Paschimottanasana- Seated forward bend

“Let’s humble your body…”

Paschmottanasana is probably the most well recognized forward bending pose in yoga practice. Not only forward bend is a great way to loosen and stretch your back and legs, but also a perfect way to release your ego, stubbornness and to humble your mind.

As you stretch your body, you are also stretching your mind. By calming your breaths in this uncomfortable pose will open up the possibilities to overcome your limitations.

Recognizing limitation is wonderful because it will question you what needs to be done in order to enhance your potential. So don’t hate yourself just because you cannot be in the perfect place you wish to be, instead, let’s accept what is for now.

Come onto your sit bone and your legs outstretched. Feel your sit bone firmly roots into the ground so that your spine extends all the way to the sky as you inhale. Calm your mind with few deep breaths through your nose.

When you are ready, take a biggest inhale and start humbling your upper body close to your legs. As you move forward, exhale and feel the nice stretch on your back of your legs, knees, ankles.

Let’s keep your feet flexed and gently grab your toe if you can. Don’t force yourself to be where you want to be. Be mindful where you can stay comfortably. The beauty of practicing yoga is that you will realize how far you have come by practicing everyday. So don’t rush. Don’t worry. You will get there eventually.

Feel your mind is accepting your ego and body. Stay with your breaths when you want to get out from somewhere uncomfortable. Stay here for two more breaths, but learn to listen to your body at the same time.

When your body feels open and surrender, slowly bring your torso upward to sit straight. And be in this moment to observe how your body is flashing all the toxins that had been stuck in your body.

Paschimottanasana increases flexibility in hip joints and hamstrings.It massages your abdominal muscles and organs. If you tend to constipate, this is a great pose to incorporate in your daily life. You can easily do this pose 5 times before you go to bed or when you just wake up.

Forward bend is a relaxing pose, however, if you have a serious knee injuries, back issues or hernia, you should be really mindful to practice this pose.

If your knees hurt, try to bend your knees until the pain goes away.

If your back hurts, bend your knees and bring them closer to your chest. If possible, grab your toe and open your chest as you inhale. Keep your back straight as much as possible. If any pain occurs, release the pose and be very careful moving the painful part of your body. Learn why the pain occurs. It is most likely linked to your daily habits.

Humbling ourselves will open up our new possibilities!

Shavasana-Corpse pose

“Come to Shavasana…”

Shavasana is a magic word in yoga practice. After deeply working out your muscles, moving joints all over your body and using heart to feed oxygen to your body, Shavasana is a perfect pose to finish your practice…!

You start inhaling and exhaling deeper than ever. You notice your belly is rising and sinking. The pattern of ocean waves synchronizes your calming breaths. Your head is lying comfortably on your mat. Your heart opens and melts into the ground. Your hips are soft and legs are effortlessly lying on the ground.

Soon a sense of withdrawal might happen, but stay in the moment. Try not to move your body. Your mind wanders, but it’s okay. Let it be. Stay with your breaths.

Shavasana is important in so many ways. It restores and energizes your body. It starts clearing your thoughts. It definitely balances your body and mind.

Ideally, a practice starts with Shavasana and ends with Shavasana. It is because this asana brings so much relaxation. When your mind is focused, you find yourself doing amazing poses without even trying. Practice gets fun this way.

You can use this asana when you feel tired or overwhelmed during your practice. Simply come onto your back and rest. Don’t mind what other people are doing right next to you. Few minutes in this pose are sufficient, but observe your breaths until they become normal. Take your time. When you feel fine, you are ready to get back on your feet again.

Shavasana is also beneficial right before you meditate. Try and see how deeply you can calm your body and mind. This means Shavasana can help you to sleep better. Take a moment to be in Shavasana before you go to sleep, especially if you had a stressful day. You will find yourself sleeping like a baby…!

Sometimes finding your perfect Shavasana is difficult. You may use a prop.

When your head needs a support… Try sneaking a pillow underneath of your head. It will give you extra comfort and extension on your spine.

When your knees are tight…  Place a pillow/ folded blanket underneath of your knees. Shavasana should be easier this way if your knees were in discomfort.

When your back is arching too much… You can bend your knees and feet on the floor or rest your calves on a chair. See if your back is a bit more aligned. Find your most comfortable place you can stay in this amazing pose.

Enjoy guys and drift into the ultimate relaxation!

Sukhasana- Easy pose

“Come to a comfortable sitting position.”

Most people probably find themselves in Sukhasana, which is a simple cross-legged sitting position. This pose should be performed without any force on your hips, knee joints, lower back or anywhere, therefore it is easy and relaxing.

Imagine that your sit bone roots into the ground and feel your spine is extending to the sky. Your shoulders are relaxed so that your heart opens to take up a big inhale through your nose. As you release the air out through your nose, you create this amazing sensation of security and calmness.

Your shoulders are aligned to your hips. Your head sits effortlessly on your spine. Your palms gently placed on your knees upwards or downward, choose your favorite variation or experiment the opposite if you are accustom to one.

Don’t even try forcing yourself be in this pose, instead just observe your breaths and body.

If you find yourself slouching, let your breath guides you to lift up. Although this is an “easy pose”, it might be hard for those who have serious back issues, knee problems and extremely weak abdomen.

If modifications are necessary, here is how…

For knee problems, straight your effected knee until the pain disappears. Be gentle.

For hip problems, place pillows/blankets/blocks underneath of your knees to support the lift. When you sit in Sukhasana, naturally knees go downward which opens hips wider. This may cause some pain for some people.

For back and abdomen problems, get support by sitting on a cushion/pillow/bolster etc. It gives extra comfort and support to enhance the spine extension. You also can sit against a wall. Be patient and work with your body without forcing.

Feel your aligned body and peaceful mind…!