Category: Stretches

Wednesday Workout: Marichyasana

8/16/2017

Benefits of Marichyasana

Calms the mind and body
It stretches the shoulders
Massages the internal organs
Improves digestion
Opens hips, pelvis, chest & shoulders
Relieves mild backache and hip pain

This week our peak pose was Marichyasana. This pose, named after the sage, Marichi, is a deep twisting, folding and opening seated position. It requires flexibility in a number of muscle groups including: hip flexors, hamstrings, gluteal, and calf. All the folding and twisting of this asana helps to keep the spinal muscles mobile as well as squeezes and flushes the internal organs with new oxygenated blood. Just be sure to be warmed up and careful with these poses. Never force yourself into a pose—that's a great way to severely injure yourself. This entire flow sequence is designed to help prepare our bodies for marichyasana. So, if your goal is to achieve this pose with ease, try working on this sequence at home, Enjoy yogis!
Namaste.
- Ann

Preparing for Marichyasana
If you're anything like me, you need to prepare your body for any of the Marichyasana poses. Here are just a few of many poses out there that may help prepare your body for this challenging pose.

Siddhasana (accomplished pose) or Sukhasana (easy pose)
Supta Baddha Konasana (reclining bound angle)
Supta Padangusthasana (reclined hand to foot pose)
Uttanasana (standing forward fold)
Baddha Konasana (bound angle pose)
Janu Sirsasana (head to knee forward fold)
Utthita Parsvakonasana (extended side angle)
Virasana (hero pose)
Supta Virasana (reclined hero pose)
Triang Mukha Eka Pada Pachimottanasana (Three limbs facing one foot westward stretching pose)
Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana (half bound lotus westward stretching pose)

Once you've had a chance to warm up, then try moving into one of the "beginning level" Marichyasana poses.

***DISCLAIMER***
You should consult a medical practitioner before starting any new exercise regime. This is particularly important if you are overweight, pregnant, nursing, regularly taking medications, or have any existing medical conditions. The information contained in this website may not be tailored to your current physical and mental health. I accept no liability whatsoever for any damages arising from the use of this website. As with any workout or yoga class, be sure to warm up properly and cool down afterward to avoid injury.

Icons edited and created from source artwork made by Roundicons from www.flaticon.com is licensed by CC 3.0 BY

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Wednesday Workout: Fledgling Flow

7/19/2017

utthita hasta padangusthasana
(extended hand-to-foot)

This sequence...is perfect for beginner level yogis. If you've practiced yoga in the past and are looking for a progression to help motivate you after a long hiatus away from your practice, this may be exactly what you're looking to use.

Fledgling Flow works on opening up hips, hip flexors, hamstrings, shoulders, and back. It aims to help strengthen the core and to improve your overall balance. In general, it should be an easy flowing sequence to help you work all areas of the body.

So, if you want to work on this sequence at home, I've worked up this cheat sheet for you to bookmark, save or download. Enjoy yogis!
Namaste.
- Ann

Fledgling Flow

Download PDF

Icons edited and created from source artwork made by Roundicons from www.flaticon.com is licensed by CC 3.0 BY

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Wednesday Workout: Fierce Dancer

6/21/2017

Key Prepping Poses

This week...

We worked on opening up our hips, hip flexors, thighs, shoulders, and back in order to work into Dancer (natarajasana).

In particular, the poses we did during the second flow sequence, helped to prepare our bodies for dancer. All of these poses are great because they help test our balance, strength and flexibility, all with the goal to help us move more gracefully into and out of dancer.

So, if you want to work on this sequence at home, I've worked up this cheat sheet for you to bookmark, save or download. Enjoy yogis!
Namaste.
- Ann

Download PDF

Icons edited and created from source artwork made by Roundicons from www.flaticon.com is licensed by CC 3.0 BY

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Easing belayer neck pain

5/8/2017

We spend a lot of time looking up while we belay. This sometimes causes too much pressure in your neck, resulting in pain. One way to help easy the pain of belayer's neck is to actively training your neck muscles to engage, rather than just dumping the weight of your head into your spine. Here are some exercises to help:

Neck Rolls - Come to an easy sit position. Gently and slowly roll your head clockwise 5-10 times and then counter-clockwise 5-10 times
Scalene Muscle Stretch - The scalene muscles are a set of three muscles located in the neck, on the front and on either side of the throat. Derived from the Greek word skalenos (meaning "uneven"), these muscles have differing lengths, attachments and fiber arrangements. To stretch your scalene, take your fingers, as if you were crimping, and bring them into the groove between your collar bones and the scalene muscles. Gently tilt your head to the right and slowly move your chin upward. You should feel a nice stretch in the neck. Hold the stretch for 2-5 breaths, then come back to center and switch to the other side.
Extended Arm Head Tilts - Reach your right arm out with the palm out, facing up. Raise your left hand and place it on the right side of your head. Gently pull head your head to the left (left ear to left should). You should feel a nice stretch in the right side of the neck. Hold the stretch for 2-5 breaths, then come back to center and switch to the other side.
Trapezius Muscle Stretch - Using a yoga strap, loop it into a circle shape. Place one end of the loop under your right knee, working it inward as needed. Then loop the other end over your right shoulder, over top of your right upper trapezius muscle (the somewhat flat are between your shoulder and neck). Gradually tighten the loop as necessary to feel a gentle drawing downward of the shoulder. Extend your right arm parallel with the floor, palm facing down. Raise your left hand and place it on the right side of your head. to the own. Gently press the neck. Gently pull head your head to the left (left ear to left should). You should feel a nice stretch in the right side of the neck and trapezius. Hold the stretch for 2-5 breaths, then come back to center and switch to the other side.

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4 Great Shoulders Stretches

5/2/2017

Your shoulders are intricate machines. Lots can go wrong if you don't treat them well. Here are some of my favorite stretches to help keep shoulders limber and healthy.

Rolling T - Start by laying on your stomach in a T-position, with your palms facing toward the ground. Then gently roll to one side. Hold the pose for 30-90 seconds. Then switch to the other side.
Thread the Needle - Start on all fours. Lift left hand off the ground and "thread" left arm through the space between right arm and right leg, letting the back of the left hand and arm slide along the ground. Allow the upper body (thoracic spine) to naturally rotate toward the right, but keep hips level. Stop pushing arm to the right at the point where your hips begin to open to the right. (This may mean less of a range of motion than what you could do if you continued to open.)
Cow Face - Reach right arm straight up, then bend elbow and let hand fall behind your head. Move left arm behind the back and bend the arm, letting the back of your left hand rest against the right shoulder blade (or as close to the blade as possible). Reach to grab right fingertips with the left hand. Repeat on the other side.
I-Y-T Moves Against the Wall - With your back to a wall, stand with palms facing out. Slowly bring arms up to make a "T" shape—keeping your arms and back in contact with the wall. Continue to bring arms up to make a "Y" shape, then an "I" shape, touching thumbs overhead. Focus on keeping shoulder blades flat against the wall (not allowing them to stick out or wing.)

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Ann SEibert

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Wednesday Workout: Marichyasana

Wednesday Workout: Fledgling Flow

Fledgling Flow

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Wednesday Workout: Fierce Dancer

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Easing belayer neck pain

4 Great Shoulders Stretches

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