Miller - Yoga Deck: 50 Poses & Meditations for Body, Mind, & Spirit

50 Poses and Meditations for Body, Mind, and Spirit By Olivia Miller
Yoga consultant: Katherine Trainor Try this quick quiz. I havent done yoga for days because a) I am too busy, b) I am too tired, c) I cant remember which poses to do. For many yoga students, all of the above is true. Thats where Yoga: Reference to Go comes in. Simply select a few poses from the deck of cards. No time? Pick two yoga cards.

Tired? Try one card. Cant decide which pose to do? Eenie, meenie, minie.... Yoga: Reference to Go lets you do one pose, several poses, or a series of poses. Its up to you. At least 5,000 years old, yoga literally means union of body and mind. It has been used throughout the centuries to promote and maintain physical and mental health, flexibility, and youthfulness.

Hatha yogawhich strives to balance body, mind, and spiritcombines physical poses (asanas), breathing (pranayama) and meditation (dhyana). There are thousands of yoga poses; Yoga: Reference to Go contains a wide array of the most traditional as well as the most beneficial poses. In addition to the postures, Yoga: Reference to Go includes warm-up and breathing exercises, meditations, and an Om mantra.

Each posture features an illustration of the pose, describes how to do the pose, and lists its benefits. An affirmation to complement each pose is also offeredrepeating the affirmation while in a pose reinforces it in every cell of the body, truly uniting body, mind, and spirit. If you wish to do a series, follow the postures in sequence, since postures that use opposing muscles are numbered consecutively.

The Shoulderstand, for instance, precedes the Fish, since each pose bends the neck muscles in opposite ways. A few poses have alternate postures (2a, the Proud Warrior, expands on 2, the Triangle), giving you a choice. Remember: Feel free to select random poses. Basic warm-up exercises (marked with letters) are included to get your motor running. Whether youre doing one pose or several, it helps to prepare the neck, shoulders, arms, legs, and spinal column first. Try to rest for at least a minute between poses.

Breathe slowly and deeply. Reflect on how you feel. Did an area of tightness let go? Do you detect a deeper sense of peace? Take the time to explore the space between poses. Yoga is not a competition. Hold a pose in effortless effort, without straining. STOP. STOP.

Rest and try the pose againbut only if you feel like it. We arent all alike. Some people are naturally flexible, some are stronger than others. A pose thats a snap for you could be a challenge for someone else. Remember to warm up with some gentle, natural stretches before you do a sequence. Some floor postures are more comfortable if you do them on a mat or a towel.

Give yourself permission not to stretch as far as the illustration shows or not to hold a pose for the recommended time. Listen to your body. Also, if a suggested affirmation doesnt ring true for you, substitute one of your own. Yoga is about what is right for you: your body, your mind, your soul.

Breath exercises offer simple yet powerful ways to use your breath to decrease tension, increase energy, and promote physical and mental health. The breath is the pulse of the mind.

When you are tense, your breathing becomes shallow or you may hold your breath, increasing the level of tension. Remember: As you breathe, so you live; may your breath be full and deep. Each meditation exercise features a lotus flower, the symbol of simplicity and perfection, and focuses on a philosophical aspect of yoga or a spiritual idea. Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor or sit cross-legged on the floor (sitting on a cushion will help keep your back straight). Read a meditation and repeat a phrase from it as a mantra or simply focus on your breath. When thoughts arise, notice them and return your focus to the phrase or to your breath.

Do this for a few minutes at first, then gradually increase the time. The benefits of meditation are many: your heart rate and breathing slow, blood pressure drops, your mind relaxes. Since an ideal time to meditate is after a yoga session, these exercises appear at the end of the book. An Om mantra is included for use before and/or after your session. If youve never chanted and feel self-conscious, repeat the sound om silently at first. As you feel more comfortable, chant aloud; gradually increase the volume.

Chanting is a great tension burner.

We hope Yoga: Reference to Go helps you progress along your path of physical well-being, emotional balance, and spiritual growth. To that end, wed like to share our thoughts of what it means to follow a yogic lifestyle: Allow yourself to be aware of what is before you.
Be present to the flow of one moment to the next.
Let things be without denying them, judging them, or trying to change them. See. Stop. Let it go. Olivia H. Olivia H.

Miller is a freelance writer, and has been a student of yoga for twenty-five years. Yoga consultant Katherine Trainor, a certified practitioner of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy, has nearly thirty years of experience in the practice and teaching of yoga.

Below are some recommended sequences that focus on specific benefits. For example, theres a sequence designed to obtain a whole body workout and another that promotes relaxation. The sequences are offered as suggestions onlyfeel free to create your own. For an All Over Stretch: .

Note: Be sure to begin with several warm-up poses and a breath exercise. For More Energy:For Increased Flexibility:For Strength:For Relaxation and Stress Relief: , any meditation For Back Pain Relief:

(Anulom Viloma) Sit comfortably. Place the middle finger of your right hand on your forehead; your thumb rests on your right nostril, your ring and baby fingers rest on your left nostril. Inhale and exhale. Close right nostril with thumb; inhale through left nostril for a count of 5. Close both nostrils; hold your breath for a count of 5.

Lift thumb, exhale for 5 through right nostril. Inhale through right nostril, hold, close right nostril, and exhale through left nostril. This ends round 1. Repeat for 4 more rounds.

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I am balanced, calm, and serene.

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Balances the energy of the nervous system Has a profound stilling effect on the mind NOTE: We breathe in two-hour cycles: first one, then the other nostril is dominant. Prolonged breathing through one side affects our energy.

This restores the proper balance.

This breath can be done in a comfortable seated position or in the . Relax; close your eyes. Exhale completely. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose. Allow your stomach to expand like a balloon.

Sip in your breath, filling your chest and lungs. Hold your breath; exhale slowly through your nose, squeezing out all the stale air. If you wish, count to maintain your rhythm; inhale for a count of 5, hold your breath for 15, exhale for 10. Repeat 5 times.

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I drink deeply from the well of Life.

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Relaxes the body and nervous system Purifies the respiratory system by expelling stale air Relieves tension and calms emotions Improves concentration Great for the complexion