Posts Tagged ‘yoga poses for’

Yoga Poses for Insomnia

Tuesday, April 10th, 2012

yoga instructor courseBy Faye Martins

Both intermittent and chronic insomnia can have a profoundly negative impact on your quality of life. If you struggle with insomnia, you are aware of how difficult it is to focus on your daily activities when you have not slept well. You may even have a flu-like feeling for most of the day, accompanied by a pervasive headache. You mood may also suffer, and you may find it more difficult to look on the bright side of life. Chronic insomnia also lowers your body’s ability to fight off colds and flus as well as more serious health conditions.

An overly anxious mind or physical health issues, such as restless leg syndrome or sleep apnea, may fuel insomnia. If you have difficulty sleeping or staying asleep through the night, it is important to see your doctor to rule out any serious underlying health issues. If you do suffer with insomnia due to physical or mental health issues, your doctor will be able to offer you a variety of treatment options. In addition, practicing relaxing and restorative Yoga postures before bed will help your mind and body to wind down and prepare for a refreshing night’s sleep.

Supta Baddha Konasana

Supta Baddha Konasana or Reclining Bound Angle Pose is a very gentle Yoga pose that opens up the energy in your pelvic area and stretches out your inner thigh and groin muscles. If Supta Baddha Konasana is practiced restoratively with supportive bolsters, blankets and eyes pillows, the relaxing benefits of this posture are enhanced. This postures also improves digestion as it relaxes your mind and your sympathetic nervous system.

To practice Supported Supta Baddha Konasana, you will need two blankets or bolsters and an eye pillow. If you have access to an aromatherapy eye pillow that is filled with a relaxing herb such as lavender, the therapeutic benefit of this posture will be enhanced. You may also practice this pose without any Yoga props.

When you are ready, sit down on your Yoga mat with your legs forming a triangle as the soles of your feet touch each other. Place a bolster or rolled blanket under each knee. Now, lie back on your Yoga mat and place your eye pillow on your eyes. If needed, adjust your bolsters or blankets for optimal support and comfort. Stay in this pose for five to ten minutes. When you are ready to come out of the pose, remove the eye pillow and roll to your right side. Pause for a breath or two and then slowly push yourself up to a sitting position.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

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Yoga Poses for Nurturing the Earth Element

Saturday, March 24th, 2012

online yoga teacher trainingBy Sangeetha Saran

The natural world around us is comprised of four main elements: fire, water, earth and air. Different Yoga asanas or poses will nurture these different elemental aspects within us. Depending on our particular constitutions, we all have varying degrees of these elements within our own beings. The degree and proportion of these elemental forces will also fluctuate depending on the time of day and our age. Yoga poses that nurture the earth element will help us to relax, settle and feel more grounded. This is particularly important if we find that we are feeling anxious, unsupported or scattered. Supported Upavistha Konasana or Supported Seated Wide Legged Straddle Pose is a wonderfully grounding and restorative Yoga pose that will connect you deeply to the earth element.

* Supported Upavistha Konasana or Supported Wide Legged Straddle Pose

Generally speaking, seated Yoga asanas are practiced towards the end of Yoga practice after Sun Salutations, standing and backbending postures. If you are short on time, you may also practice Supported Upavistha Konasana as a “stand alone” asana. To practice this posture in a supported fashion, you will need a Yoga bolster or a thick blanket that you can roll up to approximate the same size and shape as a bolster. If your hips are tight, you may also wish to place a folded blanket underneath you for added support. To practice Supported Upavistha Konasana, sit on your Yoga mat in a straddle position. Place a bolster or rolled up blanket in between your legs length-wise on your mat. Keep your feet flexed towards the sky.

Take a few deep breaths and with your next exhale, gently bend forward and rest your forehead directly on the bolster. If your level of flexibility does not permit you to fully rest your forehead on the bolster, place another folded blanket or cushion on top of the bolster so you can fully melt into the supportive props. This is one of the key aspects of practicing Wide Legged Straddle Pose in a restful, supportive fashion. Feel the weight of your body sink into the earth. Breath deeply and remember to exhale fully. Stay in this pose for several minutes. When you are ready, sit upright, move the bolster to the side and sit in Easy Seat. Feel the support of the ground beneath you as you rest in stillness.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

See our selection of online yoga teacher training courses.

If you are a yoga teacher, yoga school manager, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

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Yoga Poses for Lower Back Pain

Wednesday, March 7th, 2012

yoga teacher trainingBy Kimaya Singh

Yoga poses for lower back pain are a holistic solution to a timeless problem.  The lower back can be a repository for a lot of stress and tension, both physically and emotionally. Physical activities such as skiing, running, rowing and horseback riding can create tension and strain in the lower back. Emotional duress that is experienced as a feeling of not being supported can also manifest as lower back tension, pain and injury. A lack of spinal support may also be emotionally experienced as a disconnection from others around us and/or financial distress.

Yoga asanas that alleviate lower back tension help to protect us from injury and increase a sense of ease and well being in our own bodies. There are many Yoga asanas that help to release tension from the lower back area. Asanas that increase flexibility in the hamstrings help to ease the pull of those muscles on the lower back. Sitting postures that stretch the legs and hips also help to alleviate lower back tension.

Although it may not be intuitively obvious at first, back bending postures are actually very effective Yoga asanas for releasing stress and tension in the lower back area. As the tension in the neck, throat, shoulder and torso area begins to release, the tension in the lower back will also begin to release. For beginning and intermediate Yoga practitioners, Sphinx Pose is an accessible posture that helps to decompress the front of the body, thereby ultimately lowering the amount of tension in the lower back area. Upward Facing Bow, Wheel and Camel Pose are also great asanas for releasing tension in the front of the body and ultimately in the lower back area.

Sphinx Pose

To practice Sphinx Pose, lie on your Yoga mat with your head facing one direction. Take one complete breath and feel supported by the ground beneath you. With your next inhale, raise yourself up and place your arms in front of you with your arms bent and your weight supported by your elbows. Your arms should be shoulder-distance apart and your palms flat on the floor equidistant from each other and perpendicular to the sides of your Yoga mat.

Hold this position for three to five complete breaths as you feel the ensuring elongation in the front of your torso, including your heart and throat chakra areas. You may want to slowly look from shoulder to shoulder in order to increase the stretch on the right and left sides of your torso. To come out of the posture, with your next exhale, release and lay your head down facing the other direction. Repeat two more times. After practicing Sphinx Pose, finish with Extended Child’s Pose in order to release any residual tension in the lower back.

One last point: Although, I have outlined a few asanas for lower back pain, each person’s condition is different.  As Paulji would point out, no two L-5 injuries are exactly alike.  With that said, please consult your medical specialist about practicing Yoga.  He or she may be able to point you toward a physical, occupational or Yoga therapist who can draw up a lesson plan of exercises and asanas, which are specifically designed for your condition.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

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Yoga Poses for Tight Quadriceps

Sunday, February 26th, 2012

yoga certificationBy Faye Martins

Many Yoga poses can help to relieve tension throughout the body, including the quadriceps. The quadricep muscles are the large muscles in the front of the thighs. These muscles often become tight from athletic activities such as running, dancing, tennis and skiing. When the quadricep muscles are tight, the lower back may also be compromised. Tight quadricep muscles also shorten the front of the body and prevent the free flow of energy or prana from circulating easily. Incorporating Yoga poses into your practice that engender flexibility in the quadriceps will also help to open up the front of the torso, greatly enhancing your energy, sense of nobility, fullness and ease.

Crescent Lunge Pose

To practice Crescent Lunge Pose, warm up first with three to five full Sun Salutations and then come to the front of your Yoga mat in Tadasana. With your next inhale, begin to move through a Sun Salutation. As you come out of Downward Facing Dog, place your right foot up by your right hand and parallel to the sides of your Yoga mat. Place your left knee down on the mat. If your knees are sensitive, you may want to place a folded towel or blanket on your mat for extra padding. Keep your right knee directly over your right ankle in order to prevent injuring your knee. With an inhale, bring your arms to your sides and over your head with your palms touching. Extend your arms to their full capacity and keep your drishti or gaze on your hands. Feel your fullness. Breath deeply and hold for several breaths. With an exhale, bring your arms back to your side and move into Downward Facing Dog. Repeat on the left side.

Bow Pose

Bow Pose is one of the most powerful Yoga poses for opening up the entire front side of the body. It also invigorates the adrenals and kidneys by flushing them with fresh oxygen, blood and nutrients. Before practicing Bow Pose, it is important that you are warmed up. Please practice several rounds of the Sun Salutation and several standing poses in preparation for Bow Pose. When you are ready, come to your Yoga mat in a prone position. Rest for a moment with your head turned to one side. When you are ready, take a few deep breaths and with an inhale grasp your ankles. Depending on your level of flexibility, you may feel an immediate stretch in your quadricep muscles. You may not need to go any further today. If you need more of a stretch, push your ankles against your hands while lifting your chest off the floor. Lead with your heart. Feel the stretch through the entire front side of your body. Hold the pose for three to five breaths and release. Repeat two more times.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

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