I taught yoga to over 300 chldren yesterday! 10 sessions back to back with over 30 children age 7 – 11 in each class.
I was rather daunted by the prospect – but it ended up suprisingly ok.
One girl came up to me after a class and looking a little dazed said:
‘ I feel different…’
‘Is that alright?’ I said, ‘ What do you mean you feel different?’
‘ I don’t feel myself ‘ she said, ‘but that was really good! Yoga is awesome!’
Here is our crowdfunder! Help us if you can…
http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/school-of-larks/
Thank you! xx
I am just about to set up some static trapeze classes. I have been assisting similar sessions in Cinderford – but am now about to start teaching my own. I am very excited! It’s not something I ever invisaged I would be doing – but somehow – it crept up on me : )
The yoga has been amazing in helping me be strong enough and flexible enough to be able to hold my own body weight and get into the required shapes. Definitely, I would not be about to teach this amazing art – if the yoga hadn’t been an integral part of my life.
The above picture isn’t me! I’m not at the stage where I can teach silks yet – but thanks to yoga – I might be able to in the not too distant future!
Well my 84 year old granny’s back is much improved from doing the very simple yoga exercises that I recommended she do:
From sitting – gentle side bends and rotation of the spine both ways. Then Savasana with knees bent alternating with the beginnings of Setu Bhandasana – getting the lumber spine onto the ground and creating space for the lower vertebrae. Also a little bit of Little Boat – when she can manage it.
I’ve asked her to try and do these movements 2 or 3 times a day. I think she started with 3 times and her back quickly improved – but then it went down to 2 and now – because she’s very busy (!) she usually only manages once a day.
Her back isn’t as good as when she first started the exercises – but much better than when she was doing nothing.
My 83 year old granny has a very bad back. Her doctor says it is ‘wear and tear’. I guess that’s true in some ways – but he didn’t offer any help – just sent her off with some paracetamol.
My granny and grampy decided that the next stop was the chiropractor. At first there was a vast improvement in her condition – but relief was only temporary and only lasted for a few days. She saw him for a few months on and off with no real permanent improvement. Her last appointment with the chiropractor was a few weeks agoa. I talked to her this morning on the phone (she lives a few hours drive away) apparently her back is as bad as ever…
She did say that she would be happy to do some yoga exercises that I am compiling for her to try and ease her condition. So we shall see and I will keep you posted…
child’s pose – pindasana
Pindasana is a very good posture to do after a forward bend such as Duttanasana or Dog. It can also feel very good for your back after doing a back bend.
Benefits: Lengthens the spine and promotes relaxation in the body. Increases flexibility in the hips. Gives more space to the top of the ankles.
Contraindications: If you have knee problems, go into this posture very slowly and discontinue if you experience any discomfort. You could try placing a cushion between the pelvis and the feet to lessen pressure on the knee joint. This might also be useful to do if you have varicose veins.
If it’s sore at the front of the ankles, place a rolled up blanket or towel underneath them.
Practice: Come into a kneeling position and gently fold the upper body forwards over the knees. You can either rest the forehead – on your folded forearms – a cushion or two – or on the floor – if it feels comfortable.
The arms can rest infront of you or be placed alongside the body…
Give into gravity… Relax…Feel the back widening each time you breathe in. When you breathe out – the spine lengthens.
Rest in this posture as long as it feels good to be in…
When you feel ready to come out – walk your hands towards your knees to bring the upper body up and then lengthen the back of each leg out – toes on the ground, with the heel lengthening away.
wide leg sitting – upavistha konasana
Benefits: Can strengthen the muscles around the knees and help this area from feeling so vulnerable. Also strengthens the abdominal muscles and can improve flexibility in the hips and hamstrings.
Contraindication: This is generally a very safe posture to practice, but if it feels a strain keeping the upper body upright, place a cushion just underneath your tailbone. This will give you some extra support and make the posture feel much more pleasant to do.
As with all poses of the week – if it doesn’t feel good to be in – don’t do it for now (until you have the advice of an experienced yoga teacher…)
Practice: Sit on the floor with your legs comfortably wide. Placing hands wherever they feel relaxed – resting on the belly, or on the thighs…
Allow your hips and legs to be heavy and feel the sitting bones very much in contact with the ground…
Have an awareness of your spine being long and gently lengthening upwards.
Breathe easily and freely…
Stay in this posture as long as you feel happy being here…
cobra – bhujangasana
BENEFITS: Strengthens the back muscles. May be beneficial for sciatica. Can be good for rounded shoulders as it encourages opening in front of the collarbones. Increases flexibility in the whole of the spine. Is said to sometimes help stomach aches…
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Obviously pregnancy puts some restraints on practicing this posture! Mother’s to be who normally practice this posture will find up until 12 weeks comfortable to do – but listen to your body – and don’t do it if it feels like an effort. We are all unique and different, so only practice if it feels good to do…
PRACTICE: Lie prone with the hands either side of the chest to begin with. The more comfortable the posture becomes – the further down the body your hands can go when preparing for the pose. Keep your eyes looking towards the ground. (You can shut them if you want to…)
Take a journey around your body and see if there is anything still holding. If there is then imagine you are breathing into it. Visualise the area softening and releasing.
Relax and breathe freely and easily…
Notice your hands and the contact they have with the ground…
Feel your spine moving as you breathe…
When you are ready, next time you breathe out engage your thigh muscles. Allow the legs to become heavier and lengthen the tailbone away.
As the upper body becomes lighter, ground the hands and allow your arms to push you up.
Keep the elbows a little bent – so the arms don’t lock and become stiff . Keeping the arms bent will have the added benefit of helping them to strengthen.
Be aware of keeping the front of the chest and shoulders, wide and free.
Keep length at the back of your neck by allowing the chin be lower (rather than higher).
Enjoy your long spine, strong, (but not locked) arms and broad open shoulders. Breathe and stay for as long as it feels good to do…
Come down gently and then rest in child for a few breaths…
tadasana…
Tadasana is one of the basic standing postures in yoga.
BENEFITS: Good for lengthening and realigning the spine. May ease backache. Can improve leg and abdominal tone.
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Tadasana seems to be one of the safest postures to do – but as with all the poses of the week – only practice if you feel well and if the position feels comfortable for you to do.
PRACTICE: Stand with your heels directly underneath your sitting bones – a little narrower than your hips. Have the outside edges of your feet comfortably parallel. Take a moment to breath and then allow the lower half of your body to become heavier, so that the feet can really imprint themselves in the ground. In contrast to the earthing of the pelvis, feet and legs, the upper half of the body becomes lighter and is very much attracted upwards. Breathe easily and freely and enjoy the feeling of length and solidity…
Dizzy!
At the playground, I went on a swing – which I haven’t done for a while. I felt like I was losing my stomach every other second – definitely as dizzy as I used to be. I was squealing a bit and my middle child Esmée reminded me to “Look at your hand!” I did and after a few swings felt better and could enjoy it again.
One of my yoga students has been suffering from positional vertigo. This is a type of dizziness that occurs when a person rolls in bed, bends over, or looks up. It is caused by crystals in the inner ear that are out of their normal position. Her GP recommended she do something called the Epley manoeuvre on a regular basis to settle the crystals into their proper place. She is now much better.
The Epley manoeuvre is really simple to do and I find it astounding that you can actually heal something so delicate in your inner ear in such an easy way. Amazing!
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