Week 5

Week 5 is complete and you are just one class away from completing the course. Well done for getting this far. 

We slowed the class down to a nice paced Hatha class focusing on breath and Kindness. We added in a few new movements and built on our Sun Salutations. 

Ahimsa 

Ahimsa is a Yoga principle that you are encouraged to follow when taking yoga seriously. It means non violence and even though we are here on a beginners course and not taking it too seriously at the moment its still a concept we can focus on both on and off the mat.

Ahimsa can also be translated as kindness. Kindness to others but also kindness to yourself. We often promote kindness to others, support the and offer advice when times are hard but when it comes to being kind to ourselves, in our self talk and looking after our bodies and minds, kindness can become neglected. 

We tear ourselves apart over the smallest matter, push ourselves to far to keep up with others and even ignore sound after we give others that will often help us too. if that voice in your head is a negative one, life can become even harder. 

So week 5’s practice was about being kind to our bodies and having a kindness in our self talk.

Main Asana’s/Poses

We introduced some new asana’s this week and below are some handy tips on alignment in those poses. 

Trikonasana / Triangle Pose

• Heels in line, feet about 3-4 foot apart, front foot facing forward 
• Reach forward with the front arm and tip the torso towards from leg
• The aim is to keep the shoulders stacked and flatten the body to almost 2D

Strengthens legs, core and arms. Stretches the inner legs and side body.

Jathara Parivrtti / Abdomen Twist

• From knees into the chest drop both knees to one side
• Aim to both shoulders grounded, creating a twist from hips upwards
• Look over the opposite shoulder. Surrender to gravity here.

Rotation of the spine, stretching the hips, side bodies and neck.

Yoga Style of the week:

Yin Yoga

Yin Yoga is a relatively new yoga style compared to the ancient concepts of Hatha Yoga. It works with the Chinese meridian lines along the body. Stretching and compressing along these lines to effect physical and mental health. 

Yin Yoga is mainly floor based where you spend up to 30 minutes in one pose. The reason behind this is that you slowly create space in the body. Holding the poses a little longer allow you to get deeper into the muscles and relax. 

During Yin Yoga, there can be a lot of quiet time which also allows the practitioner time to meditate or be alone with their thoughts, which can be tough in itself. 

People will often make the mistake of going into the deepest version of the pose straight away and then struggle to hold it for so long. It’s best to take your time and slowly evolve into the pose to feel the full benefits. 

Thats all for this weeks blog, I can’t wait to see you next week for the last week of the beginners course.

♥ Keep Moving ♥ Keep Breathing ♥