Against the Wall

When we need to remain inside, contained within the walls of our homes, we can use these walls to improve our sense of stability & to add variety to our yoga routine.

In these two stretches we explore stretching with our back against the wall & then facing the wall. When we stand against a wall we can notice, as when we’re lying down, the parts of the body that are touching the wall. 

Encourage the whole body to draw towards the wall, so that the weight settles more into the back body. It does not matter if your head is not touching the wall. Instead focus on moving the top of the head towards the sky. And, while we stay here, allow the body to settle there. Feel the support of the wall and focus on your breath.
Standing still here, for a moment or two, while we maintain our attention just on our body & just on our breath, not letting our mind run away. Body, breath & mind all working together for greater stability, the essence of yoga.

When we stretch the arms up overhead in a higher mountain position we can feel the increased length in the sides of the body and the ribcage moving away from the pelvis, creating space and energy in the body. Breathe more fully to enhance those feelings.

In the second stretch, remember to keep the legs active & the back of the head in-line with the spine. Experiment with the distance between the wall & the feet. If there’s mild discomfort in the lower back it may be helpful to turn the toes in a little bit.

Stay here for a few moments, breathing in & pressing into the hands when you are ready to come out of the pose. Before you continue with your day, pause & notice how you feel now.

Namaste,

Leila

Mood Enhancing Breath

Mood Enhancing Breath

Our health & well-being depend on our breath. Breathing is the first thing we do when we enter the world, it’s even more important than the food we eat. All of us can last days without food, but only minutes without breath. In yoga teachings the breath is considered our first nourishment. During extraordinary times we may find ourselves holding our breath, choked with overwhelming feelings of anxiety or despair. Or, we may feel turbulent emotions trapped inside us. At such times it can be impossible to sit quietly & focus on our breathing. Combining movement with breath gives our busy mind something to do & can alleviate, or at least dampen, our agitation, anxiety, or despair. Here are three practices to try out. These practices are short & simple & can be done at any time. They work particularly well in the morning & I often use them to set myself up for the day. Remember to be patient with yourself - you may not feel the benefits immediately but keep going. Finally, don’t try too hard. If these practices don’t feel right, leave them. There are plenty of others to explore. Namaste, Leila

A Mountain Meditation

We live in extraordinary & uncertain times, with many of us suffering from anxiety and helplessness. Here is a simple meditation to help us manage such feelings.

We are creatures of habit, what we practice, we become. If we practice being calm, we become calm.

You might like to pause for a moment & remind yourself of something you excel at, a skill that is highly developed. Maybe you can drive well, design & knit a jumper or even run a marathon. But how did you achieve this level of ability? Most probably through hours of practice (and overcoming a few set-backs along the way).

So, although acquiring a new skill is not easy, everyone can do it. We can develop the inner skills of stability, calmness & tranquillity. It will require effort & time, but isn't it worth it?

We live with ourselves 24/7, there has never been a better time to befriend our mind. We have little control of the outer world, but we can learn to manage our mind, enhancing our ability to stay grounded no matter what is going on around us.

This meditation is one I have been using for many years. I hope you find it helpful.

Namaste.

Simply Standing

In this short, 5 minute practice, I discuss the fundamental physical & mental benefits of standing well.

It is surprising how even doing something as simple as standing with better posture can help relieve some aches and pains. But also, standing well can help us feel more connected to our surroundings, reduce stress, help us feel more confident and more at peace with ourselves and the world.

Yoga for Extraordinary Situations (YES)

This blog is called “ YES” , yoga for extraordinary situations since for over a decade yoga has helped me manage many extraordinary situations.

My life seemed pleasant, quiet & ordinary but over the last 10 years all hell broke loose. My quiet, stable life disintegrated as one challenging event followed after another.

These extraordinary situations include the car crash that happened on my daughter’s 18th Birthday. She broke her neck. (just in case you’re wondering, she is absolutely fine now - a testament to our NHS & to her strong lovely bones!) Then, there was my Father’s suicide, a week after his wife had died, my Mother’s protracted illness & death, my half-brother’s terminal illness, marital problems, my husband’s bike crash & my son went missing somewhere in Europe for weeks (but has, fortunately, now been located)

These situations have given me too many opportunities to test out the power of yoga. I still marvel at how effective these strategies have been & how, as far as I know, I have not yet lost my mind!

So, over the next few months we will explore how yoga can be used to help manage extraordinary situations. Our tool kit will simply be our body, mind & breath.  And, our yoga mat or space will be our playground or laboratory, where our adventure will take place.