Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Setting the mood...

I like to use aromatherapy, lighting and sound to help set the mood, espeically during more meditative practices, to assist students in letting go of their outerworlds and turning that attention inside - allowing them to get the most out of each practice.

Tonight I used a patchouli and lavendar oil blend for inhalation during our centering practice; essential oils and jojoba oil blended together and simply rubbed on my hands, placed a few inches in front of each students nose during pranayama (breathing exercises) - this is to help calm and ground us, to prepare for the moving meditation that follows (I like a peppermint and sweet orange blend for a more invigorating, often morning, practice - those scents go great with Sun Salutations.)  I burned a little sandalwood incense just before, and during savasana, to really calm and center the mind.

Full lighting at the beginning of the practice so we are awake, aware and engaged; dimming as the class draws near end, helping to turn the awareness more fully inward.

Smooth, rhythmic, simple music to assist in inducing a relaxed state, to keep you purely in the moment with your body while allowing your mind/spirit to soar, culminating with singing bowls during savasana.

All of these things subtle; to aid you in tuning in.  You are, afterall, the focus of your yoga practice.

Take a deep breath, and exhale...

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A great place to "tune in' is a donation yoga class.  There is a great donation yoga community in Long Beach and I'm happy to be a small part of it - I lead a donation practice each Monday at 7:15PM at WE Move - come by and introduce yourself if that suits your schedule.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Stress and Corporate America

Let's face it, working in the corporate world can be stressful. There are not many opportunities during the workday to release that stress which means it builds up, and by the end of the day and/or the end of the week it can leave you feeling a bit "burned out".

Here is what I suggest for all you corporate warriors out there; take a few minutes out of your workday to stretch your body and focus on your breath, and then thank yourself for doing it.  I suggest the following simple stretches that should only take about 5 minutes, but feel free to strectch however it feels good to you, your body knows what it needs, listen to it.
  • Calming Breath
    • Sit or stand tall, and relax your shoulders down away from your ears.
    • Take deep breaths, in through your nose, out through your mouth, allowing yourself to "sigh" as you exhale. 
      • As you inhale, use your diaphragm, start the breath in the belly, move it up into your ribcage, creating space between each one of your ribs and finally up into your chest. 
      • Exhale completely
      • Complete 4 more rounds of breath this way.
  • Neck Rolls
    • Drop your right ear to your right shoulder - relax your left shoulder away from your head.
    • Trace your collarbone with your chin as you move your head to the left, relax and lower your right shoulder away from your head. 
    • Repeat this movement from left to right now and complete 4 more rounds.
  • Shoulder / Chest Stretch
    • Clasp your hands behind your back and interlace your fingers
      • Iinhale, expand your chest and draw your shoulderblades and the palms of your hands together.
      • Exhale, relase the tension in your shoulders and chest, allow it to escape your body with your breath and draw your hands down over your tailbone / butt.
      •  Repeat 4 more times.
  • Leg and Back Stretch (from sitting or standing)
    • Inhale, reach your arms up over your head
    • Exhale, fold forward, reaching forward through your heart as you lay your chest down on your thighs
      • Standing Note: if your hamstrings are tight, bend your knees a bit as you fold forward
      • Sitting Note: try stretching your legs out straight in front as you fold forward to get a deeper stretch in the legs
    • Repeat 4 more times
  • Wrist Stretch
    • Make circles with your hands, move them both clockwise and counterclockwise for about 30 seconds
  • Total Body Stretch / Gentle Back bend
    • Stand if you are not already
    • Root your feet firmly in the ground and stand tall and proud, arms at your sides
    • Inhale, reach your arms overhead, reach through your fingertips and the crown of your head
      • lift your waist up off of your hips and your ribcage up off of your waist, relax your shoulders
      • GENTLY push your hips forward to give yourself a gentle bend in your back
    • Exhale, fold forward
      • allow your arms and head to hang freely when you fold forward
      • gently shake your head yes and no to release tension in the neck

Try to do this at least once per day, 2-3 times if you can and after you've done it a few times and have it down try closing your eyes. 

Some other things that will help keep you feeling good throughout the day are to:
  • Give your eyes a break from your computer screen every 20-30 minutes, just take half a minute or so and look away from the screen, focus on something in the distance, look left , right and up and down with your eyes.
  • Get up and walk for 30 seconds, it's not a long time but it helps
  • TAKE A LUNCH BREACK AWAY FROM YOUR DESK! 
Now, pat yourself on the back, say thank you and GET BACK TO WORK :)

For in office yoga break instruction or regular corporate yoga programs give us a call, we CAN help you manage stress levels and health in your office!  We have one time demonstration workshops as well as regular yoga practices, built around your schedule and needs, that can be added to your corporate heath and wellness programs.

Please contact Sierra at 657-464-7746 or sierra@livingbalanceyoga.com for more information.

Friday, January 14, 2011

A Balancing Breath.

Pranayama, or breath control used to harness our prana (energy), is equally as important in a yoga practice as the asanas (the yoga postures we are all so familiar with), but pranayama can be a beneficial tool even when used on its own.

One form or pranayama is alternate nostril breathing, where we breathe in through one nostril and exhale through the other (brief instruction follows at the end of this post).  Alternate nostril breathing will help to balance our breathing between both nostrils, thereby balancing our energy; it will help you to feel centered.

To practice alternate nostril breathing either stand comfortably upright or sit in a comfortable cross legged position; before you begin take a moment to notice your current breath, maybe even place your hand underneath your nose so you can feel which nostril your exhale comes out of.

If at anytime during this breathing exercise you feel short of breath, stop, take a few normal deep breaths and then begin where you left off.

Let's begin...

You will want use your right hand, keep your ring, pinky finger and thumb extended and curl your middle and pointer finger into your palm.

  • Close your right nostril using your thumb and inhale slowly and deeply through your left nostril.
  • Release your right nostril and close your left nostril with your ring and pinky finger, exhale through your right nostril.
  • Keeping your left nostril closed, inhale slowly and deeply through your right nostril.
  • Release your left nostril, close your right nostril with your thumb and exhale through your left nostril.
  • Keeping your right nostril closed, inhale slowly and deeply through your left nostril.
  • Release your right nostril, close your left nostril with your ring and pinky fingers and exhale through your right nostrol.
  • Repeat 5-10 times on each side
Notice how you feel after this exercise.  You can complete this breathing exercise whenever you need to calm and center yourself (i.e. maybe you are nervous, lethargic, irritated, etc.).

This breathing technique can also be used as a preparation for meditation.