Category Archives: Yoga Moves

Ten Churnings~ move that joint fluid baby.

Yoga Moves

Ten Churnings warm up

         Each movement can be done more than 5 times, this is how I presented it in class. I do 10 or more each direction.

1 & 2.  Feet, ankle, hips: Standing place top of right foot on the floor slightly behind left foot and make circles with the foot so that the movement causes the foot to go from the top of the foot to the ball of the foot on the sole and around again. Go 5 times in a circle one direction and 5 time in the other direction. This will open all the toes, foot, ankle and a little of the hip. Repeat with left leg. 5 times each direction.

3 Neck Rolls: chin to chest roll chin toward right shoulder, lift head to make half circle over to left shoulder~ chin to chest and repeat going to the right 5 times and to left 5 times.

4.Shoulder Rolls: BIG movements forward x5 backward x5

5&6 Wrist rolls: clasp hands with right thumb in front, arms are bent & elbows are touching each other at the mid-line shoulder height. Begin to roll the wrists in a circle the forearms will move up and down against each other 5 times in one direction. Change directions (this will feel weird). Change the clasp of the hands with the left thumb in front and repeat going in one direction then the other.

Continue reading Ten Churnings~ move that joint fluid baby. →

Assisting Wanda Mon

Yoga Moves

I will be assisting Wanda with her advanced class.

Tonight’s class was opening up the hamstrings, quads in preparation of backbends.

The hamstring stretches included Supta Padangusthasana using a strap or the next higher option was using the wall in a combination of handstand and yoga split.  Wow that will wake up those hamstring.

Quad stretch was using the wall starting on the right side~ Kneeling place the right top of foot on the wall, slide the knee in as close is comfortable to the wall(have the knee on a blanket that is on a yoga mat). Left leg is bent with the knee over the ankle.  Lift the body long and as the opening allows bring the whole body (hips, torso, head) toward the wall WOW hold on here this is a stretch (my favorite).  Continue reading Assisting Wanda Mon →

Toe stretch why we need this. Mon

Toe Stretch, Yoga Moves

Adding a little different prananyama practice tonight with Box Breath, a slow gentle round of Kapalabhati with an inhale retention. Feeling how these pranayama practices move the prana through the body and how they make you feel. Pranayama is a devotional practice of breath to focus inward and to see what is going on inside of you. Feel, watch, listen and embrace.

Tonight in the Tri Yoga class at Yoga 4 All I will be adding a toe balance to the current toe stretch we are doing. The toe stretches as well as the toe balances open up the soles of the feet, ankles and all the toes so that walking and all movements in our daily lives will be easier. The new toe balance/toe stretch ~ the feet are in cobbler position as best you can (ideal sole of feet touching) now lift up so that you are balancing on the balls of the feet and knees are out to the side, shoulders over hips. First balance position hands on knees, Continue reading Toe stretch why we need this. Mon →

Take the first step to inversions- Sat with Wanda I’m assisting

Yoga Moves

Join me at Yoga 4 All with one of my teachers Wanda Howe.  Her workshop will be exploring inversion practice and how to build strength to move into inversion safely

Even with the cold and rain the seeking yogini’s turned up for a real treat in beginning an inversion practicee.

Wanda covered some main anatomy of the body that is used during inversion.

Shoulder openers as well as some hip opening was done to prepare.  Checking Downward facing Dog to see how everyones shoulders were gave us some idea on where the first steps would be. Continue reading Take the first step to inversions- Sat with Wanda I’m assisting →

Golf Balls and Yoga What is going on? Fri

Hamstrings, Shoulder Openers

In Natural Seat started with Pranayama.  Center,  focus come inward.  Land in our bodies being present.

Doing alittle warm up cat tilt, cat arch opening the spine. Gentle shoulder openers.. thread the needle, arm circles, chest expansion, side bends. Warmed and ready.

Shoulder opener that can go as deep as you want to.  Face down arms out in a “T” position palms down. Bend left arm and bring palm to floor infront of chest roll onto right side. The body is in a straight line head, shoulders, hips, knees, feet. If this enough of a stretch stop here, if more bend left knee and place foot on floor continue to roll over bringing buttocks to the floor if you can.  Be mindful, be careful… Love yourself. Continue reading Golf Balls and Yoga What is going on? Fri →

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 →

Using Props~~ Blocks with safety Tues

Hip Openers, Yoga Moves

Lifestyles Family Fitness tech class this afternoon.

Went over the floating half moon coming from Triangle using a block.  When in Triangle with left leg forward bring right arm to side of body, bend left knee, slide right foot in ~keeping right ball mound of foot in line with left heel.  Move weight onto left foot/leg~ lift right foot off floor and immediately flex the right foot giving it plenty of energy and pressing firmly through the back heel. Left hand lightly on the block~~  The block is on the little toe side of the foot and to the left of the foot~ there is also enough distance from the heel of the left foot to the hand on the block for the torso to fit between this space. If block is too close your balance will be off and you will crunch the body this should be a very open posture. Bring right leg to hip height and open both hips to the front of the body. Begin to straighten the left leg, when the leg is straight open the chest and shoulders forward if stable and open then the right arm lifts to reach directly out of the shoulder.  The block is only a prop to bring the floor closer to your hand NOT to hold you up, the blocks can be unstable if too much weight is on it. Continue reading Using Props~~ Blocks with safety 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 →

Don’t let your energy fly away ground your practice Assisting Wanda Wed

Yoga Moves

It was such an honor to assist and just be present for this class.  The combined energy working in the smaller room with the larger class was amazing.  Wanda as usual put together a true to form Iyengar class.  Lots of standing (grounding) postures with the focus on alignment and self awareness.

Everyone was working with  such intention and awareness that was uplifting  just being in the room.

Starting with a warm up on the floor using the core to fire up the hara of the body so the tapas of practice could burn away any self doubts and allow everyone to bask in their full potential.  Wanda’s core warm up is something special and something you should come to class to experience.  I can not do it justice in trying to describe it.

The standing postures were the ones that all regular yogi’s practice ~only tonight with the fire of the hara at work and inward attention the postures were more profound for everyone. I felt that Mr Iyengar was in the room and could hear one of his sayings Continue reading Don’t let your energy fly away ground your practice Assisting Wanda Wed →