Honour Your Feelings With Yoga

“The body benefits from movement, and the mind benefits from stillness” - unknown
 
Every body is a yoga body!
 
Being led through a yoga practice with a yoga video is wonderful. In my own time, I create space in my day to put on a video and allow myself to let go and be led. Each word, breath and posture leads me from a busy mind and wound up body, to a place where I embody calmness and peace. It makes it easy to meditate. I feel I've come back to myself. I've united body and mind, mind and heart, the outer me and the inner me. It is wonderful.
 
Mantra: I honour all my feelings
By using mantra’s when we practice yoga postures, breathwork or when we meditate, we create space to allow the affirmation to take root. Affirmations aren’t self-praise. They are a statement of an energy or mindset that we would like to move towards. Affirmations are about self-belief.
 
Breath: Alternate nostril breathing
Poses:
1. Warrior 2 pose
This pose strengthens and stretches the legs and ankles. It stretches the groins, chest, lungs and shoulders. It stimulates the abdominal organs. It helps increase stamina. It’s a pose that helps increase mental focus and concentration. It helps you connect with your inner warrior.
 
2. Chair pose
This pose works your body inside and out. It helps to strengthen your legs and it also improves the health of your diaphragm and stimulates your heart. Regular practice helps increase your physical endurance.  It encourages your chest and arms to open, creating more space in your body energetically.
 
3. Downward-facing dog pose
This pose helps to calm the brain and to relieve stress. It energises the body. It stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches and hands. It strengthens the arms and legs. Downward-facing dog is a pose that you grow into. You can’t force your body into submission. It’s about gently guiding and practicing the pose. Over time, you experience greater benefits from it.
 
4. Locust pose
This pose helps to bring awareness to the front of the body. It helps relieve stress. It helps build confidence and mental strength. It strengthens the muscles of the spine, buttocks and back of the arms and legs. It stretches the shoulders, chest, belly and thighs. It improves posture. It stimulates the abdominal organs.
 

1. Savasana / Resting pose

Savasana is a pose of total relaxation. It calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression. It relaxes the body. It reduces headache, fatigue, and insomnia. It helps to lower blood pressure.  Noah Mazé says, “Savasana helps you release residual tension. This way you don’t carry all that tension into your next activities or train your body that it always has to be ready to go go go.” According to Mazé, “Even a short savasana can leave you feeling deeply rested and refreshed.”

Yoga Safety Tips
1. Take your time, it’s not a competition
2. Your body is the expert. Listen to it where it is now, rather than forcing it to where you’d like it to be.
3. Find the sweet spot of challenging yourself rather than pushing and straining yourself
4. Don’t buy into “no pain, no gain”. Yoga is about connecting body and mind for calmness and stillness. Pain is a sign to take it easy.
5. Allow your yoga practice to unfold over time and allow your body time to adjust
6. If pregnant, seek advice from a qualified yoga teacher
7. If injured, seek advice from a qualified yoga teacher
8. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise
9. Participation in yoga videos online are at your own risk.
 
There are many benefits to a gentle yoga practice.  They include:

1. Decreases the stress hormone cortisol
2. Improves sleep, digestion & immunity
3. Releases tense muscles & aching joints
4. Teaches conscious control of relaxation
5. Increases concentration & focus
6. Balances the nervous system
7. Activates the relaxation response

 
Work at your own pace and comfort level.
Allow your practice to build.
Your body changes day-to-day and some poses feel easier one day than the next, and that's ok.
Do not force postures.
Participation in the class is at your own risk.
 
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