Author: YYTTraining

Yoga Nidra is beautiful and powerful guided meditation technique that guides the practitioner into a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping. Yoga Nidra is becoming increasingly popular as a strong and effective antidote for our modern, stressful lifestyles and is one of the easiest yoga practices to develop and maintain. While the practitioner rests comfortably in savasana (resting pose), this ancient systematic meditation technique takes you through the Pancha Maya Kosha (yogic five layers of self), leaving you with a sense of wholeness, rejuvenation and deep relaxation.

Yoga Nidra helps to rest, restore, de-stress, increase awareness, undo bad habits and brings awareness to deep-rooted conditioned behavioural patterns. It gives insight into our true calling and heart desires and helps with bringing our life into alignment with our truth. Yoga Nidra is among the deepest possible states of relaxation, while still maintaining full consciousness. Thirty minutes of Yoga Nidra practice is said to be equivalent to 3 to 4 hours of deep sleep

Find your inner child with the Happy Baby pose! The Happy Baby is a popular pose in most contemporary yoga practices and that makes sense as this happy pose releases stress and calms the mind.

When?

If you are suffering from lower back pain, the Happy Baby will be very therapeutic for you. Besides, this pose has a beautiful tranquilizing effect. So, if you are stressed or tired, come into this pose and try to calm your breath by breathing deeply in and out of the nose.

How?

Start by lying on your back and hug your knees in the chest. Open your knees and grab the soles of the feet or wrap your hands around your ankles, calves or whatever feels good for you. Gently start to spread your feet apart and bring them in line with your knees. Use the weight of your hands to pull the knees softly towards the earth. The more pressure you put in your hands pulling, the more you open your hips. Relax your shoulders and head into the earth. Hold the pose for 2 to 5 minutes. To come out, you simply release the feet and place them back on the floor with the knees bent, before sliding into a short rebound.

Benefits

• Deep hip-opener
• Releases sacrum and lower back
• Soothes central nervous system
• Meridian lines of the Urinary Bladder, Kidney and Liver are stimulated
• If you pull between your feet with and hands, you stretch your Heart and Lung meridians

The Butterfly is a lovely, releasing pose that will open your hips and make them feel as free as a butterfly. It’s one of the most therapeutic Yin poses and frequently done, as it is beneficial for your entire body. Not to confuse with the muscle-activated Yang variation called the Bound Angle Pose, where you put a lot of effort to strive for the perfect pose. In the Butterfly Pose you completely accept wherever your body is in that moment and surrender… And always remember when caterpillar just thought her life is over, she began to fly!

When?

The Butterfly Pose is a great way to start any Yin yoga practice, to deeply release any tensions stored in the body. It is not as intense as other hip-opening poses, like the Square and Shoelace Pose, so it can be used as a warm-up for these deeper hip stretches. The forward tilt of the hips gives a nice flexion in the hip joint.

How?

Start by sitting up with a straight spine. If you cannot easily sit up straight, then it is recommendable to use a blanket underneath so the pelvis can tilt forward. Bend your legs and bring the soles of the feet together. Slide the feet away from you into a diamond shape – so don’t keep your feet into a tight butterfly as in your Yang training – and allow your back to bend forward. Gently rest with your hands on your feet, or on the floor. Let the head relax towards the heals. Stay in this pose for about three to five minutes. To come out of the pose you push your hands into the ground and very slowly roll up. Feel how your hip joints carry more chi, energy and mobility!

Benefits

• Works on hips and lower spine
• If the feet are more away from the groin, then the hamstrings get a deeper stretch
• Beneficial for the kidneys and prostate gland
• Meridians of Liver and Kidney are activated in the groin area, Urinary Bladder is stretched on the back, Stomach, Spleen, Kidney Lines are compressed in the abdomen, Gallbladder on the outside hip

The Ankle Stretch is quite an intense ankle opener and requires some focus and balance, but when you find peace in this pose, you will absolutely love it!

When?

Since this asana opens and strengthens the ankles, this is a great pose to do after some squatting or toe exercises. Besides it will help us to still the mind, since this ankle opener enhances focus, balance and control. And if you are a runner, hiker or long distance walker, this is the pose for you! It will help you to keep your ankles healthy and flexible.

How?

To enter this pose, you start by sitting on your heels and slowly you lean back to sit on your feet. Be aware of any pain in the ankles or knees, then you may want to back off. Keep the heart open and arch the back forwards. Hold the pose for about one minute. To come out of this pose you lean forwards, bring your hands to the floor and gently step your feet back. Turn over for a short rebound in a neutral position to let the energy flow freely again, enjoy observing the happy life sparkles in you ankles!

Benefits

• Strengthens and opens the ankles
• Nice pose after stressing the toes
• All our lower body meridians are flowing through our ankles. Stomach, spleen, liver and gall bladder, kidney and urinary bladder are stimulated.

My new years resolution: kudos to TUMERIC. Will drink more Golden Milk, a drink full of health promises. A glass of tumeric milk on an empty stomach in the morning or just before bed time can do wonders for your health as it boosts your immune system and fights off various infections.

Loaded with Anti-Oxidants
Helps Reduce Inflammation and Joint Pain.
Improves Memory and Brain Function.
Curcumin in Turmeric Improves Mood.
Protects Against Heart Disease.
Lowers Blood Sugar Levels.
Reduces Risk of Cancer.

Best is to first make a paste: mix 4 spoons of organic turmeric with a glass of water, heat and stir it into a paste (the heating process brings out the good stuff). I personally like to add some cinnamon not only for more sweetness and flavour but also for its health benefits. This paste can be kept in a refrigerator (but avoid plastic containers as they stain and melt) and added to some coconut milk with a spoon of coconut oil. Heat and whisk it yummy frothy and as turmeric is bitter you might want to sweeten it with honey (but only once it cooled of a bit to not loose the honey health properties!). Date syrup is also a excellent vegan option here, and good for your hemoglobin levels!