Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Poses of the Moment: Cobra & Locust

It's end of January already.  The start of a fresh new year!  We've all probably battled colds and sickness by now, holiday extravaganzas, working too much to get back into a routine/maybe overdoing the new year good habits?  Okay, maybe you can't overdo good habits.  And maybe all of these things I speak of have been just me?  All I know is that the following asanas (poses) are feeling super great these days (again, that may be just me, and the fact that I tote around a 10 month old all day long...).  But, we could all use a little back and core strengthening/heart opening that these asanas (poses) provide:

Cobra (Bhujangasana)
--Works the entire spinal group to create extension in both chest and spine, plus lengthens & works the arms & legs
--You can come up higher on the arms if your back feels nice, but I mostly choose to take this version
--Legs should be active with feet pressing into the mat, your pelvis should also press into the mat, and hands steady but not all the weight on those hands! Neutral neck, and breathe.

Locust (Salabhasana)
--Lengthens chest, backs of arms, abdominals, hips, and works the arms, spine, legs (hips, glutes, hamstrings, knees)
--Again, this is just one version of the pose.  You can clasp your hands together at the base of the spine or also have both arms out in front of you with palms facing inward.  Again, breathe!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

I'm teaching again!

2012 has arrived!  My family and I just moved back into our renovated home in Somerville this week, after 6 months of being away.  Things will be in disarray for some time I suspect, but we are delighted to be back in our updated home and back to our life.  I grew to love our quiet life out on Nantucket, and hope to hold on to some of that slowness now as we settle in for the winter and build our home back to it's organized and cozy self.  With that, I am slowly re-entering my other love--teaching yoga!

I'm starting out with just 2 days of teaching a week this month.  3 classes total at Karma Yoga Studio in Harvard Sq./Cambridge.

Sunday mornings:  10:15-11:30am-- Hatha Yoga/Slow Flow (a slower paced, alignment based class)
                                                          and
                              11:45am-1:00pm-- Vinyasa Flow (a sun salutation based, movement with the breath)

Wednesday evenings: **check the website.  It will either be at 5:30 or 6:00pm-- Vinyasa Flow

I look forward to seeing so many of you on the mat again!  Tomorrow morning will be fantastic, as it will be just before the Capricorn Full Moon in Cancer.  I will be teaching with a relaxed, rejuvenating vibe to open ourselves up to it.