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
Ubhaya Padangusthasana are the Sanskrit words for ‘Both-Big-Toe-Pose’.
Quite literally an uplifting forward bend.
We explore a few forward bending asanas before, loosening up the hamstrings and the back muscles, what the Yogi’s called the west (Paschima) side of the body.
Enjoy this 30 minute session.
x
Lucy
Padmasana or Lotus pose, is the pose that often comes to mind when we use an image to represent Yoga, so much so that my phone has a Padmasana emoticon.
In this practice I will take you through a few steps to get towards this elusive posture by releasing tension around the hips, thighs and knees.
This yoga session is great if you can already do, or are working towards, Lotus in your practice already.
I hope this helps.
Love and light
Lucy
Simply working towards some inversions, I do give other options if you don’t fancy or cannot go upside down.
I find going upside down really quietening for my busy brain. Always a good thing for me to do when my mental chatter becomes all encompassing (plus I love the feeling too 🙂
If you have never been upside down, get a teacher to guide you up the first few times, with extra eyes on the puzzle you will get to know the correct actions required.
As always, regard your body and the feed back from your body with utmost reverence.
Practice to your own capacity.
Enjoy,
Lucy
It was so windy today I decided to pull a video out from my last visit to Tresco (one of the Scilly Isles).
The video was filmed just below the Block House looking towards Old Grimsby, a stones throw away from the introductory photo.
I think this island is the most beautiful place in the world (mainly because I feel so at home there).
This practice is suited for those who have a stronger practice (definitely not for beginners ), happy with back-bending asana and know their bodies well.
The sequence includes side-bow pose, Parsva Dhanurasana, and dropping back from head balance into bent legged Viparita Dandasana. You are welcome to miss these out.
As always; listen to your body’s inner wisdom and pay close attention to it’s requirements. Move safely and carefully.
love and light,
Lucy
Starting with seated twists then into standing poses (just a few), baby back bends then shoulder stand.
This practice should open your chest up, allowing a sense of freedom and room to breathe.
Move with your own sense of well being, not trying too hard, so that your breath remains natural.
Remember you can stop at any time and sit out of any pose you are unsure of.
Enjoy
The Peacock pose, forearm balance, had me foxed for years.
As I started to think about the name of the pose and consider a peacocks trait’s (my arms are explaining the way the peacock opens up it’s tail feathers in the title picture), it got my imagination rolling and I was off.
I believe that it’s not about the perfect pose, it is about the correct approach, physically and mentally.
Precautions and contra-indications;
as with all inversions, please avoid during menstruation or if the pose causes pressure in the head, ears or eyes. If you have; back, shoulder, or neck injury.
A heart condition or high blood pressure.
Migraine or head-ache.
Most importantly as with any yoga practice, listen to your own body, be kind and sensitive to your bodies needs.
Strengthen your arms, legs and abdomen.
Bakasana (birdpose) was re-named by my boys “baby handstands”.
It’s important to be able to feel the weight through the arms before you head towards lift off.
This practice will encourage you to learn to trust your arms, and connect the tail-bone towards the crown of the head, enabling this pose to take flight.
A posture journey through adho mukha svanasana (dog head down), uttanasana (forward bend) and malasana (garland pose), I hope this practice will bring a new insight into this beautiful little compact pose.
Contra-indications:
Pregnancy
Carpal tunnel syndrome
I remember learning to take the weight on my arms for hand-stands during the yoga class, it was a pose that always made me want to leave the room.
My teacher would say “Just kick up!”. Of course, eventually I did.
This pose strengthens the arms, shoulders and wrists. Practice this with gentle repetition to gradually increase strength, so as to not strain the wrists etc.
Inversions are not advised through the Iyengar tradition during menstruation as it goes against the flow in the body at that time of the month.