Pose like an Egyptian

Laura holding sphinx pose on top of a big rockBack-bending sphinx pose can’t help bring to mind the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt. I like using that enormous limestone statue as inspiration when holding the posture in a yin yoga practice: level gaze, long neck, relaxed shoulders, and unstrained stillness.

Dogs are also phenomenal models for sphinx. My dog, Sofie, often flops down into sphinx to wait for the next bit of excitement to cross her path.

In a yin yoga practice, the purpose of sphinx is not to bend your lower back as much as you possibly can, but to use your arms and belly to support the weight of your torso and let your back soften. It’s even better if you can convince your neck, shoulders, hips, and legs to relax as well.

Resist the temptation to come into your deepest back bend; instead, find a comfortable compression through your low back. You can always intensify the posture as you sink into it. Likewise, you can always reduce the intensity if you’re getting warning signs that it’s becoming too much.

The gentlest sphinx is simply resting flat on your stomach with your chin on your hands – although that’s certainly resembles the sphinx in Egypt a lot less!

Sphinx

Why it’s good

  • Compresses the lower back, which counters our strong forward-folding tendencies
    • we rarely bend backwards in the course of our daily lives, but often bend forwards (e.g. while driving, working at a computer, reading, lifting groceries/kids/dogs)
  • Helps to create a flexible spine and tone back muscles
  • Stretches stomach muscles and helps open the throat and upper chest
  • Can release tension from the shoulder blades/mid-back
  • Aids in detoxification
    • releasing the pose give the kidneys a fresh supply of blood, which that flushes out toxins

How to do it

  • Start by lying facedown
    • let your belly press into the mat as you breathe
  • Draw your forearms under your chest with elbows bent
    • keep your elbows ahead of your shoulders
  • Rest the weight of your torso onto your forearms and relax your shoulders
    • feel your shoulders drop away from your ears; allow your shoulder blades to soften
  • Keep your chest and collar bones open
    • feel your lungs expand in all directions with every inhale and let go of tension with every exhale
  • Experiment with the positioning of your arms, hands, legs, and head until you find the right balance of compression in your low back, stretch along your front, and ease through your shoulders
    • To decrease compression in your low back:
      • draw your elbows further away from your chest, letting your torso come closer to the floor
      • widen your legs and/or your elbows/forearms
    • To increase compression in your low back
      • bring your elbows closer to your chest (just as long as they’re still ahead of your shoulders)
      • narrow your legs
      • rest your forearms on a bolster or block to bring your chest further from the floor
      • bend your knees and let your heels come towards your buttocks
    • To reduce stress on your shoulders and release tension in your upper back
      • rest your torso on a folded blanket, block, or bolster
      • place a soft, small weight (like an eye pillow or bean bag) between your shoulder blades to encourage them to relax
    • To stretch the back of your neck and stimulate your throat
      • drop your chin towards your chest without compressing into your collar bones – don’t round your upper back
    • To stretch your throat and compress the back of your neck
      • turn your face towards the ceiling, being sure to keep your jaw and throat relaxed
  • Keep your head centred between your shoulders and your allow your eyes to close or your gaze to soften
  • Hold sphinx pose for up to six minutes
    • adjust your head/arm/leg positioning as necessary to intensify or lessen the compression in your low back, but resist fidgeting

To come out of sphinx:

  • For a little extra stretch, inhale and draw the crown of your head upwards, without letting your shoulders come towards your ears
  • As you exhale, gently slide your elbows outwards, slowly lowering your torso to the mat
  • Rest on your belly for a few moments, enjoying the flow of energy and fluid through your low back

Child’s pose is good counter to release the lower back, but some people find that simply lying on their stomachs and letting their breath move to the area that was compressed in sphinx is enough to relieve low-back tension.

Sunny salutations

Laura in a standing salute in the snowGorgeous weather calls for celebratory yoga. And what better way to honour the sun than with a salutation?

Sun salutations are sequences with easy to remember poses that flow into each other, allowing you to focus on the moment and the movement. When you’re not worrying about what posture comes next, you can let your breath dictate your transitions and let your brain zone out.

There are many different versions of sun salutations, most of which are based on the traditional Sun Salutation A. While I like the sequences of the traditional sun salutations, I most often adapt the flow depending on what body parts feel like they need more attention and the circumstances of my practice.

Modified sun salutations are great for travel; it’s easy to adapt the sequence to take up very little floor space or to do without a mat. I’ve done something like the sequence below on muddy trails, sandy beaches, between beds on hotel room floors, and even in the snow while wearing boots as shown in the photo.

Don’t worry if you miss a breath or two or forget what side you’re on. You can always come back to the start and re-group in Mountain pose. It’s really about moving and breathing… the poses and flow are just there to help get things going!

Hands-free sun salutation

This probably looks like a lot of steps, but it’s surprising how smooth the movements become and how quickly you can glide through a full sequence.

Why it’s good

  • Gets circulation going and works your cardiovascular system
    • good for warming up the body and generating heat!
  • Stimulates the lymphatic system
  • Strengthens and gently tones a range of muscles – from the ones along your spine to your shoulders & arms and into your legs
  • Stretches most muscles along the front & back body (abs, back, hips, hamstrings, shoulders, chest, calves, neck)
  • Works your joints – from toes & ankles up through your neck & shoulders – in a healthy way
  • Encourages balance and deep breathing

How to do it

  • Start standing in Mountain pose
    • standing tall, with even pressure on both feet
  • As you inhale, come into a Salute
    • raise arms above your head; palms facing, fingers reaching to the sky
  • As you exhale, bend backwards into a Standing Back Bend
    • look upwards, open your chest, and draw shoulders back
  • Inhale to bring yourself back to Centre
    • bring neck and back straight, arms stay up
  • Exhale slowly into a Swan Dive
    • gracefully lower chest towards thighs, sweeping arms wide
  • Hold a Forward Fold for a full cycle of breath
    → inhale to lengthen your spine & exhale to soften your torso

    • hold each elbow with each palm, hips lift upwards, torso relaxes
  • As you inhale, come into Half-forward Fold
    • back flat and parallel to ground, palms resting on your knees, look forward
  • Exhale into a Forward Fold again
    • chest towards thighs, fingertips towards the ground, bend your knees if necessary
  • With an inhale, bring your Right Leg Back to Lunge
    • shift weight to left side, keeping your left knee at 90° and directly over your ankle
  • Exhale to settle into the Lunge
    • sink hips your hips lower if comfortable and make sure pelvis stays even; rest your hands on your left thigh or at your sides
  • Inhale to raise your arms up into a Back-bending Lunge
    • arms are shoulder-width apart and shoulders stay relaxed; open your chest as much as comfortable
  • Exhale into another Forward Fold
    • let your shoulders and hips relax as your arms extend towards the ground and your feet come parallel and hip-width apart
  • Inhale to draw your Left Leg Back to Lunge
    • shift weight to right side, right knee bent at 90° and directly over your ankle
  • Use your exhale to settle into the Lunge on this side
    • keep your hips from sagging, rest your hands on your right thigh or alongside your torso, and feel the strength in your legs
  • Inhale, drawing your arms up into a Back-bending Lunge
    • shoulders relaxed and rolled back with your chest open
  • Exhale to bring your feet together into Forward Fold
    • torso relaxes towards thighs, arms dangle down, feet come together
  • Inhale and lengthen your spine into Half-forward Fold
    • gazing forward with a flat back
  • Exhale into the last Forward Fold of the sequence
    • bend your knees a little to relax your legs, relax your shoulders and let your arms hang down
  • With a slow inhale, sweep up to a Salute
    • bring your arms wide and palms facing as you raise your torso with a flat back
  • Exhale and draw your palms together and lower your arms into Mountain with Prayer
    • lightly press your hands together in front of your chest, relax your shoulders, feel both feet grounded

Repeat the series a few times, switching which leg moves back into the lunge first if you’d like. And, of course, find your own modifications dependent on what your circumstances are like!

Sweet pea solstice

Magenta and periwinkle sweet pea flowers with water dropletsSweet peas mean summer to me. And while the grey skies in Vancouver (and the flooding in Southern Alberta) might suggest otherwise, summer has officially begun.

The day of equinox or solstice that marks the division between winter, spring, summer, and autumn rarely feels like the actual commencement of the season. This summer solstice is no exception.

But at least the grass is green in the Pacific Northwest, the flowers are out, and we don’t need to worry about watering gardens and lawns!

There are lots of summer solstice celebrations happening today – including one at Bound Lotus Meditation & Yoga Centre that preempts my regular yin yoga class tonight. No yin bliss tonight… and next Friday is the last of the month, which brings with it a sublimely soothing yin yoga session with guided relaxation and an extra-long savasana.

Hope the first day of summer is treating everyone well and that you’re able to join me for some relaxation on Friday, June 28 at 6:30pm!

It’s my birthday & I’ll teach if I want to

Laura wearing a birthday hat with a cakeToday is my birthday and part of my celebrations include teaching my regular yin yoga class at Bound Lotus Meditation & Yoga Centre. Class starts at 6:30pm and will feature some of my favourite poses (like supported fish – which might be one of your favourites, too!), a playlist of yin-appropriate music I love, and homemade cookies afterwards.

Yogi Bhajan, who brought Kundalini yoga to the West and founded 3HO, encouraged his students to bring sweet treats to class on their birthdays to share the celebration of with others. The Kundalini tradition holds that what you do on your birthday sets the tone for the year ahead.

Teaching yoga and sharing cookies sounds like a great beginning to my next year.

Happy birthday to me!

 

p.s. Apologies to Lesley Gore for ripping off the title of this post from her iconic song: It’s My Party.

Twice the relaxation

Big graphic M - which is for May
Image from happy_serendipity; some rights reserved

The last Friday of every month I teach a yoga class at Bound Lotus Meditation & Yoga Centre with an extra-long relaxation period. Last week wasn’t the last Friday of the month (May has 31 days? since when?), but the 6:30pm yin yoga class got an extra-long relaxation anyway.

Maybe I sensed that students (particularly those completing the 40 Day Transformation Yoga Challenge!) needed a little more rest. Maybe there was requiescence in the air. Maybe I just can’t keep track of days and months… Or maybe this May has two last Fridays!

As the second last-Friday-of-the-month class, tonight’s yin yoga class at Bound Lotus will feature an extra-long savasana (corpse pose) with yoga nidra (guided relaxation) to help really dispel tension and stress.

Come celebrate the May with two last Fridays! Class starts at 6:30pm, deep conscious relaxation begins shortly after.

 

P.S. If you want to learn more about yoga nidra, the Yoga Wonders website has a nice overview of the practice.

Gone to the dogs

On Sunday evening, I went to the Healing Circle Meditation at Bound Lotus Meditation & Yoga Centre, along with 30 or so other people and one dog! My dog, Sofie, is a skilled meditator and has participated in a number of group meditations at Bound Lotus.

During the meditations, which involve chanting mantras and sometimes use mudras (hand gestures), Sofie curls up in front of me and settles into a meditative state of her own. She helps bring out my meditative best and seems to create an even more calming energy for the group. And she loves getting petted and cooed at by students 🙂

Sofie regularly joins me when I practice yoga or meditate at home, so she’s very used to the process. Within minutes of rolling out my yoga mat, she’s on it. Sometimes I can convince her to provide assists, like applying a little pressure to my hips in swan/pigeon pose or letting me use her as a prop in child’s pose. And she’s always willing to rest next to me during savasana.

One of the challenges of any meditation or yoga practice is letting go of all the mental clutter and simply experiencing the present moment. Dogs are masters of ‘now.’ Sofie doesn’t understand ‘later,’ or ‘before,’ she’s entirely in the present. Exactly how I want to be when meditating!

The Healing Circle Meditation is a free monthly event at Bound Lotus. If you or someone you love could use a little healing boost and/or you’re interested in experiencing a group Kundalini meditation look for the next date on the Bound Lotus website. Hopefully Sofie and I will be meditating there with you!

Laura and Sofie stretching together

Get to the mat!

A close-up of two rolled yoga matsWhen I’m grumpy or anxious or unsettled, often the best place for me is on a yoga mat.

Yesterday, when I was irritated by a bunch of mis-fires, ‘practice’ was a few postures that didn’t stress my tender knees while listening to happy-making music (including my current favourite What I Wouldn’t Do by Serena Ryder) and 10 minutes or so of meditation. Quick, unchallenging, and effective.

When I’m nervous or tired, ‘practice’ is often a restorative pose or two – spending time doing nothing, just being still and quiet.

If I’m anxious or jittery, a few rounds of the flying dragon flow (from Paul Grilley’s Yin Yoga DVD) can be just the thing to work off that energy and settle me.

When I roll out my mat and spend a few minutes grounding myself, I usually get a strong sense of what kind of ‘practice’ my body and psyche need. It’s generally uncomplicated poses and a fairly short sequence – not a big commitment. Practicing for even 15 minutes usually takes the edge off of whatever emotions have taken over and brings me to a happier state.

Getting onto the mat is easy to do… and has a big impact.

Trouble is, I forget how much better practicing yoga makes me feel and how easy ‘practice’ really can be. I need to continually remind myself how effective ‘practice’ is and that a yoga mat is a wonderful tool!

If you want to get to the mat and need a little prodding, join me for a yin yoga class at Bound Lotus Meditation & Yoga Centre. I’m teaching three classes again this week – Wednesday (today) at 4pm and 8:15pm and Friday at 6:30pm.