Posts Tagged ‘yoga poses’

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Twisting Yoga Poses for Energy

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

yoga certificationBy Narendra Maheshri

In our fast-paced world, stress and tension are endemic. In fact, stress and tension seem to be unavoidable for many of us. Holding stress and tension in our bodies creates muscular stiffness and contraction. Energetically, if we are very overwhelmed, our muscles contract in a similar fashion to a tortoise pulling its head and legs into its shell for protection. In the moment, this response may feel protective. Over the long run, muscular contraction and stiffness will stifle the flow of energy throughout the body and will create a state of heaviness, lethargy and discomfort.

Twisting Yoga poses are a great way to increase circulation and relieve tension and stress. As we practice twisting Yoga asanas, the release of muscular tension helps to increase the flow of life force energy throughout the entire body. When our life force energy increases, so does our optimism and our sense of competency to manage the details of life well. Twisting Yoga asanas help to lengthen the lateral sides of the body including the torso, hips, shoulders, neck and chest. As the muscular tension is released, the flow of fresh oxygen and blood throughout the body will help to revitalize your entire being. The increased circulation of blood throughout the lymphatic system will also help to increase the functioning of the immune system. Twisting Triangle is a very effective standing Yoga asana for releasing tension throughout the torso, legs, chest and shoulders.

Twisting Triangle

To practice Twisting Triangle, come to an equal standing position at the front of your Yoga mat. Jump or step your feet three to four feet apart. Raise your arms to shoulder height with your palms facing your mat. Your ankles should be directly under your wrists. With your next inhale, turn your right foot perpendicular to the sides of your Yoga mat. Line your right heel up with your back of your left heel. With an exhale, pinwheel your arms down and place your left hand on the right ankle or on your mat on the outside of your right ankle, if you have the flexibility. Work on keeping your right and left arms in a straight line. Gaze up at your right hand and hold for several breaths. With your next inhale, pinwheel your arms back up to shoulder height. Jump or step your feet back together in Equal Standing Pose at the top of your Yoga mat. Repeat on the other side.

© 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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Teaching Yoga: Benefits of Yoga Props

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

yoga instructor courseBy Narendra Maheshri

There is an attitude that a few Yoga teachers have in regard to the use of props. This attitude is based on intolerance for new students and students with special needs. Maybe the Yoga teacher has not received in-depth training of anatomy, or a compassion chip, but arrogant yoga instructors should label their craft accordingly.

Some suggestions would be sauna stretch, extreme stretch and torture, hardcore boot camp stretching, or no pain no gain stretching. By discarding the word “yoga,” there is no deception. A new student would realize that there is as much risk of injury in a class with these yoga teachers as there is in a boxing ring.

Why Yoga Props Make Sense

Newcomers to yoga will find certain props invaluable, especially in the beginning when muscles are tight and rigid. At first, there may be a significance dependence on props that will decrease as flexibility increases. The greatest benefit to using yoga props, is they improve the quality of the pose which creates a better stretch.

Yoga Mats

A mat is probably the most useful of all yoga props. The purpose of a yoga mat is to provide a non-slip surface to stand on while performing yoga poses. A yoga mat protects feet from unwanted movement or slippage while holding a pose. This is instrumental in avoiding injury from slipping. A yoga mat may be used to cover another prop, like yoga block, to provide a non-slip surface. The importance of a yoga mat is creates a safe foundation when practicing yoga.

Yoga Blocks

Yoga block are extremely useful props, especially for beginners who don’t have much stretch and extension at first. A well-placed yoga block can extend the reach of an arm reaching to touch the floor when performing a wide leg stretch with a forward bend like in a triangle pose. Using a yoga block can create a deeper stretch without fear of injury. A yoga block can help maintain balance while posing, give support in a seated twist, or help maintain balance during a pose.

Yoga Straps

Yoga straps are indispensable when performing a seated forward stretch to the toes. Tight hamstrings may make it too difficult to reach the toes. Feeding a yoga strap around the toes and holding the ends of the strap in each hand will aid and enhance the stretch gently until the hamstrings loosen. Placing the strap around the toes anchors the yoga strap so the ends can be pulled to increase the stretch from the hips bending forward. A yoga strap aids stretching and holding yoga poses without straining. This makes it easy to push limits and improve yoga poses resulting in greatly improved flexibility.

Yoga Blankets

A yoga blanket may be used to comfort and support the body with a variety of yoga poses. The blanket can be folded and used to sit on to ease the strain of several seated poses, allowing the pose to be held longer with a deeper stretch. A yoga blanket can be folded or rolled to support the back or neck with poses that stress those areas. This is a versatile prop because it can be folded and shaped to suit almost any pose.

What are the Benefits?

Practicing asana, meditation, and pranayama without an injury is what we want for our students.  Some people cannot sit with their legs crossed on the floor.  In that case, we have to find a solution.  As Paulji often stresses, “Hatha Yoga is adapted to the needs of the individual student.”  Our students take yoga classes to have better health and props insure the experience is a good one.  Our objective is no yoga injuries at all.

© 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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Teaching Yoga: When to Assist

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

yoga certificationBy Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

There are several aspects to teaching Yoga. Instructors must first know all the postures and how to perform them; they must know the correct verbal cues; understand the benefits and risks associated with each pose; be able to convey the philosophies and techniques of Yoga concisely, and be a positive role model to students. As a Yoga teacher, you have a responsibility to your students to provide them with a positive, informative, and uplifting experience with Yoga. Sometimes, this involves correcting students’ postures when they are performing them incorrectly.

Knowing when to help out your students, during class, comes with experience. After careful observation, you will begin to realize that not all Yoga students need immediate correction of postures. If given time and verbal cues by the instructor, many students will be able to fix minor errors in positioning without assistance. Some students need some extra instruction, modeling, or physical guidance. Knowing who these students are, and when to help them, is a finely-tuned skill.

It is not always necessary to point out all mistakes. People will often catch their own mistakes, once they gain experience with the poses, and begin to learn how each pose should feel. Beginners often flail around a bit, simply because of their lack of experience with Yoga asana practice.  An instructor, who is constantly correcting everything students do, might turn them off from Yoga completely, or give the impression that it is too hard for them to succeed.

On the other hand, someone who struggles with a pose, receiving no assistance, might feel unimportant or let down by the Yoga teacher. Yoga instructors must really tune in to their students to understand who to help and when. If a student is obviously struggling with a pose, go over to their mat and offer advice, or guide them into the pose with gentle hands. If you are introducing a new pose, walk around to get a look at everyone, giving guidance as necessary. Always speak calmly and quietly, and adjust poses to the best of the student’s ability.

Always, immediately, assist someone who is experiencing extreme discomfort or pain.  Without using words, many people will ask for help as needed. Pick up on the cues the student is giving. If they seem to welcome your advice, keep giving it. If they tend to pull back or become embarrassed by your help, give them the necessary space. Always remind your students to do what feels right and good for their bodies, and not to worry so much about getting the Yoga poses “right.”

© 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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Twisting Yoga Poses for Digestive Health

Monday, January 9th, 2012

yoga certificationBy Sangeetha Saran

Twisting Yoga poses help the body to detoxify and re-energize. Twisting Yoga poses gently compress the internal organs. This compression helps to move freshly oxygenated blood throughout the entire body. Physical sluggishness and mental cloudiness are both indications that the body is carrying unnecessary toxins and waste substances. A well-rounded practice of Yoga poses will help to invigorate and detoxify both the body and mind. Twisting Yoga asanas are particularly effective for increasing digestive health. They also help to relieve tension and increase your energy level.

Twisting Yoga poses work by compressing and decompressing many of the internal organs that are involved with the digestive process. Some of these organs include the liver, kidneys, pancreas, small and large intestines, and the colon. As these digestive organs are flushed out, the toxins are also flushed out. There are also supplements, herbs and detoxifying teas available today that will further assist the body in detoxifying. If you practice twisting Yoga poses regularly, your digestive system will work more efficiently, you will experience more mental acuity and your immune system will be stronger. The strength of the immune system is directly related to the health of the digestive system.

Sage Twist – Marichyasana Pose

Sage Twist or Marichyasana is a great twisting Yoga asana for massaging the entire abdominal area including the spleen, liver and intestinal tract. This pose will also help to relieve lower back pain that is caused by muscular tension and pressure on the sciatic nerve. Performed with correct alignment, Marichyasana will help the spine to stay properly aligned and flexible.

To practice Sage Twist, warm-up first with a series of Sun Salutations and standing poses. Seated Yoga asanas are usually practiced towards the end of a Yoga session. Seated poses help the body to cool down, increase flexibility and turn the attention inward in preparation for Shavasana. After you have practiced a series of Sun Salutations and standing Yoga asanas, come to a sitting position on your mat with your legs straight out in front of you.

Place your right foot flat on your Yoga mat and 4-6 inches away from your left knee with your right knee pointing straight up in the air. Place your right hand directly behind your sacrum with your palm facing down and your fingers pointing towards the back of your mat. Take one full breath and with your next inhale, extend your left arm into the air. With your next exhale, bring the outside of your left elbow to the outside of your right knee with your fingers together and pointing towards the ceiling.

Gently apply pressure against your right knee with your left elbow to increase the intensity of the pose. As you apply pressure, exhale, as you release the pressure, inhale. Continue to hold the pose for five to ten breaths. To come out of the pose, release your left elbow and your right arm as you place your right leg back down on your mat. Pause for a moment to feel the effects of the pose and repeat on the other side.

© 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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Intermediate Sitting Poses for Trauma Survivors

Friday, December 30th, 2011

yoga teacher training courseBy Bhavan Kumar

A well rounded and regular practice of Yoga poses and pranayama exercises can be a great resource for trauma survivors to engage in healing and resolving their traumatic experiences. Practicing Yoga well, irregardless of how the pose looks, demands presence and breath. Maintaining a mindful awareness or presence throughout your Yoga practice will help you to become aware of feeling and sensations that may have lain dormant or under your conscious awareness for many years. Bringing these thoughts, feelings and emotions to the surface during your Yoga practice will help you to unravel the “stickiness” of the memories.

If you maintain a mindful witness consciousness of the memories, you will create distance by witnessing the memories instead of identifying with them. In this way, Yoga will help you to integrate your traumatic experienced in a more balanced way. Over time, this awareness, integration and resolution will lift a great burden from your body, mind and spirit. Intermediate sitting poses will help you to enhance your level of flexibility and also will help you to slow down and witness your thoughts and emotions as you do the Yoga poses.

There are intermediate sitting Yoga poses that are more physically challenging than others. There are also intermediate sitting Yoga asanas that are often more emotionally challenging for trauma survivors than physically challenging. If a trauma survivor has suffered sexual abuse, sitting Yoga postures such as Fire Log Pose and even Child’s Pose will provide an opportunity to release deeply held tension in the hips and groin area. These poses will also provide an opportunity for a trauma survivor to set boundaries and choose not to practice a particular pose during any given Yoga session. This act of self-determination is empowering in and of itself and will be therapeutically beneficial for a trauma survivor.

Revolved Head to Knee Pose

Revolved Head to Knee Pose is a great intermediate Yoga pose for opening up the heart, throat, neck and shoulder areas. It also keeps the lower body limber. To practice Revolved Head to Knee Pose, sit on your Yoga mat with your legs straight out in front of you. Place your right foot flush up against the inside of your left thigh. With your next inhale, raise your arms over your head. With your next exhale, bring your arms forward and place your right hand on your left knee, ankle or on the outside of your ankle, depending on your level of flexibility. Stretch your left arm back behind you at shoulder height with your palm facing away from you. Hold for three to five breaths and repeat on the other side.

© Copyright 2011 – 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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Sequencing Techniques for a Yoga Class

Monday, December 26th, 2011

yoga certificationBy Jenny Park

Sequencing is important in any yoga class. There are many different variations of proper sequencing, with no one specific sequence superior to another. Sequencing makes a difference in the way the class flows. It would seem awkward and tedious if students were asked to sit, stand, lay, stand, sit, and so on. A good flow of poses lends gracefulness to a yoga class, making it feel smooth and natural. Instructors must carefully plan sequences, as well as anybody wishing to practice yoga in their home.

General sequences begin with poses that warm-up the body’s muscles, then continue to progress to more advanced poses, and end with poses that cool-down the body and mind. Poses are usually performed one time, but for a variation, a sequence might repeat poses two or three times with emphasis on a different aspect of the posture each time. Some sequences might also include one pose that is returned to again and again. Sequences can vary based on the difficulty level of the class, or the individual needs of the students. Like other aspects of a yoga practice, there is no right or wrong way to sequence, but rather a best way for each person.

When developing a general sequence for a diverse class of yoga students, begin with warm-up and centering poses. Choose a warm-up based on the theme of the class. If the class focus is to relax and unwind, spend more time breathing and meditating. If the focus is to invigorate, spend more time warming up the whole body and getting the blood flowing. Ask students to sit in a comfortable position, and lead a basic pranayama, or breathing exercise such as alternate nostril breathing, or deep belly breathing. Continue for a few minutes. Begin warming up the body with some slow neck rolls and shoulder lifts. Move to an all-fours position to warm up the spine with cat-cow pose, or plank. Progress to downward dog or a forward bend and continue by performing a sun salutation to get the blood flowing, or balance poses to work on focus and concentration.

As you progress into the “heart” of the class, keep similar poses grouped together. For example, complete a series of standing poses like triangle, warrior, and forward bend variations before moving to seated yoga poses. Then perform all postures that originate from a seated or all fours position, like lunges, sitting forward bends, or hip openers. Then you can end with lying down poses like cobra, spinal twists, and bow pose. Finish with corpse pose and another round of breathing to complete the class.

© Copyright 2011 – 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 Seasonal Affective Disorder

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

yoga certificationBy Gopi Rao

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a seasonal form of depression. This disorder tends to occur most frequently in the fall and winter months in geographical areas of the world that are furthest from the equator. As winter ensues in parts of the world such as North America, Northern Europe, Scandinavia and so on, the diminishing amount of sunlight can profoundly affect people who are vulnerable to depression. The blustery weather conditions during the winter months in these areas also dissuades people from going outside and exercising in the brief periods of sunlight that are available each day. Statistically, women are more four times more likely to suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder than men.

Low levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain cause Seasonal Affective Disorder. Serotonin levels in our brains are positively affected by sunlight. When the sunlight diminishes during the fall and winter months, individuals who are prone to low levels of serotonin can dip below a healthy level of this important neurotransmitter. Recently, scientists have also determined that people who are low in Vitamin D are more likely to develop SAD during the fall and winter months. Some of the symptoms of SAD are generalized fatigue, irritability, insomnia, poor sex drive and difficulty making decisions. All of these symptoms are classic symptoms of depression.

Yoga Poses that help to improve circulation, open the heart chakra and release stress and tension will help to alleviate symptoms of SAD and re-balance brain chemistry. Vigorous standing postures will help to generate energy, heat in the body and improve the circulation of fresh blood and nutrients into every area of the body. A great way to begin your Yoga practice is to do five to ten rounds of Sun Salutations with Ujjayi breathing. The combination of this vigorous vinyasa with Ujjayi breathing will leave you feeling light, energized and buoyant. These feelings are the antithesis of SAD. After warming up with a series of Sun Salutations, practicing back bending poses will expand your chest and heart areas, further helping to lift your mood. Bow Pose is one of the best poses for opening up the entire front of the body.

Bow Pose

To practice Bow Pose, lie on your stomach on your Yoga mat. Feel the ground beneath you as you bend your knees and grasp your ankles. With your next inhale; raise your legs and chest up by pressing your ankles into your hands. Keep your knees in alignment with your hips. Do not let them fall out to the side. Feel the expansion of your chest, throat, shoulders and quadriceps. Hold this pose for five breaths. With your next exhale, come down and rest with your check on your mat. Repeat two more times.

© Copyright 2011 – 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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Centering Yoga Poses for the Holiday Season

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

become a yoga instructorBy Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 250 

The holiday season can be joyous, exciting and even ebullient. It can also be stressful, overwhelming and exhausting. The demands on our time, energy and attention, not to mention our wallets, can leave us feeling anxious and unbalanced. Maintaining a regular practice of Yoga asanas, breathing exercises and periods of meditation can help to ameliorate the more stressful aspects of the holiday season while accentuating the positive and uplifting aspects of celebrating the return of the light during the darkest time of the year.

There are many different Yoga poses that help to create a sense of balance and centering when we are feeling off balance. As one might predict, many of these centering Yoga asanas fall into the category of balancing postures. Poses such as Tree Pose, Eagle Pose and Crow Pose will demand your presence and attention and will help to immediately center you. The traditional Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar is also a great way to begin your Yoga practice, warm-up your entire body and re-center yourself both physically and emotionally. One of the core components of the Sun Salutation is the breath. Linking your breath with your movements is a very powerful way of grounding your attention in the present moment and establishing a strong awareness of your center.

Before beginning your practice of the Sun Salutation, bring your hands in front of your heart in Anjali Mudra. This mudra will focus your energy on your heart chakra and connect you with the wisdom that resides there. Take a few deep breaths and check-in with yourself to see how you are feeling in this exact moment. Do not be attached to analyzing your thoughts or emotional state, just be aware of how you are feeling. Remember to breathe in deeply and to exhale fully. Practicing a few rounds of complete Yogic breathing will quickly calm down an overactive nervous system as you begin your practice.

To practice the beginning movements of the Sun Salutation, stand at the front of your mat in Mountain Pose. Take a few deep breaths. With your next inhale, slowly raise your arms to the sides of your torso and up over your head. The next time you exhale, place your hands in prayer position and bring them down the front of your torso through your heart chakra to your hips. It is important to link your breath with your movements. In this way, you are replicating the very expansion and contraction of the universe as you align your body the gravitational poles of the earth. Feel the extension of your reach and feel the grounding of your energy into the earth as you bring your arms back down to your sides. Practice the beginning movements of the Sun Salutation 5-10 times. When you are finished, bring your hands back to Anjali Mudra and pause to feel the aliveness in the very center of your being.

© Copyright 2011 – 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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Warming Yoga Poses for Skiers

Friday, December 2nd, 2011

yoga certificationBy Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 250

There are a number of Yoga poses that will warm-up both specific muscle groups and the entire body for a challenging day on the slopes. Skiing can be either leisurely or very demanding. In part, the snow conditions will determine the level of intensity and challenge for many skiers. In order to ski at your optimal level and to prevent injury, it is important to spend some time warming up for the day ahead. Practicing five to ten rounds of full Sun Salutations will help to lubricate all of your joints and warm-up all of the major muscle groups in the body.

After warming up with several rounds of Sun Salutations, practicing a Warrior Pose sequence that links together Warrior I, II and III will help to invigorate you and hone your sense of balance. Warrior I Pose will open up the front of your body and make you feel expanded and exalted. Warrior II pose will ground you and focus your concentration in an unwavering fashion. Warrior III pose will help you take flight and sharpen your sense of balance. By linking the three warrior poses together with the movements of the Sun Salutation, you will continue to warm up all of the major muscle groups in your body for the day ahead.

Warrior I Pose

To practice Warrior I, stand with your feet three and a half to four feet apart. Turn your right foot towards the front of the room and perpendicular to your Yoga mat. Turn your left foot in to a 45-degree angle towards the front of your mat. With your next inhale, bend your right knee to a ninety-degree angle and raise your arms overhead in prayer position with your palms touching each other. Do not extend your right knee beyond the line of your ankle. Hold this pose for up to five breaths. Feel the stretch through the entire length of your torso, arms and shoulders. From Warrior I Pose you can flow directly into Warrior II Pose.

Warrior II Pose

From Warrior I, bring your arms down to shoulder height with your palms facing the floor. Hold you gaze or drishti a few inches beyond the third finger of your right hand. Maintain a strong focus on this point as you hold the pose for three to five complete breaths. With your next inhale; you can glide into Warrior III.

Warrior III Pose

As you gaze over the middle finger of your right hand, shift your weight entirely to your right leg and lift off the ground for a one-legged balancing pose. Bring both arms directly in front of you with your palms facing each other in prayer position. Raise your left leg to hip height with your toes pointing towards the floor. Maintain a strong and steady gaze at one spot on the floor. Hold for three to five breaths adjusting your balance when needed. To come out of the pose, inhale and come back to Tadasana at the top of your Yoga mat.

© Copyright 2011 – 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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Energizing Yoga Poses for the Holiday Season

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

become a yoga teacherBy Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 250 

The holidays can be a time of joyous celebration. This season can also be challenging for many of us. In the best of times, the frenetic schedule of parties and celebrations may leave us depleted, stressed, and out-of-sorts. In more difficult times, the holiday season may remind us of people and places that we miss dearly. Practicing energizing Yoga asanas during the holiday season will help us to maintain resiliency, both physically and emotionally. Many of energizing Yoga postures are backbends and also open up the heart chakra. Practicing vigorous Sun Salutations and energizing Yoga postures such as Cobra and Camel Pose will help to move stagnant energy and revitalize both the body and mind.

Ashtanga Sun Salutations A and B

Two of the most powerful Yoga vinyasa practices for revitalizing the entire body/mind complex are Sun Salutations A and B as practiced in the Ashtanga Yoga system. There are many other variations of how to link the Sun Salutation poses together in various ways. Some other well-known Yoga practices that incorporate vigorous Sun Salutations are Bikram Yoga, Power Yoga of all kinds and Vinyasa Yoga. For more information and instructions, please refer to the many books, DVDs and websites that offer detailed information on this entire series of Sun Salutations.

Cobra Pose

Cobra Pose is one of the quintessential back bending Yoga asanas. To practice Cobra Pose: Warm-up with several Sun Salutations of your choice and then come to a prone lying position on your mat. Turn your head to one side and rest on your cheek for a few breaths. With your next inhale, bring your hands up to your chest and place them flat on your Yoga mat and perpendicular to the sides of your mat. Slowly raise your torso off the mat. Try to keep your shoulders from creeping up by opening up your throat and heart areas. Also focus on keeping your shoulder blades flat on your back. Hold for three to five breaths and come down slowly. Rest for a few moments on the opposite cheek and repeat two more times.

Camel Pose

Camel Pose is a powerful Yoga asana for expanding the entire rib cage, heart and throat area. After warming up with several Sun Salutations of your choice, come to your knees at the front of your Yoga mat. Keep your knees approximately hips’ distance apart from each other. Place your hands facing up on your sacrum or lower back area. With your next exhale; slowly lean backwards against your hands. If you have any neck issues, keep your head straight up. If your neck is fine, you can also lean your head back as you lean your entire torso back against your hands. To come out of Camel Pose, rise back up slowly and rest for several breaths in Extended Child’s Pose.

© Copyright 2011 – 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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