This week I started teaching in my new Home town! And it was so wonderful to be sharing yoga with others again! I currently have 2 Yoga classes at the Town of Leland Annex building. I am offering an All levels class Tuesday evenings 6:30-7:30 and a Gentle Yoga class on Wednesday mornings 11-Noon. If you are interested please contact Amy at the Parks Dept. via their website www.townofleland.com .
So this 6 weeks is focusing on the Kapha season and thought I would share a bit of what we have been working on every week to help you out this season. This first week we are working on Getting Moving! We are wrapping up on winter and are headed into our spring season and according to Ayurveda (the sister science to yoga) this time of year we tend to feel heavy and lethargic and find it difficult to get ourselves active after winter. But ACTIVE is exactly what we need right now. In order to feel our best we need to step up our pace up abit. Maybe getting up earlier than usual, take time in the morning to sneak in our yoga practice or an early run or walk or whatever lights your fire! Making change to our diet, eating lighter foods, lots of water to flush out the toxins of the winter.
In class this week we practiced a pranayama (breathing exercise) that helped to build the fire internally to help motivate us in the direction of action and promote cleansing and detoxification. Here is some instruction on practicing Ujjayi Breath (Victorious Breath) at home maybe for a few minutes in a seated position or during your yoga practice. Hope it inspires the fire within! Enjoy.
Ujjayi Breath-(Victorious Breath)
This pranayama is used to energize our being as well as soothe. It helps to stimulate the nadis (energy channels) in our body, cleanse the sinus cavity, stoke the fire in the belly; creating heat and give us a sound to focus on in our practice,(Dharana). This powerful pranayama when practiced consistently helps transform our practice and life, for that matter!
Begin seated (whatever way is most comfortable in your body). Erecting the spine so that you feel tall and the heart is lifted and open. Hands rest gently on your lap. Inhale and exhale a few times through your nostrils just focusing on your natural breathing pattern. Then beginning ujjayi with your next inhalation draw the breath into both lungs slow and evenly, filling yourself full. As you exhale breath out like you are fogging a mirror through your nose. Making a haaa sound through the nose. You should feel the back of the throat constrict a bit to help create this sound. The sound should be smooth and ocean like. If it sounds more like a rattle you are trying too hard. Ease off a bit and make it smooth and long. Continue this breath for several minutes. Focusing on the flow and sound of the breath. After a few minutes you can return back to your normal breathing or if you are continuing with your yoga practice incorporate it in the with the postures. This will help you to keep the focus on the what is happening in the moment. Creating meditation in motion!!
Cautions: If you feel strain at all during your breathing practice just release the technique and return to normal breathing.
So give it a try and get yourself up and moving to this spring season! You will be happy you did!
Love!!!
Jess
