ANDREA - a full time Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi instructor.

I fell in love with yoga over seven years ago, when I got a Nintendo DS and bought a game called Let's Yoga. From then, I began 'playing' yoga everyday, sometimes twice a day. At first, the practice was more physical for me, but after few months I started to really count on yoga to bring me a sense of calm during especially chaotic days. Soon after, I began recognizing the benefits of a regular asana and meditation practice and continued to incorporate yoga daily - not just during times of chaos. I found myself feeling more energized, more compassionate, happier, and with more awareness. Now, I teach full-time and couldn't be happier to do what I love. What began as a physical practice for strength and flexibility quickly became a lifestyle. I teach my students to take their yoga off the mat and apply the principles learned in the class to their lives outside of the studio. I do not only teach my philosophy, I live it.

Sunday 13 September 2015

September Challenge # Day 13 Twists

Good morning my lovely yogis and yoginis, it is Sunday and I hare a really nice twist for you :) 
Revolved Chair Pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana)
Benefit
Strengthens and grounds your legs and hips, brings length and lightness to your spine, expands your chest.

Instructions:

  • Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Inhale to lift your arms overhead, alongside your ears. Exhale to shift your weight into your heels and bend your knees, shifting your hips back and down into Utkatasana. Try to stack your knees over your ankles, rather than over your toes. Pull your thighs back (think of sucking the thigh bones back into their sockets) to anchor the pelvis down, which will eventually allow you to twist deeper.
  • Exhale to bring your hands into Anjali Mudra in front of your heart. Inhale to reach up through the crown of your head. Pull your thighs farther back and down to lengthen your spine. On an exhalation, hook your left elbow outside your right thigh as low as you can get it, and press your palms together. Pull your palms down toward your navel, and push your top hand down a bit more to widen your top collarbone and revolve your chest to a greater degree.
  • Keep your weight in your heels, especially your left heel. Draw your left thighbone back to keep your hips and knees even. Then gently roll your belly, chest, neck, and head even more to the right, twisting deeper.
  • Open your arms wide into a straight line, pressing your left arm against your right thigh, leveraging your twist a bit deeper. Press your left hand down into your mat outside your right foot, and reach your right arm upward.
  • Balance the work of grounding back and down in your legs, anchoring your heels, while you lengthen your spine, twist, and open your chest. Spread your arms even more, like bird wings banking on an updraft. Hold for 5 breaths then exhale and unwind. Switch sides.

Avoid These Mistakes
  • Don’t let your knees move in front of your toes, to protect your knee joints. Keep pressing your shin bones back and weighting your heels, to keep your knees pressure free.
  • Don’t let one knee slide in front of the other. Learn to stabilize your pelvis and lower back with the symmetry, allowing for a deeper and pain-free twist.

at
Labels: , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)