our-yoga

One of the things that sneaks up on you as a yoga teacher is an awareness of other people's bodies. We can't help it! I find myself at parties quietly noticing posture, stance, and hip alignment of the people around me - not to mention energetic 'vibes' as well!

When I first began practising yoga, in my early 20's, I was about as unhealthy as I have ever been in my life. After University I was sleep deprived, hadn't exercised in years, and had done who knows what damage to my lungs and liver from the excesses of student life! And I was certainly not flexible - I couldn't even touch my toes! On top of that, since high school I had developed painful tightness in my right shoulder - a common symptom of my type of scoliosis.

Fast forward to today, when I am stronger, more flexible and healthier than I could ever have imagined! Some days I think that I take for granted how it feels to live in a healthy, pain-free body. So, back to my party and looking around, I realise how many people take for granted just the opposite - that the body is a source of struggle, pain and even shame. And no wonder - many people live with structural or deeply developed muscular imbalances, resulting in limited range of motion in key areas like the hips, shoulders and lower back. And these people are not ill or injured - they are everyday people that work with you in your office, or who you have a drink with in the evening. Some of them are sporty and fit - they run, lift weights or cycle. And yet, for many of us as we approach our 30's, 40's and beyond, the story of our battle to stay fit is like a chronicle of various aches, pains and injuries: "well, I was running a lot, but then I developed shin splints so the doc told me I should take up cycling, but then I hurt my knee, so now I'm swimming..." Sound familiar?

For the fairly fit, a regular beginner's yoga practice is the perfect option. But there are many people for whom even a gentle asana class may not be accessible. And for those people who are suffering from injuries, living with or recovering from illnesses, or losing mobility due to age, and for the people who work with them, there is Therapeutic Yoga.

Therapeutic Yoga is a combination of relaxation, meditation, breath work, body awareness, restorative and yin yoga poses, and self-healing practices. It is a wonderfully holistic system, and its ultimate aim (like most holistic healing systems, and unlike many western systems) is to help people help themselves.

The Kit pictured here was given to me by a friend. The kit was developed by Cheri Clampett and Biff Mithoefer. It is a remarkable resource containing an audio CD, 16 asana 'cards', and a manual explaining the principles of self-care and the benefits of therapeutic yoga, a detailed guide to 16 restorative postures including many prop variations and examples of gentle yoga stretches to accompany the poses, and a guide to other healing techniques like self-massage and guided meditation.

At the time I recieved this gift, I had expressed a vague interest in Yoga Therapy and restorative yoga. Recently, I have been getting more and more interested in restorative yoga practices, deep breath work, and meditation. I have been working with a private client who is recovering from an illness and seen the transformation in her as we work with simple poses and develop the breath. As my own awareness expands around me to notice the multitudes of people dealing with chronic stress and pain, my interest in this type of Yoga grows.

So I share it with you dear bloggers and blog readers. What are your experiences with restorative or Yin yoga, or with body imbalances, injuries and illness?

Oh, and for Babs, a picture of me in a pose from the Kit, "Resting Half Moon Pose", which I used in the previous post's sequence for menstrual pain :)

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Hi all, I have been offline a lot this week due to overwork, and no connectivity on my internet. When my life runs away with me, I often turn to restorative Yoga to help me bring back the balance into my mind, my body and my day.

So here is a gentle restorative sequence that should leave you refreshed and, well, restored.

Before You Start:
Turn down the lights, light your favourite incense or essential oil, and put on some mellow music... I highly recommend Jai Uttal and Ben Leinbach's "Loveland" for smooth, entrancing listening.

Props:
This sequence works best with the help of a few props, especially: one or more blankets, rolled up; one or more yoga blocks or big books; a yoga strap or any exercise strap or bit of fabric; and some large pillows.

The Sequence:

Begin this sequence by lying on your back, hug your knees to your chest, and gently rock side-to-side on your sacrum (the hard part on your lower back). Hold each pose for as long as you like - I recommend at least 5-10 long, slow breaths in each pose.
• Happy baby pose (Keeping your feet close together, let your knees come apart and gently pull your knees towards your shoulders. Then, keep your knees bent and raise your feet up towards the ceiling. Either keep holding the thighs orgrasp the bottom of your feet from inside, and gently pull the feet towards you)
• Supta padangusthasana I (Bring your left foot to the ground. Loop your yoga strap around your right foot and gently lift the right leg towards you.)
• Supta padangusthasana II (Grasp both ends of the strap with your right hand and slowly let your right hip open up, lowering your right leg to the right hand side. Place a block or pillow under the right foot, and look back out over your left shoulder.)
• Repeat on the left-hand side, then come to sitting.
• Seated Twist (Bring your right hand to the left knee and twist gently to the left side, then do the other side)
• Cat and Cow, 5-10 rounds (Come to all fours. On an inhalation, let the lower back curve downwards and look up, on an exhalation curl your back upwards and bring your chin to your chest).
• Downward Facing Dog (optional. Can also be done with your head resting on a block, OR your hands resting on a chair for a more restorative version).
• Supta kapotasana (reclining pigeon - from Down Dog, inhale, stretch the right leg behind you, and then exhale and bring the right knee forward between your hands. Exhale, and slowly lower yourself forward and down. After 10-25 breaths, inhale up to centre, step back to Down Dog, and repeat on the left-hand side).
• Paschimottanasana, supported (Come to sitting, with your legs together. Place a rolled-up blanket under your sitting bones, and another under your knees. Place one or more pillows on your legs. Inhale and stretch gently forward, exhale and rest your head and torso on the pillows for 10-25 breaths).
• Baddha Konasana, supported (Inhale back up to sitting. Bend the knees, bringing the soles of the feet together. You can loop a yoga strap around your feet and then back around your sacrum, tightening it to ease the stretch. You can also place pillows or yoga blocks under your knees).
• Upavista Konasana, supported (Bring the legs wide, and bring a yoga block or a bolster/pillow in between the legs. Inhale and reach forward, exhale and rest your torso and head on the pillows.)
• Janu Sirsasana (From upavista konasana, bring your right foot to the inside of the left thigh. Place the rolled-up blanket under your left knee, and a pillow over your left leg, and then gently stretch forward over the extended leg, resting on the pillow. Repeat on the other side.)
• Supported Bridge Pose (Lie on the mat with your knees bent. Inhale and gently lift up your hips, placing a yoga block underneath your sacrum for support. Keep your spine lengthening, and breathe deeply and evenly into the belly.)
• Half Shoulderstand (Before you begin, lie in the middle of your mat and place a chair or yoga block at the head end of the mat. Place a folded blanket under your shoulders. Inhale, lifting your hips up and supporting your hips with your hands. Let your legs stretch behind you, leaving you balanced and light in this pose. See my previous restorative sequence post for more details!)
• Plough Pose (From shoulderstand, bend the knees slightly and let your legs come down behind your head. Rest your feet on the chair or yoga block.)
• Fish Pose (Gently roll back to the mat and come to sitting. Place a yoga block or small pillow in a way that it will support your upper back. Gently lean back onto the block so your back and shoulders are supported but your head can hang back.)
• Supta Baddha Konasana (Lying down, bring the soles of your feet together. You can prop your head up on a pillow and support yourself with pillows or blocks under the knees. Close your eyes and turn up the music!)
• Savasana (Indulge in a long, restorative savasana for best results).

Enjoy!

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