Hi everyone, I hope you are all well. Just a quick reminder about a few things! Firstly please be reminded that on the following dates there will be no power yoga class:
Thursday 8th March
Tuesday 20th March
Thursday 8th March
Tuesday 20th March
Monday 19th March
Thursday 22nd March
Thursday 22nd March
Secondly, I am filming my POWER YOGA DVD next weekend, I am very excited about this and if anyone would like a copy please let me know, that way you can be praticing at home too :)
Lastly my pose of the month is the CRANE POSE. A pose we have all been working on for a few weeks now :) Here are a few handy tips and also a list of benefits this pose brings to your body, oh, and remember pratice and patience really does work with this pose!
CRANE POSE : 
This is a personal favourate of mine. When someone eventually manages to master this pose it is a fantastic feeling, you feel strong, confident . It is such a confidence booster. I always believe yoga can help you in your day to day life, if you can master a pose or learn how to deal with a pose you can take this with you into your day to day life, dealing with situations with confidence and calmly. So many people in my classes have shaken their heads when faced with the crane pose for the first time :) yet after a few weeks they have mastered it!
This is a personal favourate of mine. When someone eventually manages to master this pose it is a fantastic feeling, you feel strong, confident . It is such a confidence booster. I always believe yoga can help you in your day to day life, if you can master a pose or learn how to deal with a pose you can take this with you into your day to day life, dealing with situations with confidence and calmly. So many people in my classes have shaken their heads when faced with the crane pose for the first time :) yet after a few weeks they have mastered it! BENEFITS:
- Strengthens and tones arms and wrists
- Stretches the upper back
- Strengthens the abdominal muscles
- Opens the groin
- Tones the abdominal organs
Here are a few tips :
1: Separate your knees wider than your hips and lean the chest forward, between the inner thighs. Stretch your arms forward, then bend your elbows, place your hands on the floor shoulder width apart, fingers spread wide and pointing forwards and the backs of the upper arms against the shins.
2: Place your inner thighs against the sides of your torso, and your shins into your armpits, and slide the upper arms down as low onto the shins as possible. Lift up onto the balls of your feet and lean forward even more, taking the weight off your torso onto the backs of the upper arms.3: With an exhalation, lean forward even more onto the backs of your upper arms, to the point where the balls of your feet leave the floor. Now your torso and legs are balanced on the backs of your upper arms. As a beginner to this pose you might want to stop here, perched securely on the bent arms.
4: To take it to the next level squeeze the legs against the arms, press the inner hands firmly to the floor and straighten the elbows slightly . The inner knees glued to the outer arms, high up near the armpits. Keep the head in a neutral position with your eyes looking down at the floor just in front of your hands. Hold and breathe for as long as you are able then to release slowly lower your feet to the floor into a squat.
1: NEVER LOOK BACK BETWEEN THE FEET!
2: GO INTO THE POSE WITH CONFIDENCE :)
3: DON T HOLD THE BREATH!
4: PLACE A PILLOW ON THE MAT INFRONT OF YOU IN CASE YOU TOPPLE FORWARDS!
5: ENGAGE THE CORE
6: GLUE YOUR LEGS TO YOUR ARMS AND SQUEEZE
7: ENSURE THE WEIGHT IS EQUAL IN BOTH WRISTS
8: BRING THE BIG TOES TOGETHER ONCE IN THE POSE
9: ONCE IN THE POSE , SMILE :)
And finally if you do topple don't worry, keep trying, keep practising and I promise you will get there and for those of you who are feeling really strong you may go onto the side crane !!
SIDE CRANE:
Love and hugs, Lucy
Namaste x x
