Long before chairs were invented humans took a load off in a natural seat. Our ancestors and many people all over the world today use the resting squat as a position to rest, eat, wait, and well you know, relieve themselves. Squatting is a fundamental human position. It’s hard wired into your DNA. I love watching kids squat without even a thought or a struggle. Unfortunately many people loose the ability to squat as they grow older. Have you ever thought about why? If you guessed that one sitting in chairs is one of the reasons you were right! When you sit in a chair your body stays flexed 90 degrees at the hips and knees. Some of your muscles turn off because they don’t have to work to hold you up, the chair supports you. Other muscles end up over-stressed. Over time your hips and legs become weak and tight and you […]
Continue ReadingAsana Sequences
Gentle Restorative Inversions
It’s Summer Solstice! As I reflect on the first half of the year these are my go to restorative poses. You can use these beneficial poses any time of the year but I have been enjoying them this last week. Both poses are comfortable enough to stay in for long periods of time. Whether you hold them for 5 or 20 minutes they are deeply restful and rejuvenating. They have helped to recharge my batteries, balance my system, and harness the extra energy the summer sun has brought to support me through the second half of the year. Give them a try! Straight Leg Bridge Pose: This pose is enough of a backbend in the upper back to open your chest and lungs. But because the legs are straight it should not pinching your lower back. And it’s an inversion because your head is lower than your heart so you get the benefits […]
Continue ReadingFall Equinox Sequence for Balance
Happy Equinox. The transition between summer and autumn can be the most challenging time to maintain balance. As we head in to the final quarter of the year, it’s a great time to slow down, check in with your goals and intentions for the year, and nurture your well-being. This week I have put together a little practice for you to stay healthy and grounded. I know you can’t always make it to class, but you if can find 10-30 minutes in your day to come to your yoga mat I am confident you will be able to maintain vibrant health as we transition to the darker half of the year. Use this as a springboard for practice by either practicing the whole sequence or portions of it as time allows. Balasana / Child’s Pose Come to your mat and take 5-10 breaths in child’s pose to prepare for your practice. Adho Mukha Svanasana / Downward Dog […]
Continue ReadingPajamasana – Yoga In Bed
As a yoga practitioner and teacher I have learned to incorporate yoga stretches in all aspects of my life. I even do yoga in bed! The people at Casper, a new sleep start up specializing in latex memory foam mattresses asked me to share my in bed yoga secrets with you. So come on in to my bedroom… A little bedtime yoga is great before falling asleep or first thing in the morning, especially when you wake up and don’t quite want to get out of bed yet. In fact, a supported child’s pose with pillows is the best way to spend the minutes when you have hit the snooze button. Reclined hip and leg stretches such as Supta Baddhakonasana, Supta Padangusthasana, and others are great to do on the mattress. (See photos below.) When you first wake up, I suggest pressing your hands into the wall or headboard above you […]
Continue ReadingOuter Hip Relief
Have you been doing your “Kitchen Sink Yoga” or “6-Minutes of Yoga For Stiff Bodies“? Well here is another pose to add to your repertoire. The big muscles on your outer hip called the external rotators can tend to get tight. Use this stretch to target them at work, home, or virtually anywhere to help relieve the tension that comes from a sedentary life. Holding on to a table, counter, or the sink bend your knees and cross your shin over your opposite thigh. Flex your foot to protect your knee. Press down into the table with your hands to keep your deep core engaged. Lean forward until you feel sensation that you can sustain and breathe into. Create the action of pulling your knees away from each other to target stretch. Hold for 30-45 seconds and repeat on the second side. As you open you will be able to walk further […]
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