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.  

Opening the heart centre

A great easy posture for relaxation is to start in sitting position, crossed legged on the floor. Chest is open, shoulders are as far away from the ears as possible and the back is straight. Stretch your arms out so that they rest on the knees. Palms should be open and face upwards. Personally I like to hold the thumb and forefinger together because I feel an increased opening in the heart. This is subjective but you may feel an increased opening as many people do. Breathing should be normal but focused on bringing the breath to the top of the chest. Personally I like to breath in and out through the nose but you can also choose to breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. After 5 or 10 minutes in this posture the benefits are mainly relaxation and detachment from daily bodily or mental stresses.

Organic haircare

For so long I've been using standard high street products for my daily shampoo and conditioner but have recently been trying out sulphate and paraben free alternatives. I have found that my hair has come up feeling a lot more clean and moisturised and that I need to wash my hair a lot less often. Studies of parabens and sulphates in beauty products have been linked with medical problems for some consumers  so that is why there is this alternative range of products that get a lot less exposure in the media but are available to buy. I really notice the difference when I use organic shampoos especially as my hair is fine and curly. Parabens are linked with preservatives that provide the product with a longer shelf life but are less productive at moisturising and strengthening the hair. Similarly, sulphates give the lather effect when washing the hair so the consumer feels they're getting a complete cleaning experience. Organic haircare doesn't lather up and foam as much but is gentler on the hair and scalp and I've found the effects to be softer, shinier and cleaner.

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Side Plank Pose

A variation of the Plank Pose (Kumbhakasana) is Side Plank Pose. You can move into this from standard plank as it focuses on strengthening the side that is holding the rest of your body weight. I found it particularly useful for strengthening the arms, wrists and the abdominals. Also you can feel the leg nearest the floor, in particular the thigh working hard. It's important that the palms are flat and firmly grounded on the floor and the arm is stretching out as much as possible. This beautiful stretch oxygenates the working muscles to keep them strong and healthy.