At the end of every yoga class, all students should lie in Savasana or corpse pose. Savasana allows for the mind and body to relax and release all the stress and tension. It also allows one to prepare to get back into their regular activity and routine.

There are many benefits of Savasana, such as reduced blood pressure, reduces stress, brings clarity to the mind, reduces anger and frustration, and allows the mind and body to calm down and relax. At the end, you should lie in Savasana for at least five to ten minutes. Ten minutes would be ideal.

This is a guided meditation to bring the attention inward to release stress and tension throughout the body after a yoga class. Lie down in the corpse pose, which means the legs are apart and relaxed and palms are to the sides facing up. Ideally, a teacher would take you through this guided meditation.

Here is the meditation, step by step, waiting about 20-30 seconds in between each new instruction:

1. Take nice deep inhalations and exhalations to keep your attention within the body. With every inhalation, you will find yourself to be in the moment.
2. Relax your feet
3. Relax your legs
4. Relax your hips
5. Relax your abdomen
6. Relax your back
7. Relax your chest
8. Relax your arms
9. Relax your shoulders
10. Relax your neck
11. Relax your facial muscles by slightly opening your mouth
12. Continue to breathe.
13. If you feel any aches, pains, or discomfort, gently ask your mind to focus upon the discomfort to relax it away and continue to breathe. (Wait about one minute before continuing).
14. Bring your attention back to the present moment and focus upon the third eye, in between the eyebrows, and continue to breathe. (Stay here for the rest of the meditation, at least one minute and if time permits, several minutes).
15. Take your time, but when you are ready to get up, stretch, and slowly get back up.

With this meditation, you are now ready to jump back into your activity.

Happy Meditating!

Varsha

It’s the New Year and half way through the first full work-week of the year. How are those New Year’s resolutions coming along? It is common knowledge that those resolutions do not tend to last long. Even with the greatest intentions, resolutions all sound great in theory, but to actually incorporate them into an already active lifestyle can be quite challenging. Resolutions relating to health and fitness are quite common and let’s be honest, not having much of an exercise routine and then all of a sudden jumping into one can be quite gruesome.

Those who already have a yoga practice, that’s great and keep up the fantastic work. For those who are thinking about it, starting new, or have made a resolution to be regular with your practice, now is the time to start one. To begin a yoga practice at home requires self-dedication and commitment.

After having a busy day at work, the last thing anyone wants to do is get back up and stretch the body. The way to commit to practicing yoga daily is to make it a part of your routine. Yoga should become just as important as brushing your teeth. The simplest way to begin a home yoga practice is to begin with doing Suryanamaskar, or Sun Salutations. Sun Salutations are a series of postures that are designed to increase flexibility, tone, and strengthen the muscles. Start by doing at least one set a day and then each day, gradually build up the number of repetitions to about 5 or 10. To begin with, go at a comfortable pace, not too fast and not too slow.

Here is a Youtube video that lays out the most basic set of Sun Salutations, which is demonstrated by Dashama Each teacher may vary the set slightly by adding other postures or variations, but here is the most basic and simple form. Sun Salutations is also a great way to warm up and prepare for any exercise routine.

Health and happiness,

Varsha

Figuring out the style of yoga that is most enjoyable is just as important as finding the right yoga teacher. There are many different styles of yoga, but there are even more teachers out there and every teacher brings their unique touch to the class. Here are the five things to consider in the search of a yoga teacher assuming you are aware of the style that fits you best.

1) Experience. How many years of experience does the teacher have teaching yoga? Does the teacher have experience working with what you are looking for? For example, if you have Multiple Sclerosis, does the teacher have experience working with MS patients?

2) Training. Where did the yoga teacher do his or her training? Who is their teacher? Are they certified by Yoga Alliance?

3) Practice. Does the teacher have his or her own practice? True yoga teachers will have their own practice outside of teaching. How often do they practice? What are their expectations from their students in regards to practicing outside of classes?

4) Personality. Is the teacher open? Does he or she speak loud enough? Are the instructions clear? Is the teacher approachable? Is he or she taking the time to listen to and meet your individual needs?

5) Ask for Recommendations. The best way to understand the teacher and their style is to ask their students for recommendations. Current, active students are the best source for a recommendation because they will tell you why they are taking the classes.

In order to enjoy and gain maximum benefit from a yoga practice, the style must resonate and so should the teacher. The student-teacher connection is very important for the experience and practice of yoga.

Health and happiness,

Varsha