In the back of ‘Light on Yoga’ is a 300 week yoga programme. I though it would be interesting to practice week one. Guruji said “My body is my first prop”. Today this is all I had too, so this is a practice without any other props, not even a mat 🙂 and I kept slipping in the sand which made it slightly more challenging.
For more info about the poses check out the Light on Yoga book, it is amazing.
Next week I will put up the second version I made, with props and shoulder stand too.
Love and light,
Lucy
This little session has attention on the tail bone through a downward dog sequence, forward bends and length along the spine.
With attention to the Low back area, work within your own body’s capacity and respond to your own needs.
Enjoy, love and light,
Lucy
in 20 minute practice / General ability / Iyengar Yoga / Lifestyle / Travel / video / yoga practice
0 comments
Moving from dog head down through to standing poses, this practice will energise you body and refresh your mind. I love teaching here in St Ives. If you watch carefully you will see Dan and friends getting out of the water after their swim. Happy days 🙂
Here are some simple stretches to bring a bit of fluidity to your shoulders. I also cover tree pose and standing.
This was filmed on the beautiful island of Tresco.
I apologise for some poor sound quality when I turn my back to the camera, I only came out for a walk to meet Dan.
Enjoy x
Lucy
Ustrasana or Camel pose is a wonderful heart opening pose, it lifts the spirit and opens up the chest.
Standing poses bring strength to the legs reminding us to remain grounded.
This little film was made one morning on Tresco (one of the Isles of Scilly). Listen out for the birds, so so soothing.
Enjoy your practice,
Lucy
Using props in yoga can really help with getting a handle on the slightly more challenging poses. Holding Chaturanga in an Iyengar Yoga practice is a challenge. In the book, Light on Yoga, BKS Iyengar says “stay for some time with normal breathing”, leaving it up to the individual to decide how long “some time ” is. Often we dip in and don’t hold this chaturanga challenge, at the end of the practice we do just that (but only if you want to). Enjoy, Love and light, Lucy
Standing poses feature heavily within the Iyengar yoga practice, bringing strength into the legs and body. You soon feel it when they have not been practiced for a while.
Dan noticed the other day that his inner thighs had become tight. He requested a practice to stretch them out.
Here it is – triangle and sideways stretch with a peppering of the cobbler pose.
Enjoy
Lucy
If I could only explain the joy a few good standing poses brings to my body, the captured image would be it.
With a strong and well balanced action in the legs we have support for our spine and the rest of the yoga practice.
Standing poses are key within the Iyengar yoga system and yet soooo easily forgotten when we become obsessed with more complicated asana.
The late summer sun, the sound of the sea and the standing poses brought a great sense of grounding with upliftment, the play of opposites!
As always listen to your body and work to your own capacity.
Love and light,
Lucy
A few nights ago I was on Facebook chatting on the ‘Women with camper-vans’ forum about the idea that a yoga holiday for women with camper-vans might be a nice idea. A lady asked if she do the yoga from a chair. She thought once down on the floor getting up might be difficult. I promised a little video that could be done using a chair (I used a bench in my garden, the weather was just too nice)
There is a lot of ‘Chair pose’.
It’s just a 20 minute practice, but I waffle a bit about G7 summit to begin with. I start teaching the yoga at about a minute in.
Work to your own capacity, be kind to yourself and Enjoy being in your body.
Love and light,
Lucy
It’s important to get outside, especially during the shorter winter days.
This practice was one of those crisp January days, bright sun, biting wind.
When it is cold it’s good to feel your way gently into movement and see how the body responds.
There are just a few poses in this practice with a little more reflection on Tadasana (Mountain Pose), in my walking boots as the ground was way too soggy for a yoga mat.
Enjoy, listen to your body.
Love and light
Lucy
If you have high blood pressure or are having to be mindful of your back it is advisable to keep your arms down.
Just a little side note, Trencrom is only 175m above sea level, Watch Croft is apparently the highest being 225m… sorry for the mis-information x