Yoga basics & beyond | february 2016
Your H(OM)e Practice
WEEK 1
Meditation: Love and Kindness OM (introduction)
* This first week is a short 6-minute meditation. Attempt to do this work every day. Extend love and kindness to: yourself, one person/pet/situation with whom you care for deeply and finally one person/situation that is challenging for you to share love and kindness to.
Sequence: Inversions: Dolphin Pose
Remember this practice is a building block for your inversion(s) practice. The more practice, the more easily the body will respond. Go at your own pace.
Week 2
Meditation: Love and Kindness Part 1
The Love and Kindness Meditation is a very powerful tool to use through out your day and beyond. It is designed to cultivate positive energy that will certainly change your mindset but know it is a practice and at times it can be difficult to cultivate such feelings towards ourselves. We have to start with ourselves! The work you do on your mat is the starting point, whether it's movement or sitting in stillness let it begin with you.
Sequence: Inversions: Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand)
Cultivating energy of love and kindness is challenging when we ask our bodies to do something that "the body doesn't know or want to do!" Remember to take your time and use the building blocks of the poses to help understand and educate your body.
Week 3
Meditation: Love and Kindness Part 2
Once you have established yourself as center of love and kindness AND as it radiates through your being KNOW you can also take this practice further. You can let loving kindness radiate outwardly and direct it wherever you like. Whoever it is hold them in your mind’s eye and in your heart, visualizing their essential selves, wishing them well, that they not suffer.
Sequence: Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana)
Known as the Queen of the Asana shoulder stand is considered a cooling inversion. Like other inversions shoulder stand flips your perspective, is good for the circulatory system, aids in digestion and strengthens the heart and respiratory system. Using props, like blankets (2-3) and a strap will help ensure that the foundation of arms and shoulders protect the neck.
Week 4
Meditation: Loka Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu Chant
"May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all." Above is a link to a YouTube video/audio of a beautiful version of this chant by Miten and Deva Premal.
Sequence: Inversion Review
For the last week of this series remember that inversions can be categorized either heating or cooling. Dolphin, Handstand and headstand are consider heating and DownDog and Shoulderstand are considered cooling postures. Inversions are a great example of finding the balance between flexibility and strength. There are many different modifications, variations and entry points to this category so continue to play with them as a way to break down some barriers of fear or insecurities as you build confidence, strength and flexibility in the body and mind.