Welcome to GreenLife Yoga! You are in for an amazing journey. Yoga is an exhilarating practice that creates feelings of contentment and inner balance. Yoga comes from the Indian language, Sanskrit, meaning “union.” Yoga binds together the mind, body and spirit. Typical yoga classes incorporate poses, breath work and meditation. Regular yoga practice will help you to feel more connected, balanced and present in your every day life.
July Pose of the Month: Uttanasana
(OOT-tan-AHS-ahna) Comes from the root words. ut = intense and tan = to stretch or extend So uttanasana is meant to be in intense stretch.
(OOT-tan-AHS-ahna) Comes from the root words. ut = intense and tan = to stretch or extend So uttanasana is meant to be in intense stretch, do it with joy and kindness. Stand in Tadasana, hands on hips. Exhale and bend forward from the hips. Reach the fingertips toward the floor and extend them down. If you can place your palms onto the floor if not then place them on the ankles. Bring the forehead toward your knees as you straighten the spine and reach the top of the head toward the floor. Turn the inner thighs toward one another. As you inhale the goal is to push forward in the core solar-plexus to straighten the spine and on the exhale release into the forward bend.
Moving into the pose with breath is best so that you can be inhaling opening the heart and reaching the spine straight and exhaling on each release deeper into the forward bend.
As a beginner version of uttanasana: Bend the knees and place the torso directly onto the thighs. Reach for the ankles and then straighten the legs as much as possible. Keep the torso connected to the thighs. This is also a great way for an intermediate student to determine their true flexibility in the posture.
June Pose of the Month: Vrik-SHAHS-anna vrksa = tree
June's pose builds on the May's pose-Tadasana. Stand tall in Tadasna Mountain Pose by drawing the spine straight. Shift your weight slightly onto the left foot, keeping the inner foot firm to the floor, and bend your right knee. Reach down with your right hand and clasp your right ankle. Draw your right foot up and place the sole against the inner left thigh, or shin; if possible, press the right heel into the inner left groin, toes pointing toward the floor. The center of your pelvis should be directly over the left foot.
Rest your hands on the hips. Make sure the pelvis is in a neutral position. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor. Firmly press the right foot sole against the inner thigh and resist with the outer left leg. Press your palms together at your heart center. Gaze softly at a fixed point in front of you on the floor about 4 or 5 feet away.
Stay for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Step back to Tadasana with an exhalation and repeat for the same length of time with the legs reversed.
May Pose of the Month: Tadasana Mountain Pose
Mountain pose is about being grounded into the Earth Mother--like the roots of a tree. Feel the energy drawing downward towards the floor and feel the heels drawing downward as you extend up into the calf muscles. Lift the knee up toward the ceiling, though it is not locked. Lift, tighten, and squeeze the thigh and lift up into the pelvic region. Then draw the pubic bone slightly forward and lift the heart as you draw the top of the head toward the ceilng drop the chin and reach the fingertips toward the floor and drop the shoulders. Open your eyes and fix your gaze at a point on the floor or close them and look upward toward the third eye point between the eyebrows. Stand still here in this position 108 breath cycles. Bliss out and enjoy.
Ashtanga Yoga
Coming in July with Brigitte Gordon
Ashtanga yoga is an advanced and challenging form of hatha yoga primarily introduced to the west by Sri K Pattabhi Jois. The practice consists of vinyasa, connective movement that together with smooth, deep breathing (ujjayi), gaze (dristi) and locks (bandhas) create heat in the body that burns off toxins and poisons that we carry with us. This powerful and vigourous practice purifies and realigns the body, cultivates a feeling of inner peace and is at its essence a mediatation in motion.
Kundalini Yoga Mantras:
Tuning in Mantra : Ong namo guru dev namo (I call on the divine teacher)
Ending Mantra: May the long time sun shine upon you. All love surround you. And the pure light with you guide your way on.
Other Mantra: Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu (pronounced loka sama sta suki no bavan too) [May all beings, on all planes of the known and unknown Universe, be free from suffering and be happy.]
