All Things Yoga

Yoga, what is it?

Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in ancient India. The word, yoga, comes from the Sanskrit yuj, which means “to yoke” and “samadhi” or “concentration.” Yoga can be seen as the practice that aims to join the mind, body and spirit. It’s both a state of connection and a body of techniques that allow us to connect to anything.

As we continue the year, we need to ensure that we are fully grounded and present with our mind, body and spirit. In return it will provide us with a sense of balance and feeling that we can conquer anything life throws at us.

My top 5 yoga poses to make you feel more grounded this month include:

Sukhasana or easy seat pose

  1. Sit on the floor with legs stretched out.
  2. Fold the left leg and tug it inside the right thigh.
  3. Then fold the right leg and tug in inside the left thigh.
  4. Keep the hands on the knees.
  5. Sit erect with spine straight.
  6. Relax your whole body and breathe normally for 1-3 minutes.

Key benefits include, finding stillness and tranquility, lengthens the back muscles and spine, promotes ground-ness.

Balasana or child’s pose

  1. Kneel on the floor either with knees together or separated as wide as hip-width apart.
  2. Bring your sitting bones back towards your heels.
  3. Forehead can rest on the ground.
  4. You may reach your arms all the way out in front of you or rest them next to the side body, palms facing up, relaxing shoulder heads down towards the floor.
  5. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of the pelvis while you energetically lengthen your neck.
  6. Feel your sacrum broaden and sense into how you are connected to the ground
  7. Breathe deeply and stay for 1-3 minutes.

Key benefits include, effectively calms the mind, reduces stress and anxiety and promotes blood circulation.

Tadasana A or Mountain Pose

  1. Keeping a distance of one foot between the feet, raise your arms up
  2. Now slowly raise both your heels up. The whole body will be balanced on the toes.
  3. After some time slowly lower your heels and bring your hands down.

Key benefit includes, having a good effect on the digestive and respiratory system.

Vrikshasana or Tree Pose

  1. Stand with both feet together
  2. Bring your weight onto the right leg and bending your left leg, place the foot on the inner right thigh.
  3. Bring your hands in the Namaskar pose (palms together and in heart center)
  4. Hold for 2-3 mins gazing straight ahead
  5. Slow come back and repeat on the other side

Key benefits include, increasing the focus of the mind, removes distractedness and has a good effect on the knees and legs.

Warrior II or Virabhadrasana II

  1. From Mountain Pose, step back with the left foot and place it in a 90-degree angle
  2. Bend deep into the right knee, directly over your ankle, align your heels in one line
  3. Avoid the front knee rotating inward
  4. Roll your shoulder blades down your back and extend both arms out
  5. Pull your navel in towards your spine and slightly tuck in the tailbone, gazing at the tips of your front fingers
  6. Hold for 2-3 mins and repeat on the other side

Key benefits, helps develops endurance, allows excess tension to dissolve and provides overall stability.