Supta Virasana: Your Stomach’s Friend
Supta Virasana, reclining Hero Pose, is just what I need today after experiencing the Big Xmas Lunch Indulgence. No doubt it will be followed by the Big Boxing Day Seafood Extravaganza. […]
For years, I wondered why this posture is called Child’s Pose. Sometimes babies and young children will end up in this posture and even sleep in it. But more to the point, children appear to be at their sweetest and quietest when they’re asleep. And, perhaps never more so than in Child’s Pose.
Rules for creating yoga sequences
There’s an fine art to creating yoga sequences. But there are certain rules that, if adhered to, will help you to be successful.
In the beginning, you have to do a period of study. You’ll need to learn some set, structured sequences. These might be from class sessions you’ve attended, dvds or yoga books, for instance. On repetition, these sequences will help you build a solid foundation of experience. You’ll learn the basics of sequencing from repetitive practice. […]
Sirsasana is known to be a beneficial posture for dozens of reasons. One of them is that it’s a mood enhancer for many people: it can make you feel happy and uplifted. But not everyone can do it with ease.
A few years ago a student who attended one-to-one sessions learned to do the above version of headstand. Until he found a supported way of doing the pose, he couldn’t do it at all because of his excessive weight. […]
The sun was shining this morning, the temperature balmy, and not a skerrick of a breeze – a respite from the hard rain we’ve had over the last few days. In the Yoga Shed, I felt inspired to do surya namaskar and included all the standing poses I could think up. […]
In anticipation of teaching a workshop on “Yoga Teacher Burnout”, I’ve been examining the ways I tend to go over my limits. Without being too self-congratulatory, I’m not as “bad” as I used to be. […]
I was just heading to bed, my body not quite knowing what the “real” time is since we have just gone off daylight savings last night.
Of course, I know the real time. The clocks have been set back. […]
Almost as much as I love teaching yoga, I love inspiring students to do home practice.My spirit soars when I hear that someone is gotten turned on enough to buy a yoga mat, remember the postures they learn in class, and even begin to bend the practices so that they make a good fit for their individual lifestyle.The habit of practising yoga has such a huge momentum for me that it’s what gets me on the mat each morning (except Sundays!). […]
There’s been trouble in the yoga world. First with Lululemon, the swish yoga gear outfitters. Then along came the stories of how yoga can wreck your body in the NY Times. […]
In teaching a class today, one of the students got muddled between the right and left side of a pose. Years ago I worked out a little joke to correct this problem: I’d just say, “Try the other left side.”
Words are vital in communication, and especially so as a yoga teacher. […]
Writer’s Block
I’ve been thinking about what to write on ‘Yoga Suits Her’ this week and come up blank. In fact, in the last month I’ve skipped my weekly posting twice. Another of the weeks, my friend Angelika did a lovely guest post on The Beauty of Yoga Practice for me.
My Inner Critic has been wagging her finger at me.
A new post is like a blank Word document or a fresh sheet of paper – a tabla rasa. It’s a page that can be exciting for its clean spaciousness. […]