Waves of movement

GOOD BREATH
The breath is the where the magic is found in yoga. It deeply affects our physical and mental state. Conscious breathing triggers the parasympathetic nervous system through the cerebral cortex (rest & restore), increases lung capacity, builds circulation, aids digestion, release emotional and physical tension, and increase overall well-being. When we link the breath with the movement in our practice it slows the breath down – bringing more oxygen to our whole system and establishes a deep and constant breath.

COME BACK TO THE BREATH
Bringing our attention consciously to the breath in our practice is a challenge that continues as long as the practice itself. To the onlooker, a yogi flowing through their sequence may seem very relaxed and calm, but there is much unfolding on the mat. The complexity of alignment in each asana, the controlled and safe transitions, maintaining a meditative state of mind, and most importantly, remembering to breath! It’s no surprise that you might find yourself holding your breath while you are concentration on your flow, or during a challenging asana. Simply remembering to come back to the breath during your practice, and checking in with how you are breathing, will help to build your concentration, and face those challenging asana.

THE WAVE OF THE BREATH
The breath moves through us like a wave. On an inhale the belly and ribs expand as the diaphragm contracts down, and on an exhale the belly and ribs contract as the diaphragm expands up.

Before you try the sequence above, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Place your hands on you belly and take a few comfortable breaths – following the ebb and flow of the air. When you are going through the asana let your breath initiate each transition. Keep returning to the breath during your practice If you find you are loosing the connection between the breath with the movement, go back to the simple warm up flow sequences and keep your practice simple. As you pause in each asana, use the breath to melt aways any tension you might encounter. For more information on using the breath to pause click on this link.

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Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

The benefits of meditation

DAILY PRACTICE
Establishing a daily meditation practice has been on my ‘to do’ list for quite a while. I have a well established yoga practice for over 15 years, but I struggled to settle long enough for daily meditation. Over the last two years I’ve dabbled with it, and done lots of meditation and mindfulness courses, but as much as I loved it and understood the huge benefits of it, I couldn’t get it to stick. Until last Christmas when my dad, the centre of my universe, became very sick and spent four difficult months in hospital. My yoga practice became my safe haven, where whatever was lurking under my brave exterior could flow, in all its shapes and forms. I practiced with such clarity, and was amazed by how the body knew exactly what it needed to do to support itself. I finally was ready to sit in silence and establish my daily meditation practice!

THE BENEFITS
It’s now three months since I started a consistent daily practice, and as I reflect over what the practice has brought me, I notice they are far greater than the value of the small amount of time required for your daily practice.

Here are some of the benefits I have noticed so far...

  • Greater awareness and observation skills

  • More self-compassion

  • Learning the value of taking time to nourish myself by taking time out

  • Less judgemental of myself and others

  • Learning to pause before reacting to situation

  • Feeling less overwhelmed by busy day

  • Learning to declutter my day and let go of unnecessary tasks

  • Happier to be me

  • Feeling nourishment thrive from every cell

  • Appreciation of my health

  • Calmer and more attentive to the kids

  • Deepening of my yoga practice

  • Learning that not everything can be fixed, and sometimes it's not my job to fix it!

And many more benefits I look forward to along my meditation journey...

  • Stress management

  • Eases anxiety

  • Eases tension

  • Eases depression

  • Improves cognitive function

  • Improved attention span

  • Builds focus & concentration

  • Builds connections with others

  • Increases empathy & compassion

  • Improves quality of sleep

  • Balances nervous system

  • Reduces blood pressure

  • Slows biological ageing

  • Aids pain management

  • Increases immune system

GETTING STARTED
All that in just a few minutes a day! If, like me, you find it hard to get your daily practice going, keep chipping away at it - learning, reading, listening to podcasts and playing around with different methods of meditation, until eventually it will stick. Start with just 3 mins a day and build up from there. You don’t have to be meditating for an hour a day to make a difference to you life. Small, regular practices are more beneficial than one 30min practice a week. Remember that the mind will wander, and when it does, gently guide it back to the breath, without judgement. When I feel myself getting involved in internal chatter, I label them ‘stories’ and return to the breath without making a fuss. For people with kids, those 3 mins of meditation are the most important minutes of your day, take it from a mum and her three kids.

TOOLS FOR LIFE
I now look forward to my meditation and to the lovely feeling of clarity I know it will give me for the rest of the day. Meditation is not a miracle fix glue for life – there will still be plenty of life's challenges, but when you do encounter moments of stress, it gives you the ability to pause and observe, before you react. Your mind will thank you for helping it to take a break from the days planning and list making. Ciara Cronin of The Yoga Room runs a continuous Mindfulness & Meditation 4 week course. The studio is a beautiful space and is always warm and welcoming. Ciaras knowledge and guidance of mindfulness meditation help you to cross the bridge safely into the unknown. Before you know it, you’re meditating and you’ve started your new journey!

“Most people are aware that the benefits of mindfulness include relief from stress and anxiety and a calmer state of mind, but it also has a profound restorative effect on all the physical systems of the body; improving our immunity to illness, aiding digestion, balancing metabolism, relaxing the nervous system, and increasing our creativity, empathy and compassion.” Ciara Cronin, The Yoga Room

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Forward bends

THE BACK BODY
The final axial plane in our spinal sequences is the humble, yet challenging, forward bends. Forward bends stretch the entire back body – starting at the soles of the feet, traveling up the achilles tendon, the calves, hamstrings, glutes, outer hips, inner groins, lower back and upper back. We often presume limitations in our forward bend come from tightness in the hamstrings, but when there is tension in any of these areas in the back body, it can hinder your ability to release forward. Forward bends take a lot of patience, time and kindness. The large muscle group running the length of the back of the thighs, including the hamstrings, like plenty of gentle encouragement and warming up before they release.

FORWARD BENDS AND THE PELVIS
In its essence, a forward bend is the forward rotation of the head of the two femur thigh bone in the two socket of the hip. To help initiate the movement from the hip joint in your forward bends, try a few standing and seated asana with your hands on your two pointy hip bones, and notice the forward movement or anterior tilt of the pelvis as you fold.

BENEFITS OF FORWARD BENDS
Our natural position of protection and self soothing is fetal position. In fetal position you’ll notice all the joints are flexed – the feet, knees, hips, back and arms. Forward bends flex the hips and spine. They are very calming and relaxing – easing anxiety, stress, tension and depression – helping us to move from the sympathetic nervous system of flight, flight and freeze, to the parasympathetic nervous system of rest and restore.

Spend some time in your warm ups paying particular attention to areas of tension in the back body. During your Surya Namaskara/Sun Salutations take a few breaths in Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog, and follow the back body from the base of your feet to the tip of your crown – including the outer hips and inner groins. Supta Padangusthasana/Reclined Hand to Big Toe is a good starting point for gradually opening up the backs of the legs and the surrounding muscles. Print out the above sequence to release the whole back body. As with inversions there is lots of hidden forward bends. The ‘peak pose’ of the sequence is an arm balance which requires a deep forward bend. Click on this link to get a full list of forward bends.

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Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

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