Today I started a journey for my school project with my mentor on learning yoga skills and its health benefits 💕 I am going to document and share this journey and hopefully you will all enjoy it and benefit from it 😊✨
😁 Yoga is more than the exercise…
There are 8 limbs of yoga:
Yamas: non-violence, honesty, being generous, not stealing and only using energy when needed.
Niyamas: purity (getting rid of toxic food and people), happiness, simplicity, devotion and self study (learning yourself).
Asana: Yoga poses
Pranayama: breathing
Pratyahar: staying peaceful with yourself despite external forces
Dharana: concentration
Dhyana: meditation
Samahi: balance. The first seven limbs result to this state of balance, relaxation, comfort, and acceptance.
This journey will show my progression in yoga. 👍🏻
Today, we learned: Atha Yoga Nushasanam, breathing, mountain pose, child pose regular and extended, downward dog and savasana. 😊
Atha Yoga Nushasanam
This phrase means: now, the teachings of yoga begins. 😊 It means to live in the now not the past or the future. It brings sensations of what is gone and old feelings and the future brings uncertainty and sometimes fear. It’s important to live in the present and bring your energy to the present. ✨
Breathing
Breathing is with your whole body. I practiced breathing through the whole body, inhaling through the belly, ribs and chest, exhaling through the chest, ribs and then the belly, and imagining the breath going through the whole body and out the whole body.
It was very relaxing and it clears the mind.🌅
Mountain Pose
The mountain pose looks like your just standing but it feels much more than that. It’s important how you feel during a pose not how you look.
How it’s done…
Stand up with your two big toes touching and heels slightly apart. Put your weight in the heel and front of your foot. You should feel a stretch in the upper thighs. Roll your shoulder blades up and back to open your chest. Your shoulder blades should be straight parallel to your hips. Slightly tilt your pelvis with tailbone pointing towards the floor. Your core should be working. Breathe fully into your belly, ribs and chest.
This pose is so much more than standing. I felt a stretch in my leg, I felt my core working and my feet solid. When I did this pose I felt really solid and straight like a mountain haha hence the name 😉
Child’s Pose
This is a resting pose and it’s good to begin with. 🌸
How it’s done…
Extended child’s pose:
Knees bent, hips to heels, walk the hands forward, relax the hands forward
🍃
Regular child’s pose:
Knees bent, hips to heels, shoulders forward, arms are at heels, rounded spine.
✨✨✨
I felt really relaxed doing this pose and it’s great to relieve headaches.
Downward Dog 🐾
This is my favourite pose. It’s fun to do but harder than it seems.
How it’s done…
Start on all fours, position hands with all fingers spread wide, index fingers should be parallel, press into the fingertips, get your weight off of the wrist and heel of hands, put weight into the fingertips and front of hand, feet are hip width apart, toes are tucked, hips to heel then lift up, tailbone should reach up towards the sky, back should be straight, their should be an external rotation of arms not to collapse the shoulders, loosen the neck, soften the knees and have your head heavy.
Once in the pose you could stretch the hamstrings by walking one heel at a time toward the ground. You could also bend the knees if you need to. ☺️
I had trouble with the wrists and getting the weight off of them. It was hard to direct my weight on the front of my hand instead of the wrist. I had to put a blanket behind my wrists to help keep the weight off of it.
Savasana
Lie down, relax every part of your body, breathe deeply, filling your whole body with oxygen and exhaling it all out. Imagine the oxygen travelling through your body. 🙂
I felt really relaxed, heavier and not tense. It was really nice to do. It helps clear the mind and just focus on yourself and the breathing. 🌅✨
After Session: Day 1
After today’s session I felt really relaxed, energized and happy. I also felt hungry haha 😉
Just by this one session I feel better mentally and physically. 💕✨I hope this will help you all.
Love always,
Annabel xoxo
Leave a Reply