Wednesday, December 1, 2010

30 Day Challenge - Final Class

Congratulations! You have completed the 30 Day Deep Relaxation Challenge.

I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to teach this class. I enjoyed getting to know each of you and helping you find some space in your lives to let in a little bit more ease.

For our final class we found a comfortable forward folding position. Some picked Bound Angle, some picked Wide Angle, some picked Supported Dandasana, and some picked Legs-up-the-Wall. There were so many pose options because each person has gotten to know their own body so well over this month's experiment that each person chose a position that they knew their body could relax in. I loved that everyone has gotten to know their body well enough to find ease on your own. This is a huge accomplishment. Many people do not have the awareness to even notice that they are uncomfortable, much less the ability to make themselves comfortable.

Our breath practice was Nadi Shodhana, Alternate Nostril Breathing. We practiced this first with our hand to block one nostril and then the other as we breathed. During our deep relaxation, we did mental Nadi Shodhana. Robin Carnes offers this practice on her Yoga Nidra CD and I just love it. I find it deeply relaxing. I like imagining that I am breathing in from far, far away (like the tropics) and exhaling to somewhere else equally far away (like the arctic). This breath practice brings balance to the body's energy system. Try it out for your self with the audio file below.

Alternate Nostril Breathing: 2min38sec.

Best of luck with your continued relaxation. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Namaste. Sara