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Yoga Journeys to the Heart Newsletter
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This is the FIRST issue
| November 2010
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Welcome to the first of many newsletters sharing and celebrating my life long journey into YOGA! Each month I will be sharing my life journey with you, my friends, and my students in my General Yoga Classes and in my specialty classes, Yoga for Back Care and Yoga for Scoliosis. My newsletters will include valuable information and tips to deepen your yoga practic e on and off the mat, inside and outside of classes and workshops. I will not be making a DVD right now, sorry, but I will be giving you poses each month with instructions and props. I will be writing little articles about props to buy (gift giving is right around the corner...) and how to integrate them into your poses. Articles about what and when to practice, how long to practice, how to develop a practice. Articles about yoga in general, and yoga specialties. There is also a way for you to sign up for the email and links to my website and more. I look forward to sharing more of my journey with all of you students and prospective students. Keep tabs on my website too for more about my schedule and workshops. All the best to you and your journey into YOGA!
Happy Holidays!
Peace,
DL, nancy Desert Lizard heraty
Yoga for Scoliosis Trainer
Yoga Teacher
Artist
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The Pose of the Month is: Supta Sukhasana
(In Sanskrit, Supta means recline, Sukha means easy, Asana means pose.)
 Give yourself time to relax and breathe in this very comfortable pose, reclining cross legged pose. Set up your bolster at an angle on two blocks with a blanket for the head and neck. (No props yet? Use a stack of firm pillows set up as a ramp or a stack of blankets.) Support the legs with a rolled blanket wrapped around the shins and under the thighs. Tuck the buttocks toward the heels, and the shoulder blades down and in toward the spine. Roll the arms and hands open. Add sandbags (or small bags of rice) in the palms and cover the eyes with an eye pillow or warm washcloth to take it deeper. Each time you practice this pose change the crossing of the legs. Turn off the phone, the lights, close the door, and breathe softly, slowly and deeply. Quiet the mind as you focus on the breath. Let your exhales help you detox as you focus on deepening the relaxation. This pose is good for anyone, anytime.
Benefits: This is a wonderful pose to give yourself a break, find calmness and peace during these busy holidays. It opens the heart and breath space and relaxes the spine and brain. The legs gently relax against the blanket support to open the hips. Hold for 5 - 15 minutes. Give this a try!
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Yoga for Scoliosis Pose of the Month is...
Kitchen Sink Adho Mukha Svanasana
(in sanskrit Adho means down, Mukha means face, Svana means dog, Asana means pose)
 This is an amazing pose to do as you are waiting for that special sauce to thicken. All you need is the sink edge to pull back from. I have also done this on a closed car door with the window down to stretch my spine from a long car drive, or a porch railing. Set the hands shoulder wide, feet hip wide, turn in the toes a bit. The feet end up in front of the hips when you stretch back. Arms straight, outer arm pits roll down. Neck and head in line with the spine. Keep the legs straight, muscles engaged, inner thighs back. Top thighs push back. Tail bone lengthens away from hands. Let the sides of the body stretch as well as the spine. Deep breaths help you find the extension well. With Scoliosis, add a rotation to your ribcage (not the shoulders), vex side down, cave side up, and make sure to press the vex shoulder blade onto your back well. Breathe into the cave to help expand it more. If one hip shifts laterally, most likely the cave side, press that leg crease back more and shift the hip toward center. This pose is good for anyone, not just those with scoliosis.
Benefits: This pose helps the low back to release as well as getting a complete stretch in the whole body. It calms the mind as the head looks down. Do this as many times as you need, holding for 10 - 30 breaths.
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Props and More...
Its gift giving time! This is a great time to stock up with props for your sacred yoga space. What? you do not have a yoga space for your home practice? Well it is time to set that up. Even if it is a corner of a room, set your intention to practice daily as you see the space as a reminder to hit the mat. I cannot leave my props out, due to my cats who think the props and my mat are scratching pads. But I have a closet full of props and my mat, and a corner of my dining room as my sacred space. I have all of my yoga books, music, sacred objects, ready for me to set myself down to practice daily. (OK, some of you know my dining room is also my studio for an occasional class...ropes hanging as well...) It needs to be easy to practice so have everything in one spot, ready, set, go! Here are my suggestions for types of props to use.
Desert Lizard's Prop Suggestions: 1 Yoga mat, 1/8 or 1/4 inch, depending on how much padding you like under your body
2 - 8 foot pinch buckle straps 2 - 4 inch striped firm foam blocks, or wood, or cork 2 - 4 woven, Mexican blankets 1 Standard round cotton yoga bolster 1 Metal folding chair with the back punched out (a stout hammer works!)
Favorite prop manufacturers:
www.yogaaccessories.com (always have great prices and sales)
www.toolsforyoga.net (wood ware and more advanced props)
www.huggernugger.com (one of the originals, high quality)
www.beanproducts.com (local to Chicago area)
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Schedule of upcoming events:
NEW DATE FOR DECEMBER BACK CARE CLINIC!!
Due to studio scheduling conflicts, the December Back Care Clinic at
Yoga Among Friends in Downers Grove is moved to
Saturday, December 4, 2:30 - 4:30 pm.December's focus will be the Cervical spine (neck) and shoulders...
Check out my Website for my regular class and workshop schedule for Yoga, Yoga for Scoliosis, and Yoga for Back Care. |
nancy Desert Lizard heraty
3640 Prairie Avenue
Brookfield, Illinois 60513
708-404-9642
lizardwocw@comcast.net |
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