Fancy a forward fold?

Sanskrit name

• Uttanasana 

Meaning

• Intense stretch 

Benefits

• Stretches the hamstrings and back of the knees
• Reduces fatigue 
• Calms the brain and relieves mild stress and anxiety
• Aids digestion by massaging the stomach and activating the liver and kidneys
• Good for asthma, osteoporosis and high blood pressure 

Cautions

• Back injuries 
• Hamstring injuries 

Anatomy focus

• Lower body- Ankle dorsiflexion; Knee in neutral extension; Hip flexion 
• Upper body- Neutral extension and lengthening of spine

Step by Step

• Start in Mountain pose (Tadasana) from last weeks breakdown
• Have the feet hip width apart and feel the eveness of the feet while gently spread the toes
• With the spine beautifully tall, start to hinge forward from the hips by leading with the sternum and tucking the abdominals towards the spine
• Stop when you start to feel your hamstring engage and keep the back as straight as you can, make sure your knees are not locking or hyperextending
• Breath here and let the stretch soften

First main stage of working into a deeper Uttanasana

• Start to go further when you feel comfortable, keeping the back as straight as you can and stopping when it starts to round
• Feel free to bend the knees slightly if your hamstring are really tight or there is any niggling in the lower back
• Take the hands to the thighs, shins, ankles or floor
• Make sure you weight is still even throughout the whole of the foot and you're not leaning into the heels or toes too much (if you feel a lot of pressure in a certain area, gently shift your weight around to find the best position or widen your stance slight) 
• Only go as far as comfortable and breath for as many breaths you like ( make sure nothing goes numb or you get pins and needles though!) 

Uttanasana with bent knees to protect the hamstrings and lower back

• To come out, bend the knees deeply, tuck the chin into the chest and roll the spine back up on an inhale 

Easier Variations

• Stand near a wall with enough space to lean forward and place you hands on the wall and have your back parallel to the floor 
• Start in Mountain once again 
• Hinge forward at the hips, keeping the spine straight, tucking the abdominals towards the spine and place the hands on the wall
• Keep the knees are straight as possible but DON'T lock or hyperextend them
• Imagine yourself at a right angle and pressing equally through the hands and feet
• Breath for as long as possible, coming out the same ways as described above

My personal favourite way to practice a great quality Uttanasana before working deeper into the fold

Difficult Variations 

• Try taking the feet closer together (making sure theres no added pressure in the knees)
• Sink the chest towards the knees and almost let the belly sink in between top of the thighs
• Take the hands behind the feet on the floor and wrap the hands around the calves
• Drop the crown of the head towards the floor and look behind or close the eyes

Things to think about 

• Feeling steady and grounded through the feet 
• Feel the back of the legs reach for the sky while the torso is pulled down by gravity keeping the body in equilibrium

Firm foundation with Mountain

Sanskrit name

• Tadasana 

Meaning

• Mountain

Benefits

• Grounding
• Improved posture 
• Alleviates flat footedness and sciatica 
• Strengthens ankles, knees, thighs, gluteals and abdominals 

Cautions

• Headache 
• Low blood pressure 

Anatomy focus

• Lower body- Ankle dorsiflexion; Knee in neutral extension; Hip adduction and neutral extension
• Upper body- Neutral extension of spine; Forearm pronation 

Step by Step

• Come to standing
• Take the feet hip width apart
• Lift all the toes up and then spread them as far out as you can before putting them back down
• Keep the knee soft and make sure they're not hyperextending or locking
• Feel the guteals and abdominals start to engage as you lengthen the spine upwards. 
• Make sure to not stick the bum out like a duck. Lengthen the lower back by imagining the spine also lengthening downwards
• Gently lift the chest as the shoulder blades sink down the back and open the ribs to breath effortlessly 
• Keep the back of the neck long and the crown of the head continuing to the lengthen the spine by drawing the crown towards the sky
• Chin parallel to the floor
• Arms are down by the sides but hands are active. You can either have the hands facing the body or turned out to the front.
• Breath using the diaphragm by filling the lungs from the bottom to the top in the chest naturally, don't force the breath or cause light headedness    

• Stand as long as comfortable using a natural deep breath

Easier Variations 

• Stand with your back against a wall if your balance is a bit wobbly

Difficult Variations 

• Close your eyes to try and balance without the aid of sight and depending on the outside environment 

What to think about 

Diagram- Representing the arches of the feet and how the weight
should be evenly distributed. Leslie Kaminoff's 'Yoga Anatomy'.

• Feel the steady, evenness of the body centred through the feet. Feel the three arches of the foot in harmony and the toes evenly spread 
• Feel the weight of the body moving centrally through the bones of the legs and creating the firm foundation of Mountain 
• Now continue the evenness to move up the spine and to the crown of the head. Allowing the crown of the head to rise until it touches the sky like the mighty Mount Everest 
• Having the hands active and open means you can be mindful to any emotions that may arise and accept them as they are 
• Breath to fill the whole body and nourish the bones and muscles with each inhale

What is a mudra?

A mudra a gesture. I used to think that mudras were just hand gestures but there are eye positions, body poses and breathing techniques which are also called mudras. However, I'm only explaining hand mudras, cause I really, really love hand mudras and I find them fascinating! 

Hands mudras are symbolic finger positionings that help to shift the thought processes in the mind and body and connect to a different level of consciousness. They do this by having certain aims and affects to different areas of the body and the mind. For examplé:

Chin Mudra 

The Chin hand Mudra 

The Chin Mudra is definitely the most famous hand gesture of them all. Ask someone to sit and look like they're meditating and they'll probably pull out a chin mudra! This hand position  brings clarity to the mind. The three extended fingers symbolise the traits of evolution: lethargy, activity, balance and harmony. The enclosed circle of the first finger and thumb indicate the goal of yoga- to unite your soul and the soul of the the world. Now isn't that really lovely? 

Mudras can become very gratifying when practiced regularly. Their powers start to show a little more each time you use them. Mudras can be practiced with visualisations and affrimations but I think as a beginner it's more beneficial to use them by themselves and only focus on the goodness in your hands. 

So, if you fancy trying the Chin Mudra out, find a comfy place to sit where you won't be disturbed and your feet can touch the ground (having the feet on the floor connects you to the  Earth and gets the yogic juices flowing.) Place the first fingers and thumbs together and straighten the other three outwards. Pop your palms facing downwards (having the palm upwards is a slightly different mudra) onto your thighs or knees and breath. Sit and breath in the peace and quiet and feel the power of your breath and how you are completely connected to the world. Don't be frightened if you start to feel silly or overwhelmed, breath for a few minutes and test it out. Give yourself time to adjust to mudras. Some people (including myself) are very susceptible to them. They all do different things so try a few out in a week and let yourself fall in love with them! 

Have fun, smile and breath! 

A few helpful definitions

Starting yoga is a really exciting experience. There are mounds of information to take in about postures, breathing techniques and ways of life, but you come across plenty of yoga jargon which can all sound similar, and ultimately, pretty confusing! Here's a quick breakdown of some words all beginners will hear.

Yoga

• Yoga means union. It is the connection of the consciousness, physical body and all the energy in the universe to everything. Yes, everything. All beings, whether they been an animal, plant, inanimate object or ameoba. Connected through the energy surrounding us and within us. Joining  even the tiniest of molecules into the gigantic cosmos. 

Asana

• Asana literally means seat. At the end of nearly all sanskrit posture names will been 'asana', to sit in the posture. However not every posture is a seated posture, it means to remain or to be present in the pose. Absorb it in all it's glory! For example, Garudasana is Eagle pose. Garud= Eagle and asana= seat, but Eagle is a standing balance pose. So, feel like a soaring eagle while enjoying the benefits and challenges of the pose in your seat. 

Pranayama

• Pranayama means to extend prana. Prana is the life force, the energy which everything is made up of. Pranayama is a series of breathing techniques to control and deepen the breath to make it more efficient in the moving of prana around the body. For example, Ujjayi is called 'Warming breath' or 'Ocean breath'. You gently close the epiglottis (little flap that covers the wind pipe when you swallow) as you exhale to give the breath a slightly rough texture and produce a 'hhsssshhh' sound. It warms up the throat as you move the back of the throat backwards and forwards and allows for an easier passage for the breath to flow through during the rest of the yoga practice. 

Have you been put back by yoga sanskrit before and not been sure whats going on? Feel free to ask any questions and post any words you'd like explaining! A little blog feedback would be much appreciated :) 

Morning yoga!

Today was such a brilliant day for beach yoga so myself and Mrs Clarke (one of my favourite people in the world, 83 and still going strong with a daily yoga and breathing practice) popped onto the sand, unrolled our mats and got our yoga on! The tide was at it's peak when we arrived and the motion and sound of the waves made the perfect atmosphere for taking huge, deep salty air breaths. Without a doubt the best way to start the day! 

No place else I would've rather been at this moment

Finding your inner warrior with Warrior II

Sanskrit name

• Virabhadrasana II

Meaning

• Virabhadra = the name of a fierce warrior, an incarnation of Shiva, described as having a thousand heads, a thousand flaming eyes, and a thousand feet; embodying the power of the warrior.

Benefits

• Strengthens ankles, knees, thighs, hips, shoulders and spine.  
• Stretches inner thighs, hamstrings, chest and shoulders. 
• Wakes up internal organs. 
• Alleviates backache and leg ache. 
• Good for flat footedness, osteoporosis, sciatica and upper back issues. 
• Increases stamina. 

Cautions

• Ankle, knee, hip, shoulder or neck injury. 
• High blood pressure. 
• Diarrhoea   

Anatomy focus

• Front leg- Ankle is in Dorsiflexion; Knee is flexing at 90*; Hip is laterally rotated, abducted and flexing at 90*.
• Back leg- Ankle is in Dorsiflexion; Foot is supinating; Knee is in neutral extension; Hip is abducting and extending.
• Spine- Neutral with slight rotation of the chest. 
• Shoulders- Abduction of the shoulder blades and arms; External rotation of the shoulder joint; pronation of the forearms. 

Step by Step

• Standing lengthways on your mat in a natural standing posture, take a wide stride either side so there's about 3-4 foot in between your feet. 
• Next turn your right foot out at 90* and keep the back left foot parallel to the short end of your mat. 
• Now you can bring your heels into the "imaginary" central line down your mat so they are in-line with each other. If your balance isn't on form today, no worries, take your heels either side of the "imaginary" central line.
• Next focus on the torso and making the spine tall and stable while gently tucking and firming the abdominals towards the lower back. Have the chest gently lifting up and away from the upper back so you have plenty of room to breath! 
• Now INHALE and bring the arms up to shoulder height. Imagine someone is standing either side of you and pulling your hands away from you so the top of your shoulders and upper back are broadening. Keep the hands active too, don't let the fingers go floppy.
• Then EXHALE and bend the right knee. Here's where we have to be careful! Make sure your knee is either directly above or behind your ankle and doesn't reach forward towards the toes. If it's reaching over the ankle, widen your stride but heel-toeing your left foot out until the knee is where it should be. If your knee sways out the the side when bent, slightly straighten the knee to reduce the pressure on the thigh. 
• Make sure the left foot is comfortable and hasn't begun lift on the outer edge. Press firmly down on the outside of your foot and think about the inner arch lifting and supporting the whole foot. Also make sure none of your ten toeies are gripping to the floor! 
• The finally look over to the right and keep the chin parallel to the floor. 

Heels in-line; knee over ankle; abdominals tucked; chest lifted; shoulders broad; hands out stretched; chin parallel to the floor. 

Knee in perfect alignment over ankle and not swaying outwards. Shoulder and knee in "imaginary" central line of mat.

• Breath steadily here with 6 breaths to start with and repeat on the opposite side when ready.  

Easier Variations

• If the shoulders and upper back are quiet strong enough to keep the arms out stretched, take the hands to the hips. Remember to keep the chest gently lifting though and make sure the shoulder don't round forward.
• If the right thigh is a little weak, take a smaller stride and don't bend the right knee as much. Breath for as many breaths as comfortable. 
• If the neck is strained, look forward and keep the back of the neck long by lengthening from the crown of the head. 

 Difficult Variations

• Only to be done if there are no issues with the hips, thighs on knees and plenty of flexibilty! Focusing on the pelvis and the hips. Gently open the front of the pelvis by allowing the right hip to abduct out to the side a little more. This happens by gently squeezing in the right gluteal muscles and letting the left hip softly rotate laterally so the pelvis is being tilted into the "imaginary" central line of the mat. 
• Be very gently here and make sure you are warmed up sufficiently to not pull or strain on muscles or joints. 
• Hold for 6 breaths or as long as comfortable and repeat on the opposite side. 

Things to think about

• This is a strong, fire-y pose and you should feel strength radiating through the entire body. Feel the strength start at the soles of the feet and move up through the legs and body to the head. 
• Breath steadily and let the breath control any thoughts of struggle or difficulty. You can do it and concentrating on the breath will definitely help. 

What not to worry about when starting yoga

What not to worry about when starting yoga as a complete beginner and a little bit of help to get started.

'I'm not flexible enough...'
THE comment every yoga teacher has heard more than once! It's very easy to think that yoga is all about being flexible when the glossy picture in magazines show ladies bending backwards and touching their toes to the top of their head but alas, there is so much more to gain than flexibility! How about calming the mind or learning to meditate to achieve a bit more inner peace? Flexibility comes from dedication and persistence and unless you are lucky enough to be built like a piece of rubber achieving the most beautiful advanced poses takes a long time. So don't fret about not being able to straighten your legs completely when forward folding, just enjoy the stretch, breathe and smile :)

'I'm going to be really bad...'
Everyone has to be a beginner at some point to become an expert! And that's why we use blocks, blankets, straps, walls and chairs in yoga. Everyone needs help at some point, whether it be for balance or because of tight, restricting muscles, the props are there to aid and ease the practice (and most importantly to not let you injury yourself or get frustrated cause thats no fun.) Even if you do fall over or can't sit still while doing some pranayama, the most important thing is to smile, laugh and keep going. 

'I'm not spiritual...'
I can perfectly understand that some people feel uncomfortable during spiritual aspects of yoga which is why you should always do a bit of research before trying different types. Some styles are very spiritual and include a lot of meditating and working with energy within the body, such as kripalu and kundalini yoga whereas others focus more of the physical elements, such as triyoga or yin yoga. If you have any questions about the yoga you are interested in don't be afraid to ask the teacher. They'll be able to sort out any queries you have and give you some more insights into whether the style is right for you. There is a style of yoga for everyone so give a few ago and have fun with them!

'I don't have time...'

One of my all time favourite quotes is "If you have time for Facebook, you have time for yoga." Man, it gets me so motivated every time I read it! I want to slam my laptop shut and jump onto my mat like an excited puppy! It also helps to get my nose out of my technology and tune into my body which is vital for everyday happiness. So, next time you want to try some yoga but feel like you haven't got any spare time, get off the internet for an hour or put your phone away and have a stretch. If your time management means your schedule is packed out there is always a spare few minutes for some stretching in your desk chair or breathing in the car while waiting at traffic lights. Give it a go and let the endorphins flow and the smile grow!

So, being a beginner can feel a little daunting if you've never tried yoga but be brave and you could try a couple of videos on your own to try some different styles and ask any questions you have to your local yoga teacher. Before you know it, 20 minutes every other day could turn into an hour a day. Have fun, listen to your body and smile!