Copy
Summer at the Beach!
View this email in your browser

Yoga with Nicole Wenner

 
Reminder: No Yoga May 26th.  Have a safe Memorial Weekend!

Outdoor Yoga!

June 4th through August 27th.

I believe that all of us are ready for the sun and Summer; Winter did its toll of being over 6 months of snow.  I feel that doing yoga outdoors is an amazing way to connect with nature.  You also feel the sun, breeze and the ground while doing your practice.  It can be a really cool experience.

So, to embrace the short season of the Sun, I am offering another yoga class time during the months of June, July & August.  On Wednesdays at 10:15 am we will meet at the Shell Lake Public Beach/Park and have an hour of yoga.  This will follow my regular 9 am yoga at Vitality Village.

If it is raining, we can choose to move the picnic tables under the Shell Lake Lions shelter and use that space to stay dry.

Pranayama
 

Breathing.  It is ultimate for survival.  It is also one of the things that people are most concerned about after starting a yoga class.

There are a few different styles of breathing that are taught in yoga classes.  The breath is an amazing way of clearing our bodies of toxins and emotions.  It also can fire up our core - bringing that energy into our belly. Relaxation can be achieved by focusing on our breathing.  Sadly, in our world today, most are in the fast lane and do not even notice how they are breathing.  When you are under stress, your breathing stays very shallow or in the upper part of your lungs.  You are not receiving all of the oxygen your body requires nor are you allowing your body that extra time to inhale and exhale to create that window of relaxation.  

I will never forget the time I was told to take a deep breath in and my shoulders when up to my ears instead of my belly moving out.  Wow!  Then the woman put her hands on my shoulders and told me to do it again.  My thoughts were, "but I am going to look fat if I let my belly relax."  In time, I allowed my belly to relax and I am now taking much deeper breaths then I ever thought possible.

There is a method to my cues of when to breathe during our yoga practice.  For the most part, we take a deep breath in when we are preparing to bend or twist.  Then the exhale occurs when we move into the pose.  This allows you to receive the breath and then empty your belly to achieve a deeper bend or twist.

Don't fight where you are with your breath - on or off the mat.  Just allow your body to accept more air as you do your poses.  That is why we call it a "practice".

You can check out this article from Yogajournal.com for more information.

Namaste    

Plank Pose

Start: Cultivate a range of movement in your upper back and shoulders.
1. Start on all fours.
2. Line up your shoulders directly over your hands and your hips directly over your knees.
3. Inhale as you extend your spine, lifting the head and tailbone and stretching your front body.
4. Exhale as you round your spine, tucking your head and tail under and lifting your belly.
5. Repeat these movements back and forth a few times.

Refine: Now practice keeping your hips and lower back stable while you open the chest. Begin by lifting your bottom front ribs and your lower belly toward the ceiling. This brings your pelvis and lower back into the stable position that's necessary for Plank. Keep your lower back and abdominals fixed; then inhale as you lift your head, open your chest, and pull the shoulder blades toward each other. As you exhale, round just your upper back, spreading your shoulder blades apart.  Continue this sequence while following your breath, keeping your lower back and hips stable while exaggerating the movement in your upper back. Keep your arms straight and maintain a steady pressure down through your hands and fingers.

On the next inhalation, hold your position with your chest fully expanded, and keep breathing. Keep lifting your belly up and in to hold your lower back and pelvis still.

Practice Holding Your Body Weight With Your Arms, Shoulders, and Core Muscles.
1. Start on all fours.
2. Step your knees back, one at a time, about a foot.
3. Lower your hips and lengthen through the crown of your head.
4. Press the tops of your thighs up while lengthening your tailbone down toward your knees.
5. Keep your hands directly under your shoulders.

Refine: Notice how, with more weight in your arms, your body might start to sag, putting a sway in your back. Engage your core to support your back: Lift your belly and pull in your lower ribs. Stay aware of your shoulder blades, drawing them down and in. Work your legs strongly, pressing the tops of your thighs up; at the same time, keep stretching your tailbone down toward the backs of your knees. Extend the top of your sternum forward as if it could reach through the crown of your head. Exhaling, feel that one long line extends from your sternum through your tailbone toward the backs of your knees.




Click here for full article and more info: YogaJournal.com

Final Pose: Power Up Your Whole Body in Plank

1. Start on all fours, with your wrists under your shoulders and wrist creases parallel to the front edge of your mat.

2. Step one leg straight back, grounding all the toes; then step the other leg back.
3. Reach your heels back and firm the legs. Lift your kneecaps and press the tops of your thighs up. Reach your tailbone back.
4. Push your hands and all of your fingers steadily and evenly into your mat and straighten your arms.

Refine: Pull your shoulders down away from your ears, lengthening your neck. Explore your shoulder and chest alignment. First, push your hands vigorously down and round your upper back. Then, draw your shoulder blades down your back and gently toward each other. Feel your breath move into your chest as it expands. Press your thighbones up and lengthen your tailbone back toward your heels, engaging your lower abdominals. Now, try to get longer. Reach the top of your sternum and the crown of your head forward toward the wall in front of you.

Finish: Hold for several breaths, letting your awareness grow and a sense of power suffuse your whole being. Press back into Downward-Facing Dog Pose, or rest in Child's Pose for several breaths.

Adjust Yourself

Try these adjustments to optimize Plank Pose for your body:

Wrists: If your wrists are tight or tender, try rotating your hands slightly outward. Or, try cupping your hands, holding your weight on your fingertips.
Elbows: Protect your elbows from hyperextending by pressing your inner upper arms away from each other until your biceps muscles are engaged.
Pelvis: Bring the pelvis into alignment by pressing the tops of your thighs upward, while lengthening your tailbone back to the wall behind you.
Feet: Don't forget your feet. Ground down through all 10 toes evenly and press the center of your heels straight back to the wall behind you.
Neck: If your neck is strained, lengthen it by lifting the back of your head toward the ceiling until your ears line up with your shoulders.

GENTLE YOGA          Monday, Wednesday, Friday      9:00 AM
VINYASA YOGA       Thursday                                    4:15 PM
OUTDOOR YOGA      Wednesday                               10:15 AM   @Shell Lake Public Beach/Park