I remember years ago doing the dishes by hand day after day and after every session I always had to go lie down on the floor, rest and stretch my back because it always hurt. I thought that it was just a part of life with the modern world and housework. Yet yogic awareness, awareness of my body and how it felt in the moment, brought a source of insight that cured me of my back pain forever.
I recently took a trip home to be with my family. During that time I hardly did my yoga practice at all. It does not take long for me to start feeling the effects of stress creeping back into my body when I don’t practice: tense shoulders, a cranky spine, stiff neck, poor digestion and elimination, low energy and mood just to name a few! Yoga helps with all of these conditions and more.
Here in the 21st century we live in a stressful world. The stressors are all around, from sitting for long periods of time in chairs, driving in traffic, electromagnetic stress from cell phones and computers, taking in stressful images on television, and just observing the state of the world; what is happening economically, politically, socially and to the environment. All of this stress whether it is physical, mental or spiritual accumulates in our bodies. Yoga can very effectively help reduce the effects of stress on the body, mind and spirit.
Our neck is our connection between our heart and our head. Often they get tight and tense from sitting, stress, overuse, poor breathing habits, holding the world up on our shoulders, spending too much time living up in our heads and not in our hearts etc… There are many very simple stretching exercises that can be done to alleviate the discomfort of tense, tight muscles. Just taking a five minute break during the day can do a lot to release that stress and make you feel more relaxed and centered ready to face the next thing. Here is my favorite neck stretching routine.
Yoga is a journey; it is not an outward adventure, it is an inward voyage. Just like any trip you would take it is helpful to know where you are headed (at least what direction to start out in); it is even more useful to have a map and a guidebook and it is most supportive to have a guide that is familiar with the area. Here are 9 fundamental building blocks every beginner should know before getting started with the yoga positions. This foundation includes the big picture, the guidebook and I will be your tour guide. The asanas/postures are the maps that you will use to explore the terrain of yourself. Yet it is imperative to walk the journey yourself; I can not carry you and there is no benefit in staying home and just studying the map. These 9 fundamental building blocks chart the journey ahead, what you need to bring, what you can expect and what you need to know before we get started.
