A 1 hour Yoga class at Porthmeor beach St Ives

Yoga outside in the sunshine above West Beach Cafe, Porthmeor, St Ives. This was the first class of the summer.
Standing poses are a main stay of these sessions because they are pretty accessible to all I hope you enjoy your practice alongside the St Ives crew, as much as we enjoy being there.
Listen to your body’s needs.
Love and light,
Lucy

Iyengar yoga Standing poses and Shoulder stand using a wall and props

In light on yoga there is a 300 week programme. I have followed the sequence using Yoga, a wall and props.
Although props are not necessary, they do improve sensory feed-back, ease, and the awareness of internal energy asana, making each yoga pose an entirely new somatic experience.
I though it would be fun to follow last week’s sequence again but showing it in a different light.
This practice has been amazing for me, re-visiting it nearly 30 years after first practicing it.
Reading BKS Iyengar’s words as if for the first time but knowing my body and the poses in a deeper manner.
Tadasana, Vrksasana, Utthita-Trikonasana, Utthita- Parsvakonasana, Virabhadrasana 1&2, Parsvottanasana, Salamba-sarvangasana, Halasana and of course I leave you with Savasana.
Enjoy! Have a beautiful day.
Love and light,
Lucy

Iyengar yoga Standing poses, Tresco

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

Balance and breathe

Trees are the lungs of the earth. Trees help our planet breathe. Vrksasana (tree pose) enables our chest and lungs to open more, enabling us to find a deeper fuller breath too.
Forests around the world are also our planet’s air conditioning system and help keep the planet cool. In Vrksasana try to breathe through the nose to filter and prepare the air before it enters the lungs. Breathe out through the nose to gently cleanse the nasal passage of any dust or debris.
Practice makes better.
Root your feet into the ground, prepare your base, trunk and mind for a short practice that will help you breathe more easily.
Work to your own capacity and capability.
Breathe and enjoy,
Love and light,
Lucy

Sea where I teach

There is no instruction with this film, it was way too windy.
I thought it would be nice just for you to see one of our “home” beaches. Standing poses are presented here with a modified sun-salutation.
If you would like me to draw you some stick figures to go along with the video, pop me a message and I will email them back to you.

Half moon in half an hour

Fly me to the moon
Let me sing among those stars
Let me see what spring is like
On Jupiter and Mars
In other words…

I had this song running through my head during this practice, I love this pose! When you get it correct it resonates through out the whole body. In fact I reckon old blue eyes would have loved it too.
Body…. look after yours, it is the only one you’ve got.

Please be true,
In other words
Please love you!

Enjoy!

benefits

  • Strengthens the abdomen, ankles, thighs, buttocks, and para-spinal muscles
  • lengthens hamstrings, groins and spine
  • Opens up the shoulders and chest,
  • Improves  balance and coordination
  • Improves digestion
  • Helps relieve stress

Cautions

  • Headache or migraine
  • Low blood pressure
  • Hamstring issues

40 minute home practice number 1

This practice is to help develop confidence in building your own home yoga routine.
Start with this simple sequence of standing poses.
All you need is a mat, 2 blocks and a wall or a belt (it is always handy to have a blanket nearby too).
Hold each asana to your own capacity and regard your body with utmost reverence.
Enjoy
Shine bright
Lucy

Tree pose variations

Tree pose, Vrksasana, is a fun standing balance. We prepare by working the shoulders…slightly left field I know, but it will become clear as you move through the sequence.
It is worth persevering with this posture, (even if you never make the full foot to thigh action) because as we age, our sense of balance can deteriorate.
Have fun and move within your own capacity.

Love and light
Lucy