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October/ November
2006
"Tofu Shrinks Brain"
John MacArthur
Yoga With Sheri
By Sheri Kauhausen
GERMAN NEW MEDICINE™
by CAROLINE MARKOLIN, Ph.D
2012: The start of a new era
by Janosh
Energize & Heal Yourself
by GINI GREY
Letter To The Editor
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Yoga with Sheri
By SHERI KAUHAUSEN
The Warm Up
NB: The following asana (exercises) are intended for those in good health. It is always best to seek the approval of a health care professional before beginning any exercise program.
In each issue of The Healing Journal we will describe several poses, beginning with warming up.
Namaste
Today we begin a discovery of the wondrous effects of yoga asanas (postures/exercises). We will concentrate on asanas that prepare your body for more challenging postures. As with any kind of exercise, it is important to begin by warming up your muscles and joints with some gentle stretching movements.
Be mindful of your breath. You should be able to breathe comfortably and easily. If your breathing becomes erratic - slow down. Take a moment to reflect on how you are feeling and why you are feeling this way. Hatha Yoga is meant to be pursued with discipline and control, never moving beyond the point where comfort ends and pain begins.
As we progress through our series, you’ll find some asanas more challenging than others. ENJOY your Yoga practice. ALWAYS move slowly. NEVER feel pain and NEVER move past your “edge”. Your edge is the farthest point to which you can take a posture without experiencing pain. Everyone’s edge is different. Pain is your body’s way of saying “STOP”. Respect it!
If you already to yoga, you can add these warm up movements to your regular routine. If you haven’t done yoga before, use these postures on their own or combine them with some other stretches you are familiar with. Your yoga session should always begin with a warm up and end with at least 3 to 5 minutes of relaxation.
Let’s begin...
Pelvic Tilt
BENEFITS:
strengthens abdominal and pelvic floor muscles
relaxes lower back
relieves constipation
- Lay on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and hip distance apart. Place your hands palms down, at your sides. Lengthen the back of your neck by gently pulling the top of your head away from your shoulders. Inhale.
- Exhaling, pull your tummy in toward your spine from pubic bone to sternum, tighten your buttocks and gently push the back of your waist onto the floor.
- Hold posture direct your breath more to your ribs and chest area, as your tummy remains contracted.
- Inhaling, release.
- Repeat several times.
Roll Twist
BENEFITS:
slims abdomen, waist and hip areas
strengthens and tones abdominal and pelvic muscles
relieves lower backache and makes spine more supple
improves posture and digestion
reduces menstrual cramps
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- Lay on your back with arms at right angles to your body, palms
down.
- Inhale, bend your knees, keeping legs together and place your
feet on the floor close to your buttocks. If you are comfortable
enough you may
- Exhaling, tighten your abdominal muscles by pulling them in toward your spine. Lower your knees to the right, keeping the ankle bones and knees together. Keep both shoulders down on the floor and abdominal muscles contracted. If either of your shoulders tend to lift from the floor, when lowering or raising your knees, lower your arms down slightly toward the sides of your torso.
- Inhaling, bring your knees up to the center, keeping your abdominal muscles contracted.
- Exhaling, repeating on the left side.
- Continue rolling your knees from side to side about 15 - 20 times.
Cat Stretch
BENEFITS:
relieves tension and stiffness in neck, shoulders and back
strengthens back, arms and chest muscles
stimulates abdominal organs and pelvic floor muscles
improves digestion
improves circulation
improves flexibility in pelvis and spine
- Kneel on all fours, arms straight down from the shoulders, thighs hip distance apart, back straight.
- Inhaling, lift your tailbone, squeeze the small of the back down, and raise your head creating a hammock with your spine.
- Exhaling, draw your tailbone downward, arch your spine up and lower your head down between your arms.
- Inhaling, lift your tailbone, squeeze the small of the back down, and raise your head.
- Exhaling, lower your head down between your arms, arch your spine up and bring your right knee toward your forehead.
- Inhaling, straighten your right leg back and up toward the ceiling, keeping the hips squared.
- Exhaling, bring the right knee back toward your forehead.
- Inhaling, lower the knee to the floor.
- Exhaling, raise your left knee toward your forehead.
- Inhaling, straighten the left leg back and up toward the ceiling, squaring the hips.
- Exhaling, bring the left knee back toward the forehead.
- Inhaling, lower the knee to the floor.
- Exhaling, bring your buttocks onto your heels, without moving your hands from their position on the floor.
- Inhaling, slide your chin just slightly above the floor, bringing your head through the arms, and your chest close to the floor.
- Exhaling, scoop your chest between your hands, straightening your arms and arching your spine up, tucking your chin in and tailbone down.
- Inhaling, lift your tailbone, squeeze the small of the back down, and raise your head.
- Exhaling, arch the spine up and lower your buttocks onto your heels, bringing your arms along side your body.
- Rest in pose of child.
SHERI KAUHAUSEN has an active yoga practice and offers on-site yoga, pilates, body rolling, massage and reflexology in the work place.
Sheri’s book “Into Yoga, An Illustrated Guide to Practical Yoga,” is available on her website at
www.intoyoga.ca and she can be reached at
604-421-9872
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