Tadasana Tuesday: Dolphin Plank

Makara Adho Mukha Svanasana Yoga Pose of the Week

Also Known As Dolphin Plank

How do you do it?

1. Begin in Downward Facing Dog. Shift your weight forward so that your shoulders are over your wrists.

2. One at a time, lower your forearms to the floor with your palms facing down. Place your elbows where your hands were, and spread your fingers wide. You want your body to be in one straight line, with your heels over your toes.

3. It’s very important to engage your abs here, so draw your belly button toward your spine. Keep the muscles in your tush relaxed, draw your shoulders away from your ears, and gaze between your hands.

4. Hold for 3-5 breaths. Then come back onto your hands and press back into Downward Facing Dog.

Benefits

• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
• Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, and arches
• Strengthens the arms and legs, and core
• Helps prevent osteoporosis

Tadasana Tuesday - Parshvottanasana

 

Parshvottanasana: Yoga Pose of the Week!

Also Known As Intense Side Stretch Pose (Pyramid)

Pronounced (parsh-voh-tahn-AHS-anna)

How do you do it?

1. Come to a standing position close to the top of the mat with the feet hip distance apart. Stretch your left leg back so the feet are about 3.5′ to 4′ apart. Keep the right foot facing the front with the side of the foot parallel to the side edge of the mat. Keep the left foot turned about 60 degrees toward to the front foot. Try to keep both the legs straight.
2. Place the hands on the waist and turn the hips and shoulders so they are parallel to the top edge of the mat. Keep the back heel firmly pressed into the mat.
3. Place the hands on the right thigh and start sliding them down the leg. Make the effort to keep the right leg as straight as possible. Try to bend the torso at the waist area. Press the thighs backward so the torso stays elongated and pushed forward.
4. Maintain the intention to keep the right leg straight. However, if the hamstrings begin to complain, you may like to bend the right knee slightly so as to avoid overstretching the back side of the leg.
5. As you slide the hands down, if they don’t reach the floor on either side of the right foot, you may keep the hands on the shins or ankles or just as far down as they reach. Alternately, if you have them handy, you may like to place a pair of blocks on either side of the foot and place the hands on the blocks for support.
6. If you feel comfortable in the final posture, you may attempt to drop the chest further in an effort to bring it closer to the right thigh.
7. Try to stay in the final pose for about 25 seconds
8. To come out of the pose, slowly begin to lift the spine up from the waist, sliding the hands up the leg. When you are fully vertical, relax for a few breaths.
9. Repeat on the other side.

 

Benefits

• Calms the brain
• Stretches the spine, shoulders and wrists (in the full pose), hips, and hamstrings
• Strengthens the legs
• Stimulates the abdominal organs
• Improves posture and sense of balance
• Improves digestion

A bit about our Author, Camille Brown: Hi there and welcome to my segment, The Daily Om. I'm a twenty-something lover of health, fitness, yoga, personal style, reiki, nature, travelling, and capturing those special moments in life that matter the most. My daily goal is to be the best I can, give all I know about yoga, holistic living, and just living your most authentic natural life. I will offer challenging asanas that will push your personal limits in order to achieve success on the mat and offer insight mantras to get your day started your day on a positive note. Remember, "A day without laughing is a day wasted."
Read more from her at http://lotusflowerwellness.blogspot.com

Tadasana Tuesday - Bakasana

Bakasana - Yoga Pose of the Week!

Also Known As Crane or Crow

Prenounced (bahk-AHS-anna)

What does it mean?

baka = crane

How do you do it?

1. Squat down from Tadasana with your inner feet a few inches apart. Separate your knees wider than your hips and lean the torso forward, between the inner thighs.

2. Stretch your arms forward, then bend your elbows, place your hands on the floor and the backs of the upper arms against the shins.

3. Lift up onto the balls of your feet and lean forward even more. Begin taking the weight of your torso onto the backs of the upper arms while continuing to gaze forward and keeping heart open.

4. Take feet off the floor, one at a time, so you come to balance with both feet up.

5. Try to stay in this pose for 3-5 deep breaths.

Beginners: Try lifting one foot up at a time to get a feel for how far forward you need to bring yourself. Do not let your head drop. This will cause you to tip forward and lose balance. Put a blanket in front of you so you won’t be afraid of hitting your head if you fall. Everyone falls when learning this pose.

Advanced: Once you come up into the pose, do not let your elbows splay out to either side. Work on straightening your arms. Tuck the heels in close to your butt, and jump back to Chaturanga.

Benefits

• Strengthens arms and wrists
• Stretches the upper back
• Strengthens the abdominal muscles
• Opens the groins
• Tones the abdominal organs

A bit about our Author, Camille Brown: Hi there and welcome to my segment, The Daily Om. I'm a twenty-something lover of health, fitness, yoga, personal style, reiki, nature, travelling, and capturing those special moments in life that matter the most. My daily goal is to be the best I can, give all I know about yoga, holistic living, and just living your most authentic natural life. I will offer challenging asanas that will push your personal limits in order to achieve success on the mat and offer insight mantras to get your day started your day on a positive note. Remember, "A day without laughing is a day wasted."

Read more from her at http://lotusflowerwellness.blogspot.com/

Tadasana Tuesday - Revolved Lunge

How do you do it?

1. From Downward Facing Dog, bring the left foot forward in between hands.

2. Inhale sweep arms up over your head

3. Check that all 10 toes are pointing forward, back heel is raised off floor.

4. Bend the left knee so the calf and thigh are at a right angle with the thigh parallel to the floor.

5. Exhale bring hands in prayer position in front of your heart.

6. Then place your right elbow on your left thigh while gazing over your left shoulder.

7. Press into your hands to help open your chest.

8. Take 3-5 breaths, then repeat on opposite side.

Benefits

• Strengthens and stretches the legs, knees, and ankles
• Stretches the groins, spine, chest and lungs, and shoulders
• Stimulates abdominal organs
• Increases stamina
• Improves digestion and aids elimination
• Improves balance

Tadasana Tuesday: Yoga Pose of the Week - Pincha Mayurasana

Pincha Mayurasana Yoga Pose of the Week!

Also Known As  Forearm Stand/ Peacock Feather Pose

Prenounced   (pin-cha my-your-AHS-anna)

What does it mean?

piñca = feather
mayura = peacock

How do you do it?

1. Come to the wall.

2. Bring the forearms and palms flat against the floor.

3. Bend the elbows, bringing the upper arms perpendicular to the forearms.

4. Come up into Downward Facing Dog with the legs.

5. Walk the feet in toward the hands as much as possible.

6. Bend one knee and begin to kick up with the opposite leg.

7. Note that the head stays up off the floor. The gaze should be down at the floor.

8. If you are able to get both legs up and invert fully, begin to work on taking the feet off the wall and balancing independently.

9. Come down and rest in Child’s Pose.

Beginners: Props can be very helpful in this pose.

First, place a block at the wall. Make an “L” shape with the thumbs of each hand (the left hand will be a backwards “L”). Place the hands around the block so that the thumbs are on the front of the block and the forefingers are on the sides with the palms flat on the floor.

Straps are also helpful. Adjust the strap so that the loop is as wide as your shoulders. Slide the loop onto your arms just above the elbow to keep the arms from splaying out to the sides.

Advanced: Once you can get up using the props, begin to try this without the props. Make sure that the elbows stay in line with the shoulders and do not splay out to the sides. If you become very comfortable doing the pose at the wall, begin to attempt to move into the center of the room.

Benefits

• Strengthens the shoulders, arms, and back
• Stretches the shoulders and neck, chest, and belly
• Improves sense of balance
• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression

The Daily Om: Utthita Trikonasana/Extended Triangle Pose

Utthita = Extended
Tri = three
Kon = Angle
Asana = Pose, seat.

Metaphors & Corollaries:

• "When we extend our physical body while intending to extend our hearts, we awaken our own innate generosity from within. This intention of giving permeates every cell and tissue." Sharon Gannon
• With each side equaling the opposite, a balance of forces is created that we try to maintain in the asana, and in our lives.
• In asana when one aspect overwhelms the others, we are thrown out of balance and fall out of the posture. In the same way, in our lives, when one aspect is out of balance we fall down.
• Three Angle Pose parallels the triple aspects of birth (creation/Brahma), life (maintenance/Vishnu) & disolution or death (involution/Shiva).

Benefits:

• Triangle pose stimulates the vital body. The Kidney, digestive organs, and spleen are considered to be a source of light (the same belief is held in Chinese medicine).
• Lengthens thighs.
• Strengthens knees and ankles.
• Stimulates abdominal organs.
• Therapeutic for: anxiety, flat feet, infertility, neck pain, osteoporosis, and sciatica.
• Improves digestion.
• Alleviates symptoms of menopause.

Contraindications:

• With a heart condition, practice this pose with the head down, keeping top hand on hip
• If blood pressure is high, practice with head down.

Organize the Pose:

• Stand side-ways with feet 3.5-4 feet' apart. Torso & hips open, bellybutton same direction as the toes. Energize the legs, squeezing muscle to bone.
• Begin on the Right side. Right foot straight to the right keeping big toe, knee & thigh in line with each other.
• Right heel in line with the instep (beginner) or heel (advanced) of the opposite foot. Turn the Left heel inward a few degrees.
• Throughout the pose, equalize the weight in each leg, keeping them strong.
• Inhale as you life the arms out to the side, hands to shoulder height.
• Release the Left hip toward the back heel, as you reach forward through the right fingertips, creating as much length and space as possible until the body is parallel to the floor. Press into the outer edge of the back foot as you stretch forward, lengthening
• Release the left hand down, resting it on your left leg, or a block placed on the outside of the left shin.
• Opposite arm reaches up, as the right shoulder pulls back.
• Open through the heart, keeping the right arm in line with the nose. {Beginners tend to open the chest, and swing the arm back.} Reach straight up, lengthening your entire body.
• Keep shoulders in line with hips. {Beginners tend to collapse and round the shoulders. Place the hand higher onto the leg until the heart can open toward the sky}
• Anchor the big toe mound of the right foot into the earth by lifting the toes and feeling a strong connection through the feet. Press down into this.
• Squeeze the thigh muscles, which gently draws the kneecaps up. Externally rotate these muscles, spiral the inner thighs outward, away from each other. This is your base, keep it strong.
• Keep the big toe joint anchoring down into the floor.
• Scoop the tailbone down and under.
• Squeeze the buttocks bones together, rotating the top hip open, and tucking the bottom hip under.
• Notice the ribs. Try to create equality in both the top & bottom rib cage by contracting the upper ribs. This will lengthen the left side ribs.
• Feel a lengthening throughout the entire body.

Beginner:

• Use a block under your hand. Place the block on the outside of the shin. Adjust the height so that when in the pose, the hips and shoulders are in line with each other. The shoulders will collapse forward if the hand is too low.
• Stand with back foot against a wall. Press into the foot during the pose, and also when lifting up out of the pose. Teachers, use this with beginners when you notice they are lifting the outer edge of the back foot during standing poses.

Advanced:

• Extend top are over head, with internal rotation. This will lengthen the lower back muscles.
• Bind the pose. Reach the top arm around from behind the back, and grab opposite thigh.
  

Sequencing:

Lift up into Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)

Lift up into Virabhadrasana 2 (Warrior 2)

My favorite: Reverse Triangle (think Reverse Warrior, then keep the arms and straighten the legs) to Reverse Triangle. :-) 

Namaste.

A bit about our Author, Camille Brown: Hi there and welcome to my segment, The Daily Om. I'm a twenty-something lover of health, fitness, yoga, personal style, reiki, nature, travelling, and capturing those special moments in life that matter the most. My daily goal is to be the best I can, give all I know about yoga, holistic living, and just living your most authentic natural life. I will offer challenging asanas that will push your personal limits in order to achieve success on the mat and offer insight mantras to get your day started your day on a positive note. Remember, "A day without laughing is a day wasted."
Read more from her at http://lotusflowerwellness.blogspot.com

The Daily Om: Tadasana Tuesday - Change

For people who want to evolve, struggle = change. What we struggle with is how we learn. The struggle shapes everything from our body, to our brain, to our world.

Our postures are empty - there is nothing there but what we project into it. Postures are a vehicle to work on the mind. The stories we tell ourselves show us our path to freedom. Change the stories your'e telling yourself.

We're talking about the 8-limbs of (ashtanga) yoga. Four of the limbs deal with externals: How we treat others (yama), how we treat ourself (niyama), asana (physical practice) and pranayama (energetic practice).

The last four limbs are internal: They deal with the mind.
Pratyahara: Focus the mind
Dharana: Concentrate.
Dhyana: Meditate.
Samadhi: Freedom. "This is why you're here."

Practicing any of the limbs opens a doorway into all of them. Each limb informs the next.

Even if your practice is entertaining to you,  you can take it as deep as you want it. Seeds will be planted..

- Yogini Camille Brown

A bit about our Author, Camille Brown: Hi there and welcome to my segment, The Daily Om. I'm a twenty-something lover of health, fitness, yoga, personal style, reiki, nature, travelling, and capturing those special moments in life that matter the most. My daily goal is to be the best I can, give all I know about yoga, holistic living, and just living your most authentic natural life. I will offer challenging asanas that will push your personal limits in order to achieve success on the mat and offer insight mantras to get your day started your day on a positive note. Remember, "A day without laughing is a day wasted."
Read more from her at http://lotusflowerwellness.blogspot.com

The Daily Om: Tadasana Tuesday - Breathe

Tada : Mountain,  asana : Pose = Mountain Pose

Tadasana (aka Mountain Pose) is often a starting position in a yogic routine which consists of standing with arms straight down one's sides for balance and alignment. It is a grounding position where you may become one with your breath. This is your foundation.

Asana is a Sanskrit word translated into English as a physical yoga position, posture, or pose. But, there is a difference between the everyday usage of those words and asana.

Moving into an asana, the body moves consciously with fluid movement that is coordinated with the flow of breath. Asana is conscious movement into a traditional yoga pose. The movement is physically and mentally relaxed. Balanced equilibrium maintains the asana when it is held in a stable state. As the body and breath movements are synchronized in a relaxed way, a full awareness of both is developed. A steady asana is a portal to higher awareness of the body and mind.

A specific asana uses the movement to direct and infuse a particular part of the body with prana or vital energy. This can help relieve tension or tightness, heal, and create a much greater awareness of prana as blockages to its smooth flow are removed. As the awareness of the body and movement deepens, bad habits and negative conditioning can be replaced with more conscious, positive movements of the body.

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99.9% of Yoga comes from the breath. After all, 100% of life comes from the breath but how many times do you actually stop to notice how important the breath is to you as a being? Be honest, you take it for granted, we all do.

'Breathing is the most important thing in your life, everything else can wait ’ - this is a wonderful quote I repeat daily in my own life, taken from Barefoot doctors school of warriors. But that’s me, I breathe because I’m reminded daily as a Yogi that it’s something I must do. I’m a breathing teacher. I teach people to breathe! It sounds crazy but it's true. It’s what I tend to categorize myself as on those days when I’m asked for a job title :) 

Anyway back to it. Throughout my years of teaching, I’ve noticed more often than not that people DON’T breathe but they still manage to stay alive (well kind of) and standing on two feet. It baffles me how they manage it! The other day, I taught a group of people who were suffering from depression. One man came to the class for the first time after attempting to commit suicide just a few weeks ago. He spent five minutes in the class and when I began the specific Yoga breathing techniques (known as pranayama) he had to leave the room with his care-giver due to the onset of a panic attack, all because he was confronted with having to breathe and relax. This is extreme but not uncommon. When you think about it, it’s pretty hard to believe that our ‘life force’ our ‘Prana’ our ‘Chi’ - whatever you want to call it - can be so detached from our being that it becomes so alien to us. It eventually does us more harm than good.

Here's a vital task that can change your life and certainly your mood in less than 3 minutes:

Today take ten long slooow deep breaths, in through the nose and out...
Expand your abdomen like a large balloon as you inhale and allow it to gently deflate as you exhale. Take your inhale from the tips of your toes to the crown of your head. Take your out breath from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes. Allow the feelings of expansion to fill your whole being on the inhale and allow the feeling of gentle contraction and relaxation as you exhale. After ten breaths notice how you feel then go and teach someone else exactly the same breathing technique, get them to pass it on and eventually together we can have the whole world breathing :)

'Breathe for Life!'

Namaste!

A bit about our Author, Camille Brown: Hi there and welcome to my segment, The Daily Om. I'm a twenty-something lover of health, fitness, yoga, personal style, reiki, nature, travelling, and capturing those special moments in life that matter the most. My daily goal is to be the best I can, give all I know about yoga, holistic living, and just living your most authentic natural life. I will offer challenging asanas that will push your personal limits in order to achieve success on the mat and offer insight mantras to get your day started your day on a positive note. Remember, "A day without laughing is a day wasted." 
Read more from her at http://lotusflowerwellness.blogspot.com