Yoga with Rose
Yoga and Meditation Instructor
Practice for Spring Cleaning
Some mudras you can practice are:
Apana Mudra ~ middle and ring finger touch the thumb while pinky and pointer remain extended. This is excellent for digestion and elimination.
Prana Mudra ~ pinky and ring finger touch the thumb while the middle and pointer remain extended, just like a peace sign. This is a great mudra for reinvigorating your energy.
When pacticing mudras hold for at least 5 breaths up 30 breaths. If they make you feel uncomfortable, then stop practicing them.
You might also choose to cleanse through food with a Kicharee recipe. Here is the recipe I use:
Equal parts Mung Beans & Basmati Rice
Ghee (clarified butter)
Mustard Seeds, ground
Cumin Seeds, ground
Fresh Ginger
Turmeric
Burdock Root (2 tablespoons)
Fresh Carrot
Hing (Asafoetida)
That is right, there are almost no measurements. Use your hands! It is generally accepted that if you are using a cup of rice & a cup of beans that you use 6 cups of water. If you really need a recipe, here is a good one: www.lifespa.com/article.aspx?art_id=51
Each new year bring new opportunities and new experiences. Think of one door closing and uncharted new ones opening. Even though we are connected to the previous year there is a sense of moving from one thing to the next. Now is the time to set new intentions and renew goals.
Set aside 20 to 30 minutes when you can be alone and uninterrupted. You might begin with a practice to clear the space, such as chanting the Ancient Healing Tone of Om or Bhastrika (from LifeForce Yoga to Beat the Blues ~ Level 1, by Amy Weintraub). Once you have cleared the space, sit and feel the sensations that are arising in the body. Dive deeply into the breath and allow an intention (samkalpa) to arise. Let your intention be framed in the present tense and the positive tense. Rather than, "I need to relax more," try "I am peaceful" or "Peace breathes through me now." As you are wording your intention, invite an image to arise (bhavana) of yourself achieving your intention. What does it look like when you are at peace, or are healthy, or you have piles of money? Sit and breath with your intention and visualization. When you feel complete, end your sessions with 3 rounds of the healing tone of OM.
For a more complete practice on setting intention, use the CD LifeForce Yoga Bhavana: Say Yes to Yourself ~ A Guided Relaxation Experience with Amy Weintraub
Click here to purchase
Fall brings on dry air, cool and windy weather. Often we can feel ungrounded and disconnected. Not to mention the anxiety producing holiday season. There are many practices that we can use to nurture ourselves.
When you get home from work, try resting on the floor for 5 or 10 minutes. It is a good way to let go of your day and take a few minutes for yourself. You might try placing a cushion under your head, placing a cushion under your kneews, lighting a candle and putting on some soothing music. Feel the sensations of the earth beneath you. Begin taking deep breaths and feel the movement of the breath in your back as it meets the earth. With each exhale, allow yourself to let go of all tension. Let each inhale be a refreshing gift. At the end of 10 minutes, gently roll to one side and hold yourself in fetal position. Take a moment to acknowlegde yourself for all that you do. Keeping the eyes closed, sit up, take three deep breaths, thank yourself for this gift of time and nuturing, and chant the tone Om.
Practice for July and August 2008
Featured in the Anjali Yoga &
Monsoon Meditation
Take a few moments to close your eyes. Imagine the clouds forming over the mountains. Imagine the towering peaks of the monsoonal clouds. As you watch, notice the tumult in the interior of the storm - the tension. For just this moment, sit with the tumult, without judgement. Inhale and draw in a deep breath. Hold the breath at the top and as you do, imagine your tension gathering at the surface. With an ujjayi breath (ocean sounding breath) on the exhale, release the tension, like the clouds releasing the rain. Inhale again, holding the breath at the top and squeeze all of the muscles in the body, all of the discursive thoughts, squeezing all of your tension in a tight ball, and exhale release.
