Restorative Stations class coming up Thursday, June 24, 2010

Restorative Stations - Join us Thursday, June 24 at 7 PM

Location: Yoga North
Scheduled Dates: June 24, July 22, August 19
Time: 7–8:15pm
Cost: Drop-in rate/ punchcard*

*Please pre-register. This class requires tons of set-up and I need to know how many people will be attending. Sign up online or call the Yoga North office at 218-722-9642.

You do not need to bring your own mat or any other props except a personal eye pillow (if desired). Wear warm, stretchy clothing.

Musings on Relaxation

Recently my partner and I took a trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and while we were on vacation I caught a cold (go figure). But it didn't really matter to me since most of the trip consisted of either sitting in the car or sitting on the beach. Easy enough to do when you are sick. We rented a cottage in Avon right by the beach. The cottage we rented had sliding glass doors (facing the water) which I left open to feel the ocean breeze. The living room was on the 2nd story of the cottage and the cottage was up on stilts so the view was great. Plus, the height had the added benefit of being out of the bug zone. While we were there, I had the lovely experience of laying on a couch which was facing the ocean. My view was just over the top of the dunes so I could clearly see the waves crashing.

As I was laying there on the couch, in the breeze, watching the waves, I felt so happy and so at peace. I napped a bit, I zoned out a bit, and I was perfectly content to be where I was, when I was, how I was. How often does that happen? OK, I know it's easier to feel content when we are somewhere awesome but it made me think about how to settle into contentment at home too.

When I got home, I was walking to work and listening to a Yoga Peeps podcast featuring Eoin Finn, who was talking about Blissology, connecting with nature and finding enlightenment by laying in a hammock. It reminded me of my couch-beach experience. I was so relaxed, so at ease. My mind was quiet, mesmerized by the waves and the feeling of the breeze I guess. My hope is to remember that feeling of living in the moment, settling into relaxation and feeling content in the moment. I find myself drawn more and more towards, Yoga Nidra, Deep Relaxation and Restorative Yoga to feed my need to soften into life.

Nap like a Yogi

I've been searching out anything Yoga Nidra related lately so naturally my eye was caught by the title, "How to Nap like a Yogi" in the spring issue of Yoga + Joyful Living magazine. It details a version of Yoga Nidra taught by Swami Rama, the founder of the Himalayan Tradition and the Himalayan Institute. Yoga North, the studio where I took my teacher training and where I currently teach, teaches from this tradition.

Here's the article as written in Yoga +:

How to Nap Like a Yogi

By Rolf Sovik
 
When travel (or everyday life) wears you down, a simple variation of yoga nidra (yogic sleep) taught by Swami Rama can help you restore your energy. This practice helps you settle into a profound state of rest while remaining alert at a deeper level of consciousness. By drawing your attention to your heart center, you will become a silent witness to your sleeping body and mind.


1 Choose a room where you will not be disturbed. Sit on the floor against a wall, stretching your legs out and crossing one ankle over the other. Cup your palms in your lap and, with your eyes closed, either allow your head to hang forward or to rest against the wall.

2 Feel the relaxed movement of your breath, letting it flow easily and smoothly. Then observe 3 to 5 breaths at the nostrils, to center your mind.

3 Next, one by one, rest your awareness (and breath) at the eyebrow center, then at the throat center, and finally the heart center.

4 Keeping your awareness at the heart center, quietly resolve to let your body and mind sleep for a specified length of time (say, 10 minutes). Trust your mind to awaken you when that time has elapsed.

5 As you sleep, continue to be aware of the merest sensation of the breath (but no mantra). You are simply letting your body sleep, with awareness.

6 Stay in this state until your mind wakes you up. Then slowly shift your head and stretch your body. Draw your attention outward, opening your eyes into your hands and then to the room around you.

Rolf Sovik, PsyD, is the author of Moving Inward: The Journey to Meditation. He is the president of the Himalayan Institute, and serves as the director of the Institute’s branch center in Buffalo, New York.

Photo by Andrea Killiam; Model: Stacey Galloway; Top by Lily Lotus

Spring 2010
Yoga+ magazine

Sara's note: If you are interested in more articles from Yoga + Magazine visit their website to read archived articles or to subscribe.

Open your heart

This gentle heart-center opener will help you get rid of that hunched feeling you get after sitting all day.

Setting up for the pose:
The only prop you need for this pose is a therapeutic spinal strip. If you don't have one of these, you can use a swim noodle, a tightly rolled thin mat, or a tightly rolled towel. You might also need a folded blanket for under your head.

Coming into the pose:
Sit in front of your therapeutic spinal strip (swim noodle/rolled mat/rolled towel) and then lay down on it at about the bottom of the shoulder blades. You can experiment with what feels the best to you. If your head is tipped way back or you feel unsupported in the neck, place a folded blanket under the head and neck - not so thick that your head tips forward. Your head should be level with the body or slightly tipped back.

While in the pose:
Send your arms out to the sides, palms up to encourage the heart center to open. Keep breathing, keep observing the pose in your body, and allow the body to open at its own rate. Commit to the stillness but do allow yourself to adjust your props and your body as you settle deeper in. I like to lay with my knees bent but some of my students prefer to have their legs straight. See what feels right in your body.

Coming out of the pose:
To come out, bend the knees, roll to one side, pull the spinal strip out from underneath you, and then lay back down on your back. (Or lift up the hips to bridge pose to pull the Spinal strip out from under you.) Take a few sacrum circles or a full body stretch. A nice follow-up pose is a Supported Reclining Twist.

Enjoy!

Supported 1/2 Wide-Angle Pose - Upavistha Konasana

Enjoy Supported 1/2 Wide-Angle Forward Fold

1/2 Wide-Angle Pose looks very similar in set up to Head-to-Knee pose (Janu Sirsasana) as shown in the Yoga Journal image on the right, but instead of turning the torso to fold out over the leg, the body folds directly forward, hinging from the hips, as seen below. 1/2 Wide-Angle is easier on the inner thighs than the full version and can be used as a pose in its own right or as a warm up for Wide-Angle Pose.

Setting up for the pose:
Gather a number of different props: a chair, or a couple of blocks, or a few pillows/bolster, also, either a blanket for sitting on or else a wedge.

Coming into the pose:
Sit in front of your chair, block or bolsters with your legs open wide (about 90 degrees). Support your low back by sitting on a wedge or a folded blanket. Fold one leg in to the body so the soul rests on the inner thigh of the other leg and heel is drawing towards the perineum. Toes of the straight leg draw back toward the body and knee cap points toward the ceiling. Reach out through your heel. Hinge forward at the hip crease, walking your hands out and resting your forehead on the block, bolster or chair. If you are using a chair or bolster pile you can place your arms on the chair’s seat, hinge forward at the hip crease and rest your head on your forearms, keeping length in your spine.



While in the pose:
Keep breathing, keep observing the pose in your body, and allow the body to open at its own rate. Commit to the stillness but do allow yourself to adjust your props and your body as you settle deeper in. Watch the sit bones. They will want to creep up and often your body tries to tip more towards the folded leg. Don't let these two things happen.


Coming out of the pose:
To come up, support the torso with the hands on the floor, inhale and hinge or roll back up from the hips, protecting the spine. Take the 2nd side. After the second side you can be done or you could try the full version. Another nice follow-up pose is Bound Angle or Reclining Bound Angle.

Enjoy!

Regarding class on April 29

Hello All -

It was lovely to see so many faces at Restorative Stations last night. When I told Molly I would stop the class for the summer is was because I didn't think people would want to lay down and relax during our energetic, enjoy-the-outdoors-like-crazy season. But if last night's turnout was an indicator of what to expect for summer, I can happily say I must be wrong about that.

It was lovely to see so many people giving themselves permission to relax last night. And now that so many of you are familiar with most of the poses, it is easy to lead the class. You all know the rotation, you know the limitations of your bodies and are willing to make adjustments (rather than force yourself to stay in a pose that is uncomfortable), and you are doing great at asking for help if you need it.

I look forward to our continued practice in June. Scheduled dates for the summer are June 24, July 22, & August 19 (all Thursdays at 7 PM).

Restorative Stations ~ April 29, 2010

Restorative Stations - Join us Thursday, April 29 at 7 PM

This is the final Restorative Stations Class for Spring Session (no class in May). Restorative Stations will resume in June.

Scheduled Dates: April 29
Time: 7–8:15pm
Cost: Drop-in rate/ punchcard*

*Please pre-register. This class requires tons of set-up and I need to know how many people will be attending. Sign up online by visiting Yoga North or call the office at 218-722-9642.

You do not need to bring your own mat or any other props except a personal eye pillow (if desired). Wear warm, stretchy clothing.