Chapter 6: The Young

Woman 20-30 years

These are years when there are a lot of things happening in a woman’s life during a short time. Perhaps you are studying and feel stressed before exams or schoolwork in general. Perhaps you have a job that demands a lot from you, and you spend a lot of time working. The career pressure from other people is especially tough on a woman without any children, but perhaps your own expectations are the toughest ones?

PERHAPS YOU FEEL AS IF YOU ARE IN A RUSH.

These years can be very stressful and full of expectations. By the age of 30 you are expected to have a good job with good chances for a career, and you may feel you should have a life partner that you have begun discussing children with.

Live in the Present

To many of us this is the time when we are hunting for a better life, but might not feel as good in the present. That is exactly why – because life is spinning by way too quickly – you need to pause during this age, to find peace of mind, and moments to rest your mind and re-charge. For some strange reason it always seems like many young people are in a hurry, like they are about to miss a train.

Stress

We are not talking about a life that is running on a low jet but on a major welding flame. But, if you learn to take one day at a time you have everything to gain. Studies show that young women often feel stressed out and that they put high expectations on themselves to be good at many things. Taking it easy is something you can learn and yoga is a good tool to use to find calm and ease within yourself when it feels like the world is spinning out of control.

We have different ways of handling stress. While one person might be handling stress pretty well, another one might be completely destroyed by it. A tiny bit of stress might even be stimulating, but prolonged stress can cause psychological and physical damage.

Give yourself ten minutes of yoga, two or three days a week, and I promise that your days will be easier to handle.

The yoga poses are shown by yoga teacher

Johanna Ljunggren, 33 years old

“I found yoga when I was expecting my daughter Vera. When I began practicing yoga I connected to parts of myself that I had forgotten about, or repressed. I realized that to feel whole, I needed to get to know all parts of me. We are like big puzzles when we are born, all the pieces are there, but the puzzle needs to be put together. We are not always aware of all the pieces. In the beginning we are entirely dependent on others to survive. For each breath that we take, we divide the puzzle pieces to experience life from the outside. Often we lose the ability to see how all the pieces are connected, which is necessary to come back to a state of wholeness again. I believe that anyone can find the connection between the pieces by practicing yoga.”

Ardha Rajakapotasana – Hip Opener

BENEFITS

If you sit down a lot, which tends to happen when studying, it is good to stretch out the gluteus muscles, the inside of the thighs, and the groin. This pose strengthens the hips and creates agility in the pelvis, the hips, the seat, and the lumbar.

HOW TO DO IT

• Stretch the left leg behind you. Press the top of the foot into the ground. Point the heel up to the ceiling and keep the entire foot in line with the leg.
• Bend your right knee and try to position the right shin parallel to the front of your mat, so that right knee and right foot are parallel to each other. In the beginning, before the hips are as open, the foot is usually angled more towards the left groin area, instead of in line with the right knee.
• If possible, lean forward and feel the stretch in the hip and the groin. Use your breath to deepen the pose for 5-10 breaths before you switch legs.

Navasana – Boat Pose

BENEFITS

This pose strengthens the back, the legs, and the core and it is said to aid digestion and soothe stress.

HOW TO DO IT

• Come into the pose from a seated position.
• Hold the back of the knees and stretch the legs up towards the ceiling, as you stretch your chest up simultaneously.
• Let go of the legs after a while, but don’t let straight legs be a priority over a hunched back. The most important thing in this pose is that you maintain a straight back, so if you need to, bend your knees.
• Maintain this pose for 5-10 breaths. Rest and repeat 5 times.

Spinal Twist

BENEFITS

Tension in the back, the hips, and the shoulders are alleviated in this pose. It is a great pose to practice if you’ve been sitting down for a long time.

HOW TO DO IT

• Lie on your back and take your left knee up to your chest. Then twist the left knee over to your right side.
• Stretch your left arm out to the side in line with the shoulders.
• Turn your head to the left and look over the left shoulder Feel the stretch in your left side. Imagine that you breathe into the tensions to release them whenever you feel a bit of discomfort in your muscles.
• Imagine that you breath moves through every single vertebra and lengthens your spine.
• Stay in this pose for 5-10 breaths, and repeat on other side.

Halasana – Plow Pose

BENEFITS

Said to relieve fatigue, stress, and stress related headaches. Also aids all throat related issues and back problems, and aid sleep at night. Avoid the pose if you have hernias, high blood pressure, sciatica, or if you have a serious back injury.

HOW TO DO IT

• Lie on your back and tuck your knees into your chest. Inhale and lift the legs and the feet a little bit.
• Lift your buttocks with your hands. Stretch the neck. Think of lengthening the space between the chest and the hips, so that you don’t round your back.
• Lower the feet and the legs toward the floor, behind the head. In the beginning you can support your back with the hands, and later when you feel strong enough in your neck and the pose feels more comfortable, you can clasp the hands behind your back and try to reach your toes toward the floor.
• Lie like this for a maximum of ten breaths. Carefully roll down onto your back, vertebra by vertabra. Rest for a moment before you take a fish pose.

Matsyasana – Fish Pose

BENEFITS

It is good to do a fish pose after the plow pose. This asana increases blood flow to the face and strengthens lung capacity through the opening of the chest. Fish pose is said to aid stomach issues, and to relieve tension in the neck and the shoulders. It is said that in order for us to become emotionally whole we need to open up our chests and minds.

HOW TO DO IT

• Lie on the floor on your back. Keep the legs together and lengthen the ankles down so that the toes point straight ahead.
• Carefully lift yourself onto your elbows, but maintain the buttocks on the floor so that the upper body looks like a bow.
• Lean the top of the head back towards the floor. Lift the chest and feel how it opens up. Be mindful of where your shoulders are. Try to increase the space between your shoulders and your ears.
• Stay in matsyasana for 10 long breaths and come out of the pose slowly.

If you want to challenge yourself in the pose, you can place your hands in your lap so that you no longer support yourself on your elbows. Or you could bring the palms together in front of your chest. Then slowly come down with your neck and shoulders toward the floor, and bring the knees toward the chest and hug them with your arms to stretch out the back. Use your breath to calmly and slowly take yourself out of this movement.

Gomukhasana – Cow Face Pose

BENEFITS

When we sit down a lot, our shoulders and the upper back tend to get very stiff. This can cause bad posture, but first and foremost block the flow of prana (life force) in the body. This pose relieves the tension and facilitates a free flow of prana. The legs are stretched in this pose and the ankles get more flexible. Gomukhasana is also said to stimulate the will and inner power.

HOW TO DO IT

• Sit down and cross your legs in front of you so that the knees are on top of each other. Bend the right foot towards your left hip, and your left foot towards the right hip. You can also sit on your knees to modify.
• Keep your back straight and stretch your right arm behind your back, and bend your left elbow toward the ceiling and reach your left hand behind your back until you are able to clasp the hands together. You can use a strap, or a scarf to grab onto if your hands do not reach each other.
• Stay in this pose for 5-10 breaths and pull the left arm up to open up the chest even more. Switch the crossing of the arms and legs and repeat the pose on the opposite side.

Savasana – Corpse Pose

BENEFITS

Even though this might look like the easiest pose of all the yoga asanas, it is perhaps the most difficult one for us westerners to do. The body is supposed to relax, and at the same time your mind is awake. Staying in this resting pose for 5-10 minutes allows your body to recharge and energize.

HOW TO DO IT

• Lie on your back and have your legs slightly apart and your arms resting along the sides of your body.
• Let the hands rest on the floor with the palms facing the ceiling. Close the eyes and keep your attention inwards.
• To find a sense of calm in the body in this pose, you can listen to a relaxation tape or calming music. Or go through each body part in your mind and feel how it relaxes and surrenders to gravity. Start with the toes and work yourself up to the head, body part by body part.

Health Tip

SALAD WITH ORANGES, PUMPKIN SEEDS, AND CHOPPED & SOAKED ALMONDS

Soak almonds (preferably organic) for 24 hours. Slice two oranges and mix with a handful of chopped almonds and a handful of pumpkin seeds. Almonds aid digestion and breathing, and they alleviate inflammation in the body. They are rich in fats, zinc, potassium, B-vitamins, and magnesium, and they have high protein content.

Pumpkin seeds are said to reduce the effects of stress. They contain high amounts of zinc, iron, potassium, B-vitamins, and proteins that enhance the brain’s functions. Oranges (vitamin C), strengthen the immune system and shorten colds and other viruses. They reduce cholesterol and keep our skeleton, teeth, and genitals healthy.

Today, there are a lot of discussions about a lack of rest being worse than mental and physical stress. Mental stress is said to increase muscle tension. So even if you don’t have a physically challenging job, your risk to accumulate tension in your neck and shoulders is higher if you just “run” and don’t learn to listen to the signs of your body. Let yoga help you to pause, instead of taking a smoke break.