Moves for maximum mind/body bliss
If only life could be all rainbows and unicorns—we’d chase the shadows and demons away with pixie dust and optimism! The unfortunate truth is that life isn’t always so bright and cheerful. It gets complicated, confusing, and at times even overwhelming. Basically, there’s a strong chance that you’ll struggle with some kind of depression or emotional issue at some point in your life.
A 2010 BioPsychoSocial Medicine article revealed that long-term yoga practice can significantly reduce fear, anger, and fatigue. Researchers administered the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire to two groups of healthy women—one group of women who had more than 2 years of yoga experience and one group of women who had never practiced yoga. The long-term yoga practitioners had, on average, lower mental disturbance, tension–anxiety, anger–hostility, and fatigue scores than the control group.
Whether you’re down in the dumps after being dumped, need motivation to get out of bed and get through the day, or just feel out of sorts emotionally, yoga can help you get back on your feet. Don’t despair in times of darkness! I’ve been there too, and I’ve found that there’s always something valuable to learn, even when all the lights have gone out. Your yoga practice is like a flashlight to illuminate your way out. Use these sequences as helping hands in times of need.
Comfortable Seat with Salutation Mudra
Standing Forward Fold with Variation
Boat with Bent Knees into Half Boat
Seated Meditation with Palms Over Heart
Corpse (Savasana) with a Bolster Under the Knees
Strike a pose. Mudras (hand gestures) can be seen on ancient sculptures and paintings, as well as in modern-day yoga classes and music videos. These beautiful hand gestures go way beyond aesthetics. A mudra is a physical formation used to cultivate a more intense state of mind, and can elevate your practice to a higher level. I’ve chosen some of the most common and useful to get you started.
TIP
A path with no obstacles often leads to nowhere. Use these mudras to help you through any speed bumps, both in your practice and your life, to get you to a stronger and more knowledgeable place.
This is the perfect way to start your practice or encourage a meditative state of mind. Salutation Mudra reminds us that all the answers we need are there if we set our intentions.
• Bring your palms together in front of your chest with the thumbs resting lightly on the sternum.
• Press your hands firm and evenly into each other.
• Bow your head slightly and keep the shoulders soft as the chest lifts.
This mudra helps to discriminate between what is right and wrong. It aids in focus, and sharpens memory and mental concentration.
• Place the tips of your thumbs to the tips of your index fingers.
• Press gently into the pads of your fingers.
• Rotate the palms up if you’re looking for energy or help, spin the palms down if you’re looking to calm and focus yourself.
The lotus flower grows out of mud and blossoms beautifully on the water’s surface. It is an iconic image in yoga, symbolizing how beauty stems from even the darkest places. This mudra helps you to remember your inner beauty.
• Join the heels of your palms together above your heart with your pads of your thumbs and pinkies touching.
• Keep your knuckles open and gently open your fingers like the petals on a lotus.
You don’t need to ask Harry Potter to know that a thunderbolt represents power. This mudra is used to create unshakeable Zeus-worthy confidence, and helps in times of self-doubt and to overcome fear.
• Rest your palms over your heart center with the fingers crossing and the thumbs pointing up and wide.
You’ll see this mudra used commonly in poses like Warrior I and III. This hand gesture represents unity. The interlacing of the fingers helps you to reconnect to yourself, as well as those around you.
• Interlace all of your fingers except for your index and thumb.
• Point your index fingers straight up and pull the thumbs lightly down away from the index fingers.
This mudra helps build courage and the ability to think before you act. This is commonly practiced in warrior poses to remember to be a peaceful warrior, moving thoughtfully. It teaches patience, humility and strength.
• Raise your arms keeping your hands at shoulder height with the elbows soft and palms facing forward.
In yoga, it is believed that the body contains seven chakras (“wheels,” or energy centers). Keeping your chakras open and flowing is important to maintaining a balanced mind-set and energy level. If you practice yoga with the chakras actively in mind, they can help you target any issues you’re having and break through energy blockages. I’ve listed specific poses here that you can use to focus on any of the chakras. You might be surprised by how much better you feel!
•CROWN CHAKRA: The highest chakra represents our ability to be fully connected spiritually
LOCATION: At the very top of the head
EMOTIONAL ISSUES: Inner or outer beauty, connection to spirituality, pure bliss
GREAT FOR: People with materialistic urges, spiritual skepticism, or apathy
POSES TO PRACTICE: MEDITATION. The crown chakra represents our highest energy. In acupuncture, it’s called the “xi” spot and is where all energy stems from. Use your meditation and breath work to envision unity, with all of your chakras working in harmony to keep your system running. Send out a little invitation to health, prosperity, and spirituality. Start small with 5 minutes of meditation and try to work up to 20.
•THIRD-EYE (OR BROW) CHAKRA: Represents our ability to focus on and see the big picture
LOCATION: On the forehead, above the eyes
EMOTIONAL ISSUES: Intuition, imagination, wisdom, ability to think and make decisions
GREAT FOR: People with headaches, nightmares, concentration problems, eye problems, or creativity issues
POSES TO PRACTICE: ANY POSTURES WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED. Try balancing in Tree Pose with your eyes closed or standing tall in Mountain while gazing at one point. If you are a true beginner, simply visualize yourself doing beautiful yoga postures even if you’ve never been able to do them before. This process will tell your body that you can and you will.
•THROAT CHAKRA: Represents our ability to communicate
LOCATION: In the throat
EMOTIONAL ISSUES: Communication, expression of feelings or the truth
GREAT FOR: Smokers, allergy suffers, singers, public speakers, and those who stutter or have thyroid problems
POSES TO PRACTICE: PLOW, SHOULDER STAND. BRIDGE. These postures help to stretch the neck and open the shoulders to create freedom in this chakra. TIP: Try wearing a turquoise necklace to support this chakra and remain mindful!
•HEART CHAKRA: Represents our ability to love
LOCATION: Center of chest, just above the heart
EMOTIONAL ISSUES: Love, joy, inner peace
GREAT FOR: People who are shy or lonely, have forgiveness issues or breathing issues, or lack love or empathy
POSES TO PRACTICE: CAMEL, UPWARD FACING BOW, EAGLE POSE, BOW POSE. All of these heart openers or backbends are fantastic for opening the heart. Backbends especially help us build trust and the confidence to truly open up. These poses are fear busters!
•SOLAR PLEXUS (OR NAVEL) CHAKRA: Represents our ability to be confident and in control of our lives
LOCATION: In the upper abdomen, in the stomach area
EMOTIONAL ISSUES: Self-worth, self-confidence, self-esteem
GREAT FOR: People with digestive problems, eating disorders, or low self-esteem and for victims and perfectionists
POSES TO PRACTICE: CROW, HANDSTAND, UPWARD FACING BOW, BOAT. All of these are sensible risk-taking postures. Use them to confront your fears—physical and emotional—and to break through insecurities and increase your confidence.
•SACRAL CHAKRA: Represents our connections with and ability to accept others and new experiences and to accept what is
LOCATION: In the lower abdomen, about 2 inches below the navel and 2 inches inward
EMOTIONAL ISSUES: Sense of abundance, well-being, pleasure, sexuality
GREAT FOR: Workaholics who can’t experience pleasure, women experiencing infertility, anyone struggling with sexuality
POSES TO PRACTICE: COW FACE, BOUND ANGLE, WIDE ANGLE. All hip and groin poses will help to relieve tension and encourage freedom. Instead of forcing these postures, set alignment up and allow yourself to surrender to the pose. Practice long, quiet holds
•ROOT CHAKRA: Represents our foundation and the feeling of being grounded
LOCATION: At the base of the spine
EMOTIONAL ISSUES: Survival issues such as financial independence, money, and food
GREAT FOR: People who travel too much, have just moved, are newly separated or divorced, or are out of work
POSES TO PRACTICE: STANDING POSES LIKE MOUNTAIN, WARRIOR I, WARRIOR II, REVERSE WARRIOR, AND SIDE ANGLE. Restorative poses such as Child’s Pose and CORPSE. Standing postures will help you to solidify your root and remember how to stand tall and strong. Focus on your feet as the base of your foundation, building your body and all of your energy on top of them. Use the restorative postures to settle an overactive mind and encourage surrender to gravity.
Anxiety is like the bully or mean girl you dreaded in middle school. Even if you started your day full of optimism, she lurked in the shadows, waiting to pounce when you least expected her. Anxiety works in much the same way—your fears and worries hover around you all the time, preventing you from feeling confident and happy. You may not even notice it at first, but over time, anxiety can build up and make life difficult, and even lead to depression. This sequence uses backbends to create a sense of fearlessness. It exposes your heart and soft underbelly, but in a safe and supported way. These poses encourage you to breathe deeply and open your chest and lungs to keep stressful thoughts at bay. Inhale, and set your intention to feel confident and relaxed. Let your anxiety know that you’re in charge.
TIP
Remember that everyone feels like everyone else—good and bad—just not at the same time. Letting go is better than maintaining rigid control. Nothing beautiful comes from overthinking things. The time is now.
1
Cobra
2
Camel
3
Bow
4
Revolved Head to Knee
5
Comfortable Seat with Salutation Mudra
(comfortable seat directions | salutation mudra)
6
Alternate Nostril Breathing
To this day, I have never left a yoga class feeling worse than I did before I entered. I can walk into a yoga room wanting to curl up in a ball and by the time I rise from Savasana I feel like a phoenix, resurrected from the ashes of everything that was wearing me out and holding me down. I feel rejuvenated, and, more important, my perspective is refreshed. I’ve suggested that before you start your yoga routine, you choose an intention, something to focus on during practice. When you’re not feeling particularly happy, try to make your intention about joy, and invite it back into your life, pose by pose, breath by breath.
Mild depression can be eased with rejuvenating, playful yoga postures. Poses like Handstand remind you how to feel as carefree as a kid, while backbends are proven to release endorphins. Use this sequence when you’re singing the blues. It’ll help you pick up the tempo and let your heart sing.
TIP
Start your day with a gratitude practice. As you brush your teeth and get dressed, mentally list all the things that make you happy: your parents, friends, a new outfit, that fabulous meal you had last night. Starting the day remembering your blessings makes you less likely to long for things that you think you lack.
1
Standing Forward Fold
2
Downward Facing Dog
3
Crescent
4
Dolphin
5
Handstand
6
Upward Facing Bow
7
Wild Thing
Insomnia—that evil, sleep-stealing monster that lurks under the bed! It feeds off of stress, anxiety, and what we in yoga call “the constant fluctuations of the mind,” or racing thoughts. Tonight, try this sequence to calm your mind, relax your nervous system, and put those pesky sheep-counting nights behind you. Discover the magic of blissful, uninterrupted sleep!
TIPS
• For more restful sleep, try to limit your exposure to light and other stimuli for about an hour before you want to go to sleep. Answering e-mails, surfing the Web, and watching TV all keep your mind firing and make it hard to unwind. Exposure to light slows down your ability to produce melatonin, which helps you fall asleep. If you’re sleeping in a room with too much light, invest in an eye mask.
• Rub warm sesame oil on the soles of your feet and into your temples before you go to bed. Sesame oil is known to pacify stress-related symptoms and help you calm your mind.
1
Cow and Cat
2
Seated Forward Fold
3
Plow
• If you need more support, move your palms to your lower back to help support your hips when you lift them.
4
Shoulder Stand
5
Legs Up the Wall
6
Corpse (Savasana)
Vertigo can be triggered by many things—an inner ear infection, spinal dysfunction, temporomandibular joint disorder, or even stress and anxiety. I know firsthand how depressing vertigo can be because I struggled with it for 5 months straight. (What a joke: A yoga teacher with vertigo!) I constantly felt like I was walking on a boat that swayed from side to side, unable to find my balance or firm ground. It was horrible. It turned out that my vertigo was triggered by anxiety. I immediately incorporated quiet meditations into my daily life, as well as jaw and neck stretches to relieve stress and tension. I threw in good, long warrior holds to remind myself that I could stand strong. If you suffer from vertigo, I hope this sequence helps you as it did me.
TIP
Create a list of things you say and do to appease those around you or fit in, then mark “healthy boundaries” to help define who you are and what you stand for. Use your yoga practice to grow the confidence to be yourself!
1
Seated Neck Stretch
• Gently add pressure to the side of your head.
• Walk your hand away from your body, keeping your arm straight.
2
Seated Trapezius Stretch
• Hug your elbows toward your face.
• Interlace your fingers and gently pull your chin to your chest.
• Round your upper back.
3
Mountain
4
Warrior II
Hold for 2 minutes on each side.
5
Seated Meditation
6
Corpse (Savasana)
We all know how hard it is to relax in a world of perpetual motion—our days are packed with meetings and phone calls and social events, not to mention the constant checking of e-mails, text messages, and social media sites. But we also know how critical it is to be able to tune out all this noise and clear our heads.
Ask yourself: Is it easy for me to unwind or do I get distracted if I try to sit still for 30 seconds?
The good news is that I have a sequence for you no matter what you answered. The first sequence is for those of you who can relax if you’re just given the opportunity. Practice these poses and you’ll feel rejuvenated and refreshed.
For those of you who want to relax but, if given a spare moment, can’t help rearranging your sock drawer, try the second sequence. Just like an overactive child, you need to be worn out! Get your body moving, and once you’re done, you’ll enjoy what it means to have downtime.
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.”—CARL JUNG
1
Alternate Nostril Breathing
2
Cow and Cat
3
Standing Forward Fold with Variation
Start with Standing Forward Fold, then make these adjustments.
• Squeeze your arms as close to each other as possible and lengthen as you bend toward the ground.
• Interlace your fingers.
• Keep your feet hip-width apart.
4
Wide-Leg Forward Fold
5
Seated Forward Fold
6
Bound Angle
7
Reclined Bound Angle
8
Legs Up the Wall
1
Downward Facing Dog
2
Knee to Nose
3
Warrior I
4
Warrior II
5
Triangle
6
Half Moon
7
Seated Half-Fish
8
Side Crow
9
Child’s Pose
Repeat all of Sequence 2.
You’re in love, blissfully happy, and singing from the rooftops—then suddenly, you find yourself curled up in a ball with a tearstained face and a feeling of despair. A broken heart very well may be the most painful injury ever—with few proven ways of rehab. There’s plenty of advice out there: “Time heals all wounds” and “There are plenty of fish in the sea,” but often those words just aren’t enough. Sometimes you need tangible help. This sequence is designed to make you feel whole from the inside out. It will rebuild your confidence and remind you that you’re completely in charge of your own happiness. Your heart beats for you—and it can never be broken.
TIP
You always have the power to tell yourself that this is not how your story will end. Forget the story and see the soul of the situation. Drop fear and choose love; it will always show you the way.
1
Sun Salutation A
2
Boat with Bent Knees into Half Boat
Start with Boat with Bent Knees, then move into Half Boat.
3
Goddess
4
Flying Pigeon
5
Seated Meditation with Palms Over Heart
6
Double Pigeon
7
Corpse (Savasana) with a Bolster Under the Knees
Start with Corpse, then place a bolster under your knees.
TIP
Don’t panic! Meditation is challenging and takes time to master. Remember that the natural inclination of your mind is to think and be active. As expert Rod Stryker says, recognizing that your mind gets distracted is very much a part of meditation. Don’t stop. Appreciate how distracted your mind truly is, and continue to try and slow down your thoughts by focusing on your breathing to calm and center yourself.
TIP
Meditation teacher Gary Goldman offers this way to visualize meditation: When you first start, your mind will behave like a mountain’s white-water rapids—it will be wild, unpredictable, and crashing around. As you travel farther down the mountain, it will turn into a swift river with fewer currents. Over time, it slows down until it joins the ocean, where it’s vast and calm.
