5-Minute Mindfulness (12 page)

FLUSH IT OUT WITH FORWARD BENDS

Forward bends rinse, squeeze, and flush the abdominal organs, encouraging proper digestion and elimination, and stretch and tone the organs in the back of the body. They quiet the mind and encourage introspection. The kidneys and adrenals are soothed by forward bends, relieving fatigue and renewing energy.

EASY FORWARD BEND

Uttanasana
is a standing forward bend—an effective way to elongate the hamstring muscles and to lengthen and strengthen the back muscles and the spine. Stand in Tadasana. Inhale, root down onto the feet, stretch up through the legs, and elongate the spine as you contract the kneecaps and the quadriceps muscles to help the hamstrings lengthen. Firm the thigh muscles as you lift up through the crown of the head.

Roll the upper inner thighs and groin back, keeping the lower back broad. Draw the shoulder blades into the back to lift and open the chest. Maintain active yoga feet and a strong lift of the inner groin and legs. Actively lift and stretch your side ribs and spine up and over as you exhale and bend forward, folding at the hips.

Let the arms come down toward the floor. Place the fingertips on the floor in front of the feet (see
Figure 6-4
). The legs draw up so the spine can release down. Breathe, and allow the effects of gravity to release the back muscles, spine, and neck. Let your head relax. Contract the kneecaps and the quadriceps muscles to help the ham-strings lengthen. Broaden the backs of the calves and the backs of the thighs.

Figure 6-4: Uttanasana

When you are ready to come up, press the feet down, and keep the legs really active so that the strength of the thigh muscles supports the stretch of the hamstrings. This will prevent the feeling of locking the knees (hyperextension of the knees—pressing the knees back). Look forward, lengthening the crown of the head and the tailbone away from each other. Pull the abdomen in to protect the spine. Inhale, and come up with a concave back.

The knees can also be bent, allowing the spine to lengthen and the spinal muscles to strengthen.

Figure 6-5: Uttanasana, using blocks

You may want to widen the distance between the feet to hip-width or a little wider. Turn the toes in, and come into the pose. Turning the toes in deepens the hip crease, making it easier to bend from the hips and allowing the upper inner thighs and the groin to roll back, opening the lower back. When you reach for the ground, it will help to have blocks there to rest your hands on if you cannot comfortably and easily reach the floor.

Uttanasana is especially good for you because it:

• Reduces stomach discomfort

• Soothes the brain

• Intensely strengthens the back muscles and the hamstrings

• Relieves mental and physical exhaustion

• Slows down the heartbeat

• Tones the liver, spleen, and kidneys

• Decreases abdominal and back pains during menstruation

RAG DOLL MINDFUL MOMENT

The next time you’re in a forward fold, hold each elbow with the opposite hand, and hang there for a moment like a rag doll, loose and long. As you hang there, release any stress you may feel with a big, loud sigh. Try this whenever you need to: literally and figuratively, hang loose.

OPEN YOUR HEART WITH BACKBENDS

Backbends squeeze the kidneys and adrenal glands and stretch and tone the organs in the front of the body. The lungs and heart are opened, bringing more breath and circulation throughout the body.

Note: The heart is exercised by the different postures, producing many benefits similar to aerobic exercise—with one important exception: Through yoga postures, the heart is not stressed as it is in aerobic activities, such as running or spinning. The heart receives the actions of the various postures through toning, stimulating, and massaging actions.

EASY BACKBEND

Setu Bandhasana
is a bridge pose. Lie on your back, with the knees bent and feet flat on the floor, a little wider than hip-width apart. The arms are bent next to the waist, with the fingers stretching up to the ceiling. Palms face each other. Press the upper arms down for grounding to provide extension and length for the side ribs. Inhale, and press the feet down as you lift the hips slightly off the floor (see
Figure 6-6
). Do not tuck your pelvis or aggressively press the pelvis up, as this will compress and jam the lower back. Imagine that the shape of the pelvis resembles a hammock.

Figure 6-6: Setu Bandhasana preparation

As you press the feet down, try to drag your heels back to your shoulders without actually moving them. This action will contract your hamstrings, lengthen your quadriceps muscles, and keep the strain out of your lower back. Support the lifting of the hips with the hamstrings, and avoid overgripping of the buttocks. Broaden the chest. Breathe, and stay in the pose for several breaths. Exhale, release, and come down with a neutral spine. Relax, and then repeat the pose.

You can also try interlocking your fingers underneath you (see
Figure 6-7
). Roll onto the outer edges of the upper arm. Or, place a belt around the front of the ankles (see
Figure 6-8
). Hold on to each strap of the belt with your hands. To support your back, you can also place a vertical block underneath the sacrum (see
Figure 6-9
).

Figure 6-7: Setu Bandhasana with interlocked fingers

Figure 6-8: Setu Bandhasana with belt around ankles

Figure 6-9: Setu Bandhasana with block under sacrum

Note: Don’t practice Setu Bandhasana during menstruation or pregnancy. If you suffer from lower-back pain, avoid this pose.

Setu Bandhasana is especially good for you because it:

• Prepares you for shoulderstands and backbends

• Increases flexibility of the spine

• Stretches the front of the body, including the groin and thighs

• Lengthens the back of the neck

• Strengthens the back of the body

• Stimulates the thyroid and parathyroid glands

BUILD A BRIDGE MINDFUL MOMENT

Whenever you feel stuck in your life, come into bridge pose. Picture where you are now and where you want to be. Hold the pose, and build the bridge you need to get from here to there in your mind. This active visualization will help you cross every bridge in your life when you come to it with poise and confidence.

Yoga versus Walking

Yoga Journal
reported a recent study in which a group of people who walked twenty minutes a day, three times a week were compared to a group of yoga practitioners who did standing poses twenty minutes a day, three times a week. Guess who received the greater cardiovascular benefit? The yogis did!

REV UP YOUR YIN SELF

Yoga is fabulous for women of all ages. Many of the poses are terrific for the health of the reproductive organs. It is therapeutic for menstrual, perimenopausal, and menopausal symptoms. A relaxing menstruation practice focuses on resting the abdominal area and emphasizes supported, seated forward bends; wide-legged poses; and basic supported backbends, which help lessen backache, cramping, fatigue, and excessive bleeding. Perimenopausal and menopausal women frequently experience mood swings, insomnia, fatigue, hot flashes, redistribution of body fat, and irregular bleeding. An appropriate yoga practice can alleviate many of these symptoms.

EASY PELVIS OPENER

Supta Baddha Konasana
is the supported bound-angle pose. Stack one to three vertically folded blankets (one on top of the other) behind you, with the narrow end a few inches away from your buttocks. Sit cross-legged, spine straight. Bend the knees out to the sides, and join the soles of the feet together. Draw the heels in toward the pelvis at a comfortable distance for the knees and hips.