Yoga You with Tara Leigh: December 2013

Christmas is nearly here!! Three more days...are you feeling a little overwhelmed. Have no fear YOGA is here.

In this busy time it is good to take a few minutes to yourself to restore, rejuvenate and realign! Here are three step to step poses to help you relax before you get back to the busy bustle.

Yes, it's the holidays but that doesn't mean you can't make a little time just for you. Even Santa does yoga...he's on a new fitness rasheme :P

Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose

Step by Step

1. Before performing the pose, determine two things about your support: its height and its distance from the wall. If you're stiffer, the support should be lower and placed farther from the wall; if you're more flexible, use a higher support that is closer to the wall. Your distance from the wall also depends on your height: if you're shorter move closer to the wall, if taller move farther from the wall. Experiment with the position of your support until you find the placement that works for you.

2. Start with your support about 5 to 6 inches away from the wall. Sit sideways on right end of the support, with your right side against the wall (left-handers can substitute "left" for "right" in these instructions). Exhale and, with one smooth movement, swing your legs up onto the wall and your shoulders and head lightly down onto the floor. The first few times you do this, you may ignominiously slide off the support and plop down with your buttocks on the floor. Don't get discouraged. Try lowering the support and/or moving it slightly further off the wall until you gain some facility with this movement, then move back closer to the wall.

3. Your sitting bones don't need to be right against the wall, but they should be "dripping" down into the space between the support and the wall. Check that the front of your torso gently arches from the pubis to the top of the shoulders. If the front of your torso seems flat, then you've probably slipped a bit off the support. Bend your knees, press your feet into the wall and lift your pelvis off the support a few inches, tuck the support a little higher up under your pelvis, then lower your pelvis onto the support again.

4. Lift and release the base of your skull away from the back of your neck and soften your throat. Don't push your chin against your sternum; instead let your sternum lift toward the chin. Take a small roll (made from a towel for example) under your neck if the cervical spine feels flat. Open your shoulder blades away from the spine and release your hands and arms out to your sides, palms up.

5. Keep your legs relatively firm, just enough to hold them vertically in place. Release the heads of the thigh bones and the weight of your belly deeply into your torso, toward the back of the pelvis. Soften your eyes and turn them down to look into your heart.

6. Stay in this pose anywhere from 3 to 8 minutes. Be sure not to twist off the support when coming out. Instead, slide off the support onto the floor before turning to the side. You can also bend your knees and push your feet against the wall to lift your pelvis off the support. Then slide the support to one side, lower your pelvis to the floor, and turn to the side. Stay on your side for a few breaths, and come up to sitting with an exhalation.

Benefits

Relieves tired or cramped legs and feet
Gently stretches the back legs, front torso, and the back of the neck
Relieves mild backache
Calms the mind

Glute Stretch and Half Lotus Yoga Pose Using a Wall

You've probably seen or done the runners stretch or glute stretch when you have one ankle on the opposite knee and then you pull the knee towards you. Using a wall you can do a more relaxed version of that stretch.

Step by Step

1. Place one ankle over the other knee then gradually move the supporting leg foot down the wall to increase the stretch.

2. Use a hand on the knee with the elbow on the floor to increase the stretch.

3. From here a possible progression is lotus pose with one leg.

4. To get a foot into lotus you may find it helpful to press your legs against the wall to help lift your hips.

5. Then bend one knee and gently move pull it so that the blade of the foot is as close as possible to the opposite hip crease.

6. If your pelvis is still lifted, relax the other leg so that your hips sink down to the floor.

7. You can keep the non-lotus leg straight, or gradually bend it to better "seat" the lotus leg foot.

Benefits

Calms the brain
Stimulates the pelvis, spine, abdomen, and bladder
Stretches the ankles and knees
Eases menstrual discomfort and sciatica
Opens deep into the hip flexor
Traditional texts say that Padmasana destroys all disease and awakens kundalini.

Butterfly Yoga Pose Using a Wall (Baddha Konasana)

You can do butterfly yoga pose sitting upright against a wall. But in this instance you can also do it while laying on your back with your feet on the wall.

You can then use your hands to help press your knees towards the wall.

Butterfly pose stretches the inner thighs in a slightly different way that wide legged splits.

Step by Step

Bring your feet together and let your heels come as low as they can, and allow the knees to go as wide as they can.

Place your hands where you feel most comfortable: either place them over your heart, your belly (or one hand over each), or let your arms fall to the sides.

Wait here for as long as your intuition suggests.

Breath, allow a few sighs to slip out, and be present.

Benefits

· A good stretch for the inner thighs, groins and knees, improving flexibility in the groin and hip region

· Helps in intestine and bowel movement

· Removes fatigue from legs

· Offers relief from bowel discomfort

Happy Holidays everyone! Keep practising, "Live your pose".