mind-body connection

When things get ugly, really ugly, we can feel called to put up our defenses and shut off our emotions as a means to cope with overwhelm. For the sensitive soul, that is like putting on a blindfold and walking through a busy city intersection. It’s not a good idea to cut off a sense you previously relied on, just when you need it most.

Instead, I want to call on you to become even more sensitive in challenging times.
Here are some key ways to do that without losing your mind.

Wellness Wednesday 49: Standing Figure Four

Benefits:

Helps strengthen the leg.

Stretches the thighs and knees.

Improves balance.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Start standing on one leg, other leg bent.

Bent leg comes up like tree pose.

Reach down and pull foot across standing leg. Rest foot/ankle on thigh.

Keep foot flexed, not pointed.

Hands can be on hips  -- wherever is most comfortable.

Pelvis is in a natural position.

Wellness Wednesday 48: Standing Side Bend

Benefits:

Great side opener.

Helps tone core.

Strengthens back.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Start standing in Tadasana with arms above head and fingers interlaced.

Gently bend to one side, make sure not to force body over.

Keep feet firmly planted on the ground, legs are engaged.

Belly is toned and pelvis is in a natural position.

Head is looking forward, in natural position.

Dolphin Plank Pose

Benefits:

Can help relieve stress and mild depression.

Stretches the shoulders, and hamstrings.

Strengthens shoulders and arms.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Start by laying down on stomach.

Pick upper body up and use forearms to hold it up.

Can stay on knees or lift up legs and put weight on tucked toes.

Palms are flat on ground for extra balance.

Keep shoulder back and away from ears.

Can be looking down or straight ahead.

Fish Pose

Benefits:

Can help improve posture.

Stretches organs, belly and stomach muscles.

Strengthens back and neck muscles.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Your base includes, your legs,  forearms, and back of head.

Start sitting up, place palms face down next to hips, slowly lean back onto forearms, and then rest head on ground.

Knees can be bent.

Weight is on forearms, not head.

Keep shoulders back and away from ears.

Dancer's Pose

Benefits:

Can help improve balance.

Stretches shoulders and chest.

Will help strengthen legs and ankles.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Foot flat on the ground .

Standing leg is engaged and straight.

Second leg is bent and hand from same side of body is holding on to it.

Raise bent leg up and back.

Hand can be gripping top of foot or inner side of foot.

Free hand is straight in front of body for balance.

You know that feeling, the one in your stomach that tells you when something is not quite right? We use the colloquialism “gut feeling” to describe an emotion – an intuition – that we feel in our stomach, deep within the core of our being. We use other terms, too, to describe feelings that originate from our gut. Telling someone you have “butterflies in your stomach” is a way of communicating that you’re feeling some combination of excited/nervous/unsettled. Telling someone your “stomach is upset” generally communicates that you’ve eaten something wrong or you’re stressed.

Frog pose

Benefits:

One of the best hip openers.

Helps tone core.

Great beginning stretch for straddle splits.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Foundation includes your forearms, and your legs.

The purpose of the pose is not to be flat on the ground, but to stretch the inner thighs.

Upper body is supported by the forearms.

Legs are separated and bent at the knees, make sure they are pointing straight back.

Keep legs activated.

Reclining Bound Angle / Supta Baddah Konasana

Benefits:

Helps stretch inner thighs and knees.

Can also help relieve stress, mild depression, and menstruation.

Great relaxation pose but can also be a deep stretch.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Laying flat on back, make sure to keep natural curve in neck and back.

Pelvis is in a neutral position.

Knees are bent and bottom of feet are pressed together.

Imagine your entire body wrapped in a fibrous suit, designed essentially to hold all the parts of you together. Its elasticity allows for the capacity to expand and contract, to be both flexible and strong. This incredible, all encompassing band of connective tissues is known as the fascia. It lies beneath your skin, connecting and encircling all of the bones, muscles and internal organs of the body.