Yoga Cures: Simple Routines to Conquer Over 50 Common Ailments and Live Pain-Free (60 page)

Lie down on your back. Bend your knees and press the bottoms of your feet into the ground next to your body so your knees point straight up. Press your arms down by your sides and lift your hips and chest up. Stay here for five long, deep breaths.

Wheel

Bend your elbows and press your palms into the ground by your ears. Press into your palms firmly and begin to lift the chest up. Straighten your arms only as much as you can while keeping the chest lifted and being able to breathe easily. Lengthen your knees forward and keep your spine long. Stay here for five long, deep breaths. To come down, tuck your chin in toward your chest, bend your elbows, and slowly lower down.

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Corpse

Lie down on your back. Open your legs hip width, or a bit wider, depending on what’s most comfortable for you.

Relax your arms a bit out to your sides, palms facing up. Take a big inhale through your nose, exhale all the air out through your mouth. Repeat the same breathing pattern twice more. Relax your entire self for three to five minutes.

When you are ready to come out of the pose, slowly start to deepen your breath. Roll around your wrists and

ankles. Gently hug your knees into your chest and rock up to sit up comfortably.

Go about your day as usual and pay attention to all the little things that provide inspiration in every moment
today.

BITES OF BLISS

Whenever I need some inspiration I think spicy. Adding a little kick to your foods gets your system fired up and excited. If you want to keep it simple try adding some red pepper flakes to whatever you’re having for dinner. If you’re having Mexican or Indian food, try going for the extra spicy version. My favorite do-it-yourself Mexican dish is a spicy black bean and spinach burrito with quinoa instead of rice. Add red pepper and salsa to spice it up! Chai black spice tea is great and you can make it sweet for an after-meal treat by adding a little raw honey.

Yoga for Inspiration: Evening Routine

Do this routine at night either before or after you eat dinner. If you’re doing it after dinner, give yourself at
least an hour to start digesting your food.

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Seated Meditation

Sit up nice and tall, however you can sit most comfortably. Relax your shoulders, so that they are away from your ears. Rest your hands on your thighs (palms up or down, whichever is most comfortable for you). Start to rest your attention on your breath. Watch your inhales come and exhales go. Settle your mind in the space between. Begin to lengthen and deepen your inhales and exhales setting a slow, easy pace of breathing. If a thought starts to enter your mind, simply observe it like a cloud passing by. Let the thought pass and come back to your breath. Continue

observing your breath for three to five minutes. A stopwatch could come in handy, or you could simply feel it out and see how much time has actually passed when you open your eyes. Either way is useful.

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Sit on Heels

Bring yourself onto your knees and sit on your heels. Rest your palms on your thighs, face down. Close your eyes and stay here for ten long, deep breaths.

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Headstand Prep

Interlace your fingers loosely and place them on the ground. Place the top of your head on the ground so your fingers hold the back of your head. Stay here for a few breaths to get comfortable in the position. Tuck your toes and straighten your legs as you would in a down dog. In this position you are getting a lot of the benefits of a headstand without your feet even leaving the ground. Stay here for ten long, deep breaths and when you are ready to come out of it gently lower your knees to the ground and relax in child’s pose.

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Headstand

Start to walk your feet in toward your body so your hips line up over your shoulders and your back is vertical. Stay here for a few breaths. Bend one knee in and bring your heel to your hip. Bring it back down and try the other leg.

Try both legs at the same time. When your heels are pulled in toward your hips, slowly extend your legs straight up.

Stay for twenty long, deep breaths if you can. When you are ready to come down, slowly lower one leg at a time and rest in child’s pose for a few breaths.

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