Beaconsfield Yoga Students Pick Up the Pace!

Under instruction of new Yoga Teacher Margaux Lovett, students at Just Be Yoga and Meditation Studio are practicing Vinyasa Yoga, a dynamic, flowing, movement-based style of yoga.

Teacher, Ms. Lovett said that this dynamic and flowing style of yoga is a “Western take on Indian traditional forms of Ashtanga Vinyasa physical yoga.” She went onto say that “the style is particularly popular with men, as it has a focus on building strength in the body before flexibility.”

“We lead such sedentary lives; we sit at our computers, we sit in the car and we sit for leisure and entertainment.  People may be reluctant to join a yoga class where there may be more sitting involved, Vinyasa yoga will get you up and moving!’ said Ms. Lovett.

Just Be Yoga and Meditation is excited to introduce this dynamic practice that offers all of the mind/body benefits of traditional yoga.  Studio Principal Lesley Gough said that “yoga has become so mainstream; it is great that there are accessible options for all sorts of people to honour their body, their health and their well-being.”

You can try Vinyasa yoga yourself at the upcoming intensive workshop on 19 February 2012, alternatively, Just Be Yoga runs Vinyasa classes every Wednesday evening.  View out Timetable information on the website today for details: www.justbeyoga.com.au/timetables

Poses to ‘Just Be..’

Salamba Sirsasana or Supported Headstand

The supported headstand is known as the ‘King of all Poses!’  This advanced posture is very therapeutic—it can calm the brain, ease stress and mild depression.  However, it’s hard for many beginners to get into this inversion safely, much less hold them it the three minutes it takes to get the full benefit.

So what do you do if you are still developing the necessary strength and flexibility to practice them safely? A good understanding of correct alignment in these postures will help you practice them with integrity and without injury, BUT it’s important that you work with an experienced teacher the first time before you try it yourself.

Step by Step

1. Use a folded blanket or sticky mat to pad your head and forearms. Kneel on the floor. Lace your fingers together and set the forearms on the floor, elbows at shoulder width. Roll the upper arms slightly outward, but press the inner wrists firmly into the floor. Set the crown of your head on the floor. If you are just beginning to practice this pose, press the bases of your palms together and snuggle the back of your head against the clasped hands. More experienced students can open their hands and place the back of the head into the open palms.

2. Inhale and lift your knees off the floor. Carefully walk your feet closer to your elbows, heels elevated. Actively lift through the top thighs, forming an inverted “V.” Firm the shoulder blades against your back and lift them toward the tailbone so the front torso stays as long as possible. This should help prevent the weight of the shoulders collapsing onto your neck and head.

3. Exhale and lift your feet away from the floor. Take both feet up at the same time, even if it means bending your knees and hopping lightly off the floor. As the legs (or thighs, if your knees are bent) rise to perpendicular to the floor, firm the tailbone against the back of the pelvis. Turn the upper thighs in slightly, and actively press the heels toward the ceiling (straightening the knees if you bent them to come up). The center of the arches should align over the center of the pelvis, which in turn should align over the crown of the head.

4. Firm the outer arms inward, and soften the fingers. Continue to press the shoulder blades against the back, widen them, and draw them toward the tailbone. Keep the weight evenly balanced on the two forearms. It’s also essential that your tailbone continues to lift upward toward the heels. Once the backs of the legs are fully lengthened through the heels, maintain that length and press up through the balls of the big toes so the inner legs are slightly longer than the outer.

5. As a beginning practitioner stay for 10 seconds. Gradually add 5 to 10 seconds onto your stay every day or so until you can comfortably hold the pose for 3 minutes. Then continue for 3 minutes each day for a week or two, until you feel relatively comfortable in the pose. Again gradually add 5 to 10 seconds onto your stay every day or so until you can comfortably hold the pose for 5 minutes. Come down with an exhalation, without losing the lift of the shoulder blades, with both feet touching the floor at the same time.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to the Just Be community! We look forward to welcoming you back to the studio for Term 1 from Monday 23 January!  Register early as some classes are nearly full.

If you can’t wait that long – join our holiday program and start the new year right!

Register online for both the holiday and term classes: http://www.justbeyoga.com.au/registration.php