“All creation is one. What we do to one, we do to the entire web of life.” -Chief Seattle
Weekly Focus: Yoga (union)
Yoga translates as to “unite” or “yoke” – to join together. At it’s core, Yoga is all about a coming together. We can experience this connection in so many ways. Breath with movement, mind with body, mind with spirit, me and you, us and community, humanity with nature, experience with cosmos. The connections are endless and expand into an infinite pattern.
Yoga unites the individual to Self, to breath, and to body, and creates a gateway towards a deeper connection to all beings. We are each a thread of cosmic energy in the greater tapestry of the universe!
This week is a reminder that as we come to our yoga practice to better know ourselves and find healing within, we might then consider taking this intention into the world beyond. How and where do you wish to seek connections and balance in the year ahead?
Try adding in one of these simple routines in 2025 to seek wholeness and balance:
- Start your day with a few rounds of Sun Salutations — setting aside time to mindfully move in the morning can set the tone for your day. Give yourself permission to align with your intentions the moment you rise. A lovely alternative here can also be to take a short walk in the morning each day.
- Take 5- 10 minutes to center in the middle of your day — set aside time each day to breath and enjoy quiet. Remove yourself from your desk, find a comfortable space to sit, and allow yourself calm steady breaths. Pay attention to how you breathe and use this as a moment to reset midday.
- Meditate before bed for 5 – 10 min— close your day with mindfulness. It doesn’t have to be a deep meditation. You can use an app to help, or simply close your eyes and slowly count down from 500. Anything to readjust the mind before you sleep, so that you are in a space to rest.
Passive Pose of the Week: Cat’s Tail Pose
Connect to the infinite cycle of energy in this winding pose not dissimilar to the symbol of infinity.
- Begin lying in the fetal position on your left side. You may prop up onto the left elbow for more support.
- Reach your right hand behind you. As you do, bend the left knee kicking the foot towards the butt. Grab for the left foot with your right hand.
- Allow the left knee to slide back slightly so that you can access a deep stretch for the quad.
- Your right leg can stay softly bent or you can straighten the leg away from you.
- Hold for 5 – 7 breaths before switching sides.
Cat’s tail, like many hand and foot binds, can be a quad stretch or a shoulder opener, depending on how you activate the pose. To open the shoulders, kick the left foot strongly into the right hand, opening up the front of the right shoulder and introducing a slight backbend. For a quad stretch, pull the foot towards the body as much as you are able, and think about pushing the hips forward slightly. This will create a lengthening along the front of the left thigh.
Active Pose of the Week: Ardha Purvottanasana (reverse table)
Open up the whole front and back of the body with this strong pose and breath into the harmony of the universe.
- Begin sitting with your feet on the floor in front of you. Let the feet plant so that the knees point to the ceiling.
- Place your hands behind you. Allow the fingers to point any direction that feels most comfortable.
- Start by rollng the shoulders open and feeling a lift in the chest.
- Firmly push into the floor with your hands and feet. As you inhale lift the hips up.
- Keep opening through the shoulders, squeezing the butt and pushing the hips up.
- If it feels comfortable, you can drop the head back.
- Hold for 3 – 5 breaths and slowly lower down. Take a couple of moments here before lifting again. Practice for 3 rounds.
If pushing into your hands to lift up feels hard or difficult, notice the direction of your fingers and try adjusting. Wrist mobility and flexibility will be a limiting factor for some here, and will also contribute to limtied rotation in the shoulders. When we change the direction of our hands, it may impact our ability to rotate the shoulders open and to access more freedom and strength in the shoulders. Rememeber, there is no one perfect way to practice any pose, there is only the variation that brings something to the individual be it strength, stretch, calm, invigoration, etc. Practice for what you need!
Join us in class this week to practice your seeking connection with your body and breath. See the full schedule HERE.
