Category Archives: Heart Openers

Bridge over peaceful waters, swan Fri

Core Work, Heart Openers, Hip Openers

Back from Teachers training and looking forward to seeing everyone.

Checking in on those lovely feet & toes are they opened and stretched?  We shall see….

On  to the core  Navasana flow that we haven’t done for a bit.

Sun Salutations with some hip openers. Finding the Goddess in all of us (Deviasana)

Bridge over peaceful waters .. finding a stable peaceful bridge using blocks as an alignment tool as well as a support.  Low Back bliss

Aromatherapy today Energizing Blend from Yoga Flow Oils thank you Susan

Susan is giving a workshop in Tampa Sunday check out the link.  I will be there too.  http://tinyurl.com/yauolcp

Dental Floss for the Spine Tues

Heart Openers, Shoulder Openers, Toe Stretch

Tonight opening up the spine as well as the shoulders.

The always present toe stretch with the balance from last week as well as an added move to find some more balance using the core.  From toe stretch balance bring the knees together and move into a squat 1 ~ basic hand balance using 2 blocks. Back to squat 1, roll up into a forward fold, upward salute to standing.

Adding another strength move this evening.  From Down Dog  jumping forward (landing lightly) with  feet landing to the outside of our hands then jumping (landing lightly with knees bent) back to Down Dog.

Before the spinal work tonight opening up the chest, armpit area with forearm down dog position.  An added leg lift will call in the balance of the hips and shoulders while lifting and holding the leg up and level.

Backbends (heart openers) tonight will be prone boat, bow, raised cobra, bridge with leg lifts.

Welcome to all the new faces, please come back and transform your life through yoga.

Ending with twists and aromatherapy during savasana.

Aromatherapy tonight will be Ananda blend from Yoga Flow Oils

Spinal flows, pranayama. Mon

Heart Openers, Toe Stretch

Working on spinal flows this evening to open up the spine and keep the fluids moving freely.

Going over the 10 churnings again to see if anyone has any questions.

Lynne (Chandra) was in town for a workshop so she showed another addition to the toe stretch work that includes some of the basic hand balance work with it.  We will go into this tonight.

Not having done the flow turn from facedown to come onto the back for awhile so tonight is the night to go over that.  From prone position arms out from shoulders in “T” position. Inhale right arm overhead and over to the left side of the body palm facing up (your torso is on its side) rolling onto the right side, bending the left leg and place the sole of the left foot on the floor.  Pressing into the left foot shift the hips/body and move onto the back the left arm opens and you should be on your back, straighten the left leg and you are supine with the arms out in a “T” position.

Bridge rolls then bridge with a block supporting under the sacrum.  Bridge leg lifts, lifting heel of right foot then toes bending the knee and bringing it towards the chest. Lengthen the leg long over the hips toes towards the ceiling and keeping that length slowly lower the leg towards the floor when the foot is on the floor slide the foot back in position under the knee back to supported bridge. Alternate legs with the breath.

Fingers in the sand shoulder openers will also open the heart.

Come on in and breathe, flow and have a little aromatherapy.

Tonight’s aromatherapy blend will be Shanti.

 Live well, Laugh often, Love much……….

Heart Openers in Seminole Tues

Heart Openers

Welcome to all the new faces tonight, I hope you had a pleasant yoga experience.

This evenings class we will be checking on the hips from last week and working on heart openers (Backbends) this week.

While on the back using 2 blocks or  a noodle under the back to open the chest we will be doing the Pranayama practice here. We were able to get into the class room alittle early so those that were early set up for chest expansion over a block using another block under the head.  We did complete breath Dirgha which is a 3 part, full, deep breath– lower lung with the abdominal rising, mid-lung where the ribs flare open ~front, sides and back and upper lungs filling the upper chest and expanding the collar bones.  Ujjayi breath was added on ~the ocean sounding breath.

Cindy Lee warm up that opens the shoulders as well as the spine. Thread the needle~ on all 4’s in Cat one arm threads under the body, palm up stretching the shoulder and providing a good twist as well.

Toe Stretch with some more shoulder & chest openers. If this is still hard for you do this more it is so good for the feet, hips and the whole body.

Sun Salute  Surya Namaskara “A”  set. Continue reading Heart Openers in Seminole Tues →

Assisting Wanda 7pm Backbending for inversions Mon

Heart Openers

Harold is back from his shoulder surgery so I was watching over Harold and making sure he didn’t try to do things he shouldn’t do yet.  I modified the warm up as needed for Harold so I was not watching so much what everyone else was doing just listening to Wanda’s words and assisting Harold into something that would work for him.

Tonights main focus was backbends and working deeply in  Parsvottanasana.  First time with the arms behind the back and a strap buckled into a loop just below the elbow towards the wrist. Hands active and the legs working during the first chest opening backbend as well as the forward fold over the leg.  Then partnering with a fellow yogi in the room with the helper Continue reading Assisting Wanda 7pm Backbending for inversions Mon →

TriYoga Flows, Turns and Breath Mon

Heart Openers, Hip Openers

Assisting Sandi in the Tri Yoga class 530pm.  There was a request that we make sure to get enough pranayama practice in.  With having only 1 hour 15 minutes Sandi and & I try to get pranayama practice in each time, however sometimes we are wanting to work on some of the important turns and details of the TriYoga practice so pranayama practice my be shorten some.  We will be mindful of this and make sure this is not the case every week. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Breath is life, if we half-breath we half-live. We all want to live fully.

The pranayama practice tonight was parts of the trinity practice which we will bring together in the next several classes.

Cat Rolls to open up the spine. then we worked on breaking down the turns into smaller bites.   Cobra rolls as well as Cobra 1 /Boat  ~~ Cobra 2 flow  opened up the chest and spine some more. Chest expansion in camel then progressed into lifting the knee and rolling over the foot Continue reading TriYoga Flows, Turns and Breath Mon →

The Wall the Teacher ~~ Come Flow with us Mon

Heart Openers, Yoga Moves

Assisting Sandi in Tri Yoga @ Yoga4All.   Sandi’s theme for this month in classes has been heart openers- not just backbends but all heart opening postures.  One of the things in Tri Yoga that we focus on is complete spinal movements which opens the heart from inside out.  The movements of each vertebra along the spine opens the thoracic area behind the heart center which then opens as a flower does in the morning sun, one petal at a time.

Starting with breath work in L-Seat (Dandasana) and moving into Serenity L-Seat (Ardha Gomukasana) to open the hips. Not only does this open the hips it also teaches each of us if we have a side that is less open and give us the opportunity to breathe into the less open side. Other postures followed for more hip opening.

Through the cat bows we not only build strength we keep the heart open as we do the movements. Sandi always has an added tool to use in her Tri Yoga tool bag and she used one tonight.  Having us move to the wall to do our cat bows Continue reading The Wall the Teacher ~~ Come Flow with us Mon →

Being Grateful feeling the energy

Heart Openers, Yoga Moves

Tri Yoga – Hatha mix class at Yoga4all  530pm.

In class we worked on upper body strength as well as some of the Tri Yoga flow turns.  These turns help to keep the flow of energy moving in the wonderful feeling similar to the look of the infinity sign- no beginning- no end just movement. During class the upper body building postures help us to ready the body for more stable standing postures as well as any inversions. Knowing where the limbs of the body are in space helps center us so balancing and movement become effortless effort.

The heart opening postures (backbends) of locust as well as cobra1/boat build strength in the back for all backbends as well as our everyday movements in life. Working the abdominals as well brings more stability for the spine.

The reading about being grateful is a practice we should bring to our daily lives. Perhaps before even getting out of bed keeping your eyes closed bring to mind just 3 things you have to be grateful for. It will make your day begin with an inner peace that will guide your day.  Aromatherapy used on Monday  was Relaxing Blend made by Susan Wasserman Yoga Flow Oils list on my website under links.   Namaste nancy