Unleash Your Inner Warrior: A Comprehensive Guide to Chaturanga Dandasana and Warrior Poses for Strength and Focus

by Veronique Rioux | Dec 4, 2018 | Yoga

Are you looking to improve your strength and alignment in your yoga practice?

Look no further than Chaturanga Dandasana, also known as Four Limbed Staff pose. This pose is essential for building upper body strength and engaging the core muscles.

Before moving into Chaturanga, it’s important to warm up with a few rounds of Sun Salutation, using Downward Dog as a resting pose. Once you’re ready, lie on your belly and find the proper form: the corner of your shoulder points up and forward, not down, and your chest and pecs should be engaged. Use your muscles to lift your body off the floor, keeping your ribs and belly off the ground, and press through your heels while tightening your thighs. Your toes should be curled under and you should bounce back and forth from your ab muscles. Once you’ve found the proper form, try holding Chaturanga off the ground for five breaths. Then, move from Plank to high Plank to Chaturanga, all the way down to the floor, working eccentrically. Repeat this sequence three times, making sure to go forward instead of down.

Ready to channel your inner warrior? Warrior poses represent power and ferocity, reminding us that we always have the opportunity to step forward and do our best to make things right. But remember, strength is not about forcing yourself into a posture – it’s about alignment. Start with Warrior 1, Virabhadrasana I, followed by Warrior 2, Virabhadrasana II, Reverse Warrior, Viparita Virabhadrasana, and Side Angle pose, Utthita Parsvakonasana. Do each pose for 3-5 breaths for the first round, then do three more rounds of one breath in each pose.

To finish your practice, try the Sphinx pose, Salamba Bhujangasana, Child pose, Balasana with side bend, Two knees spinal twist, Supta Matsyendrasana, and a supported backbend with blocks. And don’t forget to add a mantra to your practice for an extra spiritual boost. Try Jai Ma from Planet Yoga, a lovely and simple phrase that expresses gratitude to the creative forces in the universe, particularly the divine feminine.

Remember, spirituality isn’t just about the big things, like chanting or meditation. It’s about incorporating spiritual practices into every aspect of your life. By loving everyone and rising above the differences of the lower nature, we can bring harmony to our world and experience true spiritual growth. So, channel your inner warrior, focus on alignment, and let the strength and harmony flow.

Revitalize Your Yoga Practice with Wall and Deep Belly Breathing: Tips and Techniques for Mindful Breathing and Alignment.

by Veronique Rioux | Nov 20, 2018 | Yoga

As we live in a fast-paced world, it is important to be able to find moments of peace and tranquility in our daily lives. One way to achieve this is through the practice of yoga, which has been shown to have numerous benefits for both physical and mental health. In this article, we will explore some yoga poses that can help to cultivate strength, focus, and deep relaxation, while also providing a great workout for your muscles.

One of the foundational principles of yoga is the importance of focusing on the breath. By bringing our attention to the breath, we can learn to quiet the mind and let go of distractions. This can be challenging at first, especially if you are used to living in a state of constant stimulation, but with practice, you will begin to notice a sense of calm and clarity that arises from this type of mindfulness.

Focus/Intention: The breath is the boss, listen to it, focus on it. When you are relaxed, your ability to listen increases. Your quality of listening alters, and you develop a quality of attention. Stability is power. That’s why we are going to practice slow, simple and deep movement. We will pay attention to our gaze, also call Drishti in Sanskrit. Gaze at one point; when you move your eyeball around, it is a sign than you are riding your thoughts instead of listening to the boss, the breath. Where our eyes are directed, our attention follows. The use of Drishti in asana serves both as a training technique and as a metaphor for focusing consciousness toward a vision of oneness.

Deep belly breathing, also known as diaphragmatic breathing or abdominal breathing

This type of breathing that emphasizes the use of the diaphragm, a large muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. When we breathe deeply, we inhale through our nose and allow the breath to fill our belly, pushing the diaphragm down and causing the belly to expand. As we exhale, we release the breath slowly and fully, allowing the belly to contract and the diaphragm to rise.

Deep belly breathing is important because it helps to increase the amount of oxygen that our body receives, which in turn can help to reduce stress and anxiety, improve digestion and sleep, and boost overall health and well-being. It is also a foundational aspect of many yoga and meditation practices, as it can help us to cultivate a sense of calm and centeredness.

One way to begin this practice is by starting in constructive rest position. To do this, lie down on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Take a few deep breaths and allow your body to relax into the floor. As you inhale, feel your belly expand, and as you exhale, feel it contract. This deep belly breath is an essential part of yoga practice, as it helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and relaxation.

As you continue to practice deep belly breathing, you can start to move your body in gentle ways. Windshield wiper the knees from side to side to help release tension in the hips and lower back. Lift your legs straight up, with your feet above your hips, or in a tabletop position with bent legs. Keep your legs together and press your feet, while relaxing your upper body. Make sure to properly digest any movement you do and integrate it into your body. You can go back to constructive rest between effort poses.

Next, try lifting your tailbone off the floor on an inhale, then relaxing on an exhale. Repeat this movement five to ten times. Then, try a hollow body pose by lifting one leg and hovering it above the ground while pressing against the opposite knee. On an inhale, lift your tailbone off the floor, then exhale and lift your head with your hands interlaced. Inhale again and lift higher. Alternate this movement with the upper body off the ground, with your head supported.

From an all-fours position, try hovering your knee off the floor for three to five breaths. Then, move into a downward dog to plank pose, waving your spine three to five times with your breath. Lift one leg to a downward dog, then bring your knee to your chest, hold for three to five breaths, and then place your foot down. From a low lunge, move into a half split five times, slowly lifting your back knee off the floor and shifting forward into a supported standing split, or Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana. Slowly bring your feet together, hover one foot off the ground before putting it down into a forward fold at the front of your mat. Bring the leg back into low lunge, then from there lift the front foot to a downward dog. Repeat this flow on the other side.

Once you are familiar with this sequence, try repeating it with your back knee off the floor with both legs. Move into a one-legged downward dog, then bring your knee to the outside and place your foot down, coming into a lizard lunge, or Utthan Prasthasana, with a quadriceps stretch.

Next, move against the wall and try some standing poses, such as Warrior II, Side Angle Pose, Triangle Pose, and Half Moon Pose. As you move through these poses, pay attention to your body and your breath.

Using a wall for some yoga poses can have several purposes, such as:

Alignment: A wall can help you align your body in the correct position. For example, in a standing forward bend (Uttanasana), standing with your feet a few inches away from the wall can help you maintain a straight back and ensure your head is positioned in the correct alignment with your spine.
Stability: In some poses, a wall can provide stability and support, especially for beginners. For example, in a handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana), you can use the wall to practice kicking up your legs while providing support to your back.
Resistance: The wall can also provide resistance, helping you build strength in certain poses. For example, in a downward-facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), you can push against the wall to deepen the stretch and strengthen your shoulders and arms.
Awareness: The wall can also provide a reference point for your body, helping you become more aware of your alignment and position. For example, in a warrior II (Virabhadrasana II) pose, standing with your back against the wall can help you ensure your hips are squared and your shoulders are aligned.

Overall, using a wall can be a helpful tool to improve your practice, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced practitioner.

Exploring Triangle pose/ Utthita Trikonasana

How much can you support and how well can you resist pressure? Triangle is one of the strongest and most stable shapes in nature. It represents the many trinities in our world: Earth/Space/Heaven, Birth/Life/Death, Creation/Preservation/Destruction, Body/Mind/Spirit, Dependency/Interdependency/Interaction, Mother/Father/Child, Brahma/Vishnu/Shiva. It also represents the 3 qualities or gunas that compose our body and mind: Tamas, Rajas and Sattva. It’s helpful to meditate on the solid foundation that we need in order to live and leave the world of illusion behind. Find out how you are in relationship to the world around you and the worlds within you. Consider that this threefold process occurs each time you come into a pose, hold the pose, and release the pose. Do they give equal attention to all three processes? Do they enjoy one stage more than the others? Was it challenging to stay with the ending process and not rush on to the next thing?

Mantra: Om Mani Padme Hum

Try this yourself
Try this yourself. Any time the mind is agitated, just sit quietly, not moving at all. Let the mind be agitated as it wants. If your body is still, very soon the mind will calm down all by itself. Why? Because when there is no physical movement, the breath becomes slow; and the breath is the interconnection between mind and body. As the breath slows, the thought-making process slows down, and the mind becomes calm. The aim behind Hatha Yoga postures is to be able to sit in one steady, comfortable position for meditation. A body filled with toxins, weak muscles and jumpy nerves will not be able to stay quiet for any length of time. Yoga postures eliminate the toxins and give strength and steadiness. When the body is healthy and supple, you can easily sit with the mind still and peaceful. As you begin to control the body and its movements, that control will carry over to the mind. The asanas or postures help to train the mind. First be physically at ease, and mental peace will follow. Live in a way that makes your body light, healthy and suppler. Then when you sit for meditation, you won’t experience aches and pains and spend your time meditating on them.

Find Calm and Focus with Ujjayi Breath: A Comprehensive Guide to This Yogic Breathing Technique

by Veronique Rioux | Nov 13, 2018 | Yoga

The Power of Ujjayi Breath: Enhancing Your Yoga Practice with Controlled Breathing

Yoga is a practice that combines physical movement with breathing techniques, helping individuals to find calm, focus, and overall vitality. One such breathing technique that is commonly used in yoga practices, especially in vinyasa or flow-based classes, is ujjayi breath. This type of breathwork involves a slight constriction of the back of the throat, creating a soft “ocean” sound in the back of the throat as we inhale and exhale through the nose. Ujjayi breath is also known as “victorious breath” or “diagrammatic breathing” and has numerous benefits for both the body and mind.

Improving Concentration and Endurance

Ujjayi breath is known to improve concentration and endurance while increasing the ability to flow gracefully. As we slow down the rhythm of each breath, it has a soothing effect on our nervous system. This, in turn, releases tensions in our body, helping us to feel more relaxed. This slow and deep style of breathing strengthens our lungs and diaphragm, while allowing a deeper intake of oxygen and full expulsion of carbon dioxide, thus enriching the blood.

Controlled Breathing

To breathe softly and calmly requires more control than being loud. You need to slow down the passage through which the air travels to take longer breaths. The narrower the tunnel, the longer you will take to fill up completely with air. Ujjayi breath requires a particular type of breathing that involves control and focus, and its goal is to create a smooth, even flow of breath while also helping to cultivate a sense of focus and concentration.

Synchronization of Movement and Breath

Ujjayi breath is commonly used in yoga practices, especially in vinyasa or flow-based classes. It can help us synchronize our movements with our breath, creating a sense of flow and ease in our practice. It can also help us to stay focused and present as we pay attention to the sound and rhythm of our breath.

Incorporating Breathwork into Your Practice

To incorporate ujjayi nto your yoga practice, start by focusing your attention on your breath. Take deep, slow breaths, allowing your belly to expand as you inhale and contract as you exhale. Once you have established a steady breath, begin to incorporate ujjayi breathing by slightly constricting the back of your throat as you inhale and exhale through your nose, creating a soft “ocean” sound in the back of your throat. As you move through your yoga practice, focus on synchronizing your movements with your breath, allowing your breath to guide your movement and flow.

Focus Intention: What seed are you tending? What roots are you nourishing? Bring your attention back to the earth. Start with a strong foundation from the ground up. Go inside, inhale nourishment. On your exhale; let the tension go and dissolve into the earth, let go everything you are ready to let go.

Yoga Sequence for Incorporating Breathwork

Here is a yoga sequence that incorporates both ujjayi and deep belly breathing:

Inhale, cow exhale, Downward Dog 3 times.
Wide leg Downward Dog/ adho mukha shvanasana, hold for 5 breaths.
Inhale, Downward Dog on tip toes (lift heel), Exhale heel to floor.
Inhale flat back, exhale round spine into forward fold 5 times.
Inhale Standing tall, reach arms up, exhale, chair pose/ Utkatasana.
Inhale, chair pose, reach arms up, exhale reach arms back palms up

Mountain pose/ Tadasana: Meditate on the feet; your connection with the earth. Strong and stable foundation, allowing spaciousness in the spine. Visualize the exchange of nourishment from the ground and feel calm.

Classic Sun Salutation

Low lunge/Anjaneyasana, inhale reach arms up, exhale hand in prayer pose 3X
Half split/ Ardha Hanumanasana, inhale cow to exhale cat 3-5 X

Flow 1

Crescent lunge/ Anjaneyasana: cactus arms 3X
Inhale reach arms up exhale lean forward thumbs up back 3X
Humble Warrior, also know as devotional warrior pose, bound warrior pose, or silver surfer pose/ Baddha Virabhadrasana 3-5 breath
Pyramid pose/ Parsvottanasana cat & cow 3-5 X, hold Pyramid 3-5 breaths
Low lunge, opposite hand to the floor, reach other arm up, hold 3-5 breaths
Plank lower to your belly, waterfall Cobra/ Bhujangasana
Repeat flow other side

Flow 2

1 leg Dog, Warrior 2 inhale extend arms out, exhale hand in prayer pose
Goddess pose/ Utkata Konasana (“Utkata” — meaning “powerful” or “fierce” “Kona” — meaning “angle”) inhale reach arms out, exhale hand in prayer
Wide leg forward fold/ Prasarita Padottanasana with hands interlace behind back
Repeat flow other side
Low Squat/ Malasana
Butterfly/ Baddha Konasana
Head to knee forward bend/Janu Sirsasana (1 leg forward fold)
Half Lord of the Fishes /Ardha Matsyendrasana

Seated Spinal Twist/ArdhaMarsyendrasana
A flexible mind and an inflexible spine can rarely be found together. If the body is tied in a knot, so are the mind and emotions. However, with sufficient depth of insight it can be recognized that what had been twisted can also be untwisted. To unwind not only affects the spine but also clears the vision. If you shift your foundation and compensate, then you are twisting to create an impression. How can I be straight? You want the body to be flexible and supple. Don’t you also want your mind to be flexible and supple? The twisting postures lead to introspection. Ask yourself: “What immobilizes me, prevents me from adapting?”

Shavasana
Shavasana symbolizes the death of the ego and the promise of awakening to an enlightened state of consciousness. Death gives us a sense of purpose that can inspire us to make good use of the time we have on earth. With continued practice, the senses are gradually withdrawn and become still. The best sign of a good Shavasana is a feeling of deep peace and pure bliss; from relaxation to surrender. Surrender is an essential action for anyone who wishes to lead a spiritual life. In that state of peace and quiet and inner harmony, one can perceive a vision of the Light that is present within.

Your whole mind should be on it
When you do a thing, your whole mind should be on it. Success depends on your application of the mind. Without that concentration, it’s a half-hearted job. You cannot achieve success in anything that way. That is one reason for practicing meditation: to train the mind to stay focused on one thing at a time. Nothing is impossible for the mind. When the mind is calm and clean it can get all the ideas. You are what you think. As you think, so you become. Thoughts are very important. Live life as a creator, knowing that you have the power within you to create whatever it is you most want to see in the world.

Transform Your Practice: Yoga Class with Classical Sun Salutations and Yin Poses

by Veronique Rioux | Nov 6, 2018 | Yoga

If you’re looking for yoga classes to improve your physical, mental, and emotional health, then you may be interested in reading this article. As a yoga teacher, I have prepared several lesson plans for yoga teacher training that I am willing to share with you. The following 18 lesson plans are designed to build on each other, from gentle classes to more advanced poses and sequencing.

Before we dive into the lesson plans, let me share with you the philosophy behind yoga. In Hatha Yoga, we seek to balance attention between the body and mind, confronting our fears and potentials. Asanas discipline the body but affect the mind, and in turn, the mind affects the body. Through the practice of yoga, we create an intuitive space for deepening our understanding of ourselves, uncovering our obstacles and potential, and becoming harmonious beings. As Sri Swami Satchidananda says in his book “The Golden Present,” “We want to find a deeper meaning in the asanas, to take us to a higher level of consciousness, expect depth, reflection, clarity and support for the Light within.”

Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years and has proven to have numerous benefits for both physical and mental health. If you’re looking to improve your health and fitness on Vancouver Island, Nanaimo, yoga is a great way to do so. In this article, we will discuss a yoga class that focuses on various poses and techniques that can help you achieve a deeper sense of mindfulness and inner peace.

The class will begin with the Tree pose, also known as Vrksasana. This pose requires you to stand on one leg with the other leg bent and resting on the inner thigh of the standing leg. While in this pose, you will focus on taking deep belly breaths and being present in the moment. By focusing on your intention and expressing yourself from the inside out, you can create a shift in the direction of your goals and aspirations.

Classical Sun Salutations with lunge and variations will follow the Tree pose. This will involve adding a twist in the lunge, twist with prayer pose hands, lunge to half split. These variations will help you build strength, balance, and flexibility.

Next up are standing poses, which include Warrior 1 and Warrior 2. These poses will help you build strength in your legs and core while also improving your balance. In addition, Warrior chest expansion and Wide Leg forward fold/ Prasarita Padottanasana I will be incorporated into the class. These poses will help you improve flexibility in your chest and hips.

After standing poses, you will move onto Yin poses. These poses are held for a longer duration, allowing you to relax into the pose and focus on your breath. Low Squat/ Malasana, Butterfly/ Baddha Konasana, Bridge pose/ Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, Reclining Figure 4 pose/ Supta eka pada galavasana, and Lying spinal twist/ Supta Matsyendrasana are all Yin poses that will be incorporated into this class. These poses will help you release tension in your hips, lower back, and glutes.

The class will conclude with a mantra: Om shanti om, Deva Premal from Radiance matrix. Mantras have great power and can be used to help you achieve a deeper sense of inner peace and relaxation.

In conclusion, this yoga class will help you improve your physical and mental health by incorporating various poses and techniques that will help you achieve a deeper sense of mindfulness and inner peace. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced yogi, this class is suitable for everyone. So, if you’re on Vancouver Island, Nanaimo, and looking to improve your health and fitness, consider attending this yoga class.

Explore the Deeper Meaning of Yoga with These Lesson Plans: Yin/Yang sequence

by Veronique Rioux | Oct 30, 2018 | Yoga

From Mountain Pose to Yin Yoga: Journey to Harmony and Strength

If you’re looking for yoga classes to improve your physical, mental, and emotional health, then you may be interested in reading this article. As a yoga teacher, I have prepared several lesson plans for yoga teacher training that I am willing to share with you. The following lesson plans are designed to build on each other, from gentle classes to more advanced poses and sequencing.

In lesson one, we will focus on the Yin/Yang sequence

We will explore deep belly breath, and the “I am breathing” mantra. Yoga seeks to join all opposites and dissolve any illusion of separateness to allow all our energy to be unified. The goal is to achieve true balance within the body and mind, resting in the center of our heart to feel more within and think less. We will start by practicing deep belly breath lying on our backs in constructive rest pose, incomplete rabbit and child pose. We will also perform the Hand in prayer pose, also called Anjali Mudra, which symbolizes the belief that whatever one is praying for will soon arrive. This gesture is a strong pulsation of faith, which is required to make great leaps and receive great blessings.

We will then perform Tadasana/Mountain pose, steady and still like a mountain. The mountain is a symbol of the aspiration to transcend oneself, returning to inner stillness that gives one the power to climb beyond the ego. After that, we will do the Classical Sun Salutations with lunge and Plank pose/Kumbhakasana, which will help us cultivate a strong, steady, and equanimous mind. The journey to strength is cultivated through every day of our life.

In Yin poses, we will perform

Low Squat/Malasana,
Bridge pose/Setu Bandhasana,
Reclining Figure 4 pose/Supta eka pada galavasana (glutes stretch lying down),
and Lying spinal twist/Supta Matsyendrasana.

We will then explore the meaning of Om, the sound of the Cosmic Vibration. Nikola Tesla said, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” The very foundations of our Universe, of matter and thought, appear to lie in sound vibration. The entire cosmos vibrates, and every cell vibrates. In fact, the whole universe is nothing but sound vibrations. Om is considered the most sacred mantra in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism, the sound of the Cosmic Vibration. Mantra repetition is a direct way to tune ourselves to that cosmic vibration.

Finally, we will end with Namaste, which means “I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides. I honor the place in you of love, of truth, of peace, and of light. And when you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.” We will also chant the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum” by Alexia Chellun.

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