Paschimottanasana – forward bend from seated position

This posture is a “complete stretch to the North of the body”, which includes the legs, and spine all the way through to the neck. It’s a tricky pose to do well and some people like to practise it with a block tucked under the back of their pelvis to help with forward movement.

 

Benefits

• Improves flexibility in the hamstrings
• Improves flexibility and strength in the spine
• Enables quite reflection as you relax into the posture
• Helps to improve pelvic mobility

How to do it

Begin from a seated position with your legs straight out in front of you:

• Sit upright with your weight tilted slightly forward on your pelvis
• If you find this difficult, practise at first with your back supported by a wall so that you begin to feel the stretch in your legs
• As you breathe in, raise both arms overhead
• As you breathe out, reach gently forward and rest your hands on your legs – don’t worry at this stage how far down your leg they reach
• Holding your legs lightly, breathe in and lengthen your spine from the tail to the top of your head
• As you breathe out begin to lengthen your spine forward
• Keep your head in line with your spine – if you drop your head forward your spine will start to curve
• Feel and relax into the stretch in your back and in your legs
• If you find the stretch on your legs is too much, allow them to bend in towards your chest a little and you will feel the release of tension
• Breathe gently and hold the position
• On your next breath in, return to an upright sitting position with your hands at your sides

Things to watch

• Use each breath out to help you relax into your back and legs
• Keep your tail bone in contact with the floor – this ensures that the stretch continues right into the lower back
• Feel your back muscles and stomach muscles working in harmony to keep the movement steady and controlled

Here is a link for more info about the posture:

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/seated-forward-bend

Izzy Ixer

British Wheel of Yoga Dip Yoga Tutor and Coach

You can find out more about Izzy here and about yoga at the Centre here

Twitter @IzzyIxer or @IzzyYoga

 

The Plane – an easy start to Virabhadrasana or Warrior III

Warrior III or Virabhadrasana is one of the Yoga classics and this posture, the Plane, is a good way of developing the strength and co-ordination you will need to achieve it.

Benefits

• Improves balance
• Develops core strength
• Strengthens and tones the feet, ankles and legs
• Stretches and tones the upper back

How to do it

I always begin standing postures from Tadasana, the mountain pose, as this gives you physical steadiness and mental stillness.

• Stand in Tadasana and allow your breath to settle
• Set your gaze gently on something at eye level which will hold your attention while you practise
• Gently move your weight onto your right foot, then slide the left foot back and rest your toes on the floor behind you
• Ease your weight onto your right foot
• Extend your arms to your sides at shoulder height, keeping them straight
• Centre your weight on your right foot and gently raise your left leg behind you, keeping it straight and extend your upper body forwards
• Visualise the back of your head to the back of your left leg forming a straight line
• Breathe gently and hold the balance
• To finish, bring lower your left leg slowly to the ground as you return your upper body to its upright position
• Lower your arms to your sides
• Repeat on the other side

Things to watch

• Your upper body should only move forward enough to balance the lifting movement of the back leg
• Remain focussed so that you can balance well
• If you are not confident about balancing, stand near a wall so that you can easily reach it for support
• Feel the back muscles and stomach muscles working in harmony to keep the movement steady and controlled

Here is a link for more info about the posture:

https://www.namastekid.com/tools/airplane-pose/

Izzy Ixer

British Wheel of Yoga Dip Yoga Tutor and Coach

You can find out more about Izzy here and about yoga at the Centre here

Twitter @IzzyIxer or @IzzyYoga

 

 

A Happy New Year to you all.

After feasting over the Christmas period, this is a great posture to ease away any tension and to stimulate the digestive system.

Best wishes

Izzy

January Posture of the Month  Adho Mukha Svanasana

Benefits

• Stretches the backs of the legs
• Improves co-ordination
• Lengthens the spine
• Opens the upper back
• Stimulates the digestive system

 

How to do it

 

I like the way Peter Blackaby suggests approaching this posture as it’s a relaxed and controlled approach:

 

• Begin in an all-fours position, hands under shoulders, knees under your hips
• Gently roll your weight back onto your toes
• Continue to move your weight back and away from your hands until you feel your knees lifting from the floor
• Keep the knees bent
• Ensure you are minimising pressure on the shoulders and the wrists
• Don’t worry if the legs are not straight
• Keep your neck and shoulders relaxed
• Ensure that you have lightness in the wrists and space in the upper back – this is more important than straightening your legs, especially in the early stages of learning the posture
• To come back down, lower you knees gently and with control to the floor and return to your all-fours position

 

Things to watch

• Work gently and develop a sensitive approach to the posture
• Remain focussed so that you can relax and lengthen your spine
• Ensure the weight is light on your wrists

 

Here is a link for more info about the posture including contra-indications. The description of how to go into the posture is not as I have described it: http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/downward-facing-dog/

 

Izzy Ixer

British Wheel of Yoga Dip Yoga Tutor and Coach

You can find out more about Izzy here and about yoga at the Centre here

Twitter @IzzyIxer or @IzzyYoga

 

 

The Yoga posture of the month is pretty topical for Christmas as it’s the Garland.  My Yoga practice suggestion for Christmas is to spend a few minutes working on the Tree (last month’s posture and also topical for Christmas) plus the Garland.  Quieten your mind, deepen and lengthen your breathing while you practice and this will help you to relax, focus and enjoy the festive season.

Best wishes

Izzy

December Posture of the Month The Garland – Malasana

Benefits

• Stretches the inner thighs and groin area
• Improves balance and stability
• Lengthens the lower spine
• Strengthens the ankles and legs

How to do it

• Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) and bring your feet and legs together.
• Bend your legs and keep them parallel
• Once your knees are completely bent, part your knees
• Move your chest forward between your thighs and stretch your arms and hands forward
• Move your upper body forward then down, bringing your elbows closer to the floor
• Widen your arms and reach round behind you for your heels
• If you find it really difficult to keep the heels on the floor, then you can begin with the heels off the floor, balancing on your toes
• Don’t worry if you can’t reach all the way round to your heels – go as far as you can

Things to watch

• Work gently as there is a strong stretch to the inside of the thighs
• Remain focussed so that you maintain your balance
• Ensure the weight us distributed across both feet

Link for more info: http://www.yogajournal.com/article/poses/7-steps-master-garland-pose-malasana/

Izzy Ixer

British Wheel of Yoga Dip Yoga Tutor and Coach

You can find out more about Izzy here and about yoga at the Centre here

Twitter @IzzyIxer or @IzzyYoga

 

 

Standing Forward Bend, Uttanasana

The art of the forward bend lies in bending from the hips, not the waist and this is achieved by mobility in the pelvis.  The more you are able to tilt the pelvis and extend the backs of the legs, the more easily you will find you can move into this posture.

This posture is shown in its final form and you can practice it gently to begin with.  Try extending your arms and placing your hands in front of you on a windowsill or table top and practice bending forward from the hips, keeping the arms straight.  This will encourage the stretch in the legs and the tilt in the pelvis while you remain safe and supported.

Benefits

• Improves mobility in the pelvis
• Extends the backs of the legs
• Lengthens the spine
• Produces some of the benefits of an inverted posture, e.g. increasing blood flow to the head and neck
• Improves digestion (though not straight after a heavy meal!)
• Can help with depression and anxiety

How to do it

• From a standing position raise your arms above your head, breathing in.
• As you breathe out, bend forward from the hips and extend the arms away in front of you.
• Place the hands on the thighs, shins or further down if you can.
• Relax gently into the bend, allowing gravity to help you
• Use each breath out to help you relax.
• Don’t over do it – it’s better to start gently and improve slowly.
• Bend the knees before coming back out of the posture.
• Unroll out of the posture, keeping the spine soft and bringing your head up last.
• Stand quietly before moving on to other postures.

Things to watch

• If you have problems with your eyes or ears, lowering the head in this way is not advisable.
• For those with high blood pressure, avoid staying upside down for more than a moment or two unless you are satisfied that this is OK for you.
• Avoid locking the knees back.
• If you have back problems, keep the knees slightly bent.

Link for more info: http://www.bwy.org.uk/yoga-postures/ – it’s the 5th posture on the list

Izzy Ixer

British Wheel of Yoga Dip Yoga Tutor and Coach

You can find out more about Izzy here and about yoga at the Centre here

Twitter @IzzyIxer or @IzzyYoga

 

 

Cobbler, Baddha Konasana, Bound Angle posture

 

Many postures in Yoga require flexibility in the hips and the inner thighs to accomplish them.  However, this is an area of the body, which many people find is tight and difficult to relax.

 

This posture is shown in its final form and you can practice it gently to begin the process of mobilising your hips.  Try sitting against a wall at first, as the support for your back will mean you are more able to relax the muscles of the inner thighs.

 

Another approach is to place cushions under your knees so that the muscles can relax whilst feeling supported.

 

Benefits

• Opens the hips
• Improves concentration/focus
• Prepares for other posture work
• Improves mobility in the hips and pelvis
• Improves flexibility in the inner thighs

 

How to do it

• Ensure that your back is upright
• Sit with your legs straight out in front of you
• You can raise your pelvis on a blanket if your hips or groin area are tight
• Breathe out, bend your knees and pull your heels toward your pelvis
• Drop your knees out to the sides
• Press the soles of your feet together, maintaining your hold on your ankles

 

Things to watch

• Keep your back as upright as you can
• Keep your shoulders relaxed
• Move gently and smoothly
• Focus on your breathing, extending the breath out as you remain in the posture
• Think about pressing the outside edges of your feet together as this encourages the sense of opening out the hips and extending the thighs
• Ease of the posture gently when you have finished
• Repeat 2 or 3 times

 

Link for more info: http://www.bwy.org.uk/yoga-postures/ – it’s the 3rd posture on the list

 

Izzy Ixer

British Wheel of Yoga Dip

Yoga Tutor and Coach

You can find out more about Izzy here and about yoga at the Centre here

Twitter @IzzyIxer

Izzy Ixer Website 

 

In a new monthly feature on the website yoga teacher Izzy Ixer talks us a through a different posture to help our yoga practice.

 

Chair, Utkatasana

If you are keen to maintain your Yoga practice during the summer when your regular classes have finished, then this posture is just the one. It combines strength in the legs, core strength, balance and focus in one, powerful posture.  Remember to work on the posture at a level that’s right for you and don’t try to go too far down into the squat.

Those of you who have experienced my Yoga Programmes at the Centre will recognise this posture and you may remember the set of variations we usually practice, which provide a great basis for a short and focused Yoga practice.

Benefits

• Strength
• Concentration/focus
• Co-ordination
• Balance
• Upper back mobility and strength
• Focuses on lower energy centres (chakras)
• Helps to ground you

 

How to do it

• Ensure that your feet are well aligned, parallel and hips’  width apart
• Breathe in as you raise your arms overhead
• Breathe out as you move into the squat position
• Breathe gently while you hold
• Breathe in as you return to standing
• Lower your arms

 

Things to watch

• Keep your tail tucked in so that your lower back doesn’t hollow
• Maintain good length in your upper back
• Ensure your knees move forward over the feet and that your thighs remain parallel – this is important to protect your knees from strain
• Don’t go down too far – start gently while you build strength in your legs
• Maintain good control on the way down and on your return
• Move gently and smoothly

If you’d like more info go to The British Wheel of Yoga Website – it’s the 8th posture on the list

Izzy Ixer

British Wheel of Yoga Dip

Yoga Tutor and Coach

You can find out more about Izzy here and about yoga at the Centre here

Twitter @IzzyIxer

Izzy Ixer Website