and there's more...: Get stretching - Parsva Sukhasana

and there's more...: Get stretching - Parsva Sukhasana: Good morning... its time to stretch  I start with a few gentle breaths to waken the body.. here goes.. Tadasana - mountain pose ...

Get stretching - Parsva Sukhasana

Good morning... its time to stretch

 I start with a few gentle breaths to waken the body.. here goes.. Tadasana - mountain pose

Inhale through the nose and stretch your arms up and above your head, keeping feet grounded and close together..letting the in breath inflate your chest 

exhale through the mouth, returning the arms back down to the sides of the body, noticing how the chest deflates on the out breath.. repeat this several times making the breath deeper with each breath..filling the lungs with fresh oxygen and expelling the stale breath

focus and keep breath smooth and controlled... try to stretch as tall as possible ( keep upper body soft and legs strong, knee caps lifted  )

A few sun salutations to warm up the body as seen in previous posts...

and onto some side body stretches... ( some of my favourite asanas )

Starting off in an easy seated side stretch- parsva sukhasana.  This is an excellent stretch for the waist and side of the body, including the neck and shoulders.  

I find this beneficial for my obliques and back, a part of the body that I dont usually stretch in my usual day to day movements.

This is one of the asana that I have seen noticeable improvement since i started practising yoga.  I love the lengthening that I feel from doing this pose.  

A more advanced asana can 

be seen here Parivrtta janu sisasana ( seated side stretch ) it also shows which muscles are being used.This gives the sides of the body a fantastic stretch as seen in the diagrams, it has many benefits including opening and lengthening the side of the body and intercostal muscles between the ribs.

It also massages the abdominal organs improving digestion.

It is important to keep both sitting bones down and to keep lengthening before stretching over to side. 

and there's more...: meno-inconvenience

and there's more...: meno-inconvenience:   well hello... its been a few days hasnt it ? ...and I'm surprised i can remember I even have a blog just lately!! Seriously ...

meno-inconvenience

 

well hello... its been a few days hasnt it ? ...and I'm surprised i can remember I even have a blog just lately!!

Seriously ..dont know what it is just lately but I just cannot be bothered with anything, I seem to be in backward mode... 

I have been to the gym once this week.  ( now that is unheard of and YES... i feel s**t )

I'd like to say that In have got loads of my course work done..but ..that would be a lie... 

And it's not for the want of trying, I get the books out , put the computer on, and then..NOTHING.. 

I read the pages but nothing seems to be going in...  ( and yes I think its all to do with the dreaded menopause, and its damned INCONVENIENT ) and I definitely have not got time for this s**t

Funny thing is ...I keep saying to myself 'I will start tomorrow'   and tomorrow comes and goes... and the words still dont register.

And my course work due date is getting closer and closer ( and the really odd thing is ..I dont seemed bothered..usually I would be really stressed.... 

my 'get up and go' and got up and gone!!!!

  

What the hell is going on....

and there's more...: Happy Cat

and there's more...: Happy Cat: Not every day is the same and that is also the case with my yoga practice. Today was one such day, I was really looking forward to it, main...

Happy Cat

Not every day is the same and that is also the case with my yoga practice.

Today was one such day, I was really looking forward to it, mainly because I had been feeling a bit run down due to work load etc and I knew it would make me feel better.

Our instructor arrived looking full of 'sun salutation' as usual..she has a way of making me instantly feel fab, she is just so bubbly and full of energy

Practice starts with a gentle flow from  bitilasana ( cow pose ) through to  marjaryasana ( cat pose ),

A lovely gentle stretch to start our practice.

This warms and stretches my spine and helps me to let go of the stresses of the week, it is an opportunity to open the chest and allow the breath to become slow and calm, inhaling through the nose, filling the lungs with oxygen, at the same time allowing the belly to drop towards the mat and lift the chin and chest and look upwards ( cow pose )... pausing momentarily,  then exhale through the mouth, drawing naval to spine and at the same time rounding the back toward the ceiling, and releasing the head toward the mat gently ( cat pose ). 

This has the effect of bringing me immediately into the moment, focusing on inhaling/exhaling deeply into the asana (poses ) using the breath to flow effortlessly from one to the other.

We repeat this 10 times breathing more deeply/slowly with each move, 

coming to rest, sitting back on heels in an upright position.  

Feeling Purrfect 😻 😉

Benefits of these asana include

• encourages flexibility to the spine
• stretches muscles in back, hip, torso, neck, shoulders
• stimulates internal organs
• opening lungs

and there's more...: relaxed and calm Sunday

and there's more...: relaxed and calm Sunday: This is so unusual for me, relaxing is something I never think of doing  ( unless I'm in my yoga class ��) Its non-stop usually.....

relaxed and calm Sunday

This is so unusual for me, relaxing is something I never think of doing

 ( unless I'm in my yoga class 😉)

Its non-stop usually... like most days.. 6.30, dive out of bed, prepare breakfast for the family... prepare sandwiches.. do a quick tidy round..  rush to one of my classes ( and rush to Mass on a Sunday! )

But today was different...still got up early, did a bit of my course work 😉( cus I got to get it in )

and decided I was going to take a nice cup of coffee back to bed!!! 

and just CHILL with the husband... like I had nothing else in the world to do ( and it was fab... ) sometimes I'm just too busy living that I actually forget to LIVE.. and enjoy it.... 

 just spending the day with loved ones ( no exercise classes and no golf today! ) chilling and catching up, eating at home... 

Sometimes you just got to do nothing!!

but enjoy the life that the Blessed Lord has given you

Having a Blessed Sunday

Hope yours was too

x

and there's more...: Not feeling myself

and there's more...: Not feeling myself: Good Morning ��or rather not got up at my normal 6.30 am and I'd got the worst headache ever ( i do have quite a few but this was a c...

Not feeling myself

Good Morning 😚or rather not

got up at my normal 6.30 am and I'd got the worst headache ever ( i do have quite a few but this was a corker ) tried to ignore it and go about my business, but realised it wasnt going anywhere soon.  Then I realised it wasnt just a headache, my joints were aching, i had backache, my legs were hurting and i felt very sick, ( these are very similar symptoms I would experience before my period, which as I have said in previous posts are about every 3 months now) but its my inability to regulate my temperature i find really strange!!!
If I am not having a flush, with steam coming out of my ears!! I'm freezing cold.. what is it all about.
So I must admit I had to go back to bed, which I never do, much too hyper for that.  And as I feeling so cold,  I just welcomed my duvet. And it was bazarre because I just drifted into a deep sleep, almost dilarious  dreaming of things and people from years ago..very odd.
I emerged about lunch time feeling a little groggy and set about getting back to normal..  which took a while.
But next morning I felt fine, little washed out, but lovly, and was raring to go to my yoga class.
Very strange, too short lived to be a bug or a cold, or even anything connected with the 13th 😏, and I did think may be i'd eaten something that didnt agree with me, but I think there would of been different symptoms....and the fact that I have been having these temperature fluctuations regularly now for about 3 weeks is really knocking me off my feet.
I am definitely thinking more MENOPAUSE symptoms and I am really thinking of seeing my GP for some HRT!!!

and there's more...: Not been feeling the best ..need my yoga practice

and there's more...: Not been feeling the best ..need my yoga practice: I'm guessing its due to the time of year ( its normal for me to have a cold/flu etc in the autumn/winter months) that I am feeling a lit...

Not been feeling the best ..need my yoga practice

I'm guessing its due to the time of year ( its normal for me to have a cold/flu etc in the autumn/winter months) that I am feeling a little odd!
I use the word ODD because I dont feel ill but I do feel all of these: tired, weak, lack of motivation, cold, sniffles, not sleeping well.
It could be one of several things, spending a day outdoors when I initially didnt feel well, change of weather, onset of a cold or the dreaded menopause,
Having said that it seems since I found 'Yoga' ( this included drinking more water, eating a healthier diet, doing more exercise/classes and so on ) I do not have any where near as many colds as before.
( could just be a coincidence lol )
So it came as a bit of a shock for me to feel unwell.  So I did initially just carry on as norm but realised quite quickly that I needed to give myself a break and listen to my body! 
I've rested ( well not rested, but not done any classes for a few days, 4 days!!! ) so only done some stretches 1st thing each day.
Thats been very difficult for me as I am quite hyper... so I am in a hurry to resume normal service as soon as possible
my home yoga practice starts with a few full standing body stretches ( mountain pose/Tadasana ) inhalingexhaling fully allowing the lungs to fill/empty with oxygen...stretching all the stresses out and away..i love this stretch
on to a few gentle forward folds with legs bent ... being kind to my body as I havnt done anything for a few days.
continuing onto all fours..a few cat/cow poses  inhaling into cat exhaling to cow pose...feeling a lovly stretch in my back/shoulders
onto my back for some leg stretches...raise leg grasping behind knee.. moving to shin and finally ankle..feeling a stretch in my groin and hamstrings..feels good to stretch, holding the stretch for a few breaths and gently rotating ankle both ways... intensifying stretch  ( then onto other leg )
then onto a seated forward fold..exhaling down..inhaling up.  not getting very near to my knees this morning!!  but loving the stretch. after several breaths here, its back down to mat for a full body stretch, flexing and pointing the toes, arms above head for the ultimate stretch....

feeling energised and somewhat taller!!

and now its time for breakfast

have a fab day

Namaste 

and there's more...: Good morning hip stretch

and there's more...: Good morning hip stretch: Good Morning Hip Stretch/Openers ? 'Good morning'  and  'Hip stretch'   in the same sentence, does not sit well for me  (...

Good morning hip stretch

Good Morning Hip Stretch/Openers ?

'Good morning'  and  'Hip stretch'   in the same sentence, does not sit well for me  ( no pun intended! )

I'm sure I'm not on my own when I admit I really dont like doing hip openers/stretches ( i'd almost go as far as saying I hate them )
And for me that means that I know I'm not good at them,  they are uncomfortable to do and i would go as far to say that some hip openers I attempt, actually hurt and this in turn makes me like them less....
so I know it is a good thing that I go to classes as well as do home practices
reason being is I would never choose to do a hip opening sequence, which in turn would mean that my hips would never get used to opening more, which in turn would mean it would always be uncomfortable...
good thing about going to the classes is that I never know what to expect, each class is different and will invariably have some aspect of hip openers, and because I'm taking part in the class I will attempt to do them, and also I can see that it is not only me that finds them difficult.

Having said that many poses that we do would not automatically shout out 'Hip openers'
and yet most poses we do will have some aspect of hip work..e.g

• Downward dog
• downward dog split
• lunges
• sitting in cross leg position

all of these will open the hips.. the benefits of hip openers are immense and include

• increased flexibility in hips... allowing even weight distribution, allowing even the most difficult tasks to be done efficiently.
• release stress and tension on the spine.. increased hip tightness means that the spine has to over compensate, causing back pain
• improve actions like bending down and movements that include leg lifts.

More intense hip openers include:

• Pigeon pose
• lizard pose
• Hindi squat
• Frog  ( my pet hate ...will I ever get flat... NO !! )

And of course it is always important to remember that every ones body is different including our hips.. so what is accessible for one person may not ever be to another

Always work within your limitations

Namaste

yoga journal..how do I feel

So its been awhile since I did my yoga class ( holidays )

initially after class, felt really achy..tough class, lots of long sequences...
really aware of fingers/wrists/forearms/shoulders
leg muscles/ butt definitely feeling worked
lot of shaking in class today.... trying to focus and not come out of the pose..dont let it beat me..dig in
plough was almost a welcome relief!!!
as was the medi  session

morning after, definitely remember my class
shoulders quite achy, wrists a little stiff but surprisingly not too bad
first full standing stretch of the day bought it all back....
breathing in and stretching up allowed me to stretch through stiff shoulders/forearms..down through to ack and rib cage...down through lower back/glutes/ quads/knees/caaalves
first stretch of the day feels amazing... allowing mysef a baby back bend....delicious
inhaling and strtching up and over into side bends...feeling the effects of yoga class yesterday and also feeling the strength in my abs oblique muscles as they engage to bring my torso back to an upright position...and into a baby back bend stretching the ab muscles
standing side stretch is one of my favourite stretches...allowing me to stretch away all the toils of yesterday...
a few gentle neck twists also feel good, followed by shoulder rotations
moving on to standing forward folds feeling the stretch throught he backs of my legs/glutes and down to my calf muscles...taking it gently through the 1st few folds
moving onto a few standing wists...loosening up my waiste/back....feels fab
( feeling a little bit, like I did, when I first started doing yoga.... really feel like i worked hard in my class yesterday... that litle break from yoga/exercise worked wonders) feeling strong and energised...
bring on the day....

and there's more...: yoga journal..how do I feel

and there's more...: yoga journal..how do I feel: So its been awhile since I did my yoga class ( holidays )   Dont think..just breathe..namaste initially after class, felt really achy....

and there's more...: time flies

and there's more...: time flies: Wow   when did that happen.... It surely does.... can not believe how the weeks are flying by... So we had our lovly holida...

time flies

Wow   when did that happen....

It surely does.... can not believe how the weeks are flying by...

So we had our lovly holiday in Cyprus..( and I havnt even got time to blog about it!!!! )

Main reason...... I am throwing myself into this Yoga course ( and I have not got enough time )

i am on a time schedule to get my Yoga journal in  ( 60 hours worth!!! )

and yes...of course I am doing that amount of classes etc but fitting so many classes in and then finding time to write about them is proving almost impossible.....I love doing the classes but not so keen on doing the write up after 😒

Good thing is 2 assignments done, so on wards and upwards we go  ....

I attended a fantastic yoga workshop this weekend and I hope to be able to tell all..but not just now...

Just to say ..It was amazing ....full of love and calm and laughter  ...( yes 'laughter'...because its good for the soul... yes really )..oh yes and stretching!!!!  😘

And of course there are still all the mundane things to tackle....

....... so time is flying 

and the day is passing me by

and if I dont start this journal...

there will be water in my eye!!!!!

( sorry .. 😘 )

Have a fab day