This course teaches Yoga & Meditation as a path toward Mindfulness.
Mindfulness practices hold the key to success in all aspects of our life, including academic achievement, happiness and our well being. Yoga offers many benefits for growth and development by making us more flexible and aware. It teaches us how to use our most powerful tool, our minds.
Lessons will include breathing techniques to facilitate focus, emotional regulation and physical wellbeing. Postures will be taught, not only as a means to hold our attention steady, but also as a way to find a nutritious movement that will help with postural alignment and correct imbalances. We will work on flexibility and balance of mind and body. Mindfulness is a skill that requires practice so repetition of any of the classes highly recommended.
This video introduction states the importance of listening to your body and reminding you to never to move into any pose that doesn't feel right in your body.
The Basics
Finding a comfortable seat: We want to make sure we allow for the natural curves in our spine when in any position for a long time and that includes sitting. In yoga we often sit on the floor. Sitting on the floor is healthy for our joints because it increases flexibility and strength, when getting up and down form the floor. Try sitting up on a blanket towel or pillow if you can not get your natural curves just sitting on the floor. Eventually you won’t need the support as you get more flexible.
Controlling our Breath Breathing is one of the most basic functions of the human body. It fuels the body with oxygen while also getting rid of carbon dioxide and waste Breathing is not something we think about but it just happens automatically but we can learn to control the breath and that allows us to control some of our body’s responses. Breathing affects our lung capacity, our heart rate and can help calm our nervous system (by activating the relaxation response).
Exercise 1: 1. Imagine a balloon in your belly Fill the balloon for a count of 4 hold the breath in for 2 exhale then exhale for a count of 6 slowly letting the air out. Pause between practices: Notice where do you feel your breath the most. Remember, watching the breath is not very interesting and so you will notice the mind drift…but our minds become stronger each time we bring them back to the object or our focus. Accept w/o judgement
Exercise 2: 2. Imagine you have a hot cup of hot chocolate …hold it in front of you Inhale like you are trying to smell the rich chocolate…and then exhale through the lips like you are trying to cool it off
Exercise 3: Moving with the breath Combining simple arm movement with the breath adds one more element to hold our minds steady in on place building on our ability to focus our minds.
Benefits of deep focused breathing
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Promotes happiness
- Ignites peace and calmness
- Lowers blood pressure and heart rate
- Reduces tension
- Improves focus and concentration
This short lesson teaches body (anatomy) landmarks that are used to direct movement in finding proper alignment in the body.
Learn some of the basic poses in a yoga class.
This practice helps to steady the mind and reconnect to center. Grounding is what connects us to the here and now. When we feel grounded our minds are steady and we are present to what is happening in the moment. Some strong poses and balance helps to cultivate the patience to be still. Learn to be strong, steady and grounded like a Warrior.
This class is all about moving with the breath. Joining movement and breath together helps to further focus the mind and your attention. Vinyasa means moving with breath and it is a common type of yoga practiced around the world. Feel how your body expands with your breath in and contracts with your breath out.
This class is done all on the floor and helps you to learn alignment is some of the common seated poses in yoga. This is a great class to do if you are tired and need to chill out and quiet your mind.
This class is a progression from Mindful Movement. In this class we move a little faster using the breath as a guide to take us into the next pose.
Having good posture affects how we feel physical and emotionally. When we stand tall and proud, we feel tall and proud. Good posture helps to develop balance in your body. When the body is in balance there is less strain on the joints therefore less chance of injury or pain. Proper posture also allows for proper breathing.
Focus helps us to pay attention even when there are distractions all around us. It helps us to start a task and stay with it without procrastination or allowing our mind to wander.
This class teaches us some tools we can use to help let go of stress. Sometimes a negative thought can replay in our minds leading us to feel anxious and stressed. Take a time out from your stress and take hold of a new positive outlook.
This is a short meditation practice to help quiet the mind and help you relax. Don't be discouraged if the mind wanders, with practice our attention grows.
This class focuses on opening our hearts to gratitude. We flow through some heart and front body stretches and finish with a resting meditation with a small pillow or rolled towel under our mid back to help open the chest.
This class focuses on balance mind and body. To find balance in our lives we don’t feel stressed or rushed or pulled in anyone direction. We make time for rest, proper diet and all of our activities.
This class helps you to strengthen your immune system. While all movement is beneficial to keep your body and immune system strong, this class guides you through a yoga flow that helps you to stay healthy.
In this class we focus on building strength. We see that you can build strength by holding a pose and also by moving from pose to pose. Feel free to play some music to help boost your energy. Take your time building strength and rest when you need to.
This is a seated meditation to help you to quiet your mind using guided imagery.
It may be used at anytime including bedtime to help you fall asleep.
This class encourages you to move in a way that feels good to you. We use music to encourage a creative flow. Movement keeps our body and joints healthy, so don't forget to move everyday in all different ways.
This class teaches us the difference between mobility and flexibility. We learn how to move different joints in their full range of motion which allows you enhance your yoga practice.
This class teaches you a few things you can do to take a break and stretch even while sitting at your desk.
This meditation is best done lying down and can be used as an aid in helping you fall asleep. We focus on progressively relaxing each part of the body until you are completely relaxed mind and body.
This is a gentle sequence for when you are experiencing back discomfort. Listen to your body and do not proceed with any movements that increases your pain.
