Lifestyle | Angela Tunner

Lifestyle:

Yoga: Breathe Yourself Calm

May isn’t just for mothers, it’s for all women. To generalize all women want to protect and nurture. It may be our own children, other members of our immediate or extended family, our pets or our friends!
Even though yoga was “invented” and practiced by men for 1000’s of years nowadays it has a huge female following. There is really no mystery why- women need the benefits that yoga can bring.
As nurturers let’s take a few minutes this month to calm our minds & nerves, open the chest, abdomen and pelvis, lower high blood pressure, stimulate abdominal organs and improve mobility in digestive organs , help relieve the symptoms of mild depression, PMS and menopause by breathing easy in a restorative yoga pose – Reclined Bound Angle Pose.
You will need: an open floor area, 3 pillows or bolsters and a blanket.

Steps
1.) Sit comfortably on the floor placing pillow #1 behind you
2.) Lie back on pillow #1, if it’s too low to the floor try folding it in half or adding a folded blanket on top
3.) Bring the soles of your feet together letting your knees fall out to the sides
4.) Place pillows # 2&3 under the knees on each side
5.) Cover yourself with a blanket
6.) Relax arms out to the sides with your palms up towards the ceiling
7.) Close your eyes and breath deeply until relaxed, try starting at 1 minute and work up to 5 minutes
8.) To come out of pose slowly roll over onto one side for a few minutes and then gently push up to seated.

9.) Making a mental note to bring this deep breath into the rest of your day & enjoy!

04-2010

Article by: Gaylene Theony Find Gaylene on: Twitter | Yoga Webiste | Facebook | Email

Spring Equinox

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There are four great solar festivals and the Spring Equinox is one of them. During this time of year, day and night are equally balanced and we are about to tip over to the side of light. The Saxon goddess, Eostre is from whom we get the name Easter and the direction, East, signifies to the earth new light and the time of new life. Many traditions dot this time of year all, celebrations. Many cultures and religions celebrate this time of year and with everything blooming and bursting with color, there is great reason to join or create your own celebrations and reconnect with nature. Earth Day is also celebrated on the Spring Equinox and with good reason. The celebration of the earth is a perfect way to ring in this exciting season that brings us so much. Eggs and seeds are a huge part of the significances of spring and you can choose to celebrate in a big or small way as are flowers and touches of the outside, brought in. Whether you celebrate with a special dinner party, or wait for Easter, maybe decorate some eggs or pepper your home with twig flowers, and of course, who can forget the excitement of sprouting bulbs during this marvelous time of year.

03-2010

Open Your Heart with Yoga

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By Gaylene Thoeny, Registered Yoga Teacher

If you have ever taken or seen a Yoga class before you may have heard “Lead with your Heart Center” (or something else similar). The Heart Center in Yoga refers to the Heart Chakra. The Heart Chakra is the 4^th of 7 Chakras (or Energy Centers in the body). These centers are often used as reference points in yoga, Chinese medicine, Thai massage or other traditional healing methods.

We are referring to the area of the body in and around the heart and lungs, including the shoulders, upper back and chest. This area is known as the domain of human intimacy – and is associated with love, acceptance, forgiving, devotion, understanding, acceptance, peace, harmony, contentment, compassion and relationships. I feel the most important of all this is self-love, we can’t love and care for others if we don’t do the same for ourselves first!

The best thing we can do for ourselves is to opening up the heart chakra, increasing blood flow to the heart, lungs and the rest of the body. This also can bring us better posture, bigger lung capacity, better circulation, making us feel better and making it possible to pass on these great feelings to others.

A simple way to open up the heart Chakra is a Chest Expansion:

1. Starting in a neutral standing position or mountain pose

2. Reaching out palms back behind each other

3. Imagine that you are holding a giant beach ball behind your back

4. Squeezing the shoulder blades together

5. Inhaling into the expanded lungs

6. Gazing gently up and forward and closing our eyes

7. Taking many breaths in and out as you feel comfortable

8. Releasing arms down to your sides.

02-2010