I don't know about you but when the daylight hours start to reduce and we tend to be inside more I get an overwhelming need to have more space in my life.
Classes this month will be looking at ways in which your yoga practice can help with this.
Space for the mind
By bringing mindfulness into our lives and being more present with what is happening in each moment we can create a feeling of space in the head. A place which can often feel overcrowded with to do lists, fears, memories, self doubt......busyness!!
Space for the breath
We will explore Dirga Pranayama (three part breath), Dirga is also referred to as the three-part breath because you are actively breathing into three different parts of the abdomen. This attention to the different parts of the body can help focus the mind and create a feeling of space within the body.
You can do this exercise with sitting upright or lying on your back. I prefer lying down though. When you are lying on the ground, it’s easier to feel the breath moving through the different parts of your body through the contact points on the floor.
Start by breathing into the belly and watch it expand with the breath. When the belly is full, draw in more breath expanding into the rib cage. Then, sip in just a little more air and let it fill the upper chest.
On the exhale, start from the upper chest. Release the breath allowing the heart centre to sink back down. Then, release the breath from the rib cage. Finally, let go from the belly and draw the navel gently back towards the spine.
You can begin to extend this practice with visualisation to feel that you are breathing right down into your toes and up and out through the crown of the head. Feeling as though the whole body is gently expanding and softening with each breath cycle.
Space in the body
Classes will include using the breath, focus and movement to find more space in any tight places, also space for the joints to function. We will use flowing movements to shift energy and find that feeling of having been out in the open and moved without actually leaving the mat. We will be using props such as rolled blankets under the back to find space around the thoracic spine. Blocks to bring the ground up to meet us in lunges allowing more space for the body to move through transitions. We will use postures like star pose and triangle pose that physically take up space around us. I am also going to encourage intuitive movement giving the freedom to explore postures and sequences in a way that feels right for you on that particular day.
I look forward to exploring this theme with you. Do get in touch if you would like to join us.
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