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​

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. 

Benefits of Garudasana

• Strengthens & stretches ankles and calves
• Stretches thighs, hips, shoulders, and upper back
• Improves concentration
• Improves sense of balance

Theraputic Applications of Garudasana

• Asthma
• Low backache
• Sciatica

This week...We focused on opening up our IT bands, shoulders, chest, and back as well as strengthening our quads in order to work into Garudasana also known as eagle pose,

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

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.
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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

This week we focused on opening up a variety of muscle groups including: the hip flexors, hamstrings, gluteal, and calf in order to work into Hanumanasana, also known as the monkey pose or more commonly as the splits, The great thing about hanumanasana is that in addition to improving flexibility, it helps increase blood circulation in the hips and legs, which helps improve overall health, recovery and energy in the lower extremities. Plus, if you lift your arms overhead, you strengthen the muscles in the spine, arm, and core.

This entire flow sequence is designed to help prepare our bodies for hanumanasana. So, if your goal is to achieve this pose with ease, try working on this sequence at home, Enjoy yogis!
           Namaste.
​                     - Ann

CAUTION: Avoid this asana if you suffer from a slipped disc, sciatica, hernia, and/or dislocation of the hip joint.

Other Resources

Ok. Before you all jump on me for mis-spelling "Chakra" let me just say, my awesome Sanskrit instructor, Cheryl Oliver, explained to me one day why the correct spelling of the word is cakra. I'm not going to bore you with the long sanskrit grammar lesson, but just take my word. The word is spelled cakra.

A few weeks ago, a bit on a whim, I taught a Cakra Yoga sequence. Then, a few weeks later a student approached me after class and said, "I LOVED your cakra class. I don't know what that was all about, but I left class feeling AMAZING and got the best sleep I've ever had in a long time that night!"

​Wow! That's really cool. As a teacher, I can't tell you how thrilled I get when students share with me their yoga experiences. It's especially exciting when I hear something a student particularly liked or benefited from. I leave that class feeling an overwhelming joy in my heart.

So, voila, that's why we did another cakra yoga class this week. The sequence is to the right. Feel free to download the PDF and practice it at home.

I'm not a scientist. I can't tell you how or why yoga works or how that ties to our energy centers. However, in my short time as a teacher, I have been amazed at how practicing yoga can radically change a life. PTSD suffers find comfort and peace. Insomniacs find sleep. Athletes recover more quickly. Stressed out workers find rejuvenation. I'm sure there's a ton of research out there and I could try to summarize it here, but I'm not going to. Instead, I'll continue to be amazed at and grateful for the practice of yoga, and I will steadily plug along practicing mine, and maybe, if I'm lucky, helping you with yours.. 
                                 Namaste.
                                        - Ann

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