Skip to main content

Twists & Inversions & Why They're Good For You

Marichyasana II/The Pose of Marichi

A favorite pose of mine that keeps
your spine flexible and supple. This pose
aids in digestion and elimination as well. 
Tuesday, June 23, 2020 (Part I), 
As always, I'm writing this Part I post before beginning my practice.

I will take a page from my own book of advice, and focus on keeping my monkey mind still today.

To begin keeping "the monkey" still, I'm going to begin with Pranayama/breathing techniques, and prayers.  I usually move from breathing and prayer, into meditation; for me, and my current skill level, and understanding (which is always evolving), I begin meditation by holding the image of something in my head, and focusing on that image.  My attention will wander after just a few seconds, but I bring my brain/"the monkey", gently back to his "chair" and have him "sit" again.  From here, I begin my physical practice.

Padma Sirsasana/Lotus Tripod

This is an example of preparing my legs to
go into my lotus.  Full pose executed below. 
Enough chit-chat....time to begin...

Tuesday, June 23, 2020 (Part II)
I went through my full, modified Ashtanga Primary series this morning (complete with backbend sequence at its closing), but really felt two types of poses today, my twists and inversions:


After a weekend of food and wine, inversions and twists will help you with digestion and elimination. 

If you're a beginner, check out some simple, seated twists on youtube.  You'll be happy you did!

Until tomorrow.

Namaste


Padma Sirsasana/Lotus Tripod

Full pose.
This is technically a half lotus; true
yoga bros can bind their legs completely. 
#yogagoalz



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Rebuild

Tuesday, July 10, 2018 Woke at my usual 4:45AM this morning for coffee and contemplation. Feeling wonderful this morning, and not terribly sore at all.  There's a bit of stiffness in my back from yesterday's backbends, but that's to be expected. Ready to sweat it out on my mat. Tuesday, July 10, 2018 (Part II) I'm writing this off my mat, already showered up for my day. I love going to my mat.  The physical challenge alone is reward enough, but, while I've said it many times before, the mental and spiritual adjustments that one can make are priceless.  Physically, I already see a difference in my body.  Arms are still re-building their stamina, but the twists and forward bends I incorporate are already helping with digestion and elimination and the general "deflating" of my body and G.I. track (TMI, I'm sure, but this is one of the main physical reasons why I practice). Mentally, I feel prepared for anything that comes my way today and fe...

Asana

Monday, March 30, 2020 After no physical practice/Asanas on Friday, and no yoga over the weekend, I notice that it's difficult to stay motivated and dedicated to my practice at times.  Additionally, I ran a solo-10K this weekend (the St. Louis GO! Marathon/Half-Marthon/10K was cancelled, like most public events), and the additional tenderness in my feet, legs, etc. definitely told me not to get on my mat. Monday blues/malaise, essentially.....a "negative mind"... When I'm on my mat, feeling like it's pointless, and that the day ahead is pointless, and that the efforts I'll expend to make things better are pointless, I can go back to the foundations of my life.  First, what do I live for?  I live for God.  That is my attempted mantra every day. It is not for me/you to understand the purpose of anything.  Pulling yourself out of an equation is very liberating in that you're no longer attached to the result. It's 5:27AM as I type this, and it...

Be Silent

Tuesday, November 10, 2020 (Part I),  Literal silence is seldom present.  Whether in our homes, our cars, or our offices, noise, and other physical sounds, are almost always being generated from somewhere.  Try a little experiment next time the opportunity arises; turn off all music, all noise making devices, and make your environment as quiet as possible.  Then, close your eyes and sit for 2 minutes.  You’ll, very quickly, begin to hear things you weren't noticing before.  The same is true when you silence your own thoughts. You turn off the “noise” of your own brain, and you begin to notice and hear things that are always there, but that you simply didn’t notice before.   To “turn down the volume” in your own head, physically imagine a hand turning down a volume dial. Then, select an object of meditation (a loved one, a religious object, or something plain and innocuous, like a pineapple), and hold that image in your mind.  Within moments, your ...