Any chance you get, live on the floor. Sit on the floor to watch TV or read a book. Or try this pose:

sphinx1

This is Sphinx pose, a posture that we use a lot in our Yin Yoga classes at Forever Yoga. This is a great way to read a book or watch TV and do some yoga while you're at it! To get there, simply lay on your belly and then walk your elbows back toward your hips lifting your head and upper torso. Pay attention to wherever you feel sensations rise in your body. For most people you might notice this in your low back but it may be somewhere else. Wherever the sensation is most present, make sure that you keep it a mild to moderate sensation. If it's too much, walk your elbows farther forward. You can stay here for 3-5 minutes or more as long as you don't feel any sensations of pain.

This pose can help reset the curvature of the low back spine counteracting all that chair sitting we tend to do. For more information about this posture and it's contraindications (such as pregnancy), check out YinYoga.com's description of Sphinx pose.

sphinx2

And if you're in the Southern NH area and are curious about what Yin Yoga has to offer, check our Schedule Page. We offer 3 Yin Yoga classes throughout the week and would love to have you join us!