Post Thanksgiving Yoga

Yoga Friends,

Is it just me or does it seem that all of a sudden, within the
space of a generation, most of us have become poly-stressed. Not that
folks weren't stressed 30 years ago, but current pressures seem to result
in far more casualties. More people reach their breaking point, overlying
a lifestyle where all of us are more tense in general.

As my yoga teaching evolves and I listen to what is needed for
many of us, it seems that a level of flexible health by practicing yoga
asanas, is less necessary than a fundamental gaze inward, to meditate,
to be quiet for a moment of contemplation, and to allow the opportunity
to engage our heart.

Hatha yoga is useful in physically wrenching tightness out of the
body (in a gentle way). Our psyche finds its hatha yoga complement in
meditation. By this practice we can let go of harmful emotional patterns. Especially during holiday season, there are additional family and
relationship stressors. It's great to be together with people who love us,
yet no one's life fits into that perfect Norman Rockwell, apple pie
portrait which continues to present expectations that actually contribute
more pressure to our personal situations.

It is the meditative work with our breath which brings our nervous
system into balance by taking our breath out of stressful patterns. There
are very specific, yet simple breathing sequences that turn a key inside
of our physically nervous and mentally emotional responses, causing our
constant state of attention to relax, slackening the high strung tensions
of "fight or flight" alertness, and switching on our "relaxation response".

THIS SUNDAY
Yoga class attempts to cope with the holiday emotional pendulum.

Namaste y'all, : )ohn

Breathwork in class

Class started with Viparita Karani (lying down, legs up the wall pose).
This is a rejuvenating posture and also great for easing pressure in
the lower legs and feet.

From this position we extended our exhale so that is was longer than
our inhale. As a result, our breath also slowed down. Often people will
breathe 12 to 15 times per minute but actually once every 10 seconds,
or 6 times per minute, is often a more healthy rate.

Lengthened exhale, for several minutes, lets our breathing release more
CO2 thru a focused, simple and safe exercise which changes the balance
in our blood chemistry and helps restore vital energy.
Our cells need oxygen otherwise skeletal muscle is not maintained and
metabolic functions are impaired. With oxygenation, our capacity to
sense and act is encouraged.

By lengthening our exhale, the parasympathetic nervous system turns on
and directs our "relaxation response" to engage more fully, while the
sympathetic nervous system releases from external "fight or flight"
stimuli. (Especially if we use an eye bag and blankets under the hips
or shoulders).
Both parasympathetic and sympathetic systems direct our involuntary
body functions, which we can control by using our breath to influence
the body environment that triggers our autonomic nervous responses.

Still laying down on our mats, last class did some twists and hip
opening poses. As we follow this routine, we'll see if it brings us
either to other supported inversions or to continue to open up space
in our spine by flowing back and forth thru bridge pose with a breath
aware exercise that helps us free our diaphragm and other primary and
secondary breathing muscles...

 : )ohn