yoga teacher training retreat uvita costa rica

I do love my Yin Yoga.  It's so out of character for me, it's crazy that I love it.  I think it's just what I need sometimes.  To calm down, relax and push all at the same time.  

Here's a great article on the benefits and needs our body has for lossening the connective tissues.

Check it out!  https://bodydivineyoga.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/technolgies-of-qi-yin-yoga-connective-tissue/

Twists are detoxifying, or at least that's how BKS Iyengar has to say about them.  Twists do squish and move the abdomen, so there may be some truth to that statement.  Science disagrees, but science doesn't feel how a twist feels in teh body, before during and after.  They do feel good, and definitely help many back problems, but be cautious in your twists.  

Keep in mind that the thoracic spine moves less than the lumbar and the cervical.  So we want our twists to be more from that region (where the ribs connect to the spine).  People tend to overcompensate in the lumbar and cervical area during their twists.  This is not the greatest idea, as we can injure ourselves in that way.  

When you twist; start from the belly, then add the chest, and next the shoulders.  Add the neck only if it's a pleasant addition, and do not over twist the neck.  Undo the twist in the exact opposite.  Shoulders, chest, then belly.  This will not only protect the entire spine but if you are thinking about elongating the spine during your twist, you will go further, keeping the spine protected with length and reap more benefits.  Such as spinal mobility.  

We don't think about mobility much, until we age, unless we are into certain sports or yoga.  You will find a healthy happy and mobile spine can be your best friend or your worst enemy at any age.  Keep it on your good side by twisting with these key factors in mind.

Do not leverage too much.  
Inhale and lengthen the spine, then twist. (remember belly, chest, shoulders)
Keep that long spine during the entire twist.  Never give up the length to twist deeper. 
Come out of a twist in the reverse way (shoulders, chest, belly)
Usually exhaing on the twist (unless it's a lifting twist: then you inhale)
Keep the shoulders low and even.
Keep the chest and shoulders open.
Breath normally or try to deepen your inhalation and exhalation, but do not cut off your breaths.
Do your twists on both sides for the same amount of time, with the same amount of effort. (not necessarily the same depth of pose, as sides may differ greatly)
​Use caution with the neck in twists.
Enjoy, don't judge.  


I love Esther Ekhart, she has many great tutorials on youtube.  Here's an article she wrote on twists that I highly recommend.  Enjoy!
http://www.ekhartyoga.com/blog/yoga-twists-the-ins-and-outs

Many yogis are tempted to do a little yoga on the beach.  I do it all the time.  Be warned, it's not that easy.  The ground is not super stable underneath you, so when coming up into your standing and or balance poses you must proceed with extra caution.  Make sure your foundation is sturdy.  It's easy to twist an ankle in the sand when coming up into a Warritio I pose.   Seated poses can be easier in the sand.  Try gomukasana and or a split.  Let the sand move and help you feel deeper into the pose.

To ensure safe yoga on the beach:
​
~move slower into poses
~get your feet safe and steady
~be aware of your surroundings (playing dogs have knocked me down on the beach)
~ use a friend to help stabilize yourself (this is fun)
~bring water
~don't do yoga and drink alcohol

We all love the beach and yoga.  If you follow these simple guidelines, the two will get along beautifully.
Namaste

The muscles that bring the leg forward (lift the leg) are known as the hip flexors.  Think about where you feel the work coming from when you raise your knee towards your hip.  These muscles are very important to walking, standing, running, and basically the posts is the kingpin (fyi Kingpin w Bill Murray and Woody Harrelson  was a great movie, that now I will need to watch once again) of connecting your upper body to your lower body.  That's a pretty important job.  We all know about the quads, but the posts may be new to some of you.  Take a look at the iliopsoas.  There's a lot more to lifting your leg than you may have thought.  When a muscle gets injured, the sirrounding ones take over (compensation).  This can be hard to reverse once a pattern has immerged.

These hip flexor muscles can also be weak, or tight.  God forbid they are both weak and tight.  Ugh.

Yoga is a great way to not only stretch these muscles but also strengthen them.  Do not underestimate the need for both strength and. range of motion.  

Many people suffer from back pain.  You don't need to be "old" to have pain in the back.  I suggest start a little exercise now to avoid any problems.  If you've never had back pain, count yourself as a lucky person.   Believe me, it totally sucks.  Begin your day with some gentle stretches and work into some more leg, shoulder and spine stretches.  Your body and mind will thank you for it.

Click on the link below to see how the hip flexors relate to back pain.  Very intersting indeed.  

http://www.lowbackpainprogram.com/hip-flexors-and-hamstrings.html

Sometimes called "flow" or "vinyasa flow" this type of yoga actually does have a flow to it.  You typically move from one pose to the nex,t coordinating movement and breath.  It can be a great combination of strength, stretch and cardio.  Usually a vinysasa class starts out with a down dog or a spinal warm up then proceeds to several sun salutations.  

After that point your body should be warm, you are probably sweating.  The sweat continues with more standing poses and then you eventually make your way to the ground for some stretches, back bends, twists and general feel good stuff.  Oh don't get me wrong, it's still work, but maybe the sweating has lessened by now.  

If at any time you neeed a rest.  Take a child's pose or a down dog.  You can jump back into what the group is doing when you've had time to catch your breath.
 
Coordinating the breath and the movement is a glorious feeling.  Many yogis get hooked on that.
Vinyasa differs from Hatha in that it flows more, has more sun salutations.  A Hatha class may use all the same poses, but it's just a slower paced.  You may hold the exact same pose for a significantly longer time.  It's still fun and challenging, but different.
​
I suggest you give them both a try.  See which one works best for you.  

Is Savasana necessary?  Does it do anything?  Can't I just leave after those last few poses.  Sneak out and try not to disturb anyone...
Nope.  Stay for Savasana.

Savasana is important.  The last pose really is all about saving the best for last.  Give your body those few minutes (5-15) usually, to reap all the benefits of your yoga practice.  To calm the mind and the body and to transition back to your crazy life.  

Here's a little article on Savasana by someone probably way more intelligent than I am.   Or at the very least more published.  :)  

Give it a look.  Please don't skip it, even in a home practice.  Don't skip it.  And it can be spelled both Savasana or Shavasana.  

​I prefer Savasana as the spelling.
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2014/01/shavasana-the-hardest-easiest-most-important-yoga-pose/​

Below is a great article on business, and the Type A personality's need for yoga.  It's always best to takea little time out of each day and remember to be mindful, meditatie and or move the body in a healthy way.  Yoga can give you all three of these wonderful disciplnes.  
Check it out. http://yoganonymous.com/ceos-secret-to-success-practicing-yoga

​