Benefits: Calming to the nervous system, nourishing to the brain cells, stimulating to the heart and circulation, balancing to the hormonal and digestive systems and strengthening to the spirit.
Contraindications (cautions): Back injury, headache, heart condition, high blood pressure, menstruation, neck injury, low blood pressure: don’t start practicing this pose. Pregnancy: if you are experienced with this pose, you can continue to practice it. However, don’t take up the practice of Sirsasana after you become pregnant. Sirsasana is considered to be an intermediate to advanced pose. Do not perform this pose without sufficient prior experience or unless you have the supervision of an experienced teacher.
Step by Step
1. In this classic yoga posture, the weight of the body rests on the head (1o%) and forearms (90%). Proper alignment and preparation are essential. Double up your yoga mat or place a folded blanket in front of you. kneel in front of your mat/blanket, place your forearms on the mat/blanket, with your elbows no wider than your shoulders and form a triangle by interlacing your fingers. If you are using a wall as a safeguard from falling in the beginning, the knuckles should be 2-3 inches (6-8cm) away from it.
2. When performing half or full headstand, it is important to lift well up from elbows to shoulders. Practice your lift by pressing down through the elbows and moving the shoulders up toward the hips. Close the gap between the floor and the edge of your wrists. These movements should increase the distance between the shoulders and the ears and lift the head away from the floor. If you can’t lift your head, you are not ready for this pose and need to do some preparatory work to build flexibility and strength first. Try Dolphin Pose to achieve this.
3. Place the crown of the head between the wrists, with the back of the head resting against the palms of the hands. For the correct alignment in the neck, the very top of the head, the fontanel (the spot in front of the crown of the head) must be in contact with the floor.
4. Tuck your toes under and straighten your knees so your are in an inverted “V” shape. Walk your feet toward the head, gradually bringing the weight of the body onto the head and arms.
5. When the feet are as close to the head as possible, lift one leg, breathe deeply, gently lower and then lift other leg.
6. Counterpose: Balasana/Child’s Pose for a least 5 deep breaths, neck releases.
Posted: 05 May 2012 Posted in: Pose Of The Month
Benefits: This pose is particularly strengthening for the lower back muscles. It opens the chest, encourages good breathing, and dissipates mental fatigue.
Contraindications (cautions): Headache, serious back injury, pregnancy, those with neck injuries should keep their head in a neutral position by looking down at the floor; you might also support the forehead on a thickly folded blanket.
Step by Step
1. Lie on your belly on the floor, legs extended and inner ankles touching. Allow the forehead to rest on the floor, so the back of the neck is long. Extend the arms beside the body, hands beside the hips and backs of the hands on the floor.
2. Soften the whole front of the body, surrendering to the support of the floor if offering. Gently squeeze the buttocks together, rolling the thighs inward as you press the pubic bone toward the floor.
3. Extend through the arms, stretching the fingertips toward the feet, drawing the shoulders down the back, and opening across the front of the chest.
4. Inhale as you lift the chest and legs off the floor, keeping the shoulders unhunched and plenty of length in the back of the neck. To lighten; alternate lifting just the legs, then the upper body before lifting them both together.
5. Lift the hands and wrists as you extend the fingertips back toward the feet. Breathe here for a few breaths. Even as you look up, tuck the chin in toward the chest a little to keep the neck and shoulders soft and relaxed. Rest in front corpse pose, make a pillow with the hands and rest the cheek.
6. Counterpose: Paschimottanasana/Double Leg Forward Stretch or lie on your back and hug knees to chest.
Posted: 04 April 2012 Posted in: Pose Of The Month
Benefits: Calms the brain, helps relieve stress and mild depression, stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, and arches. Strengthens the arms and legs.
Contraindications (cautions): Shoulder or neck injuries, keep knees bent
1. Come onto the floor on your hands and knees. Set your knees directly below your hips and your forearms on the floor with your shoulders directly above your wrists. Firmly press your palms together and your forearms into the floor.
2. Curl your toes under, then exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press it lightly toward the pubis. Against this resistance, lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling, and from your inner ankles draw the inner legs up into the groins.
3. Continue to press the forearms actively into the floor. Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them away from the spine and draw them toward the tailbone. Hold your head between the upper arms; don’t let it hang or press heavily against the floor.
4. You can straighten your knees if you like, but if your upper back rounds it’s best to keep them bent. Continue to lengthen your tailbone away from the pelvis and lift the top of your sternum away from the floor.
5. Stay between 30 seconds to one minute. Then release your knees to the floor with an exhale and rest in Extended Child’s Pose.
6. Counterpose: Salabhasana/Locust pose (arms only).
Posted: 03 March 2012 Posted in: Yoga news
MONDAY
Beethoven Centre
Time: 10.00 – 11.00am
Place: Third Avenue, London W10 4JL
Cost: Members £2.00, Associate members £4.00
Creche available, 0-5 years
Telephone: 020 8969 5881
Suitable for: Beginner intermediates
Askew Road Church
Time: 6.30-7.30pm
Place: Askew Road (entrance on Bassein Park Road),
Shepherds Bush, London W12 9RN
Cost: £80 for 10 weeks, £10 drop-in
Suitable for: All levels, absolute beginners welcome
WEDNESDAY
Centre for Better Health
Time: 10.30 – 11.30am
Place: 1A Darnley Road, London E9 6QH
Cost: £5
Telephone: 020 8985 3570
Suitable for: Open class
THURSDAY
Nuffield Health, Brondesbury Park
Time: 10.30 – 11.45am
Place: Sidmouth Road, London NW2 5JY
Cost: Membership required
Telephone: 0845 1549624
Suitable for: Beginner intermediates
FRIDAY
Nuffield Health, Brondesbury Park
Time: 6.00-7.00pm
Place: Sidmouth Road, London NW2 5JY
Cost: Membership required
Telephone: 0845 1549624
Suitable for: Intermediates
Posted: 03 March 2012 Posted in: Classes
Benefits: This standing balance pose strengthens the ankles and is excellent for releasing tightness in the shoulders. Balance poses give a sense of poise and steadiness and are particularly beneficial when you feel mentally stressed.
Step by Step
1. From Tadasana/Mountain Pose, (start with the right leg, the above picture shows the left leg) deeply bend the right knee as you gradually transfer the weight of the body onto the right foot. Lift the left leg, cross it over the right knee, then twist the front of the left foot around the right calf. Catching the foot around the calf will only be possible if your supporting leg is bent.
2. Sit down a little into the buttocks so the the right knee bends more deeply. Tuck the tailbone under and extend the spine upward, so that the upper body is lifting vertically. Tuck in the chin toward the throat, keeping the back of the neck long.
3. Inhale and extend the arms forward at shoulder height. Cross the right arm over the left, then fold the forearms upright at the elbows and wrap them around to bring the palms of the hands together. Lift the elbows to shoulder height as you extend the hands away from the face. Relax the shoulders away from the ears, pulling the shoulder blades down the back.
4. Breathe into the space at the back of the heart. After at least six breaths, inhale to release the arms and legs and come back to Tadasana/Mountain Pose. Repeat on the other side.
5. If you are not ready for the position of the legs, try a modification: Place the outer left ankle on the right thigh just above the knee. Let the knee move out to the side and bend the supporting leg more to a squat. If your palms don’t come to press together, make two fists and move the back of the wrists to face each other.
6. Counterpose: Padottanasana/Wide Leg Forward Bend with fingers interlaced at back or Cat Pose.
Posted: 03 March 2012 Posted in: Pose Of The Month
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