Roll out of bed yoga

Hello from Spain!

So we devised an easy beginners routine to transform any yoga virgin into a sun kissed yoga guru.

1) FORWARD BEND: stand in mountain pose, then exhale as you bend your trunk over your legs. Let your head and neck relax and hang. If your hamstrings feel tight, keep a minuscule bend in your knees to give them some more space to relax and open. Press your hands and finger tips into the ground.

2) DOWNWARD DOG: from all fours, lift your hips and press backwards, keeping your arms outstretched. Reach your heels towards the ground. Relax your shoulders towards the ground and relax your head and neck. Stay here for five long, deep breaths.

3) PLANK: Press your palms into the ground and step your feet back ensuring your wrists are under your shoulders, knees under hips. Straighten your legs and arms, so your body is in a straight line from the top of your head to the bottom of your heels. Keep your stomach strong and lift the front of your thighs up. Stay here for five long, deep breaths.

4) SIDE PLANK: from your plank, press into your right hand and roll to the outside edge of your right foot, stacking your left foot on top. Straighten your left arm so it's in line with your shoulders. Look up. Hold for two long, deep breaths. Roll down and through plank pose and repeat on the other side.

5) UPWARD DOG: Lower your knees gently to the ground. Roll your shoulders down your back and lift your chest through your arms with a big inhale. Straighten your arms, keeping your shoulders down. Sway your torso a little from side-to-side if that feels good and keep your body relaxed.










  

Morning stretches in the park

In todays outdoor yoga session we soaked up the morning sun with some great postures, starting in a sitting position and focusing on breathing. After a quick warm up session we focused on a mat sequence beginning in mountain pose and linking a few of our favourite poses together. Crab pose felt particularly good this morning as it elongated the spine and opened the chest. This is great to counteract spinal curvature caused by everyday activities such as leaning over a desk, holding heavy shopping or curling up in bed.

Outdoor yoga session this Saturday / Sesión de yoga al aire libre este sábado

Hi Friends, I'm starting an outdoor yoga session on Saturday at Jardines del Real (opposite the fountain with the pillars), Valencia. 11.30am to 13.00pm. Bring a mat or a towel. €5 suggested donation.

See you there!


Hola amigos, estoy empezando una sesión de yoga al aire libre el sábado en Jardines del Real (frente a la fuente de los pilares), Valencia. 11.30 a 13.00 horas. Traiga una colchoneta o una toalla. € 5 donación sugerida.

Nos vemos allí!

Yoga Life Today has moved to Valencia!

Hello yoga enthusiasts! Today we are practising from Valencia. Situated on the east coast of Spain alongside the Mediterranean sea. Valencia is a perfect location for yoga-lovers. Well known for its natural setting and agreeable climate. Valencia is the perfect place to enjoy a yoga holiday during the summer. Watch out for photos and blog entries from Yoga Life Today coming soon.

Yogic Backbends

Something new to try as a counter active posture from leaning forward for most of the day; either from sitting at a desk, driving or carrying heavy shopping bags, is Crab Pose. This is one of the various backbends you can do in yoga and is a great way to release energy and realign the body.

From lying flat on the mat you bring your feet in so the buttocks are lifted and the shoulders are still on the floor. Roll the shoulders back so the front of the chest is open. You can use your hands to support your lower back or buttocks either with palms facing upwards or in Prayer Position at the bottom of the lower back.

You may wish to rise onto tiptoes if you really feel the lift. Hold this for a short while if it feels comfortable, and to come out of the posture, slowly lower the spine back to the mat. 

Revolved Head to Knee Pose

Roughly three quarters of the way through a 90 minute yoga class we focused on some floor stretches. The revolved head to knee pose begins sitting on the floor with legs apart and straight out in front of you. You bend in the left leg and bring the left arm up and over your head to reach the opposite foot. The right arm stretches out towards the right foot where both hands should be clutching the foot. If starting out with this pose it maybe easier to hold onto the calf.

Your head should be tilted upwards under your top arm and your gaze focused to the ceiling. You should feel a fantastic stretch along side the left side of the body. This is a particularly a relaxing pose after a series of flow poses. I like to hold this stretch for a while and can feel myself sinking in to the pose quite nicely. Do the same on the opposite side to centre your body.

Counter poses, again to centre the body, would be a double leg forward stretch where your hips are aligned, legs are stretched out in front of you on the mat and the top half of the body falls down towards the floor.

Eye relaxation

A quick and easy exercise to relax the eyes is by rubbing the palms together so that you can feel them heating up. Once they are warm place the palms over eye sockets for a few moments. Repeating this 2 or 3 times should help relax the eyes. Give it a try.