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THE DOWNWARD DOG POSE MINI CHALLENGE

Posted on by pennyjoliver

Hi and welcome to “Yoga with Penny!”

The Downward Dog Posture is a yogi’s best friend and this month I will teach you how to do one. This posture is the pinnacle of all yoga postures and the most common because it teaches us to have respect for our body. The reason is our Downward Dog needs to be felt for perfect alignment. This requires great patience and effort because in finding perfect alignment, we need to learn what feels right and wrong in our body. But don’t worry, we will still have fun along the way discovering what works best for us in our very own Downward Dog Poses.

When you are ready, let’s get started.

 

Begin by lowering to your hands and knees.

Position your hands below your shoulders, your knees below your hips with your toes tucked under.

Spread your palms wide and straighten your arms.

Press your palms and feet into your mat and gently lift your hips.

How does the pose feel? If it doesn’t feel right, lower and try again.

Try to keep your head between your arms, with your ears at your biceps.

You may bend your knees if your legs feel tight.

Try and look at your knees if you can and try to keep your heels on the mat.

Breathe deeply for a few counts, then lower to your hands and knees.

Try again a few more times.

Got a stuffy nose or clogged sinuses? Downward Dog Posture helps by clearing mucus and opening up nasal congestion. If you suffer from asthma it may improve your symptoms.

The Downward Dog Posture is the most common yoga pose, known for stretching and strengthening our whole body. As a weight bearing exercise this posture also helps with arthritis symptoms while gently building shoulder and upper back strength. Even our rotator cuff located in our shoulder benefits by the stretching of our arms over head. Because our heart sits above our head in Downward Dog, blood circulation and brain function get a boost, thus both energizing and calming our body while leaving us with a dewy complexion. The Downward Dog Posture certainly helps us to build and maintain good posture too. With a all these great benefits it’s no wonder why all dogs do it and it gets it’s Downward Dog name.

keep calm and yoga on

penny

 

 

LET GO IN TRIANGLE POSE

Posted on by pennyjoliver

The beautiful and elegant Triangle Pose, captivating us with it’s clean lines and raw simplicity. Yet moving into this posture we find that simple can be hard and clean can be messy. Mainly because the stress and tension of living in this fast paced modern day world, expresses itself through our rigid and tensed up bodies. Is it any wonder that more than  75% of all doctor office visits are stress related ailments and complaints and that chronic stress is linked to the six leading causes of death? Fortunately, yoga provides a moment for our body to speak, revealing tensions we are holding through our muscles. If our minds are willing we can then release those tensions and let it go. On good days we bring that mindset to our mats. Other days we forget. Sometimes all we do is struggle. But we know when yoga is working when some days we let things go in our daily lives!

Of course letting go and letting God take the reins of our lives is the ultimate stress reliever. It’s hard to give up control though. And scarey. Too many “what ifs” pop up in our heads. But the Creator of everything who calls Himself our Father must know what is best for us.

He tells us in Isaiah 26:3 that…  He will keep us in perfect peace when we remain focused on Him.

Do something good for you. Sit quietly and close your eyes. Know that you are here in this present moment with no worries. Just breathe. When you are ready do a Triangle Pose, directions below!

 

Directions

Extend your arms out to your sides. Stretch your legs out to the sides with each foot directly under each hand. Turn your right foot slightly in and move your left foot toes to face the right side.

Inhale deeply from the bottom of your stomach pulling your torso upward. Exhale deeply extending your torso out and over your forward left leg.

Place your left hand on your mat next to your foot on either side. You may also place it on your thigh, knee or ankle for a less challenging approach or on a chair.

Stretch your right arm up. Try to look up at your hand. You may feel your chest, shoulders and collar bone open up. Breath deeply for 10 seconds to 1 minute. Try to maintain this position thinking only of your inhales and exhales. You may then feel your body stretching deeper as tension and stress release.

Repeat on your right side.

You may also bend your forward knee slightly if it feels too tight. Or step your back leg in a little. Use a chair, table or a counter for added balance and support.

peace and love

penny