Archive for August 2018

Everyone has those days when you are full of motivation but the moment you sit down to do something your mind goes blank. Even though I am usually overflowing with creative ideas, I still have those days where I am uninspired and my creative juices are gone. I have notice that my yoga practice even suffers when I have not been creative for a period of time.

Sometimes a few cups of coffee or tea and a long walk in the park can get my brain going but there is nothing more creativity boosting than a stimulating yoga practice. The right poses in a specific order can get me out of my rut and discover new ideas and motivate me to create.

Here are poses I use to help bust the blank and get creative.

· Pigeon pose- We store emotions in our hips so hip-openers like pigeon pose release negative energy and emotion. The hips and pelvis are at the bodily center for creativity because it is aligned with the second chakra that represents creative energy.

· Seated eagle Pose- Another hip-opener to open the flow of creativity. It is also a shoulder stretch, shoulders and neck are another common place to store tension blocking creativity.

· Headstand- Doing a headstand grounds your body, thoughts, and spirit. It allows extra oxygen to get to the brain and provides a fresh perspective needed to become creative again.

· Child’s Pose- Relaxing is a great way to take a break and let the creativity come naturally. Sometimes you can’t force it to come.

· Meditation- Spending a short amount of time meditating allows myself to see the whole picture and forget what is hindering my thought processes. It puts me in the right state of mind to get creative.

There are poses and sequences for just about anything you can think of or need. I believe that yoga is a great way to free the mind and help with problems and issues.

Do you use yoga to alleviate a problem or to get creative? Leave a comment about your sequence and what you do it for.

Namaste.

I love when I am able to share a practice with my partner. The energy we create when sharing our yoga practice is second to none. We connect on such a deep level that only yoga and meditation can bring out.

There is an intimacy with partner yoga that only happens during that time, and cannot be matched.

There is also a sense of fun and humor when you are practicing with a significant other. We have a lot of moments where we bust of laughing but find ourselves in a deep meditation with each other. It is a great combination of fun and spirituality. Here are four fun partner poses for beginners.

1. Partner breathing is a great way to connect with each other. Sit with your legs crossed and your backs resting against each other. Place your hands on your knees or thighs and focus on your inhale and exhale. Feel your partner’s rib cage expand and collapse. Spend about 3-5 minutes breathing and really connecting and opening your hearts.

2. While in the seated position, inhale and reach your arms overhead and lengthen your spine. Exhale and twist bringing your right hand to the inside of your partners left knee. Hold the partner twist for about 3-5 breaths. Untwist and repeat on the opposite side.

3. Stand up and prepare for temple pose. Begin by facing each other, inhale and extend your arms overhead and begin to hinge from your hips until you meet the hands of your partner. Begin to forward fold bringing your elbows and forearms together. Hold for about 5-7 breathes. Step towards each other slowing standing upright.

4. The partner forward fold is one of my favorite partner poses. In a seated position face each other and extend your legs into a v shape and your feet touching. Connect arms and grasp palm to forearm. Inhale and lengthen through the spine, exhale and one person folds forward from the hips and the other one sits back keeping the spine and arms straight. Hold the pose for about 5-7 breaths.

After finishing a partner yoga practice we can feel the closeness and connection to the present moment with them. There is an entirely new sense of relaxation and intimacy that lasts a while after you are done practicing. I believe you really get to know someone when you practice with them. If you and your partner love yoga, why not take it to the next level and combine your practices.

Namaste.

Anita

Yoga to Boost Creativity

Partner Yoga