Rainy Day Bliss.

It's been raining non stop here in Nevis all night to all day long now. My living room is flooded and  my bedroom roof has sprung a leak. We have lost power ~ then got it again ~ lost power  ~ and now thankfully have it again :) But still rain rain rain! 

What’s a yogi to do to keep their spirits up you ask? A specialized yoga practice, of course! "Lets turn those frowns upside down" :P

Here are five energizing mood-boosting poses from Tara Leigh Yoga You!

Lets kick it off with a downward facing dog.

Honestly – how many times in a day do we get a chance to stretch out like this? And how fun is it to hang your head upside down. Doesn’t it make you giggle a little thinking of all the time you swung from tree branches as a kid (at least, if you were a kind like me – bit of a tomboy with pigtails and scrapped knees :P Shhh! Don’t tell my husband he thinks of me as a “city girl” and that for me the idea of camping it going to a hotel without room service. Ha-ha) Anyway, downward dog yogis! Lets get to it!!

Downward facing dog

This pose circulates blood to the head and stretches the back. Start on all fours, with hands directly under your shoulders. Curl your toes, take a breath, and, as you exhale, press into your hands, lifting your hips back and to the sky. You will look like an upside down V (kind of) Holding the pose for five breaths, keep your spine straight (bending your knees if need be – if you have back issues then you are 100% doing this pose with bent knees) and your weight resting evenly between the legs and arms.

From downward dog lets get some real strength into us by transitioning into Warrior 11. In yoga we all warrior set out on the crusade of healthiness and wellness. Yes, sounds cheesy, but cheesiness brings a smile to our face and smiling is the best mood boaster ever! So lets go warriors!

Warrior II

This pose increases leg, back, and arm strength. Standing at the top of your mat, step your right foot back about 4 feet and turn it 45 degrees to the right. Turn your left foot slightly in the front foot faces forward. Adjust your torso so that it faces to your right (hips square to the side of the room), inhale, and raise your arms out, shoulder blades wide rolling the shoulder down the back, palms down.  Exhale, bending your left knee until your thigh is parallel to the mat. Switch sides.

*** Reminder: shoulders and ears don’t make good neighbors so lets keep them apart :P Relax your shoulders down your back releasing any tension.

Now my warrior yogis, are you feeling strong? Then lets get you to a seated position on your mat and into a boat pose :)  We are going to work on achieving those washboard abs for the next day when that sun will shine again :)

 

Boat Pose

This pose builds core strength and creates heat in the body. Start seated: legs together, knees bent, feet planted on the floor. Holding the back of your thighs, rock your weight back so it rests between the sitting bones.  With your chest raised to the sky to prevent the back from rounding, lift your feet, knees still bent, keeping your lower back drawn inward. Inhale and extend your legs. Let go of the back of your legs, and extend your arms out parallel to the floor. Hold here for at least 5 breaths. Take a break and repeat. If you would like to tale a straight leg boat or a psoas boat in between to spice it up like we do in my power yoga class please do. What ever makes you smile!

***Reminder: Do you want killer abs – the BEST by far workout for your tummy to tone those muscles is laughter! So eat right, exercise and laugh away any access weight. Why not make it fun!

How do you feel? Want some more. How about we open that heart and chest a little on this gloomy weather day. It may be raining outside but that doesn’t need to affect your sunshine on the inside :P 

Bridge Pose

This pose opens the heart and chest. Lie on your back with feet planted close to your buttocks, palms on the floor. Breathe in, and, as you exhale, press into your feet to lift your tailbone. Clasp your hands together underneath you and walk your shoulder blades closer together so your weight rests on your posterior shoulders and feet. Lift your hips upward. Hold this pose for 5 breaths and then come down slowly vertebrae by vertebrae for a health happy spine. If you would like to do another set of bridge please do! 

 Ah! So, are you feeling awesome? Lets calm our system and give it some love by coming into child’s pose for a few breaths.

Child's Pose

This pose lengthens the spine, stretches the tops of your feet, and relaxes your body.  No rainy day blues in this body! Starting on your hands and knees, arms underneath your shoulders, pull your hips back so your buttocks rest on your feet and your torso on your thighs. Keep your forehead on the mat and let gravity help you sink into the pose.  Want to make this pose more active? Shift your arms to the left and right for a deeper oblique stretch.  Working the oblique muscles brings healthy function to the lungs creating more space for fresh air to get into our system. More air in our system means cleaner blood! Cleaner blood means more oxygen to the heart and brain. More oxygen to the heart and brain means more happy energy. How great is that!

So get rid of that rain shower sadness and pump up the happiness on your yoga mat!.

Enjoy! Namaste!

Love Tara