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Under Construction - more information added every few days! Navigation Basic Asanas -
Intermediate Asanas
Advanced Asanas
Sun Salutations - Surya Namaskara
GUIDELINES Preparation: All Asanas (yoga postures) should be done in loose, comfortable athletic clothing, in BARE feet (NO SHOES OR SOCKS), and preferable on a yoga mat on a thin carpet or hardwood floor. No thick carpeting - it can cause the ankles and other joints to pronate in balancing poses. A firm, non-slip surface is best. Also, remove any jewelry or accessories that may get in the way. Wait 2 hours after eating a light meal, wait 3-4 hours after a heavy meal before practicing yoga. Yoga should ideally be practiced with an empty stomach. LET GO OF TENSION: If you are tense, sit and try to relax your body and mind before you begin. Mental and emotional tension affect your body - you will be more tight. Sit and practice your pranayama (breathing), before you begin, and begin to let the tension wash away, and focus on just being in your body for the duration of your yoga practice. RESPECT YOUR BODY - Do not try to force your body into these ancient postures for some "ideal pose" -we modify and adapt these postures to suit our bodies - to make us healthy and strong. Do not force the body. Listen to your body: take breaks when you need to do so, modify the poses for your body. BE AWARE: Consciously draw your attention to the areas of your body that you are stretching and strengthening. If you feel your body's tension increasing as you go into a pose, you may be going too deeply into the pose. Ease off a bit. Your body will INVITE you to go deeper when it is ready. Don't stretch too far - especially when you are just starting. Get a slight stretch, hold it, wait for the body to relax into the stretch, and then you can go deeper. This is called "working with your edge." The EDGE is the point where you feel the muscles strengthening and lengthening - there is sensation, but no pain. If you stay well within your comfort zone, you will not be working the areas of the body the asana is designed to help. If you go too far, you may injure yourself or over-stretch an area (which may unbalance the body and interfere with other asana work). Work with your EDGE - a point of "sweet discomfort" - where you feel something happening in the body - the stretching and strengthening, the wonderful opening of the body, but no pain. Find your edge slowly in each asana, going into it gradually and carefully. Work with your own edge, with no comparisons, and stay relaxed. STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY BUILD IN INCREMENTS, not all at once. You will see your body transforming through a regular practice of yoga. A regular practice is the key here. Do not force the body. There is NO COMPETITION in yoga - not even with yourself. You may be more flexible one day than another, or stronger one week than another. Do not always expect the body to "go further" than it did the day before - our body has natural fluctuations in hormones which affect muscle flexibility and strength, and fluctuations in energy level, etc. Just accept the level you are working at as PERFECT! You will deepen your practice and your asanas over time, with a regular practice. Enjoy the journey - every moment as a precious gift - as you practice. Yoga is a joy, not a chore! Feel every sensation. BREATHE: The fluid, natural rhythm of your breath is the priority here. Throughout your practice, breath slowly and deeply. If your breath gets choppy or uneven, stop and take a break and wait for it to return to a natural rhythm, then begin again. Do not go so deeply into a pose that you cannot breathe naturally. If you are having trouble breathing because you are deeply into a pose, come out of the pose 10 or 15 percent, and see if that allows you to breathe with ease. NO BOUNCING: Do not bounce as you are in a pose or a deep stretch. Most stretching poses benefit by holding a deep stretch, to lengthen the muscle. A few strength-building poses (such as a Bikram's style Utkatasana Level 3) may suggest a bouncing motion for a moment to demonstrate muscle control - this is not a stretching pose, so much as a strengthening pose. That is one pose that is the exception to the rule. As a general guideline, do not bounce -it contracts the very muscles you are trying to lengthen by stretching. KEEP YOUR BODY PREPARED: Stretching and strengthening keep your body ready for movement. Stretch whenever you feel like it. It feels good and improves your muscle conditioning. First thing in the morning, when you are still in bed, stretch. When you are waiting in line at the grocery store, stretch. Sitting at your desk, stretch. You will release tension, relax the body, and improve your health. Releasing the knots in the he muscles will allow your muscles to strengthen with more ease, and allow freedom of movement! SUMMARY: Listen to your body, go into each posture SLOWLY, and most importantly, BREATHE! Follow these guidelines and you will be less likely to injure yourself. Again, ask the advice of your doctor before beginning any physical exercise program. Before beginning the practice of ASANA (physical yoga postures, also known as the HATHA, or physical, practice of yoga), you should learn at least 2 Beginner Breathing Techniques - Abdominal Breath and Ujjayi.
CONTACT US: NOSPAMelena@focalpointyoga.com (remove the words NO SPAM from the email address please!)
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