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Jun
22

Bonus Day! From the 21-Day Yoga Challenge

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Your Bonus Pose!

Savasana or Corpse Pose

Your 21-day yoga challenge would not be complete without mention of savasana or corpse pose. Thus, take time to fit this bonus pose in today, especially if you have worked other poses or had a strenuous week. 

Cues: From a supine position, allow your arms to roll open with the palms facing upward and have your legs roll out comfortably. Close your eyes and draw your attention to your breath, softly following the inhale and exhale. 

Benefits: Savasana allows your muscles to incorporate the work you have done in a yoga practice. The conscious relaxation allows your body and mind to release fully and this, in turn, will invigorate and refresh you.

Modifications: Props are a welcome addition to any savasana. In particular, use a rolled blanket under the neck, just above the shoulders to support your cervical spine. If you worked your legs in practice, a bolster behind the knees at the lower thighs is often beneficial for both the legs and in releasing the low back. Be sure your heels come to something — the mat or place a blanket so the heels do not hang in space and cause any strain. The contact with the earth or a prop allows the body to fully relax. 

☀️Thank your body for all it has given to you and continues to provide.🧘‍♀️

I thank you for sharing this special time.

🙏🏻May you be well and may you keep you light illuminated. ☀️
 

How was your pose-a day-challenge? We’d love to hear from you. Send your comments, photos, or questions under the comments section. Post to FaceBook @thinkyoga or on Instagram @21dayyogachallenge.

Order The 21-Day Yoga Challenge: Inspiration for a Lifetime of Good Health by Ann Fitzmaurice and illustrated by Altina Layman. Click to order! 

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Jun
21

Day 21! Pose a Day from the 21-Day Yoga Challenge

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Today’s Pose is:

Setu Bandhasana ~ Bridge Pose

In Sanskrit, setu means bridge while bandha translate to formation or construction. Use this thought as you imagine constructing the bridge that is most supportive and beneficial to you.

Cues: Press into your feet, keep the legs parallel to one another by internally rotating hips and activating adductor muscles on the inside of your thighs. As you lift your hips skyward, there is an engagement of the gluts, but not a gripping. Keep the spine long. Press firmly into the triceps and draw your collarbones wide.

Do not turn your head while in the pose for the safety of your neck. If your feet turn out or your knees go wide, work with a block or bolster under the sacrum to attain proper alignment and slowly practice lifting off the support.

Benefits: Bridge pose is a gentle inversion because the head is below the heart. As such you may feel the calming effects of this pose which help you relax and release. The movement of the spine in this pose, as you lengthen and then arch at the thoracic spine, helps maintain flexibility and is said to positively impact the nervous system. Mr. Iyengar professed: a person with a healthy spine indicates a healthy nervous system and if the nerves are healthy, a person is of sound mind and body. 

Modifications: The feet turning out or the knees jutting away from midline often means you need to work at strengthening the adductor muscles (the muscles of the inner thighs). A block between the thighs will raise this awareness. Press into that block gently as you lift the hips off the floor. Others may prefer to practice with a bolster or block under the sacrum which gives the advantage of the backbend and inversion — opening the chest and providing calmness from a gentle inversion — with a more supportive offering.

As you welcome the first official day of summer and the longest day of the year, use your constructed bridge pose to emphasize your capacity to open your heart fully to the new season!

Show us how your light is shinning. ☀️ Share a photo or ask a question. Send it under the comments section. Post to FaceBook @thinkyoga or on Instagram @21dayyogachallenge.

Order The 21-Day Yoga Challenge: Inspiration for a Lifetime of Good Health by Ann Fitzmaurice and illustrated by Altina Layman. Click to order! 

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Jun
20

Day 20! Pose a Day from the 21-Day Yoga Challenge

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Today’s Pose is:

Prasarita Padottanasana ~ Wide-leg Forward Fold Pose

After the past two days of balancing poses, it is good to find symmetry in this delightful version of wide-leg forward fold. In versions one and two of the traditional pose, the arms are directly underneath the shoulders and then the hands go back between the legs as the elbows bend and the head comes to the floor.

Work today with a version that keeps the arms reaching out, similar to a wide-leg downward facing dog. 

Cues: A common misalignment is to roll inward on the feet. Press to the outer arches of the feet as you continue to lift the outer and inner arches. Reach down through the toe mounds and center of heel. Balance your weight in the center, not leaning too far back in the hips or too far forward in the arms. Engage your abdominal muscles and lift the ribs off the pelvis. 

Benefits: This pose is a great stretch for the back, arms and groin as you gain strength in the legs, gluts and abdominal muscles. As a forward fold, you will benefit from the turn inward as it calms the mind and can help you refocus, especially if you do this pose after other standing poses or to release from a stressful part of your day.

Modifications:  If placing your head below your heart is not advised or if tight hamstrings or hips prevent you from a comfortable forward fold, take your hands to blocks or a chair seat. It is also acceptable to bend your knees slightly in this pose, but still be active in your feet as you continue to contract the abdominal muscles and keep the back long. A rounded back can compromise the benefits and can be ill-advised for people with osteoporosis. 

Is this a pose you like? Is it liking you? Share a photo or ask a question. Send it under the comments section. Post to FaceBook @thinkyoga or on Instagram @21dayyogachallenge.

Order The 21-Day Yoga Challenge: Inspiration for a Lifetime of Good Health by Ann Fitzmaurice and illustrated by Altina Layman. Click to order! 

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Jun
19

Day 19! Pose a Day from the 21-Day Yoga Challenge

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Pose of the day:

Virabhadrasana III or Warrior 3

All the Warrior poses create great strength throughout the body and modifications make even this balance-challenge warrior accessible. 


Cues: Maintain strength in your standing leg. Engage the muscles of the other leg as you lift it straight back. The lifted leg foot is flexed as toes point toward the floor. A common misalignment is to lift the leg too high and externally rotate hip. Keep hip points on the same plane, drawing the lifted leg to internal rotation. Engage the gluts to provide power and strength. Contract the abdominal muscles and lengthen the side body as you lift ribs off the pelvis.  In the traditional pose, the arms contract to keep elbows straight as they extend forward. However, hands may come to the hips for more stability or if balance is challenging today, take your hands to blocks, the wall or to a chair.

In balancing poses, you may have the tendency to grip the toes. This compromises the alignment and makes balancing more challenging. And, as Mr. Iyengar imparted: Gripped toes are a sign of a gripped mind. So lengthen the toes. Feel the strength in the tadasana leg and lift off of that strength. 

Benefits: Another balance working pose which tones the leg muscles while strengthening abdominal and back muscles. Contract the gluts to work these muscles and help with balance. Keep the chest open to reap the benefits of full breath. 

Modifications: Many people use props to help with the balance aspect of this pose. Play with the modification that is right for you. As said, blocks, a wall or a chair is helpful. Another approach is to lift the leg and press the foot into a wall. Hands may still come to a prop. The wall gives a reciprocal response as the foot presses into the wall, the leg draws energy up creating length and stability. 

Added challenge: If you worked on balance yesterday with your tree pose, try moving from tree to warrior 3 today for an added, yet beautiful transitional pose work. 

How do you do your Warrior 3? Please tell us. Share a photo or ask a question. Send it under the comments section. Post to FaceBook @thinkyoga or on Instagram @21dayyogachallenge.

Order The 21-Day Yoga Challenge: Inspiration for a Lifetime of Good Health by Ann Fitzmaurice and illustrated by Altina Layman. Click to order! 

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Jun
18

Day 18! Pose a Day from the 21-Day Yoga Challenge

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Today’s Pose: Vrksasana ~ Tree Pose

 

From yesterday’s pose of tadasana, you can move right into this wonderful balancing pose of vrksasana or tree pose. I love to see the variations of this pose done in class. Some choose to practice with the wall for balance, others like to float arms up, while some take the balance challenge a bit further and close their eyes for a few moments. 

Cues: Create a strong tadasana and keep that integrity in the standing leg as you lift the other leg. Take the weight off the standing leg hip and engage the muscles of the inner thigh. This keeps alignment strong and reduces the strain on the hip and back.
Be sure not to apply pressure to the knee joint with the raised leg. Let that foot come to the inside of the thigh or shin or even let the toes remain on the floor while the heel comes to the inside of the ankle. In the pose, maintain shoulder blades down and chest open. Reach crown of the head skyward as you lengthen tailbone toward the floor. Contract the quadricep of the standing leg to draw hip flexor back into the body while you reach from the inner thigh to the inner knee of the lifted leg and then draw back from the outside of that knee to the hip.

Benefits: Balance is critical to maintain your strength and resilience. The benefits of strengthening the muscles and bones can be felt throughout the standing leg ankle, calf, thigh and spine. For the lifted leg, a great stretch occurs from the groin through the inner thigh. Balance poses stimulate your brain to keep you from falling. Simultaneously, you can find a calmness to the pose as you broaden your chest and let the breath come in more fully.

Modifications: Balance is not the same day in and day out, so apply the modifications that best suit you on any particular day. The back against a wall is helpful. A hand to the wall or chair back will assist in balance. If the foot slips off the standing leg, the use of a sticky mat remnant is helpful. Take your lifted foot to where it is best for you today — perhaps the inner ankle, the the inner shin or the thigh. 

What does your tree feel like? Just like the trees of the forest, you are unique. Honor that today and flourish. 

Share your tree with us! Share a photo or ask a question. Send it under the comments section. Post to FaceBook @thinkyoga or on Instagram @21dayyogachallenge.

Order The 21-Day Yoga Challenge: Inspiration for a Lifetime of Good Health by Ann Fitzmaurice and illustrated by Altina Layman. Click to order! 

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Jun
17

Day 17! Pose a Day from the 21-Day Yoga Challenge

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Today’s Pose is:

Tadasana ~ Mountain (aka: Grocery Store Stance)

Tadasana may be one of the first standing poses you learned in yoga and is often the place to begin, transition, and end a sequence.
To me, it is the perfect pose to remind us that we can take our practice off the mat every day. That’s why I call tadasana or mountain pose, the grocery store stance pose because every time you stand in line somewhere, you have the opportunity to draw your awareness back into yourself in a positive way.

Cues: Draw your shoulder blades down, your collar bones wide and engage your belly. Have your feet forward and press down through your toe mounds and center of your heel, as you lift from the inner and outer arches to engage your legs. The crown of your head reaches toward the sky as you feel how your spine is long allowing you to stand tall and breathe more fully.

Benefits: When you stand in proper alignment you do a number of things that benefit the body. First, you stack joints which make them stronger and more stable. The conscious widening of the collar bones and gentle engagement of the belly provides more space for breath which in turn keeps your mind clear and awake. The external world will take notice as well. A person standing strong is one that holds confidence and endears trust. You are strong. You are trustworthy. So stand tall!

Modifications: If standing for a sustained period is challenging, take a seat and follow the cues while in a chair. You can reap many of the benefits by mindfully sitting strong and tall. Engage your legs to contract the quadriceps and roll the thighs slightly inward. In standing, do not lock your knees. This could cause you to hyperextend and even cause you to become light headed. If this occurs, provide a small bend or micro bend at the knees. 

Take your pose to the grocery store!! 

(Thank you to photo models: Rob Bradley, Luddy Hayden, Dee Daly, and John Vipiana 🧘‍♀️)

Where do you incorporate tadasana in your everyday life? Please tell us. Share a photo or ask a question. Send it under the comments section. Post to FaceBook @thinkyoga or on Instagram @21dayyogachallenge.

Order The 21-Day Yoga Challenge: Inspiration for a Lifetime of Good Health by Ann Fitzmaurice and illustrated by Altina Layman. Click to order! 

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Jun
16

Day 16! Pose a Day from the 21-Day Yoga Challenge

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Today’s pose is

Balasana ~ Child’s pose

Balasana may seem likes child’s play — an easy pose. Yes, it can be and should be, but it is a powerful pose! In today’s offering, try following cues to create a deeper and more mindful approach to the pose.

Cues: Go in from table top with belly engaged and spine long, not rounded. Keep the arms active with elbows straight and fingers spread wide. Press hands into the mat and keep your arms lifted. Draw your shoulder blades down, taking tops of shoulders away from your ears.

For an additional stretch walk the hands to right and then the left, breathing into your side body. Have your forehead come to rest on something. It could be the mat, but if your neck needs support, place a block, blanket or an eye pillow for your forehead. After several breaths with out-stretched arms, release and allow the arms to be soft.  

Benefits: Balasana is often offered in class after strenuous poses. It can be a restful place but more than that, it calms the nervous system and relaxes heart rate by turning your focus inward. When you apply a bit of pressure to the center of your forehead, the place to access the vagus nerve, it can direct calming to the parasympathetic nervous system.

Modifications: While child’s pose may sound easy, it definitely is not easy for everyone. If deep flection of the knees is painful, roll a blanket and place between back of thighs and calves. If the head cannot reach the floor, bring the floor to you with a blanket or block. Take the knees wide with the toes together to create more space for the belly and ease on the hips.

Discover anything new when you played with your child’s pose today? Please tell us. Share a photo or ask a question. Send it under the comments section. Post to FaceBook @thinkyoga or on Instagram @21dayyogachallenge.

Order The 21-Day Yoga Challenge: Inspiration for a Lifetime of Good Health by Ann Fitzmaurice and illustrated by Altina Layman. Click to order! 

 

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Jun
15

Day 15! Pose a Day from the 21-Day Yoga Challenge

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Today’s Pose is Urdhva Prasarita Padasana ~ Double Leg Lifts

Another core building pose! Focus on form and quality and not the number of double leg lifts you may do. The pose strengthens the lower abdominal muscles and the obliques. Please bend your knees if the straight leg version is not appropriate for your back. 

Cues: Lie flat on the floor in a supine mountain pose. Your feet are flexed as you press out through the toe mounds and heel.  Your legs are engaged with hip points drawing toward navel. The belly is gently contracted. The arms are straight and reach long towards the end of your mat. Draw collar bones wide as shoulder blades move down and into the body. Inhale in this strong position and with an exhale take your chin toward the chest as you simultaneously raise both leg to the vertical. Inhale and with control, lower the legs to the earth. Repeat to a number that allows you to maintain control of the alignment and a steadiness of the breath. 

Benefits: The core benefit is the core! However, with attention paid to internal rotation of the hips and activating the gluts and hamstrings, the pose is a great lower body strengthener. Note the modifications to be wise about your approach to the pose. 

Modifications: Low back pain is an indicator that you need to modify this pose. Please bend the knees, take feet the mat and then draw the legs up to the vertical. When returning to floor, bend the knees and take your feet to the floor. A blanket to lie on for extra padding is good. To avoid neck strain, keep the head on the floor and focus just on the breath and leg movement. 

 Are you feeling stronger at your core? Please tell us. Share a photo or ask a question. Send it under the comments section. Post to FaceBook @thinkyoga or on Instagram @21dayyogachallenge.

Order The 21-Day Yoga Challenge: Inspiration for a Lifetime of Good Health by Ann Fitzmaurice and illustrated by Altina Layman. Click to order! 

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Jun
14

Summer Solstice Celebration and Book Signing

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California friends … please join us Friday, June 21, 2019 for music, refreshments and book celebration.

Innate Chiropractic and Wellness Studio, 916 San Pablo Ave., Albany, CA

Friday, June 21st ~ 6-8pm.  

Order The 21-Day Yoga Challenge: Inspiration for a Lifetime of Good Health by Ann Fitzmaurice and illustrated by Altina Layman. Click to order! 

Also Available in California at: 

Book Passage, Corte Madera

Copperfield’s Books, San Rafael

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Jun
14

Day 14! Pose a Day from the 21-Day Yoga Challenge

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Today’s Pose is:

Viparita Karani ~ Legs up the Wall Pose

We translate this pose in English to: Legs up the wall; however, if you break down the translation: viparita means upside down while karani means doing. So we are doing upside down and that clearly invokes not only the inversion aspect of this pose but how it can turn things around … for the good.

While often offered in restorative classes, this pose should be a go-to pose most every day. It can be a struggle to get into the first time or two, especially with tight hamstrings, but fear not — props help! 

Cues: Sit with one hip side against the wall, knees bent and feet to floor. (if using a mat, sit to the edge of the long side of your mat) Draw legs upward as you simultaneously release your torso to the floor. If you feel too far from the wall, try again. Wiggling up to the wall can be more tiresome and less productive. Legs may go straight or knees may be bent. Other variations are to take the bottoms of your feet together or take the legs wide. Take your arms out to the side with palms up for more chest opening or down at your sides for a quieter pose. Release your belly and let a heaviness come to the back side of your body. Stay for 5 minutes (minimum) and focus on your breath. Take a breath in for a count of 3-5, pause the breath, and then release the breath for a count of 3-5. 

Benefits: This pose helps ground you both in body and in spirit. It can help with lower back pain. It promotes better blood and hormonal circulation while relieving swelling in the feet. It should feel good for the back, however, tight hamstrings can pull too much in this pose, so follow the modification to do with a chair. This is a great pose after a long run or a long travel day. Give love to those legs that give so much to you!

Modifications: Tight hamstrings makes this pose a struggle for some. A great alternative and one that helps with low back pain by providing a static stretch of the spine is legs on a chair. Place calves on the seat of a chair or ottoman and align the knees over the hips so the femur bone can align with the hip socket. Sometimes a blanket has to be added to the chair seat for taller bodies or a blanket under the back helps to raise you up for a more comfortable posture. Other modifications: use a bolster or cushion behind the legs at the wall to give more grace to hamstrings. A blanket under the head is good to keep the neck spine more comfortable and in better alignment with the rest of the spine.

Is this one of your favorite poses? What is your variation? Please tell us. Share a photo or ask a question. Send it under the comments section. Post to FaceBook @thinkyoga or on Instagram @21dayyogachallenge.

Order The 21-Day Yoga Challenge: Inspiration for a Lifetime of Good Health by Ann Fitzmaurice and illustrated by Altina Layman. Click to order! 

🧘‍♀️ photo provided by Tina Kauffman. 

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