A relaxing Iyengar Yoga practice for any time of day

Forward bends and head down poses allow the mind to relax a little.
This yoga practice will allow you to release tension from the body and mind via the breath and face.
Take your time and feel every sensation, ease your self in and ease your self out of each pose.
Listen to your body’s needs and respond appropriately.
Love and light,
Lucy

Learning to love Lotus (Padmasana)

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

Release your breath and relax your tummy

Learning to move with a relaxed abdomen can allow our bodies to access deeper release.
It is so important to undo the undercurrents of tension that lie below our asana practice.
These elusive patterns hide away un-noticed as we can sometimes try harder and harder to get the posture “correct”.
Let go a little, feel the holding patterns that may no longer serve you, then maybe you can allow your self to rest well within.
I hope this practice helps a little.

Listen deeply, stay peaceful, enjoy.

Standing in your legs

Right… at the beginning I say this will be a 10 minute practice… my timing this time was not so good, it is more like 15.
The legs hold us up, keep us grounded, mobilize us and motivate us. They need to be a stable and flexible.
Let’s give a great big cheer for our legs and celebrate the amazing work they do every day.
Here’s a practice to help you get to know them a little better.

Turning my world upside down

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

Just 3 poses

Utthita trikonasana, Ardha Chandrasana and Anantasana, aka; Triangle, Half moon and the Blissful pose are the asanas that take centre stage in this practice.
Although I am using ropes you do not need to, but a wall is super handy for balance and proprioception (your sense of where you are in space).
As you get more used to inhabiting your body during your practice you will start to feel the subtleties of each posture and the links that connect them together too.
This practice gets better with repetition, a good memory and a firm idea that you are approaching it, once more, with a beginners mind.
You will need a mat, wall, some blankets, a brick, a belt (ropes are ace but not necessary) and the all important peaceful heart.
Gently move from one pose into the next, paying careful attention to the body and the support that it needs.
Enjoy your practice.
Love and light,
x Lucy

Chair pose with a chair

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

A gentle practice for happy knees

Spending a little bit of time observing the body pays dividends.
When the knees are tight, often they need a little more time to allow the tissues to release. Practice and repetition also helps.
Imagine you are giving your knees a treat, listen to them carefully, explore gentle movement, find out what works for each knee individually. Who knows you might even find that the hamstrings will release a little too 🙂
I have been practicing this sequence for a little while now and I find it super relaxing.
Stay with soft attentive movement, if something does not feel quite right just accept it, release and maybe try again.
I usually find that if I gently try a second time, movement comes a little easier.
Listen to your and body practice with care.

Love and light,
Lucy

Campervan Yoga #1

This little sequence is designed to get your head around practicing in a small space. Maybe your standing pose stance will be a little narrower, maybe your space will not allow you to stretch your arms over your head… who knows, only your practice area will let you know.
The poses here are all simple ones I have taught before, and are suitable for a regular practice.
Look around and modify your practice to suit your space. If using support make sure that it is strong enough and will hold you.
Most importantly, maintain your sense of humour.
Love and light,
Lucy