pose of the week: warrior III

Virabhadrasana III

How to do it:

1. Starting in mountain pose with your hand on your hips, begin to shift your weight onto your left foot and bring your right knee up into your chest.

2. Steady your balance then flex your right foot.

3. Inhale raise the arms up over your head and then as you exhale start to shift your weight forward extending your right heel back

4. Strengthen your standing leg, keep you hips leveled, and make sure your arms, torso and back leg are parallel to the floor.

Stay for 5-10 breaths then slowly rise up and repeat on the left side

Benefits:

• Strengthens the ankles and legs
• Tones the abdomen
• Improves balance and posture

pose of the week: plow

Halasana

How to do it:

1. Start lying down on your back with your legs extended up in the air and your arms by your side.

2. Take a deep breath in and as you breath out, lift your hips up bringing your legs over your head.

3. If your feet don’t touch the ground, bring your hands onto your lower back for support. If they do, roll onto your shoulder blades and interlace your hands behind your back.

4. Draw your chin away from the chest, engage your thighs and breathe deeply. If you feel any pressure in your neck, stay with Step 1.

Hold for 10 deep breaths then slowly roll back down. 

Benefits:

• Calms the mind
• Stimulates the abdominal organs and thyroid glands
• Stretches the shoulders and spine
• Reduces stress and fatigue 

pose of the week: half moon

Ardha Chandrasana

How to do it:

1. Start in a runner's lunge with your right knee bent directly over your ankle. On an inhale, come high onto your fingertips, then as you exhale kick off your back leg and raise it up so it's parallel to your mat, then work to straighten your left leg (may also use blocks as a support)
2. With your gaze down, begin to shift your weight over to your left hand, then bring your right hand to your right hip. Press strongly into your right heel.
3. Rotate your torso and open the chest towards the right, by opening the hip and extending your right heel back
4. Once you feel stable, raise your right arm up to the sky and begin to shift your gaze up to your hand.

Standing leg is strong. Hold for 10 deep breaths then repeat on the other side. 

Benefits:

• Stretches the groins, hamstrings and calves, shoulders, chest, and spine 
•  Improves coordination, focus and sense of balance
• Helps relieve stress

pose of the week: eagle

Garudasana

How to do it:

1. Starting in mountain pose, extend both of your arms out in front of you.

2. Bring your right arm under your left, cross at the elbows and bring your palms together (may grab opposite shoulders if too intense)

3. Pull your elbows up, shoulders down and draw your hands away from your face.

4. Bend your knees then cross your right thigh over your left. You can keep your right big toe on the ground, or hook your ankle around your left calf.

5. Sink the hips, squeeze everything together, and make sure your elbows and knees are all in one line.

Keep your gaze forward and stay for 5-10 deep breaths then repeat on the other side

Benefits:

• Strengthens and stretches the ankles and calves
• Stretches the thighs, hips, shoulders, and upper back
• Improves concentration and balance 

pose of the week: crescent

 Anjaneyasana

How to do it:

1. Starting in downward dog, take a deep breath in, and as you exhale step your right foot forward so you’re in a lunge.  Adjust your knee so it is directly over your ankle.

2. Keep your back leg engaged as you slowly come up, raising your arms overhead.  

3. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor and push back through your left heel, keeping your hips squared to the top of the mat.

4. Reach out through your fingertips, and roll your shoulders away from the ears.

Keep your arms and legs strong; hold for 10-15 breaths then bring your hands back to the mat and step back to downward dog. Repeat on the left side.

Benefits:

• Strengthens your legs, back, shoulders, and arms, building stamina

• Opens your hips and chest, and improves balance

• Improve your coordination and concentration

ear-candling magic!

It’s that time of year again, where the flu bug makes its rounds. Runny nose, cough, fever and chills – nothing that no one wants to get…but I did! Every year around the holidays it seems to get me; I overwork my body and this is the pay back.

I am officially feeling better. However, I couldn’t teach my hot class tonight, as much as I hate letting my students down, but the heat would not have been good for my body. After countless dosages of oregano oil, Buckley’s, vitamin C, Tylenol cold and flu, and ginger tea, one thing made the list of top remedies: EAR CANDLING!

My mother has been doing it for years in the comfort of our own home alongside her reflexology career, and I make it a ritual to "clean my ears" at least once a year, (using Q-Tips after you shower does not count!).  It honestly cured me, just when I thought I couldn’t breathe anymore, it completely opened up my sinuses.  The candle is made up of bee’s wax, and the procedure lasts about 25-30mins. There is no pain in the world, and is extremely soothing. The results are even better, when you get to see all the crap that comes out of one single ear! It is safe for people of all ages, even dogs!

Ear candling also helps with: allergies, migraines, pressure headaches, balance disorders, hearing loss, swimmers ear, ear infections, impacted ear wax and head noises.

Let me know if you’re interested!

new year, new YOU!

Happy 2012 everyone!

As we welcome this new year, comes new resolutions. From saving money, starting a new workout or diet regimen to starting a new career, the list is endless. Think about what you want out of this year and what you want to accomplish. This is a new year for YOU: make it special, make it big and make it last!

To everyone, may 2012 bring you all good health, love, happiness and success. I am determined to keep up with this blog weekly and stay true to myself and live this year to the fullest.

Fill in the blank: this year, you will __________________________.

image source: xitclub.com