Tag: howto

Downward Facing Dog aka Adho Mukha Svanasana

3 Comments

 

Downward dog is one of the most synonymous yoga poses. It appears in practically every yoga class, all over the world. So what is it that this pose is actually doing, how does it benefit us, what is its purpose and how do we do it!

IMG_2833

Believe it or not, Downward Facing Dog aka Adho Mukha Svanasana is a resting pose. It gives us time to check in with own body during the yoga practice. Here we have a chance to notice what our minds are doing, are we focused on the breath? Have we lost all focus and started planning what we are having for dinner? Now we can re-find our focus and ensure the breath in steady and that we are breathing fully and effectively. We can allow the heart rate to come back to a calm pace during a dynamic vinyasa class.

It may be a resting pose but there is still a lot to think about (before we can take that pause) to make sure what we are doing is safe and sustainable for the body in the long term.

  • Do we have secure foundations? The feet and hands should be grounding into the floor. Don’t worry if the heels are not touching the floor just yet, direct the energy down and out into the ground. The hands spread out and knuckles pressing into the floor.
  • Keep the front of the legs engaged as you press the back of the legs back. (Engage the quadriceps to release the hamstrings.)
  • Hips pressing up and back, sitz bones pointing up to the sky. For those anatomists out there anteriorly tilt the pelvis.
  • Spine is long and neutral, supported by the use of your bandhas.
  • Protract the shoulder blades – basically think of the shoulder blades wrapping around the ribs, moving away from each other.
  • Shoulders relaxed and away from the ears.
  • Arms forming an energetic spiral as the upper arm rotates outward (away from you), the lower arm rotates inwards and the hand planting down into the floor with a feeling of resistance, as though you are opening jam jars! *it’s really common at this point to rotate from the wrist but keep the fingers pointing forwards.
  • No strain in the neck, look towards the feet or the navel, depending on which school of yoga you are practicing.

So you’ve managed to get your alignment sorted out and you’ve refocused on the breath, you’re taking a pause to reset, but what are the benefits of doing this at all?!prenatal-teaching

As it is considered an inversion it has all the benefits of being fully upsidedown. see Why go upside down?!

It is a foundation pose which prepares you for many asana, both in terms of alignment, flexibility and strengthening.

There is a benefit to digestion as the internal organs are stimulated. Other health benefits include relief for back pain and sciatica (in some cases) As a stable weight bearing pose it is a great option to include if you are aiming to improve bone health. It can help to reset the spine, especially after any complicated twists or arm balancing.

For mental health, it calms the system and can be both stress relieving and help to lift mood. Somewhat confusingly it can be energising and help with fatigue or can be soothing to help you sleep.

Basically it’s the cure-all of yoga poses!

 

 

Trouble Sleeping?

Leave a comment

Does sleep seem illusive? Are you lying awake watching the time go by, getting closer and closer to the time you need to get up? Well you’re not alone! I personally struggle with sleep problems but it’s something I am working on. Increasingly friends and students are asking me how to cope with insomnia.

3 main issues seem to be:IMG_3775

  • Falling asleep
  • Frequent waking or nightmares
  • Having slept but waking up exhausted

Sleep is becoming more and more challenging for many of us as our lives become busier and more stressful and our lifestyles more sedentary. Technology increasingly invades every aspect of our lives. There is less and less time to stop, unwind and process our day as we are constantly bombarded with emails, texts, photos, games, social media… need I go on?

We should all know the general guidelines for healthy sleep;

  • Avoid using technology or anything with a blue light for 1hr before bed
  • Make sure the environment is calm and clutter free
  • Take a warm bath
  • Sleep t regular times / create routine
  • Cut down on caffeine and smoking
  • Write a to do list for the next day to feel prepared and reduce anxiety

However even if we get all these things right, sleep can be hard to come by.

So…. Can yoga help?img_7943

Practicing yoga techniques before bed can be very helpful. Here are some options you can choose from. Or better yet try them all! One of the most important aspects is making sure you create a regular routine, 5 mins everyday is better than 1hr every now and then.

  1. Do some gentle asana practice followed by yoga nidra (video coming soon)
  2. Meditation or mindfulness practices.
    • Benefits include, stress reduction,self awareness, acceptance and calming the nervous system.
    • Sit or lie in a comfortable position and begin to focus on the breath. Notice any thoughts that come into the mind and let them go. Accept you having this thought – no judgements – no critisisms – just allow it to pass without getting caught up in it and refocus on the breath. The idea is to practice noticing when you get distracted and returning to the concentration.
    • Start with a short amount of time and work up, even just a minute if you have never practiced mindfulness before.
  3. Another technique (which is not really yoga) is to write 3 pages in a journal – it doesn’t matter what it is that you write, just get everything out – don’t over think it, its a stream of consciousness. I first started doing this as ‘Morning pages’ as described here Morning Pages However I have found that doing this just before bed is IMG_0216really helpful to ’empty’ the head. I have found it interesting to do the practice before bed and in the morning as it can be amazing to see the shift in perspective after sleep.

Do you have any other strategies that help you?

Harri

 

Golden paste and Golden milk recipes.

1 Comment

The main ingredient of Golden paste is turmeric. Recently everyone is talking about the amazing benefits of turmeric, it’s antiseptic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, good for skin, great for digestion, blood circulation… the list goes on. The wonders of turmeric have in fact been known about for hundreds of years and is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine.

So firstly here is the recipe I use to make Golden Paste! WARNING: do not make this recipe in your favorite clothes as turmeric stains.

Golden Paste ingredientsb5cb17f3-b1a6-4861-8d86-0295fa3e880b

  • 1/4 cup of organic turmeric powder
  • 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 and 1/2 tbsp raw virgin coconut oil

Method

  1. It’s super simple, place the turmeric, black pepper and water into a pan. Cook until it forms a thick paste.
  2. Take off the heat and whisk in the coconut oil. transfer to a jar (or other suitable container with a lid) and allow to cool before storing in the fridge.
  3. It can be kept for upto 2 weeks.img_9512

Now to the Golden milk which is yummy and great to drink before bed. This is how I like to drink it, you can adjust to taste.

Golden Milk ingredients

  • 1 tsp golden paste
  • 1 tsp coconut nectar
  • Alpro Coconut milk (you can use the milk of your choice e.g almond, soy, cow etc)
  • pinch of cinnamon

Method

  1. Place a tsp of golden paste into a mug with the coconut nectar and blend together.
  2. Gradually add the milk, stirring to avoid lumps.
  3. Heat in the microwave until its hot, I recommend stirring halfway through.
  4. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top, and serve.

you can also make it on the stove but that creates a lot more washing up!

img_9516

NB. you might have to keep stirring as the paste can sink to the bottom of the mug if you take a while to drink it.

Enjoy it!

Harri xx

Find your float!

Leave a comment

​​​

​Practicing jumping back and forward to find my float in #vinyasa this requires a lot of control and lightness. Going from #ardhauttanasana to plank instead of thinking up, think of the legs shooting back as though you want to hover parallel to the floor to help the feet land gently without a sound. Eventually yes there will be a handstand element but this is a prep stage! Ideally the arms will soften down into chaturanga which is the challenge I am facing!

Going forwards set your #drishti and press the floor away from you. Don’t jump with too much force. Think #float and aim to have a moment in a #presspike before lowering the feet. It’s all bandha work really 😊this is great core stability exercise and fantastic handstand prep.