Yoga for Healthy Pregnancy With a Ball

Performing exercises on a stability or balance ball can improve your strength, balance and coordination. Your core, the muscles of the stomach and lower back, work extra hard with ball exercises to keep your body stabilized. This can be especially beneficial during pregnancy. As your belly grows, you may experience postural changes that cause stress to your lower back and other areas.

For the first time we tried the exercises with a ball today, here are some tips what you can do :)

Open Angle Seated Forward Bend (Var.)

Open Angle Seated Forward Bend (Var.) / Upavistha Konasana

(oo-pah-VEESH-tah cone-AHS-anna)

upvistha = seated, sitting
kona= angle

1. Start in a seated position with your legs out in front of you. Exhale and open your legs to the sides at approximately 80% of your capacity.

2. Place your hands on the ground in front of you and slowly tip from the hips walking your hands out gradually. As you exhale, walk your hands down further each time so that eventually your chest can rest on the floor comfortably with your arms extended out in front of you. Be sure to rotate from the hips and keep your neck and back long. Do not round through the back to try to reach your head down.

3. Reach your arm behind your back and clasp your hands together. Exhale and reach your arms up eventually working them towards the sky.

4. Look up and rest your chin on the floor. Maintain the pose for up to one minute and repeat if you like going deeper into the pose each time.

Benefits
-Stretches the quadriceps, groin and hamstrings
-Strengthens and stretches your lumbar spine
-Intensely stretches the chest and shoulders
-Stimulates abdominal organs

Cautions
-Back injury
-Groin injury

Cviky na snuru - spagat / How to do the Splits

Triangle

Triangle / Utthita Trikonasana

(oo-TEE-tah trik-cone-AHS-anna)

utthita = extended
trikona = three angle or triangle

1.From a standing mountain position, jump your feet approximately as wide as your wrists (when your arms are extended out). Raise your arms up so that they are parallel with the floor and keep your palms facing down and continue to lengthen and extending your arms out. Keep your kneecaps pulled up, spine straight and belly button pulled back to the spine.

2.Pivot the right foot so that it is straight to the side wall approx 90 degree angle. Keeping the right heel inline with the back left inside arch. Note: you can also use the edge of your yoga mat to maintain alignment, or use a wall.

3.While extending your arms out as much as possible, reach forward over your right foot and hinge at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest expanded and not allowing the chest to collapse forward. Keep your feet firmly planted on the floor. Rotate your chest up to the sky, while lifting the left arm up overhead. Keep bending and lengthening up, maintaining proper alignment. Keeping the shoulder blades down and shoulders stacked on top of each other.

4.Gently place your right hand on your right shin. Gaze up at the thumb in the sky.Variation: Use a yoga block placed at the highest level beside the inside of your front leg and use it to support your arm Variation:  To increase difficulty, without compromising your form, grab the front big toe in yogi toe lock

5. Perform the other side, this time alternating to the left leg first.

Benefits
-Improves digestion, stimulates abdominal organs
-Helps to relieve stress.
-Increase serotonin levels
-Stretches hips, hamstrings, shoulders, chest and spine

Cautions
-Headaches
-High blood pressure

Beginner Tips
Compromising form in order to reach the front hand down further, front hand position is secondary and not the focus of this pose. Collapsing the chest down, keep the shoulder blades and chest rotated up while in the pose.

Jogovy dnik I. - 16. 10. 2013

Bolo by prijemne stretnut sa v jeden den na dlhsiu (par hodinovu) session, ponatahovat sa, pocvicit, dychat, vychutnat si zdrave jedla, porozpravat sa o joge, o pozach a zdravom zivotnom style a o tom ako toto vsetko vplyva na nas.

Program:

1. Cvicenie - Hatha Yoga - 25min
- Power Yoga - 25 min
2. Snack Break - nieco fajne pozobkame a porozpravame sa ako zdrava strava vplyva na nase tela
3. Dychancia technika - Single Nostril Breathing
- ako sa spravne robi
- preco je dobre toto dychanie
4. Meditacia - 25-30 min (po anglicky) - po nej sa porozpravame ako sme sa citili pocas meditacie, ci bola prilis dlha, co tam bolo prijemne, co nebolo pre vas prijemne, atd.
5. Snack Break II.- porozpravat sa o historii a vyvoji jogy
6. Rozobrat detailne par poz 3/4 (kazda cca 15 min)
- vysvetlit ako sa robi
- vysvetlit na co vsetko je dobra poza
- precvicenie si pozy
- variacie
(Mozete si aj vy pripravit nieco o nejakej poze, ktoru mate radi, aby som stale len ja nekecala, ak mate zaujem, piste!!! :) a piste aj navrhy poz, ktore by ste radi rozobrali viac do hlbky)
7. 3 Simple Sun Salutation
8. Fotenie v pozach
9. Mozeme zostat kecat, ist na obed alebo naspat domov

Kde? - Dance Studio v Dunstable Leisure Centre

Co si so sebou doniest:
Karimatky mam zo 6/7, uvidime, kolki z vas sa pridaju, aj bloky donesiem
- nieco teple na obleceie (na meditaciu hlavne, pripadne si vezmite deku, vankusik - pohodlie nadovsetko :) ) - ak to bude v studiu, netreba sa az tak naobliekat
- zdrave jedlo nejake a dyusiky napr. by kazdy z vas mohol doniest, napiste mi, co by ste vzali, aby sme vsetci nedoniesli to iste, aby sme mali poriadnu variety ;)
- a myslim, ze uz budete potrebovat len pobalit so sebou dobru naladu :)

Sa na vas vsetkych veeeeelmi tesim! (dufam, ze ucast bude vysoka... ehm! ;P)

Namaste! :)

Photoshoot after a year... - success! :)

After a long long time we realized that the pictures we took almost a year ago are not good for the book, so we did another shooting today - the light was much much better and we did it at home, in a nice and warm room :) 

I know you are waiting ages for the book, but my girls are quiet busy and everything is done, the videos and pics just need to be edited and put into a book form. 

We are again one step closer to the end :)

Autumn walk in the park

At the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes day and night are of equal length. The equinoxes are the point of balance between the two solstices: the Summer Solstice when the days are longest and the Winter Solstice when the nights are longest.The Spring Equinox is like an athlete poised ready for action as the year enters its light, growth phase. Whereas the Autumn Equinox marks the beginning of the dark, composting phase of the year. Both the Spring and Autumn Equinox are rich with symbolism that you can integrate in to your yoga practice and your life. Also by aligning your own energies to the natural rhythms of the earth and the suns' cycles you can achieve outward success during the growth phase of the year, and enjoy rest, contemplation and renewal during the dormant phase of the year.

Now day and night are of equal length.
Light and dark are perfectly balanced, before we tip into the dark phase of the year.
Explore balance in your yoga practice

 

Lord of the Dance pose (Var.)

Lord of the Dance pose (Var.) / Natarajasana

(not-ah-raj-AHS-anna)

nata = dancer, actor
raja = king

1. Start in Tadasana and shift all your weight into your right foot and bend your left leg behind you. Keeping your hip bones square to the front.

2. Reach your left arm back and firmly grab your left leg at the shin, just below the knee cap. Slowly and with control, extend your left thigh out straight behind you. Reach your left arm out so that it is extended out and parallel to the floor. Press your hips forward and draw your tailbone down to prevent compression in the lower back.

3. Lift your left leg up as high as possible and straighten your left leg .Keep your standing leg engaged, hip bones facing the front, and chest expanded open. Gaze to the front just past your right hand.

4. Hold the position for approximately 30 seconds and release. Switch to the other leg and practice the same steps outlined as above.

Benefits
-Stretches chest and shoulders
-Increases spinal flexibility
-Improves balance
-Strengthens ankles

Cautions
-Low blood pressure
-Ankle injury
-Spine Injury

 

Lord of the Dance pose (Var.) / Natarajasana
(not-ah-raj-AHS-anna)
nata = dancer, actor
raja = king
1. Start in Tadasana and shift all your weight into your right foot and bend your left leg behind you. Keeping your hip bones square to the front.
2. Reach your left arm back and firmly grab your left leg at the shin, just below the knee cap. Slowly and with control, extend your left thigh out straight behind you. Reach your left arm out so that it is extended out and parallel to the floor. Press your hips forward and draw your tailbone down to prevent compression in the lower back.
3. Lift your left leg up as high as possible and straighten your left leg .Keep your standing leg engaged, hip bones facing the front, and chest expanded open. Gaze to the front just past your right hand.
4. Hold the position for approximately 30 seconds and release. Switch to the other leg and practice the same steps outlined as above.
Benefits
-Stretches chest and shoulders
-Increases spinal flexibility
-Improves balance
-Strengthens ankles
Cautions
-Low blood pressure
-Ankle injury
-Spine Injury
- See more at: http://www.mryoga.com/standing-poses/#sthash.8t3fpZ3J.dpuf

Bridge Pose in Shoulderstand

Bridge Pose in Shoulderstand / Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

(SET-too BAHN-dah sar-van-GAHS-anna)

setu = bridge

bandha = lock, restraint

sarva = all

anga = limb

1. From Savasana (Corpse Pose) place your arms beside you palms facing down and fingers outstretched grabbing the ground. Bend your knees and place your feet on the ground in front of your buttocks. Anchor your shoulders, hands and the back of your head on the ground lengthening your neck as much as possible. Using your abdominals bring your knees toward the back of the room lifting your back off the ground.

2. Bend your elbows and place your palms and fingers on your back for support. Let your legs relax with your knees beside your head while you work your elbows in toward your spine and your hands, down toward your shoulders. With your hands firmly supporting your upper back straighten your legs so that your toes touch the floor behind you. Point your toes. On the exhale and pulling your bellybutton in toward your spine, keeping your knees straight and your toes pointed, lift your legs into the air until they are vertical to the ground and in line with your back.

3. Engaging your core bring your hands closer toward your waist so they are supporting your hips and buttocks. Lower your legs toward the ground bending your knees until your feet reach the floor. Walk your feet as far forward as possible straightening your legs and bringing them together. Keep the four corners of your feet on the ground.

Preparation

Sarvangasana can compromise the neck. It becomes easier if your have a blanket or a thick underneath your back and shoulders when you are practicing this pose letting your head lie off the back onto your yoga mat. Be gentle with yourself learning this pose. If you cannot straighten you’re your legs or touch your toes to the ground, keep your knees bent and let them hang by your head. And be patient bringing your elbows together and walking your hands up your back (toward the floor in order to support your upper back). For more of a challenge, keep your legs straight at all times. Do not bend you knees when you bring your legs over your head initially. Practice Lotus Pose until you are comfortable in that position.

Benefits

Stretches the neck and spine and shoulders and wrists. Strengthens the legs, buttocks and core. Stimulates abdominal organs, thyroid and prostate.

Cautions

Do not perform if you have a back, neck or wrist injury, high blood pressure, pregnant. Not recommended if you have a headache, menstruating.

Revolved Triangle

 Revolved Triangle / Parivrtta Trikonasana

(par-ee-vrit-tah trik-cone-AHS-anna) 

parivrtta = to turn around, revolve

trikona = three angle or triangle

 

1.From a standing mountain position, jump your feet approximately as wide as your wrists (when your arms are extended out). Raise your arms up so that they are parallel with the floor and keep your palms facing down and continue to lengthen and extending your arms out. Keep your knee caps pulled up, spine straight and belly button pulled back to the spine.

 

2.Pivot the right foot so that it is straight to the side wall approx 90 degree angle. Keeping the right heel inline with the back left inside arch. Note: you can also use the edge of your yoga mat to maintain alignment.

3.While extending your arms out as much as possible, on the exhale, “spiral” your chest in the opposite direction so that your left hand now faces forward, and your right hand back.

 

4.Continue to lengthen out and spiral while reaching your left front hand to the outside of your right shin, hinge at the hips as in triangle, and lift your right hand up to the sky. Maintain your shoulders stacked upon each other in a straight line, and keep the chest rotated up.

Variation: Use a yoga block on the highest setting placed on the floor parallel to the outside edge of your front foot. Variation: To increase difficulty, without compromising your alignment and form, reach the left hand to the floor, you’re your left palm facing down flat on the floor.

Benefits

-Stretches and opens the spine and chest

-Stimulates the organs

-Tones and stretches the legs

-Helps to improve balance.

Cautions

-Headaches

-High blood pressure

-Spine injury

-Pregnancy

Beginner Tips

Keep shoulder blades lifted and lengthened out being careful to not hunch or collapse the shoulder in the air. Intermediate pose, weakness in abductors will make rotation difficult causing the rear end to stick out and pelvis to tilt causing an incorrect rotation axis.

As in triangle, the depth of the front hand position is secondary to the lifting up and lengthening out action of the torso.