Greetings and welcome to the March 2013 edition of the Mastery of Meditation and Yoga newsletter.
In the previous newsletters I had detailed how to use props such as a yoga block and chair to help you practice various exercises and postures, and I will continue with that theme in this edition by showing you how a yoga strap can help you get the most out of some excellent yoga poses.
Strap Assisted Helpful Yoga Stretches:
Some titles below are links to the online article, so click the link to read the full details on the particular exercise.
One of the most important yoga stretches is the hamstring and calf stretch. Developing flexibility in this region can help you with many yoga poses and exercises, as well as promote self healing and longevity.
This is an area which yoga recommends you stretch daily and using a strap can be very useful in doing such stretches and improving the flexibility of this region.
Below are several illustrations which show you how to accomplish this stretch. This stretch is one that all yogis regardless of their age should practice, so do include it with
kids yoga routines or
senior yoga routines.
Single Leg Stretch Forward
Single Leg Stretch Open
Seated Double Leg Stretch
Supine Double Leg Stretch
Supine Single Leg Stretch
Above are many variations of how you can use a strap (or other similar prop) to help stretch this vital area. Of course, where the stretch is shown for 1 leg, you should do the same for the other leg as well.
In general all these stretches can be done with normal breathing or
Breath of Fire, and be held from 15 seconds to 3 minutes.
Frog stretch is excellent for those looking to improve the flexibility in their hips and groin, and it is very useful for meditators looking to sit for long periods of time as well. In addition, this pose is great for clearing and balancing the root chakra.
Using yoga straps can really help you accent this stretch and get the most out of it. Do this stretch for 1 to 3 minutes with long deep breathing or the Breath of Fire.
Yoga Frog Pose
#3: ARM AND SHOULDER STRETCHES
There are many arm and shoulder stretches that a strap can assist you with. The illustration below is just one example of using a strap to help stretch the shoulders and arms. Pull the strap from each side to accent the stretch.
Other poses where you will find a strap very useful for stretching the shoulders is
Cow Pose (to help you bring your hands together) and Yoga Mudra.
Shoulder Stretch
http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2009/12/29/white-tantra-yoga-position-for-sexual-potency/
One of the tougher stretches in Kundalini Yoga and yoga in general is the split stretch. This stretch can be done in many ways. Sitting up with your legs out in front of you, balancing on your sacrum as done in Lotus Pose or on your back as shown in the illustration below.
All these variations help to stretch the groin and legs and really help you develop lower body flexibility. As this is quite a difficult stretch, the use of straps can be particularly helpful. Also, stretch only as far as you are comfortable and be careful not to over strain.
Yoga Split Stretch
Here is an example where using a strap is helpful not in accenting the stretch, but in helping you keep your balance.
Again you should switch legs after half the time.
Simple Tree Pose for Balance
As indicated above, a strap can help with balancing and doing the challenging Boat Pose with a strap is another example of just that.
For those interested in developing their core strength and energy, Boat Pose is an excellent exercise to include into your everyday routine.
Yoga Boat Pose
Top 3 Recent Articles:
Titles below are links to the full articles.
This article teaches you a challenging visualization technique to help you heal your aura and increase your charisma, charm and power.
Read about an interesting yoga technique used by a study recently which helps to predict longevity and how healthy you are.
Learn a nice easy yoga exercise to help stretch your hips, thighs and lower back, which also helps to release tension and make you feel good.
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