Peacefulness and Calmness With Chair Yoga

“Inner peace begins the moment you choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions.” ― Kathryn Budig
 
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 am calm
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: Left nostril breathing
Poses:
1. Tree pose
With tree pose, bring the sole of the foot below or above the knee, never on top of the knee. This pose tones your inner thighs, calves and ankles. It stretches your inner thigh and groin.  Balance poses help us with patience and mental focus. They help us find stillness. It helps to enhance confidence and create a more positive level of self-esteem.
 
2. Squat pose
This is a sitting pose that affects your ankles, digestive system, lower back, hips, and improvises the reproductive part.  This pose taps into our downward-flowing energy known as apana vayu. Malasana not only helps calm the mind and ground our souls, but also reinforces the body’s lower body and helps with digestion. The downward flow of apana vayu, when experienced through this exercise has long been believed to help the mind and body digest whatever may be holding them down or back, physically and emotionally.
 
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. Cat-cow pose
Cat-Cow is a gentle flow between two poses that warms the body and brings flexibility to the spine. It stretches the back torso and neck, and softly stimulates and strengthens the abdominal organs. It also open the chest, encouraging the breath to become slow and deep. The spinal movement of the two poses stimulates the kidneys and adrenal glands. Coordinating this movement with your breathing relieves stress and calms the mind.
 
5. Savasana
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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