Revolved triangle can be a challenging pose. The key is to engage the locks so you can create avenues of length from the sacrum to the top of the head. It is so important to lengthen the spine in a spiraling motion from the sacrum through the top of the head. This can be achieved by squaring the hips and then extending through both sides of the torso evenly. Distribute the weight evenly through both feet and broaden the shoulder while pressing the hand firmly either to a block or the floor. Take the energy across the shoulders and shoot it out of the fingertips of the upward extended hand. Work through the base of the big toes and squeeze the inner thighs.
By and large most of us are running in a frenetic pace to keep up with life. We are entering the season where this pace can really kick up. Take time to slow up the pace by finding your inner light. The chakras are a way to turn up the light that resides within. Here are a few poses that can easily activate these energy centers and help to bring balance from off your mat into your daily life.
Root: Practice warrior 2 while engaging the root lock while silently chanting the sound "lam." Standing in this asana brings forth a sense of stability. Translate that stability to your finances and relationship with humanity.
Sacral: Seated forward bends and hip openers are fabulous poses to activate this joyous center of creativity and sensuality. While practicing this pose release any negative emotions from past relationships. Inhale harmony and exhale resentment towards others while chanting the sound "vam".
Solar: Twisting asanas are a fantastic way to activate manipura. This is the tear drop of the heart, the inner warrior and the seat of higher consciousness. Tap into your inner confidence and release aggressive and controlling behavior. et the fear completely ring out as you twist while chanting the sound of "ram."
Heart: It is hard to be compassionate to others if we lack compassion for self. Bridge pose is a perfect asana for this chakra as it acts as a bridge for self and others. Recite the sound "yam" as you enter this pose. Breathe deeply into the vibration of love.
Throat: Can you speak the impeccable word if you have no idea who you are? Not very likely. In order to communicate your truth you need to find out who you are. Practice fish pose and silently chant the sound "ham." Let your truth evolve and take it out into the world.
Third Eye: The wisdom that lies within, the inner guru is you. We can only express and begin to understand that wisdom by way of those teachers who enter our life on both sides of the veil. Enter into child's pose and rock the point between the brow into mother earth. Capture Her wisdom to open up inside you. Chant the sound "om" and let it resonate throughout your entire being.
Crown: Take flight and soar to your divine self. Practicing headstand or any inversion is beneficial to tap into the higher realm of your spirit essence. The sound of "om" shall lift you to a place beyond the ego.
Have fun exploring the chakras and stay tuned in to my 40 hour advance Chakra Taoist Training program starting Spring 2017!
A great way to rid yourself of feeling overwhelmed is to simply chant it away. Stand in Tadasana (mountain pose), with hands in prayer position in front of your heart. Inhale and raise your arms overhead (Urdva Hastasana), and silently chant om as you move. Exhale to forward fold bringing your hands to the earth repeating "it's not about me." Repeat 10 times, breathing fully through the movements. When you are finished sit quietly and let the vibration of the moving sound be absorbed throughout your being.
Janu Sirsasana or head to knee pose, re-energizes the body and aids in digestion by stretching the ascending and descending colon. Many times while moving into this pose we have illusions of grandeur and move to deeply. Instead, try moving into this pose with grace and patience.
Try not to drop your sacrum and round your spine. It is important when placing the sole of your foot to the inner aspect of the extended leg you gently swing your knee away from the the extended leg so there is enough space for you to fold forward.
Make sure you pull up on the kneecap of the extended leg or engage the quadricep powerfully.
If there is a tendency for your low back to round, then try placing your sitting bones on a folded blanket or firm foam pad.
If you have knee pain try moving your bent knee towards the straight leg as a woder angle can create stress on the sartorius muscle, which runs the length of the thigh and connects to the knee.
If you have tight hamstrings try using a strap, placing it around the lower arch of your extended leg. Hold one side of the strap in each hand and use the strap to help you lift the sides of your waist. Fold forward as far as you can keep your spine concave and chest lifted.
Padmasana is a great pose for breathing techniques and meditation. Padma means lotus. This is the lotus posture and one of the most important and useful asanas. This pose is one of the most relaxing poses for the body. The body being in a sitting posture, it is at rest without being sloppy. This posture keeps the back erect and the mind alert and attentive. Hence it is one of the best poses for breath control.
Chaturanga is one of the most common poses in yoga that we do over and over again especially if you practice vinyasa yoga. So many times I see students move through the pose so quickly they do not give themselves a chance to work through it. Two common pitfalls are the shoulder blades lift off the back and the head of the shoulder rounds forward; both place a tremendous load on the shoulder joint. The body will compensate this problematic position by lifting the butt up into the air.If you strengthen the upper back muscles this will rectify poor shoulder positioning in the pose.
The key is to make sure your arms are 90 degrees to the floor while lowering down. For this to happen you need to shift your body forward while in plank pose. Make sure you really shift forward - more than you think to broaden across the collar bones. Next, pin your shoulder blades to your back. Let them connect behind your heart. Bend your elbows and hugs them close to your ribs as you lower towards the ground. Your hands should be positioned by your lower ribs and not directly under your shoulders. Reach back with your heels and extend through the crown of your head
The ancient books have called sirsasana the king of all asanas. When we are born the head normally comes out first then all the limbs. The skull encases the brain, which controls the nervous system and the organs of sense. All the qualities; mobility, harmony, knowledge, etc. stem from the brain. The head is considered the center of sattvic qualities which control discrimination; the trunk of rajasic qualities which control passion, emotions and actions; and the region below the diaphragm of tamasic qualities which control sensual pleasure of enjoyment of food and drink and sex.
Regular practice of sirsasana makes healthy pure blood flow through the brain cells. This improves thinking power and thoughts become clearer. If headstand is not in your practice then start with shoulder stand. Regular and precise practice develops the body and disciplines the mind.
Ever wonder how hard your bicepts work in yoga postures? Let me tell you they are putting in their time. Just to note when the bicepts contract, the forearm rotates and two actions occur; palms rotate upward and the elbow flexes. When the bicepts are tight poses such as purvottanasana and Sarvangasna become challenging.
When you take the pose of reverse plank for example, the bicepts will stretch while the posterior section of the deltoids will contract. Whereas in shoulder stand or seated forward fold the bicepts will contract. Many times we forget that if a pose such as the aforementioned ones feel uncomfortable it is because our bicepts are not feeling the love. Take time to stretch out your arms and wrists before delving into these poses.
In Eastern meditative traditions, there exists a word called samskara, which roughly translates to mean “impression.” From the meditative perspective, every event we have in our lives leaves an invisible, indelible impression on our psyche. As we age, more and more impressions are accumulated. These samskaras are almost like patches of crystallization where there was once free flow of energy. This is why people sometimes seem like they’re becoming hard, dry, and constricted as they age. Their impressions are catching up to them, and they are losing the suppleness and juiciness of their younger and less rigid selves.
Fortunately, meditation teaches us that this process can be reversed.
Sit silently, take a few deep breaths, and redirect your focus inside. Notice the subtleties of how you’re breathing; notice what you’re feeling. After some moments in stillness, you will likely begin to feel places of pain, holding, or stagnation. It may or may not be associated with a physical location in the body; it can be more vague and decentralized. Gently, bring your awareness into that area of restriction and then take a deep breath into it and invite your prana (or life-force associated with the breath) to break it down. And then do that over and over. Breathe into the tightness and ask it to let go.
Parsva Bakasana can be a challenging pose but if you know the mechanics of the pose it becomes like any other pose to navigate. One of the key elements is to make certain you squeeze the thighs together. By taking this simple action you effectively adduct the hips and as a result the hips will externally rotate.
Here are the steps to Parsva Bakasana:
Bend your knees to a half-squat, thighs parallel to the floor. If your heels don’t rest comfortably on the floor, support them on a thickly folded blanket. Take your left elbow to the outside of your right thigh as you soften your belly.
Exhaling, twist your torso to the right, bringing your left lower ribs across toward your right thigh as far as you can.
Slide the back of your left arm down the outside of the right thigh, bringing your outer armpit as close to the outer thigh as you can. Keeping the arm in place, do a slight back bend and draw your right shoulder back to twist your torso more deeply.
Exhaling each time, repeat these alternating backbending and twisting movements until you reach your maximum rotation. Then slide your left upper arm several inches toward your right hip and press it firmly against your right thigh; maintaining this pressure, draw the upper arm back toward your right knee without allowing the skin to slide. This will rotate the flesh of the upper arm outward, locking it in place. Once your arm is in position on your thigh, note the point of skin-to-skin contact. Try not to change it throughout the pose.
Now squat down fully, buttocks just above your heels. Place your left palm on the floor just outside your right foot. If the hand doesn’t easily reach the floor, tip your torso to the right until you can put your palm down flat. Maintaining contact between your left upper arm and your right outer thigh, lean even more to the right until you can place your right hand on the floor. Your hands should be shoulder width apart and positioned on an imaginary line drawn diagonally away from your right foot angled in the direction of the heel. Set your fingers parallel to each other. Most of your weight will still be on your feet.
Concentrate on maintaining the point of contact between your left arm and right thigh as you slowly lift your pelvis and shift it to the right, aiming to bring the middle of your abdomen above and between your hands. This is not the precise balance point, but if you get this close you’ll probably be able to find the perfect position by feel. As you get close, the weight on your hands will increase, while that on your feet will decrease until they lift easily.
Now put the finishing touches on the pose. Keep your feet together and press out through their inner edges. Draw your heels toward your buttocks. Exhaling, soften your belly to prepare for the twist, then pull your left hip strongly down and lift both feet up. Your left arm may remain slightly bent, but straighten it as much as you can without allowing your legs to slide down.
