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Alternate Nostril Breathing:
What is Nadi shodhana, or the sweet breath? It's a simple form of alternate nostril breathing. Great for beginning and advanced students. Nadi means channel and refers to the energy pathways through which prana flows. Shodhana means cleansing -- so Nadi Shodhana means channel cleaning. Benefits? Calms the mind, soothes anxiety and stress, balances left and right hemispheres, promotes clear thinking How to do it Hold your right hand up and curl your index and middle fingers toward your palm. Place your thumb next to your right nostril and your ring finger and pinky by your left. Close the right nostril by pressing gently against it with your thumb, and inhale through the left nostril. The breath should be slow, steady and full. Now close the left nostril by pressing gently against it with your ring finger and pinky, and open your right nostril by relaxing your thumb and exhale fully with a slow and steady breath. Inhale through the right nostril, close it, and then exhale through the left nostril. That's one complete round of Nadi Shodhana -- Inhale through the left Exhale through the right Inhale through the right nostril Exhale through the left Begin with 5-10 rounds and add more as you feel ready. Remember to keep your breathing slow, easy and full. When to do it? As a mental warm-up before meditation to help calm the mind and put you in the mood. As part of your centering before beginning an asana or posture routine. Also try it at times throughout the day. Nadi Shodhana helps control stress and anxiety. If you start to feel stressed out, 10 or so rounds will help calm you down. It also helps soothe anxiety caused by fearful or stressful situations i.e. flying, public speaking. “[O]ur own bodies are changing every second. Yet we take the body to be our Self; and, speaking in terms of it, we say, “I am hungry” or “I am lame”; “I am black” or “I am white.” These are all just the conditions of the body. We touch the truth when we say, “My body aches,” implying the body belongs to us and that therefore we are not that. (87)”
― Swami Satchidananda, The Yoga Sutras “Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked.”
― Patanjali, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali “When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.”
― Patanjali Shoelace:
This pose opens the hips and decompresses the spine- it can be hard on the pelvis and knees. It could aggravate sciatica. This pose might be for you...or it might not. Listen to the wisdom of the body when choosing to practice a yoga pose. Move out of a pose if it feels too risky or delve further into the pose to increase the intensity of the stretch. http://www.yinyoga.com/ys2_2.0_asanas_shoelace.php Yin yoga is a meditative stretching practice that targets connective tissue -especially around joints and ligaments. Poses are typically held for several minutes to allow muscles to relax and connective tissue to lengthen.
Saturdays at 8am Uptown Body, Falmouth www.yogacreations.com A look at disappointment through a yogic lens. check out This thought provoking article by Phillip Moffitt:
http://www.lifebalanceinstitute.com/dharmawisdom/articles/disappointment-hell Yoga can reduce stress and fatigue - two precursors to lowered immunity!
So unroll your mat and boost your bodys natural ability to fight colds and flu this winter. *What is Hatha yoga? Good question!
Hatha yoga is a mindful practice which focuses on physical strengthening, flexibility and detoxification of the body. Hatha yoga focuses the mind and allows you to be more in charge of your thought process and infuses breathing and meditation. Present moment awareness and compassion are practiced throughout class. |
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