Spark your Fire. Feed your Qi. 18.2.16

We tend to begin a session calming down and centring but try occasionally moving into an awareness of your energy and using a few Qi techniques to get the energy flowing, dissolving blocks and increasing your Qi /Prana;  travelling up to a peak and then slowly relaxing more and more until you are able to let go completely.

1. Place your right hand over the left on top of your lower Dantien and breathe in and out storing your energy.2. Place your palms on the heart chakra and breathe in and out from a point over your crown directing heat into the palms.3) Hold right hand palm facing left & revolve the left palm 7x.4) repeat with left palm and revolve right palm 7x. 5) revolve both palms and begin to sense your qi between your palms as you move into:- MOON OVER WATER …repeat 4x each side.
2. Door of Life…repeat 3x
3. Do 7 Zips to move your aura from pubic bone to under lip.
4. Tap the K27 points, spleen points and Thymus point 7x
5. Tapping on arm meridians, kidney point and leg meridians.

By now you should have strong reserves of energy flowing.

6. Do Salute to the Sun 4 repeats.
7. In lunge push arms and breath out and pull arms and breath in, bending elbows to side and making fists.approx… 2 minutes.
8. Do Breath of Fire 2 repeats with root lock.
9. Windmills 3x each side, swinging chair, ski twists.

Seated.

Work with squeezing block between thighs in boat posture. Do full boat and half boat and twists.

Rock into plough and come into pose of peace as you begin to bring energy down. Stay in pose of peace at least 5minutes.

Wide angle practice using block.

Cat postures ,cat relax, rabbit and child  relaxation.

You should have a copy of the Shakti Banda routine.(let me know if not). Use that to bring all your energy down and end with Bhramari breathing.

Relax 10 minutes.

Om Shanti,

Margaret. ( next class is a week Thurs)

SLOW BUT SURE YOGA 11.2.16

Slow but Sure…..Yoga 11.2.16
When you practise more slowly there is time for the muscles to align and protect ligaments and joints. Time also for you to notice weak spots and things you avoid doing in the lesson. Slower yoga is more vigorous and gives access to deeper power. Keep in mind 4 in 4 out and it will keep your practice slower and deeper.

Do some long slow breaths and stretches.

Warm ups.. 1) baby pose, slow rocking movements.
2) slow raising hips from a lying down position.3) Shoulders one way, bent knees the other.4)Using a block squeeze your thighs as you do vertical leg lifts and pendulum swings.5). Side stretches and leg raises as bent knee is placed over opposite leg. Gradually pull up the whole body on the side and squeeze your side upwards.

Seated  1) shoulders rolls. 6x 2) forward bend with raised arms behind body 3x
3) Twists against the wall 2x both sides. 4)slow stretches in wide angle pose.
Partner hand and arm quissage. On your own you can still do the palm massage and finger pulls, do it daily this week if you can and note the increased flexibility .
5)Kneeling Lunges with elbows to ground followed by high lunges, take care not to strain .

Standing. Sun Salute with gaze points to slow you down, thumbs, 3rd eye, navel points. 2x each side.
Rainbow breath asana. 2x each side.

End sitting in Hero Pose and doing Hong Sau until your mind becomes peaceful.
Relaxation 10 minutes. Climbing a mountain to see a wise person.
Om Shanti.
Margaret.

TAKING SCORE.

TAKING SCORE.
Last week we noted our posture, ability to be able to relax , and conscious awareness of our breathing. This week throw out the idea of no pain no gain but think instead of the intensity you feel in a yoga posture on a 1-10 scale when you breathe and relax in the posture for 30-45seconds. At a sensation of 7-8 you’re making a lasting change. Yoga practice increases the grey matter and helps to reduce chronic pain.
Stretch and breathe from below the navel. 4x
WARM UPS.
Knee to armpit 2x both sides and baby pose 3x
Place your block between the thighs and do crunches both sides, mini sit ups, clock pose and pendulum keeping the block pressing tight all the time.
Supine eagle 3x each side.
Shoulder and pose of peace.
Try again to do choking pose but don’t over stretch.
Balls massage for shoulders 5 minutes.

SEATED.

Turtle breath 2x each side
Forward bend and wide angle ( here are two good areas in which to test your intensity rate)
Shoulder and back Qi gong massage 10 minutes

STANDING.
Chair work for thighs and legs holding on to the back of a chair. Pulse each leg 6x, lunge 6x .Place arms with elbows bent onto back of chair and pulse and bend leg to chest.6x
Standing cat posture. Dance of Krishna pose. Rishi pose. Dancer pose.
End with Shakti Bandha steps 1=3 ( will conclude next week)
Autogenic relaxation 10 minutes. ( for next week try to perfect choking pose.)