Yoga in the morning is the most glorious thing to me. My morning
sadhana (practice) is usually about an hour and a half and consists of
pranayama (breathing exercises to increase prana, energy), asana
(postures) and meditation. I try to practice outside so that I can
benefit from the fresh air and the energy from natural light. Every
once in a while I get to practice somewhere really spectacular, like
this…
But
you don’t need a lot of space, or a spectacular vista for a morning
practice; and you don’t need an hour and a half. All you need is a yoga
mat or a towel, a quiet spot, and 10 or 15 minutes. The key is
consistency; commit to doing a short sadhana every morning for 40 days
and you will be amazed at the changes that occur in all areas of your
life.
Here is a short sequence for you to try:
Sukhasana (easy pose):
Sit with your legs crossed (you do not need to bring one leg up into
half-lotus as in the picture, you can just cross the shins) and follow
your breath for a few minutes. As you inhale say, “I am breathing in,” as you exhale say, “I am breathing out.”
This will help you to stay focused on the breath. Make your inhales
slow and deep, letting your belly swell like a balloon; pay special
attention to the exhale, making it longer and slower with each breath.
The longer the exhale, the more relaxed your body will become. This
sort of breathing awakes and freshens the body, but it also quiets the
nervous system and helps to lower stress hormone levels, like
adrenaline and cortisol.
Table-top pose:
Come onto your hands and knees. Press your palms into the floor, and
gently do the same with your knees and lower leg. As you inhale, look
up and arch the back so that the tail bone reaches toward the sky (dog
stretch); on the exhale, look down at your knees and tuck your tail
bone under so that your back arches up in the other direction (cat
pose). Repeat this linking of movement with breath ten times. This will gently wake up your spine.
Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog):
From table-top pose, turn your toes under, press through your palms as
you begin to straighten your arms and legs. Keep a little bend in the
legs a first, and you can keep it the whole time if straightening the
legs bothers your hamstrings or knees. Never lock the knees back.
Remember that as you are pressing down, the energy is also rising back
up into you from the ground; do not sink into your joints. Completely
release and surrender the head between the arms so it moves towards the
floor. The arm pits hollow, and the inner heals move toward the floor.
You are now in Downward Dog, and should look something like an upside
down ‘V’. Remember everyones posture will be different. Stay here for
three deep breaths. If the posture is too difficult, bend your knees
more, and shorten the number of breaths. This posture is
an inversion and nourishes the brain with fresh blood and oxygen. It
also helps to relieve depression and balance hormones.
Ustrasana (camel pose):
Come down to sitting on the heels and take a few breaths. Then come up
to standing on the knees for Ustrasana. Inhale and place the hands on
the lower back as you lift the heart to the sky. Really, lift the heart
strongly, and lift out of the lower back and you will not feel
compression or strain in your lower back. Arch back slowly as if you
are going up and over a ball, and only as far as you can without
feeling strain in the back. You can keep the hands on the lower back,
or bring them down to the heels if you are very strong and flexible. DO NOT push yourself.
Be kind to your body and let the pose unfold bit, by bit. You can drop
the head back for more extension; if that hurts your neck, bring the
chin downwards the chest a little. This pose increases flexibility and strength of the neck and spine, and aids with digestion.
Ardha Matsyendrasana (half spinal twist):
Carefully come back to sitting on the heels. Lean your left hip to the
ground, bend your left knee and bring your left heel toward your right
buttock. Adjust yourself so that both sit bones are on the floor (the
right one is going to lift slightly, but try to keep the energy moving
it downward). Cross the right foot over your left bent knee and place
it down on the outside of your thigh. Place your left finger tips
behind you on the ground. Inhale your right arm up and lengthen through
your torso as you keep the hips moving down. Twist to the left and
bring the right arm to the outside of the left knee (this will give you
a little leverage.) On you next inhale move a little further into the
twist, and deepen even more on the exhale. Stay here for 3 breaths and
repeat on the other side. Twist are extremely detoxifying. The ring out the major organs of the body, and assist in digestion and elimination.
Sivasana (corpse pose): (NOTE: You may want a blanket if you are going to lie in sivasana pose for a while as you make get a little chilly.)
Slowly come out of the twist and gently move down to the ground so that
your are lieing comfortably on your back. Your feet should be about 6
inches apart with toes flopped out to the side, and the arms should be
about 4 inches away from the body. Make yourself as comfortable as
possible. Lie here for at least 3 minutes (10-15 is better) and do
nothing but breathe. Sivasana is a critical posture in yoga. It gives the body, mind and spirit time to integrate, relax and restore.
I
hope that you will give yoga a try, even beginning with 5 minutes of
breathing a day.The benefits will amaze you. You can learn more about
the important components of a yoga class, here.
May you be full of peace. May your body be healthy and strong.
Namaste-
Teal Marie
The illustrations used above are © and licenced from the Iyengar Institute of San Francsico.
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