Believe in Yourself!

When you believe in yourself so fiercely that you follow your dreams, not letting anyone or anything lessen your faith in yourself, you can pursue anything without hesitation. You don't let fear hold you back or self-doubt undermine your aspirations. Abhaya Mudra is a hand gesture that represents fearlessness. To form this mudra, lift your right forearm so that your palm faces out. This simple yet powerful gesture symbolizes your fearless commitment to yourself, and invites others to commit to fearlessness as well.

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Yoga Taoist Chakra Training!

Don't miss out on this unique 40 hour Taoist Chakra Training at Tula Yoga in Matawan, NJ. Read more about it and sign up! https://www.facebook.com/events/172630476550017/

Ommm!

Mary Jane Kasliner

Temple Prayer Pose!

Temple prayer pose is a wonderful pose that allows us to tap in to the temple that houses the soul.

1. Face the long edge of your mat and walk your feet out much wider than your hips.
2. Bend your knees, and turn your feet out until your toes face the same direction as your kneecaps. As you inhale, reach your arms up overhead for temple pose.
3. Hold this pose for 10 breaths and as you exhale, step your left foot to meet your right foot in chair pose  with palms together at your chest.
4. You can inhale and repeat temple pose, then exhale back to chair pose.

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fenghuiyoganj.com

Marichi - Son of Brahma Pose

Photos by Mary Jane Kasliner

This asana, named after the sage Marichi (son of the creator Brahma and grandfather of the Sun of God, Surya), is excellent for the abdominal region as it causes those organs to contract, thereby increasing circulation.

Steps:

1. Start in Dandasana, sitting with your legs straight in front of you. You can fold a blanket underneath your hips, or roll half of the yoga mat to bring your hips a bit higher.
2. Bend your right knee, and bring the heel as close to the sitting bone as feels possible. Your right foot is flat on the ground, and the left foot is straight, left knee and toes are pointing up. Press the heel of the left leg onto the floor to activate the back of the leg.
3. You can keep a slight internal rotation in the left leg, while the right, bent leg has a slight external rotation. Turn your upper body gently towards the left, so that the right shoulder rotates towards the left leg, and the left shoulder rotates back.
4. Inhale your right arm up to shoulder level, and turn the thumb down. Exhale, start folding forward, and bring the right arm from outside your bent leg towards the right outer thigh.
5. Inhale, and with an exhalation bring your left arm behind your back, and take a hold of your wrists or fingers behind your back.
6. Keeping your back long, and keeping space between your pubic bone and navel, fold more forward. Draw your shoulder blades back towards your hands.
7. Stay for 3-6 long breaths.
8. To come out, release the hands first, sit up slowly, straighten the leg and take a few breaths before you repeat on the other side.

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Modify Warrior 1

Warrior 1 can be a tricky pose to find safe alignment. If you feel knee pain in your back leg, or can't keep you back heel down then try supporting your back heel with a bolster, sandbag or block. You can start with a high prop and then gradually reduce the support.
If you have pain in your sacrum, lower back or front knee then elevate your front foot with a block. You can press your front knee against another block at the wall or simply press your knee against the wall. Make sure you press into your back heel while keeping your body weight over your back leg.

Poses represent a process and so it behooves us to slow down and be present. Sense the direction of the pose and just allow it to evolve one breath at a time!

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Breath Awareness!

Ujayi Pranayama or victorious breath is a classic pranayama practice, known for its soft soothing sound quality like breaking ocean waves. This breath has such a calming effect as the vagus nerve is stimulated enhancing a relaxation response. It is the perfect breath-work on your yoga mat.

Alternate nostril breathing or Nadi Shodhana is the practice of alternating between the right and left nostrils as you inhale and exhale. It unblocks and purifies the nadis, which yogis believe are energy passages that carries life force and cosmic energy. This is an exceptionally powerful breath-work that can literally calm the nervous system.

Breath retention or Kumbhaka Pranayama is a full 10 second hold after fully inhaling and then taking one more small sip of air in. Holding the breath helps to increase pressure inside the lungs giving them time to expand so their capacity increases ultimately sending more oxygen throughout the body.

Breath of Fire or Kapalabhati Pranayama is a rapid breathing technique that energizes and activates the sympathetic nervous system. This is a great breath to practice as long as you are not under stress.

Tip:

When practice yoga remember to inhale when opening and lifting the chest and exhale when bending forward or twisting.

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Wide Legged Forward Fold!

Thompson Park - Saturday Morning Yoga with Mary Jane Kasliner

In this pose your feet should be approximately 3 to 4.5 feet apart. Exhale, maintaining the length of the front torso, lean the torso forward from the hip joints. AS your torso approaches parallel to the floor, press your fingertips to the floor directly beneath your shoulders. You may add a variation as seen above by walking the hands out in front of you. Move your spine evenly into the back torso so that your back is slightly concave form the tailbone to the base of the skull. Push your top thighs straight back and draw the inner groins away from each other.  Take a few breaths here while drawing your shoulders away from your ears. If you are flexible enough you can continue to drawn the crown of the head towards the earth. Remain in the pose anywhere from 30 seconds to 1 minute. Lift and lengthen the torso and with an inhalation place your hands to your hips and pull your tailbone towards the earth as you swing your torso up.

Om!
Mary Jane Kasliner
www.fenghsuiyoganj.com

Daily Astrology - Yin Wood Ox Day!

Pacific Northwest

Today, the yin wood stem combines with the oxen branch. First off, the energy is a little softer today when it comes to delving into projects and spinning ideas for new business or anything else for that matter. Focus on placing things in right categories when it comes to work and organizing your environment. It's more about long-term stable developments rather than a quick fix today.

The wood stem combination to the earth ox makes the oxen a little less rigid and reacts faster than usual to situations. Integrity and ethics is a theme for this afternoon along with embracing new and progressive views. There is an unstoppable drive to reach full potential today in whatever you decide to take on. Work with a team for best results.

Mary Jane Kasliner
www.njfengshuitraining.com

Yang Wood Rat Day!

Oregon - Olympic National Park

Happy Monday morning! Today the yang wood stem combines with the yin water rat branch. The connection of elements (wood to water), may leave you feeling overwhelmed. The wood stem is in its yang form so you can expect to hit the ground running this morning. The element of wood is about expansion, growing and moving in an upward direction. Your list may grow unexpectedly of things you need to tend to. The water rat branch will continue to push energy into doing as many things as possible today. This combination (wood rat), is progressive and success oriented. Don't be surprised if you find yourself exploring everything and finding good use for almost anything you come across. It is easier to figure out the whys and wherefores today in order to figure out your future. Confidence is easily expressed today and this bodes well when marketing projects.

Take another look at the complete 2017 Fire Rooster Year Forecast right here!

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.njfengshuitraining.com

Urdhva Dhanurasana!

Andrea in Urdhva Dhanurasana Pose

Saturday morning yoga class at Thompson Park. Andrea expressing Urdhva Dhanurasana. This is the most important and fundamental backbend. Many times the armpits and groins can be tight and restrict this pose. If that is the case you can support either your hands or feet on a pair of blocks. This pose offers many benefits such as stretching the chest, strengthening the arms, wrists, legs and buttocks while increasing energy.

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fengshuiyoganj.com