Re-energize with Restorative Poses

Ok, so the holiday hoopla is finally over, and if you're anything like me, despite having a few extra days off, you find yourself a bit drained and exhausted. First things first, please make sure you're drinking extra water, dehydration during these frosty months, with heaters cranked up, doesn't help with our energy levels.

Next plan to take an hour or so for some recovery time. I'd like to introduce you to the world of restorative poses in your yoga practice. Restorative Yoga focuses on relaxing the body in restful postures. Note that 'rest' is different than sleep. Rest provides the body an opportunity to renew and heal. It is also beneficial to practice restorative postures at the end of the day, before bed. This can slow the body and mind down, and prepare the body for sleep. Many who practice restorative postures (at any time of the day), find that they sleep better and their energy levels are higher. Here are a few of my favorite basic restorative poses:

1) Viparita Karani/ Legs up the Wall pose: Putting the legs up the wall is a very gentle way to do an inversion. It brings blood to the head and heart; and it can be practiced by those who are not inverting (such as those with high blood pressure or those on their menstural cycle.)

• Use a yoga bolster or fold and stack 2 thick blankets, creating a support that is 6 inches high and long enough to prop your hips and lower back.
• Place the blankets or bolster (length is parallel to wall) a few inches away from the wall.
• Curl your legs into the chest and turn onto your left side. Use your left arm as a support, and then roll onto your right hip while sweeping your legs up against the wall.
• Place your back and hips on the blanket. Your body should be in a straight line from navel to top of head and it should be perpendicular to the wall. The bolster or blankets should be supporting from the top of your tailbone all the way to your mid-back.
• your shoulder blades do not need to be on the blanets but should be resting comfortably on the floor.
• Try to keep your legs straight and aim to have the back of your thighs lying against the wall. To do this, try climbing each leg up the wall to get your hips closer to the wall. (If this is a problem for your hamstrings, slide your support away from the way and make sure there is a gap between your thighs and the wall.)
• Place an eyebag over your eyes and begin to breath. Allow your breath to relax your body as you settle into the position.
• Stay here for anywhere from 3-20 minutes, or as long as it feels good. Just remember to continue to breath into your lower belly, and to allow your body- joints and muscles to open into the posture. 

2) Adho Mukha Virasana/ supported child's pose:

It can be very restorative for a number of ailments and conditions. This posture is good for people with fatigue, headaches, hypertension, neck problems, indigestion, menstrual pain / PMS.

• Sit on your mat on your knees with your knees spread apart.
• Place a bolster or two between your legs and pull it in towards you.
• Lie down onto the bolster and place your arms out in front to either side.
• Place your face nose down in a towel cradle or spend equal time on each cheek.
• Move the bolsters and add or subtract support until there is little tension in your thighs and low back.
• Stay here and breath slowly and deeply for 2 or more minutes. 

3) Supported Pasichimottanasana /Foward Bend This restorative yoga pose is helpful for lower back problems or tight hamstrings. It opens the leg muscles, stretches the back and is wonderful to rest in.
* Props: Bolster or rolled blanket, pillow, yoga block.

• Sit in Dandasana, with your legs outstretched and your ankles together.
• Place the bolster or blanket beneath your knees, so your knees are comfortably bent.
• Place the pillow on your lap or legs, to rest your upper body on.
• Slowly begin to fold over your legs, making sure you feel no pain. It's good to feel a comfortable stretch, but if you feel any discomfort you should increase the height of the blankets underneath your legs.
• If you feel your neck or shoulders straining, you can use a block to prop your head on the pillow.
• Close your eyes and breathe for as long as you want,allowing yourself to relax.

Remember: "The time to relax is when you don't have time for it." ~Sidney J. Harris

If it is fun to do is it exercise?

Since I've spent the last two posts speaking about sweets, my inner critic is telling me I should focus on some exercise. This has always been a tricky thing for me. I am not a person who enjoys going to the gym, the exception being for a private pilates reformer session. For me a fun workout requires tricking my self to believe what I'm doing is not exercise. Then once I get in the habit, doing things like going to the gym is much easier and not so painful,  Here a few examples of my favorites:

Walking around the lake with a friend: Yes, its a two plus mile walk with hills, but I see it as catch up time with my friend. Or take the dog for a walk, you have to do it, you might as well enjoy it and give yourself some credit

Take the kids to the playground.... and play with them. Like me & don't have kids yet?... I take my nephews or help my friends out by babysitting for an afternoon. They get a break and I get some fun & exercise. You'll do more running around & chasing than you think you will. Pushing kids on a swing is a good workout for your arms too.

Dance classes: If anyone has ever told you dancing isn't exercise, they haven't tried it. Ballrrom & latin dancing is quite the workout, so is belly dancing. Both are a lot of fun & a great way to make new friends or even sometimes find that special someone you've been looking for

• Yoga:  A good class is always nice, but you don't have to spend any money to do yoga at home. I use it as an opportunity for some wonderful quiet time for myself. I also love stretching out tight muscles. When I'm done, I feel more relaxed & focused.  Its a great way for me to start the morning. If I do yoga at night, I treat myself to a nice long Savasana at the end, which helps me to fall asleep feeling very relaxed without a care in the world.  
• Video Games: sounds crazy right? So many games are now geared to get people moving since we lead such sedentary lifestyles now.  A friend of mine lost some weight just by playing Dance Dance Revolution on his xbox for about 15-20 minutes a day. I tried it on my playstation, its exhausting, but silly fun.  With the introduction of the Wii gaming system, there are a ton of fitness games available. 

The hardest part of exercise is always getting motivated enough to get started, even when it is fun. Just remember what Lao- Tzu Said, "A Journey of a Thousand Miles Must Begin with a Single step."

Starting Over

Ok so I haven't written in months. After an amazing weekend of classes at the MT Nittany Institute of Natural health I feel renewed and have a better direction of how I want to use this blog. I wanted this blog to be about living a life in balance. In order to do that I need to talk about how a healthy lifestyle is incorporated into all aspects of our lives, not just by what we eat or how often we work out.

For starters, I will be touching on terminology that is used to describe "alternative medicine practices" that the every day individual would not know what it means. I will do my best to include references and offer sources for further information.

I also will use this space to talk about my "conscious change project" for the Holistic health Practitioner program I am taking at the MT Nittany Institute of Natural Health, in State college, PA. I am trying to get back into shape and I despise traditional exercise. I do not, however, despise yoga, in fact I quite miss doing it. SO, for the next 6 months I will be offering the meditations and pose series that I use each week to address a particular issue.

I will continue to discuss my thoughts on nutrition & offer some recipes that are yummy and really good for you too!

I don't like the stress and pressure of waiting until January 1st to attack a new resolution. I feel as if it almost sets us up for failure. Instead I am starting right now. Be Good to yourselves.

Start Your Morning Off Right

Its amazing what one can do when you take the time to put your mind to it. For me, working in the restaurant business had made a night owl out of me for the last I-don't-know-how-many-years. So, the prospect of getting up early to meditate or do some mild & gentle excercise, let alone earlier is a hard pill to swallow.

As a Reiki practitioner I always try to do a small meditation on the Usui principles for a few moments when I first wake up and right before bedtime. On a whim because I woke up unusually early I decided to lengthen that meditation and do some early morning yoga.

I don't know about you, but I'm too groggy first thing in the morning and drive half an hour to a yoga studio for an hour and a half class. Mornings are also super busy so to figure out how to squeeze all that extra time in your day can be stressful. I think this kind of defeats the purpose of Yoga. The point of morning yoga is to gradually awake the body and the mind. To center yourself and prepare for the day in a relaxing manner. So I started by doing some simple poses and streching for a half hour. Then I moved on to an organized program. Fit tv has a show called Namaste Yoga that does half hour mini sessions. I have started recording episodes on my DVR.
It truly is relaxing, yet energizing to start the morning off stretching, meditating and doing poses. Not to mention it takes very little time.

I find when I am finished I can start my day calmly and feeling refreshed. It makes an amazing difference. Give it a try.