Dear Yogis,
This week's and perhaps future week's class info will be at http://www.totalhealthyoga.blogspot.com/.
Namaste,
Kris Kramer
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyoga.blogspot.com/
Today is the first day of the rest of your life!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Inner Body
Live in the NOW. Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now and A New Earth, suggests posing this question to yourself throughout the day:
"What is my relationship with the current moment?"
Since life only happens in the current moment--not in the past or the future--this is the same as asking "What is my relationship with life?"
Yoga teaches you to become more aware and present to the NOW, that is to life.
This week we'll spend the majority of the class learning various techniques to feel your inner body. You may also call this the subtle, Pranic, or energetic body.
One of the three main exercises we'll use to bring awareness to the inner body, and thus the current moment, is to get in a comfortable position. Bring focus to your breath. Notice how the chest and belly expand on inhale and relax on exhale. Stay with this for a few breaths. Then bring your awareness to the cells or even molecules in the torso region. See how they, too, expand and surrender with every breath. Eventually, spread your awareness of this "cellular breathing" to the arms, hands, neck, head, legs, and feet. Go as far as you are able. Enjoy the whole body breathing. Every cell opens and releases as you breath in and out. This is the beginning of experiencing the inner body.
Enjoy!
Kris Kramer
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
http://www.TotalHealthYoga.Blogspot.com
Today is the first day of the rest of your life!
"What is my relationship with the current moment?"
Since life only happens in the current moment--not in the past or the future--this is the same as asking "What is my relationship with life?"
Yoga teaches you to become more aware and present to the NOW, that is to life.
This week we'll spend the majority of the class learning various techniques to feel your inner body. You may also call this the subtle, Pranic, or energetic body.
One of the three main exercises we'll use to bring awareness to the inner body, and thus the current moment, is to get in a comfortable position. Bring focus to your breath. Notice how the chest and belly expand on inhale and relax on exhale. Stay with this for a few breaths. Then bring your awareness to the cells or even molecules in the torso region. See how they, too, expand and surrender with every breath. Eventually, spread your awareness of this "cellular breathing" to the arms, hands, neck, head, legs, and feet. Go as far as you are able. Enjoy the whole body breathing. Every cell opens and releases as you breath in and out. This is the beginning of experiencing the inner body.
Enjoy!
Kris Kramer
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
http://www.TotalHealthYoga.Blogspot.com
Today is the first day of the rest of your life!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Function Before Form
It is imperative to remember that asanas (postures) are there to serve a function. That purpose might be to build strength in the abdominals, loosen the low back, stimulate digestion, calm the mind, energize the body, or find true peace. Most poses have a number of functions associated with them.
Form is the picture of what the final asana looks like. You see this in magazines, books, DVD's, or perhaps on the mat next to you. It is easy to get caught up in the look of the pose and forget about if the position is still aligned with its intended purpose.
This week we will work with forward bends and stay conscious of whether-or-not we are still reaping the marvelous benefits of this poses or are we simply pushing ourselves into a position because of how it looks.
Contrary to Billy Crystals wise words, "It's not how you feel; it's how you look. And you look marvelous!" In Yoga it goes more like this, "It's not how you look; it's how you feel. Do you feel marvelous?"
Here are few of the benefits to forward bends:
Create space on the posterior vertebrae—benefiting the nerves and thus body functions and brain. Stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. Loosen back, especially the low back. Some create mobility in the backs of the legs and buttocks. Adrenal relief. Massage the intestines. Provide fresh circulation to the abdominal organs. Remove waste. Aid in exhales. Calm the mind. Encourage a sense of humility and surrender. Literally and figuratively look within. Similar to the curve in the womb. Require patience. Peaceful.
Practice a few of these tips in various forward bends:
Be sure to NOT hang from the vertebrae. Take Uttanasana (standing forward bend) and use your hands, a mirror, or a friend to see what part of your spine is the highest point. If it's the upper, middle, or even low (lumber) back, then you are stressing that vertebrae. Bend your knees and/or widen your feet until the highest point is the sacrum. When the sacrum is at the top, then the vertebrae are free to release with gravity.
Each person's leg position, such as bent knees or not, will be different based on their current flexibility. The self-study is called svadhayaya.
If you suffer from back pain, seated forward bend, especially aggressive ones, are contraindicated.
Keep thoracic (mid and upper back) long; Bring the belly to thighs before the head or chest.
Be sure to take full inhales from top down--this depends on the person, but for most folks this direction of breath will aid in keeping the upper back long and resist over rounding.
Extend from sacrum, keep spine long (NOT angled or hanging from the vertebrae).
Use your breath to help you flatten the upper back and deepen the stretch.
If you have questions, please bring them to class next week.
Namaste,
Kris Kramer
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
http://www.TotalHealthYoga.Blogspot.com
Today is the first day of the rest of your life!
Form is the picture of what the final asana looks like. You see this in magazines, books, DVD's, or perhaps on the mat next to you. It is easy to get caught up in the look of the pose and forget about if the position is still aligned with its intended purpose.
This week we will work with forward bends and stay conscious of whether-or-not we are still reaping the marvelous benefits of this poses or are we simply pushing ourselves into a position because of how it looks.
Contrary to Billy Crystals wise words, "It's not how you feel; it's how you look. And you look marvelous!" In Yoga it goes more like this, "It's not how you look; it's how you feel. Do you feel marvelous?"
Here are few of the benefits to forward bends:
Create space on the posterior vertebrae—benefiting the nerves and thus body functions and brain. Stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. Loosen back, especially the low back. Some create mobility in the backs of the legs and buttocks. Adrenal relief. Massage the intestines. Provide fresh circulation to the abdominal organs. Remove waste. Aid in exhales. Calm the mind. Encourage a sense of humility and surrender. Literally and figuratively look within. Similar to the curve in the womb. Require patience. Peaceful.
Practice a few of these tips in various forward bends:
Be sure to NOT hang from the vertebrae. Take Uttanasana (standing forward bend) and use your hands, a mirror, or a friend to see what part of your spine is the highest point. If it's the upper, middle, or even low (lumber) back, then you are stressing that vertebrae. Bend your knees and/or widen your feet until the highest point is the sacrum. When the sacrum is at the top, then the vertebrae are free to release with gravity.
Each person's leg position, such as bent knees or not, will be different based on their current flexibility. The self-study is called svadhayaya.
If you suffer from back pain, seated forward bend, especially aggressive ones, are contraindicated.
Keep thoracic (mid and upper back) long; Bring the belly to thighs before the head or chest.
Be sure to take full inhales from top down--this depends on the person, but for most folks this direction of breath will aid in keeping the upper back long and resist over rounding.
Extend from sacrum, keep spine long (NOT angled or hanging from the vertebrae).
Use your breath to help you flatten the upper back and deepen the stretch.
If you have questions, please bring them to class next week.
Namaste,
Kris Kramer
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
http://www.TotalHealthYoga.Blogspot.com
Today is the first day of the rest of your life!
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