I love the ocean. The vast expanse, the rhythmic rise and fall of its waves, and the inevitable sense of calm it instills in me. I am eagerly anticipating our next visit to the ocean in a few days. But most of the time, I'm not at the ocean. Luckily, there is another way to reach out and grab a piece of that calm and stillness; Ujjyai pranayama, or Ocean breath. While often called upon during Yoga asanas to cool the body and focus the mind, Ocean Breath can also be used during meditation as well. It's a great tool to create the stillness and focused attention that meditation requires. I encourage you to try it out. Here's how: 1. Find a comfortable seat. Maybe it's a chair, or cushion on the floor. Find what feels good to you. 2. Inhale deeply and exhale completely. Feel your chest and belly expand and rise with the inhale and condense and fall with the exhale. Do this until you begin to feel your body relax. 3. On your next inhale, softly constrict the back of your throat. These are the glottis muscles, the same muscles that work when you have a quick intake of breath. Breath deep and slow. You will hear the air flowing into your lungs, and understand where this breath got its name. 4. Exhale slowly. Keep that same slight constriction at the back of the throat. Try to make your exhale as long as your inhale. Repeat for at least 10-15 breaths. Meditation can be intimidating. But this simple little breathing exercise isn't. Try it out; you'll feel the vast expanse, the rhythm of life, and the stillness that helps us appreciate it. Breathing in…….and out, Kristin Henningsen, M.S., C.H., R.Y.T.
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Yoga is not just for adults anymore. More and more research has come out on the benefits of yoga practice for children of all ages. From the cooing baby to independent teenager, Yoga can benefit all ages. While there are more and more Yoga classes geared towards these different age groups, there are also a lot of ways to engage your kids at home. Introducing Yoga to your kids will not only help them be physically active, self-confident, and able to handle stressful situations; it will also help you do the same.
To get your kids involved, it's a good idea to start by doing yoga with them. This doesn't require that you enroll in expensive classes, however. There are many resources that you can explore at home. Below is a list of my favorites. Books, Cd's, websites, and videos. Check them out and have fun! Books Bersma, D. & Visscher, M. (2003) Yoga Games for Children. Alameda, CA: Hunter House Inc. Solis, S. (2006). Storytime Yoga. Boulder, CO: The Mythic Yoga Studio. Tummers, N. (2009). Teaching Yoga for Life. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Wenig, M. (2003). Yoga kids: Edcuating the whole child through yoga. New York, NY: Stewart, Tabori, & Chang. CD's http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kirawilley/ http://www.karmakidsyoga.com/ComePlayYoga.html http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ckcarbone Websites http://www.youngyogamasters.com/ http://yogakids.com/ http://www.karmakidsyoga.com/yoga_poses.html http://shaktakaurkhalsa.wordpress.com/ Videos http://www.namastekid.com/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmeTZGr_R5Q http://www.storytimeyoga.com/ Once engaged in Yoga practice, try exploring those classes in your area. You can enroll in classes with your children, or register them for an independent class. Find what works for you and your family. The benefits will be great! Namaste, Kristin Henningsen M.S., C.H., R.Y.T. If your summer is anything like mine, it's been an almost daily get up and go, go, go! It seems that every day is a new excursion and adventure for me and my two little ones. Beach, camping, hiking, biking, picking fruits and veggies, museums, trips to the library….I'm getting tired just writing it down. While I love the spontaneity of summer, I tend to thrive when I have a routine. Some things just don't get done when there's chaos! However, this summer I have been particularly proud of myself at the consistency I've kept with my home Yoga practice. This is usually the first thing to go. But when you compromise on your healthy practices, the next thing you compromise is your health. Here's some strategies I've used to keep my home practice consistent this summer. 1. Get Up Okay, this is a no brainer. But in the summer it can be easy to sleep in, especially when your kids are sleeping late (aka 7:30). So….get up! Before the kids and have some alone time, even if it means going to bed a little bit earlier or setting an alarm. Quiet Yoga in the morning= bliss. 2. Make it a Priority Yes, you need to vacuum, sweep, and clean the bathrooms. But first….you need to practice. It will make every action and interaction for the rest of your day so much more engaged, peaceful, and meaningful. If you don't get to the sweeping, forgive yourself and smile. You stood up for yourself and what you believe in. 3. Get Creative Yoga doesn't always need to be on the mat. In fact, I most often do Yoga off my mat. While making pancakes, waiting in line, while the kids are taking their time, even driving. It's easy to find time and space do practices breathing exercises and meditation. Even some standing postures and balance postures are totally appropriate for public. If anyone stares, smile. 4. Break it up Sometimes I feel like I am at the constant beck and call of my kids. And I am. It is a rare event that I get to practice Yoga without being interrupted by someone or something. So, I break up my practice into bits. Warm-up sequences here, sun salutations after breakfast, standing postures after clean-up, final stretches before bedtime…You get the idea. 5. Forgive and Forget If you don't get to your Yoga practice one day, it's okay. Forgive yourself and move on. Tomorrow is another day. The important thing is that you are aware of how important your practice is to you, and that you honor yourself by taking the time for it every day that you can. And now…time for my Savasana (Corpse Pose) for the day. Ahhh! The sweet rewards of practice! Namaste, Kristin Henningsen M.S., C.H., R.Y.T. Restore In keeping with the theme of National Yoga Month, combined with Back-to-School stress, I thought I'd share one of my favorite restorative yoga sequences. This is a series of poses that can be very useful in times of stress, to calm anxiety, or simply come back to balance when you are feeling run down. 1. Start seated- Focus on your breath, trying to breath in to a count of five and exhale to a count of 5. Let your awareness settle on the present moment and how your breath feels as you expand and contract. 2. Bound Angle- Bring the soles of your feet together, spine reaching tall. Let your knees slowly and gently travel towards the earth. Begin to shift your weight to your left, then forward, right, then back. Keeping slowly opening the hips by moving in these circles. Repeat 3-5 times, then reverse direction. 3. Table Top with twist- Come to hand and knees, shoulders over your wrists and hips over heels. Root down through your left hand and reach tall with your right arm. Bring it slowly underneath your left arm, twisting to the left and bringing your shoulder to or towards the floor. Repeat on your other side. 4. Cat/Cow- Re-aligning yourself into table top position, take a deep breath in and look up as you arch your back. Exhale and round the spine, gazing towards your navel and pushing the hands down into the floor. Repeat 3-5 times, integrating your movement with your breath. 5. Child's Pose-Wide knees wide, bring your hips towards your heels as far as feels comfortable, forehead resting on the floor. You can always use a blanket under your belly if your knees resist. Stretch the arms out in front of you and reach towards the front of the room. Breathe here, then slowly walk your hands out towards the right. Open up your side body as you push down and away with the hands here. Walk hands back to center and then over to the left. 6. Legs up the Wall- Move to the wall with 1-3 folded blankets or a bolster. Stack the blankets and line them (or the bolster) up to the wall. Begin with your right hip and shoulder just grazing the wall, sitting on the side of the blanket. Slowly swing your legs up the wall and let your head and shoulders rest on the floor. Don't be discouraged if you need to wiggle to get your hips closer to the wall, or if it takes you a few times to get there. You'll get there eventually. :) Keep your legs firm on the wall, but release your arms to your sides. Close your eyes and let all the tension and anxiety you've built through your day melt. Stay here 5-15 minutes, then slowly bend your knees and roll off your supports. Stay on your side for a few breaths, then slowly come back to seated. Ahhhhhhh!!!!! Namaste, Kristin Henningsen, M.S., C.H. R.Y.T. Free Yoga! September is National Yoga Month. What does that mean? Well, it has a different meaning for everyone. Perhaps you are a seasoned Yogi and need to rejuvenate or renew your practice with a deeper study. Now's the time to do it. Perhaps you have been wanting to try yoga, but work, kids, dishes, etc., etc. always seems to take a priority. Well, now's the time to try it. Whatever it means for you, Yoga Month inspires more mindful and healthy living by simply bringing awareness to the table. It's time to cast aside excuses and honor yourself by engaging in an activity that inspires your body, mind, and spirit. Another great benefit of Yoga Month is that many studios around the country are offering free yoga. Yes, free! And not just one class, but a week of classes so you get to look around and choose a style that inspires you. Check out http://www.yogamonth.org/ to find a studio near you that is offering this great service. While you're there you can also check out their Yoga Month Blog for giveaways, subscribe to their newsletter, or find yoga events in your community. Take a look around and be inspired! Now's the time to start that journey! Namaste, Kristin Henningsen, M.S., C.H., R.Y.T. |
AuthorI am constantly amazed by the healing power of yoga and herbs. They inspire me to heal, to write, to teach, and to keep exploring. Archives
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