Lion’s Pose (Simhasana)

I’ve been teaching Lion’s pose recently and noticed that people were more chatty and energetic after class. This is a seated posture incorporating a powerful breathing technique.

When you look up the benefits of this pose, it says that it helps to improve your communication and bring shy people out of their shell. It certainly gives people more to talk about afterwards, as you make a very expressive face (sticking your tongue out and rolling your eyes back) and make a loud sound!

Other benefits include strengthening the throat, preventing ear problems and even warding off colds! It’s also one of the common exercises used in face yoga as it strengthens the facial muscles and throat. It’s said to maintain your jaw line and prevent sagginess.

Personally, I’ve found that it’s a great for eradicating feeling of lethargy and sluggishness as it’s very stimulating. Due to the use of a strong outbreath with a roaring sound, it’s a great way to release pent up emotion and tension too! 

In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a classic fifteenth century Sanskrit manual on yoga, says that Simhasana ‘is held in great esteem by the highest yogis. This most excellent asana facilitates the three bandhas’.

The traditional seated position used in Simhasana induces the three major Bandhas or locks. Bandhas are used to control the flow of energy and prevent prana from dissipating. They are therefore sometimes translated as 'seals'. When all three locks are engaged, it’s called  ‘Maha Bandha’ or the great lock. In yoga Maha Bandha is highly regarded and recommended. 

In a culture where it’s deemed important to look cool and beautiful, this technique might put some people off.  It usually sets off some giggling in the class! With this impressive list of the positive benefits of Simhasana, I think it’s worth risking looking a bit strange or foolish.

So next time you’re in need of a little pick me up or feeling a bit stressed, try using your lion/lioness power! I recommend doing this in a private place, not because you might look weird but it might scare people!!

Pawanmuktasana series (wind releasing sequence)

I realised that I’ve mentioned Pawanmuktasana in couple of my other blogs (Sukhasana and Yoga for Neck & Shoulders) previously and haven’t yet explained what it is!

Pawankuktasana is a series of exercises developed by the Bihar School of Yoga to free-up tension, improve circulation and limber the whole body. It’s a gentle and effective movement that can be practiced by everyone. It works by using slow repetitive movements with the breath. You probably have come across some of these exercises in your yoga class as they are often used as a warm up.

In Sanskrit ‘Pawan’ means wind or energy,‘mukta’ means release, and ‘asana’ are the postures, these remove blockages especially in the joints and muscles. This is why Pawanmuktasana is some times translated as the Joint Freeing Series.

There are three series, each targeting specific areas of our body and mind:

1.     Anti rheumatic for loosening joints of the body

2.     Digestive and abdominal group

3.     Shakti Bandha or energy block

These sequences become more challenging as they progress and the Pawanmuktasana series 3 requires quite a bit of flexibility in the ankles, legs and hips, which are addressed in the earlier series. To see the complete series, take a look at the book ‘Asana Pranayama Mudra and Bandha’ by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Alternatively, it can be found online here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzQU4lQUnwA

Mukunda Stiles, founder of Yoga Therapy centre, condensed the Pawanmuktasana series to a shorter more accessible format. See here for an example of his work. This is an excellent progressive sequence that gently works the whole body. I’ve used this sequence in my yoga classes and students have commented on how relaxing and meditative it is, they were also surprised how energised they felt afterwards.

Pawanmuktasana series are referred to as Sukshma Vyayama, which actually means subtle practice. As Swami Satyananda Saraswati says, ‘it should never be ignored and treated casually just because the practices are simple, gentle and comfortable’.

The easy joint and muscle movements not only increase flexibility of the body, but also the mind. As the mind focuses on the movement, breath and energy, it begins to settle and relax. Our practice then becomes an exquisite moving meditation. It’s beautiful to witness this in action, as Leonardo da Vinci says ‘simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’.

Yoga for Neck & Shoulder Tension Relief

On a recent holiday to a small cottage I quickly noticed that there was no WiFi! This forced me to have a week (almost) without looking at a screen. I was amazed how much tension was released from my upper back.

I’ve always had tension in my shoulders and I tried lots of different techniques from physiotherapy, acupuncture and massage but none of them had any lasting effect. On the first day back to work, I immediately noticed tension creeping back in my head, neck and shoulders. 

Here are some simple tips I used to keep the my neck and shoulders relaxed, even though I was back to the modern world:

1. Rest your eyes

Our sight is of the most stimulated senses so it’s really beneficial to rest our eyes regularly.  Staring at screen for long period of time can easily lead to headaches and tension building up in the neck and shoulders. I understand that mobile devices are really useful, but it’s important to try and take some time off whenever you can.

Take the time to relax completely in Savasana (full relaxation pose) for at least 10 minutes every day. Try using an eye pillow or something to cover your eyes to help you to relax more easily. Your eyes and brain are closely associated and it will help to settle your mind. Don’t forget to switch off your mobile!

2. Improve your posture

Our posture has major effect on our body and if we spend a lot of time hunched over our desk, the muscles in our upper body can get tight and unbalanced.  Even if you don’t have a desk job, we tend to do repetitious work, which causes tension and imbalance.

Doing regular asana (posture) practice is a great way to improve your alignment and increase your awareness of your posture. Whenever you sit, or do any activity for a long period of time, try to be aware of your posture and encourage balance.

3. Take the weight off your shoulders

We tend to carry lots of tension and stress in our shoulders; this is partly because our head is comparatively heavy for the intricate neck muscles. We easily get into the habit of rounding our shoulders and jetting our head forwards, bringing lots of strain into our neck. We can sometimes grip through our jaw and tense our arms and hands, which also causes the upper-body to become tight.

Pawanmuktasana exercises are designed to release tension in the joints and muscles. Series 1 is especially good for relaxing the shoulders, arms and hands. Many of the exercises are gentle circular movements that are great for soothing aches and pains.

4. Breathe Deeply

Breathing properly is one of the most important ways of reducing stress and tension. Most of the time we should be breathing slowly and deeply, but unfortunately many of us have learnt to breathe shallow and fast. This way of breathing can lead to unnecessary tension in the neck and shoulders, especially when we breathe into our upper chest instead of the diaphragm.  It’s made even worse by bad posture: squashing the front body makes it harder for us to breathe easily.

Whenever possible practice abdominal breathing. Remove any tight clothing especially around the chest and waist so that the breath can move smoothly. Make sure that there is plenty of space in the front body, especially your chest and the belly. Visualise breathing down into the belly to slow and lengthen your breath.

Five good reasons to do Ashtanga Yoga regularly!

Astanga yoga is one of the most popular styles of yoga currently practised. It was developed by Pattabhi Jois during the 20th Century. It’s a vigorous and intense form of yoga, and many of the flowing styles of yoga including Vinyasa Flow and Power Yoga have been derived from Ashtanga Yoga.

Here are 5 great reasons to practice ashtanga:

1.    Increase strength and stamina

Practicing Ashtanga yoga will quickly increase strength and stamina as the sequences are powerful and challenging. It’s a great way to improve fitness level and you will quickly notice your development.

2.    Breath Awareness

Ashtanga yoga uses Ujjayi pranayama (ocean breathing) throughout the practice and it’s a great way to keep the mind connected to the breath and increase lung capacity.

It will also teach you to breathe deeply and smoothly in other aerobic exercise, which in turn will help your performance.

3.    Wakes you up in the morning

Yoga is traditionally practiced in the morning and it’s a great way to start the day. As Ashtanga is physically intense and relatively fast in pace, it will help to shake off any sleepiness and energise you for the day a head :)

4.    Develop focus

Ashtanga yoga uses Drishti for developing concentration. Drishti means internal gaze and it’s a great technique to improve balance and keep the mind focused.

In a group class, it’s easy to be distracted by other people, using Drishti helps to keep the mind on your practice.

5.    It’s easier to develop your home practice

 Ashtanga yoga follows the same sequence each time so it’s easier to memorise the practice and start doing it at home. The more regularly you practice, quicker you will see the improvements.  

We have Thursday morning Ashtanga led class at Bristol Yoga Centre restarting from September and it’s perfect for beginners and improvers! 

Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

Our practice should teach us to have a mountain of resilience and an ocean of patience.

At face value Tadasana (standing upright) seems to be one of the most basic postures in yoga. However, the term ‘basic posture’ can be misleading, which is why I prefer think of it as one of the fundamental poses.

Tadasana means mountain posture. As a well-known yoga teacher, Erich Schiffman says the pose…

‘promotes the experience of stillness, strength, relaxed power, and immovable stability associated with mountains’.  

 It’s a wonderful posture that reminds us the importance of stability, lightness and balance. Tadasana acts as a blue print for all standing postures as it shows us how to bring these essential qualities into every pose we practice. It’s easier to feel grounded and effortless in Tadasana, and once you have experienced these delightful attributes, you can translate them into more complex postures.  

Whenever I practice challenging poses, I try to bring a sense of balance even when the pose seems uneven and twisted. I focus on being stable and balanced, and then explore ways of being light and expansive. This method allows you to breathe properly and start to relax into the position.

One of my teachers often says that practicing Tadasana illustrates the earth and sky relationship perfectly. When you stand well, there is a feeling of being supported by the earth, which in turn enables effortless lift towards the sky. It’s a great pose to explore your relationship with gravity and space, and feel how they work together in our practice.

Tadasana encourages better physical posture and teaches the mind to be steady and calm. Every time we practice, we can reacquaint ourselves with stillness. As Schiffman says… ‘remember that experiencing yourself in stillness is the most direct way to experience yourself with clarity’.

Tadasana allows you to establish this deep connection with yourself. So next time you’re on the mat, rather than rush through Tadasana, try spending some time experiencing this incredible posture fully.

What is Scaravelli Inspired Yoga?

“Yoga must not be practised to control the body: it is the opposite, it must bring freedom to the body, all the freedom it needs.”

– Vanda Scaravelli

Scaravelli inspired yoga is a gentle yet powerful form of Hatha yoga that uses gravity and breath to release the spine and energise the body. This approach focuses on ‘the intelligent heart’, an innate sense of our natural patterns of movement to bring harmony and ease to the asanas (postures).

Vanda Scaravelli was born in Italy in 1908 to a musical and artistic family. She actually started learning yoga in her 40’s, but was taught by incredible yoga teachers like BKS Iyengar, TKV Desikachar and Jiddu Krishnamurti. She continued to be an active student and practitioner of yoga until her death in her 90’s. During this time, Vanda wrote one of the most famous Hatha yoga books called ‘Awakening the Spine’. She emphasised listening to the body, rather than working against it.  As she advices,

'If you are kind to your body, it will respond in an incredible way'.

Interestingly, Vanda never wanted her approach of yoga to turn into a method or a style of yoga. This is why teachers who currently follow this method of practicing often refer to as ‘Scaravelli Inspired yoga’ or ‘In the Spirit of Vanda Scaravelli’.

To find out more about this interesting practice, we spoke to Kate Fox. Kate teaches monthly Sunday Scaravelli inspired yoga session at the Bristol Yoga Centre.

I discovered Yoga in my early twenties, but it was only when I discovered Scaravelli Yoga, that I began to fully understand what yoga is fundamentally about and how it could help me.

I was always trying too hard, forcing my body to do what I thought it needed, or what I thought it should be doing. Fixed on trying to ‘perform’ what I thought an asana should be, or should look like. But what I began to realise is that it’s not about trying to force the body into a set of rigid poses, it is about learning to let go of tension and habits that limit our movement.

My focus is now on approaching asana from within. When we 'tune in' with the inner-workings of our body, we can begin to move towards each asana with a new awareness that prevents us from imposing on the body.

We can begin to identify any tension, dullness and old habits that exist.  With some gentle encouragement, we can gradually begin to disperse these, cultivating new habits that will help to make you physically and mentally stronger. This cannot be hurried and will only get richer and deeper with practice, patience and time.

Scaravelli inspired classes are suitable for everyone including complete beginners.  It is also great for experienced students who are looking to deepen their practice.

5 Yogic Principles for a healthy balanced lifestyle

‘Health is wealth. Peace of mind is happiness. Yoga shows the way’

– Swami Vishnu Devananda.

Here is a great 5-point guide to help us apply yogic teachings to our everyday life. Devised by Swami Vishnudevananda,it allows us to harness yogic philosophy in a simple and practical manner.

The five basic principles are:

• Exercise
• Breathing practice
• Relaxation
• Healthy diet
• Positive thinking & meditation.

All of these points are essential and they all work together to allow us to live healthy and balanced life.

1. Exercise (asana)

Swamin Vishnudevananda recommended daily asana (posture) practice to build strength and flexibility. A balanced asana practice stretches and tones every part of the body. It also helps to keep our joints and spine mobile, and improves our circulation. It’s a great way of releasing tension and revitalising the body and mind.

When you practice yoga regularly, you will become stronger and flexible in both the mind and body. Asana works not just physically but also mentally and emotionally. You will feel more balanced in everyway.

2. Breathing Practice

A regular breathing practice is recommended for encouraging slow, deep and rhythmical breathing. This way of breathing utilises the maximum capacity of the lungs and profoundly relaxes the mind and body. In yoga breathing practice is referred to as Pranayama or extension of vital energy, and helps to clarify the mind and rejuvenate the whole body. Pranayama is excellent for stilling the agitated mind and teaching you to be grounded.

3. Relaxation

Full relaxation helps to balance our nervous system and revitalise our entire being. It’s extremely beneficial for our mind and body to rest completely and let go of tension and stress. Full relaxation pose or savasana is an important posture to practice regularly in yoga. In recent years, I have really begun to appreciate the importance of learning how to relax completely.

4. Balanced Diet

Yogis recommend a vegetarian, Sattvic (balanced or pure) diet that is simple, natural and nourishing. Sattvic foods are typically fresh and nutritious like organic vegetables and fruit. They are easier to digest so that you can be light and healthy. It’s advised to avoid eating stimulating or heavy foods and drinks such as caffeine, alcohol, processed meals and meat.

I personally found that I naturally gravitated towards a healthier diet over the years as I started to feel how different food affected my mood, energy level and overall wellbeing.

5. Meditation & positive thinking

Meditation practice enables us to understand ourselves better and be more contented and settled. Our concentration will vastly improve as the mind become less agitated. We become less lost in our thoughts and more present and focused.

One of the most beneficial effects that I received from a regular meditation practice is a feeling of acceptance and abundance. I feel whole, like I don’t need to improve or change anything. It is a very special experience that occurs for a fleeting moment but with practice comes more regularly.

In a well-structured yoga class, you will be taught asana, pranayama, relaxation and meditation. Regular yoga practice will help you to feel more energised and relaxed. As you become more content, you naturally want to look after yourself better by eating healthier foods and leading a more balanced lifestyle.

Happy Easter Practice: Bunny Hops

In my yoga classes this week, we had a spring theme. Spring is a great time of the year with hive of activities; flowers blooming and birds singing. It feels like everything’s opening into action after the long months of winter. We did ‘Brahmari’ (the bees breath) and practiced some spontaneous movements to open the body. Excitingly, we also tried doing some bunny hopping :)

It’s an exhilarating and fun way to learn jump back and it’s incredibly strengthening. ‘Jump back’ is often used in Ashtanga style of sun salutation sequence.  I found that people were less intimidated by bunny hopping, perhaps because of the name!

In this method, you will be coming into a posture called ‘Malasana’ (wide squatting position). Practicing Malasana is a fantastic way to open the hips and strengthen the legs, ankles and feet.

Preparation

I recommend that you warm up by doing movements that open the hips such as ‘Anjaneyasana’ (low lunge) and ‘Prasarita Padottanasana’ (wide-legged forward bend. Also try doing some ‘Half Sun Salutation and Modified Sun Salutation’, and release the wrist and ankles by gently circling through the joints in both directions.

How to do bunny hops

How to do bunny hops by Naomi from Everyday Yoga & Bristol Yoga Centre.

Start in ‘Adho Mukha Svanasana’ (downward facing dog).  Begin by stepping one leg at a time, forwards and back few times. When your comfortable with the movement, try hopping both feet forwards, just behind your hands, and gently hop back into downward facing dog. Repeat this several times. On your last go, try holding in Malasana for several breaths. Return back to downward facing dog and rest in ‘Balasana’ (childpose). Finish your practice by doing ‘Savasana’ (Full relaxation pose).

Finally take a few moments to feel the effects of the practice by sitting in a comfortable seated posture and contemplate on Haiku poem on spring by Osho, Zen master.

Sitting Silently,

Doing nothing,

Spring comes,

And the grass grows by itself.

Savasana (Full Relaxation Pose)

‘Proper relaxation is a gift everyone of us should give to our bodies each and everyday’ - Tara Fraser, a senior yoga teacher.

After the Christmas and New Year, we often take up new activities and projects, and run around trying to achieve our goals. Whilst it’s a great time to take on new things and reflect on our intentions, it’s really easy to over do it and end up feeling burnt out.

Relaxation is a key element in yoga practice; Savasana or ‘the full relaxation pose’ is the ultimate position for relaxation…as the name implies. It is one of the most important asanas as it teaches us how to release physical and mental tension and assimilate the practice we have completed. Allowing time to reflect and absorb our actions will enhance their benefits.

It’s easy to over look simple poses like Savasana but I have found that it’s often one of the most powerful ones to do regularly. Savasana teach us important lesson of letting go. Experts believe that one of the primary causes of chronic stress is inability to release worries and strain. We often hold on to these feelings and tension even when the stressful situation has long passed. Practicing Savasana regularly is a great way to notice how we are and encourages us to let go.

Savasana is often translated as the corpse pose and is synonymous to Mrtasana, which means death pose. The pose symbolises death and letting everything go. No longer trying to do or analyse but letting everything be as it is.

At a first glance, it may seem like the easiest pose to practice but it can actually be one of the hardest postures to do properly. It can be challenging to relax fully whilst maintaining full awareness. It’s very easy to be lost in our thoughts or just fall asleep! As with most things, the more you practice, the easier it becomes; so I recommend doing this pose regularly.

Savasana is normally practiced at the end of asana practice but it can also be done at the beginning or on it’s own. When I feel depleted and tired, I often spend 5 -10 minutes (longer if I have the time) in Savasana to rejuvenate. It has a quality of a power nap and is incredibly restorative. As Gheranda Samita, one of the three classical text on Hatha Yoga says ‘Lying flat on the ground like a corpse is called Mrtasana. This posture destroys fatigue, and quietens the agitation of the mind’ - Chapter 2, verse 11. After practicing Savasana, the body feels rested and the mind becomes less cluttered and clearer. You will also have more energy to do what you want.

To practice this pose, it’s important to spend some time ensuring that you are as comfortable as possible. Make sure that you are lying down in a balanced way and allow yourself to relax completely. Use as many props as you need such as blankets, cushions and eye pillow. Blankets can be placed over the top of the body to keep warm or folded up and placed under any part of the body for support.  Cushions can be used to prop up the head or used under the knees to release your back. I highly recommend using eye pillow as it will help you to relax your face and head. Experiment and see what works for you.

If you are pregnant, it’s not advisable to spend too long on your back so choose to lie down on the left side of the body.

Once you are in Savasana, gently watch over your body, breath and mind. Try to observe your thoughts without becoming attached to them, by feeling your body and keeping yourself connected to the ebb and flow of your breath. Simply learning to observe your thoughts in this way will help to calm your mind.

If you are worried about falling a sleep, try setting a timer or a gentle alarm. When you are ready to end the practice, come out slowly and take the time to notice the effects of Savasana. Sit quietly and observe how you feel.

Home Practice Over Christmas

I promised some of my students I'd provide some home practice sheets for them to use over Christmas and New Year while my classes are closed. I thought I'd post them up here so you can all have a go. I tried to create a short rounded practice that is accessible for everyone.

There are two sheets: ‘Balanced Home Practice’ and 'Half & Modified Sun Salutation'. It’s optional to do half or full sun salutation and the number of rounds you do is up to you. If you have trouble accessing these files, feel free to contact me.

Try to avoid drinking or eating prior to practice and wear comfortable clothes that enables you to move freely. Use whatever props and modifications which are necessary to suit your needs. Try to really connect to the body and avoid over-doing it. Remember to keep breathing slowly and deeply without forcing. One of the most common mistakes is to rush. Take your time and do your practice slowly and mindfully.

If you enjoyed the practice and are looking for more, there are many good online yoga classes available. I recommend https://www.ekhartyoga.com/ and https://www.gaia.com/yoga but both have a subscription fee. Alternatively you can use Youtube or use google search to find free yoga videos.

Whilst online videos are great, I think it’s also important to do home practice quietly so that you can focus and connect to yourself more easily. I have recently written two blogs on home practice and I recommend reading these as well. Also take a look at Yoga For Your Back and Restorative Yoga sequence for more ideas on home practice.

I hope you enjoy doing your personal practice over the festive season. I wish you all a very good holidays!

Seated Posture – Sukhasana (Easy Pose)

Sukhasana is one of the most simple and popular cross-legged seated poses and it's often used for pranayama and meditation practice. It is often translated as easy or comfortable pose and when you do this posture well, it can create a relaxed and yet alert state in both the body and mind.  This is an ideal condition for pranayama and meditation practice.

The name suggests it may be an easy pose to get to grips with but many people really struggle with Sukhasana. This is not surprising as we are more used to sitting on chairs or sofas than the ground. When we sit on chairs or sofas, there is a tendency to lean back and collapse the body. In meditation and pranayama, it’s really important that the spine is kept upright.

Seated postures in yoga teach us how to sit straight and this helps to strengthen our core muscles. When we sit tall, our chests are kept opened and spacious, making it much easier to breathe in a relaxed and calm way. If you breathe properly, the mind can be clearer and more focused.

In order to be able to cross your legs comfortably in this seated posture, you need certain amount of flexibility in the legs and hips. A regular asana practice helps tremendously. After all, one of the reasons asanas are traditionally practiced is to be able to comfortably sit and meditate. Postures such as Supta Baddha Konasana (lying cobbler pose) and Prasarita Padottanasana (wide stance forward bend) are particularly beneficial. Limbering movements like the Pawanmuktasana (wind releasing series) are also excellent warm up sequence to do to avoid cramps and pins & needles. 

Once you’re able to sit comfortably in Sukhasana, you will actually find that this pose is incredibly stable and grounding. When you can release your weight down properly, it’s easier to extend upwards more effortlessly. It’s also a great pose to keep your hips opened and relaxed.

If you have a home practice, try to practice seated postures at the beginning and at the end of the practice. Notice how it feels at different times of your practice. It’s a great way to reflect and to create a more harmonious practice. It will also make it easier to sit for longer in Sukhasana.

In fact the more time you spend in it, the better this pose will feel. So any time possible, try sitting in Sukhasana instead of using a chair or a sofa at home. At first try using a cushion, blankets and yoga blocks for support. You can even sit against a wall if you find it hard to keep the spine straight.

I think one of the reasons why I’ve found seated postures fairly easy from the beginning is because I spent much of my early childhood sitting on the floor. I grew up in Japan and it’s in our culture to sit on the ground, although this is slowly changing due to Western influences.

A well known yoga teacher in the UK once told me that she got rid of chairs and sofas and decided to furnish her house in an oriental style as she believed that sitting on a ground was so much healthier. I wouldn’t encourage everyone to go to this extreme but there are benefits gained from doing this pose regularly. 

When I sit in Sukhasana, I find that I can concentrate better and keep my posture intact. As I write this blog, I’m actually sitting crossed-legged on a chair! Keep practicing and it will become an easy pose for you too.  

Yoga For Your Back

I thought I would write about yoga for healthy backs because I recently hurt my back and had to modify my personal practice. Yes, yoga teachers sometimes do get ill and injured! In my opinion this can actually improve our teaching because we can understand what it is like and how to deal with it from a first-hand experience.

Injuries can be frustrating and stressful but it can also be an excellent time to reflect and get to know ourselves better.  After all, one of the most important elements of yoga practice is self-understanding. Illness and injuries are common part of living and now that we are all living longer, we are bound to encounter problems from time to time. 

In yoga, what is important is not necessarily whether you can do the pose well (or even at all) but how we deal with the challenges that we face.  Try to take a moment to question, do you try and force yourself into a difficult pose without paying attention and listening to your body? Does your practice benefit and reflect where you are at the moment?

Whilst you are injured, it is really important that you are sensitive and aware of the body so that you can adapt the practice creatively. Try to avoid doing strong poses or sequence. This is not the time to challenge yourself. Instead try to practice in a gentle, mindful way.  Think of how we would act if your looking after those we love that are in pain. 

Whilst there are many different types of back problems, I thought I would try and provide a general tips and guidelines for practice. These are the movements and postures that I found particularly beneficial.  If any of the poses or movements hurt, try modifying and if it’s still painful you can skip it altogether. Remember less is more. Doing a regular short gentle mindful movement is much more helpful for recovery. Make sure to consciously breathe through the whole practice. This will help you to relax and recover more quickly. Most of the practice is done on the floor to avoid compression and remove the pressure of gravity on the spine.

1. Semi supine pos

Try experimenting different ways of lying that feels best for your back.  Start by connecting with your breath and encouraging your whole body to relax completely.

2. Wind Releasing Pose and variations

If it doesn’t hurt your back, try moving very gently in a circle, side to side or forward and back movement .

3. Supine mountain pose with arm raise

Lie with your feet flexed and your legs engaged as if you are standing with your arms by your side. Slowly extend your arms over head. Try to get your arms and hands to touch the floor above your head. Repeat this movement slowly with your breath. Inhale, raise your arms and exhale release your arms back to the original position.

Once you have repeated the arm rise, try holding the pose with your arm extended overhead and point and flex your feet several times. Use of a block is optional.

4. Pelvic tilts

In this exercise, you are gently moving from anterior to posterior pelvic tilt. Inhale arch your back slightly and tilt your hips forwards. Exhale gently pull your belly in and flatten your back. Move with your slow deep breathing.

To strengthen your belly, hold in the posterior tilt position with the abdomen drawn in for several breaths and release. Repeat the hold few times.

After the exercise, try to find a neutral alignment for your spine and relax completely.

5. Supine twist (dynamic and static)

Start from semi supine pose and slowly release into the twist on an exhalation.  On an inhalation, return back to centre. Repeat on the other side. Once you have completed several rounds, hold the twist for several breaths on each side. 

6. Supine cobbler pose

In this dynamic variation of the lying cobbler pose, we will be moving our legs in and out slowly with your deep smooth breath.  Exhale bring the knee into wards one another and feet down on the floor. On your inhale return to the original position. Repeat this several times.

When your ready hold cobbler pose for several breaths. If it’s a strain to hold this position, try using yoga blocks underneath the legs or use a yoga belt to support your hips.

7. Full relaxation pose

To make the final pose even more relaxing use folded up blanket underneath your legs and optionally use eye pillow and another blanket to cover yourself. Try and make yourself really comfortable so that you can relax fully. Feel free to use semi supine pose instead.

Developing a Home Yoga Practice Part II

In the ‘Developing a Home Yoga Practice part I’, I explored the benefits and importance of having a regular home yoga practice. In this second part, I will cover information and advice on how to start your home practice.

Benefits of home practice

There are many benefits from regular home practice. Over time, you will gain flexibility and strength not just physically but mentally. You will feel more relaxed and confident in your practice and your ability to concentrate will vastly improve. Overall you will feel more balanced and aware of yourself.

One key advantage of home practice is that you become less reliant on other people and you can practice any time you want. You don’t need to find a suitable class every time you want to practice and you can tailor the practice to suit your needs. As your practice develops, you will gain the skills to become your own yoga teacher and learn to look after yourself better.

Yoga Tools

Hopefully, by now you are wondering how you can start practicing yoga at home. In order to get started, it seems obvious but you need to get some yoga equipment like yoga mat and blocks. It’s not a must but you can also buy other useful yoga tools like eye pillow, yoga straps, bricks and bolsters. These tools can make your practice more enjoyable and they can easily be found on online yoga stores. If you don’t want to start spending money, you can use household items instead. For example, a scarf instead of a yoga belt. See my blog post on restorative practice for more ideas.

Place & Time

Ideally, you want to find a practice area that is clean, airy and quiet – preferably a place away from distraction.  If you have particularly busy house, you might consider practicing early in the morning before everyone gets up. Our muscles tend to be tighter in the morning so it might feel more challenging to begin with but your body will adjust in time. In fact, traditionally yoga is practiced very early in the morning and it is a wonderful time to practice. It will wake you up and you will feel great for the rest of the day. However if this time really doesn’t suit you, try different times of the day like after work or just before going to bed. It’s best to experiment and see what works for you.

Personally I tend to do my practice at the same time every day. Doing your practice at the same time makes it easier to create a regular routine. If you cannot do a regular time and find it difficult to stick to your practice, try making appointment with yourself. You could try writing it down in the diary or note it down on the calendar so that you keep this time free and mark it as something important that you have agreed to do. After all, you wouldn’t forget or decide not to turn up to an important meeting with some one.

How to begin

An ancient text, the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali[1] has the following advice on practice,

The practice of yoga will be firmly rooted when it is maintained consistently and with dedication over a long period - Yoga Sutra verse 1.14 (A Shearer translation)

To begin with, it’s best to try and do short regular practice - try doing couple of basic postures and sequences that you know well. At this stage, the most important thing is to establish the routine of doing yoga. It’s better to do 20 minutes everyday than to do an hour and a half practice once in a blue moon. You can then gradually increase the practice length over time. For inspiration, I recommend that you continue to attend your group classes regularly and take a look at yoga books and website for more ideas. It is said that there are over 840,000 yoga poses [2] available. Having this many choices can be great but it can also be confusing. Try not to do everything at once and take time to learn each posture well.

Coming up with a balanced yoga sequence can be challenging and it can be hard to know which postures to do and when to do them. Try to notice the effect of each of the asanas so that you can begin to know what postures work well together. Yoga sequencing can be likened to cooking. First of all, it’s important to learn the basics. You can begin by following a recipe (or other people’s sequences) and once you have learnt the basics, you can begin to experiment and come up with your own unique flavours and practice.

As a general rule, you want to try and have a definitive start, middle and end to your session. This will help to create a rounded practice. Try to spend at least couple of minutes settling and connecting to your breath. Do some warming up movements to limber the body especially before doing advanced postures like strong backbends or inversions. Towards the end of the practice, wind down by doing some more calming and relaxing postures. Make sure you always rest in Savasana at the end of your practice.

Keeping a practice journal can be beneficial. You can see your progress easily and it will encourage you to learn names of the poses and breathing techniques. This doesn’t have to be long. It could be just couple of sentences. If writing something doesn’t work for you, try recording a journal on your phone. Encourage yourself to reflect on how the practice made you feel. Note down things like how your body felt, the qualities of your breathing and how the mind reacted during your practice. Write down what worked and what didn’t and your energy levels during and after the practice.

Practice Tips

Instilling a regular practice can be very challenging so try and persevere.  It’s normal to have setbacks so try not to be too hard on yourself. Stay sensitive and notice small changes. Most of all enjoy your practice.

Finally, there are other creative ways of brining yoga practice throughout the day. You can practice simple breathing techniques like Full Yogic Breathing whilst you’re walking down the street or do Tadasana (Mountain Pose) when you’re waiting for a bus. You could also do few simple stretches at work.

I will leave you with a quote from K Pattabhi Jois, a renowned Indian Yoga teacher who developed Ashtanga Yoga, said ‘Practice and all is coming’.

Footnote

1. The Yoga sutra was written around 200 AD is considered to be one of the most authoritative texts on yoga

2. The Gheranda Samhita is a classic text of Hatha yoga. The text states that there are 84 basic poses but it also claims thatShiva taught 8,400,000 different asanas. Some people argue that they are infinite poses because people have infinite imagination and abilities to move the body. https://www.quora.com/How-many-yoga-poses-exist

Developing a Home Yoga Practice Part I

‘Home practice explores the exquisite relationships between the body, the breath and life itself. The whole reason for doing yoga is to enjoy this relationship, the natural intimacy with life itself’

 – Mark Whitwell, an internationally renowned yoga teacher 

Developing a consistent home yoga practice is one of the most rewarding and important activities for serious yogis but it can also be one of the hardest things to achieve. A regular practice requires motivation, creativity, discipline and confidence – all qualities that are really worthwhile to try and develop.

I’ve met dedicated students that attend taught group yoga classes almost every day and yet find it a real struggle to get on their yoga mat alone at home. This is important to remedy as it’s within a regular home practice that we truly discover and connect to ourselves. As Tara Frazer in her book ‘Yoga for You’ says, ‘Although you will learn a great deal from a teacher, you will experience most of yoga’s benefits by practicing alone. This is because, ultimately, yoga is a process of self-realisation and you are the best expert on yourself’.

No matter how excellent your yoga teacher is, they will never be able to feel and connect to yourself like you can. Instead of relying on other people, you can begin to look after yourself.

When we know ourselves better we are in a much better position to take care of our minds and bodies. One of the greatest benefits from my own practice is the ability to really listen and adapt my practice to suit my changing needs. I believe this is an essential point as no matter how strong or flexible you become, if you are unable to modify your practice when you have injuries or at challenging times then it’s severely limited. In fact, it’s during these times that our yoga practice should help and support us.

The yoga practice then becomes a therapeutic transformative activity for the individual. Gary Kraftsow, a senior viniyoga teacher said ‘...Yoga lies in the adaption of the practice to the individual, not in the adaptation of the individual to the practice’.  When designing a balanced personal practice, Krafsow says to respect our individual situations and requirements and take into account constitution, place, gender, time, age, capacities, aspirations and activities.

It is easy to ignore our personal needs and circumstances and set unrealistic aims and goals in our practice. Yoga is not something we accomplish but it is a life long development. You will naturally find that your practice will continuously grow and change.

Over time my own practice has changed to be more self-reflective and contemplative. It is now much less about achieving certain postures or complying with rigid ideals. I do my home practice to try and achieve greater harmony and balance within myself. I believe these important changes have come from my continuous personal practice.

In the next part of this blog, I will give tips and advice on starting a home practice.

Restorative Yoga Postures

I caught a particularly bad cold earlier in the year and had to adapt my personal yoga practice. I didn’t have the energy to do my regular asanas so I chose to do restorative postures instead. I thought I would write about the benefits of poses that I used to help.

I believe that it’s really important to be able to modify our practice to suit our changing needs. My personal practice enables me to connect and reflect on what’s going on within my life.  It’s imperative that we learn to listen to our body and adapt our practice as much as necessary.

In restorative postures, it’s much nicer to use props but if you don’t have any, you can always use alternative things that you can find in your home.  For example, you could use couple of pillows instead of a yoga bolster and a scarf or belt to replace yoga strap. Eye pillows are wonderful for restorative practice but if you don’t have one, you could use eye masks or cover your eyes with a small towel. Get creative and use whatever that works for you. Just make sure that you are supported and really comfortable. Here are some recommended restorative postures:

Supported Supine Bound Angle Pose

This is a great heart and hip opening pose, especially beneficial for relieving some symptoms of a cold.

 Props: Bolster, yoga straps or blocks and eye pillow

Supported Child Pose

When you’ve got a cold, it can be difficult to do forward bends but this is a lovely calming and relaxing one to do.

Props: Bolster, cushion, blanket 

Legs up the wall pose

Similar to forward bends, inverted postures can be challenging postures to practice when your feeling under the weather but you can practice this pose easily.  It is also said to be a great pose to encourage you to get a good night’s sleep. The trick to getting close to the wall is to start by sitting very close sideways and flipping your legs 90 degrees. If your buttocks are still far away, use your elbows to nudge yourself closer.

 Prop: a wall or a chair, bolster

Practicing points

• Stay in the pose from 5 – 10 minutes
• Feel and decide for yourself how much props to use
• Relax and enjoy

Yoga for Cyclists

I recently started to cycle to work and now ride almost everyday to my yoga classes around Bristol. I love cycling; it’s fast, convenient and environmentally friendly. I also feel great and see the mental and physical benefits from cycling. I feel stronger and really enjoy the wind brushing against my skin.

However, as with most strenuous activities it’s beneficial to make sure that you stretch before and after exercising and I believe that this is also true for cycling.

Because I hadn’t cycled much since I was a teenager, I really noticed how it affected my body. I was getting tight, especially in my legs and hips. I also found that my shoulders and back were collapsing and rounding.

After reading articles on the benefits of yoga for cyclists and experimenting with my own yoga practice, I decided to run workshops on this topic. I believe that simple regular yoga stretches can be immensely beneficial for all cyclists. It can soothe tired muscles and help you to avoid and recover from injury more quickly. The holistic approach of yoga practice will encourage balance and harmony in both mind and the body.

A well constructed yoga practice can help you to improve your cycling performance and can be an excellent cross training programme for more serious cyclists. Yoga is great for improving concentration and relaxation especially in challenging situations which will be useful in competitions. Best of all, it will help you to continue doing what you love for longer.

Yoga For Your Posture

What is a healthy posture? A good posture is one that is balanced, relaxed, and long lasting. Healthy posture allows natural movement of energy within our bodies and minds. On the other hand, poor posture tends to be unbalanced, tensed and collapsed, causing mental and physical strain that could otherwise be avoided.

In the yoga asana (posture) practice we look for the quality of ‘Sthira Sukham’. The Sanskrit word ‘Sthira’ can be translated to mean firm, steady or lasting and ‘Sukham’ refers to happiness, delight and comfort. Therefore, we are looking for a steady and comfortable posture. You will find that when these qualities exist at the same time, it will naturally be long lasting and sustainable.

So how can we achieve these qualities? First of all, it seems obvious but one of the most important factors for improving your posture is awareness. Like most things, without awareness it’s difficult to make conscious lasting changes. Although, at first this seems like a simple advice, it’s actually really hard to be aware of your posture, especially when you’re concentrating on something else. For example, working on a computer or doing the house work. We tend to only notice our posture when parts of our body start to ache as a result of being in a bad position for too long.

How can we be more aware of our body when we are focusing on something else? Bizarrely, the key to this answer is again awareness or attentiveness. If we are more conscious of how we use our body in our everyday life, we can know when we’ve collapsed our posture. It’s then easier to pay more attention during this time and make the necessary adjustments. Although, it sound easy this is a continuous process and we need to adapt and be mindful as our life changes.

The good news is that more yoga practice you do, more attentive and aware you can be of your body and mind. Regular asana practice will help to create a relaxed and strong body and mind, and help to create healthier and more balanced posture.

Downward Facing Dog

I recently wrote an article for the Clifton Life magazine on releasing the lower back. This pose is a wonderful pose not only for back problems but great for strengthening and improving flexibility for your legs and shoulders. We practice downward facing dog all the time in my classes and it gets easier more that you practice.

Q. I suffer from lower back problems. What can I do to alleviate the pain?

A. Back problems are one of the most common complaints in modern day life. There are plenty of exercises and asanas (postures) you can do to help alleviate lower back issues but it’s also important to find ways of future prevention. Bringing awareness to your everyday posture and alignment and strengthening core stability muscles is one of the first steps to preserving a strong back.

Daily Yoga practice is one of the most effective ways of improving and preventing back problems. The following pose is ideal for stretching the lower back and building a strong abdominal area. It will also strengthen your upper body and release the backs of the legs.

1. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward facing dog)

Come into a table top position, on your hands and knees. Spreading your fingers wide, placing your hands shoulder width apart and knees directly underneath your hips. With a deep exhalation, lift your knees and buttocks upwards; try to lift your sitting bones high and tuck your tailbone under to engage your core stability muscles. Keep your arms straight and strong and open the chest, bringing length to the sides of the body. Work towards getting your heels on the ground. Make sure that your shoulders and neck are relaxed. Breathe deep and smoothly throughout the pose.

Modification: If you have tight hamstrings, bend the knees so that you can lengthen your lower back effectively.