December Yoga Puppy and Monty’s Suggestion

 

December’s yoga puppy is Juno practicing Warrior I.

Monty suggests following Warrior I with a modified Triangle Pose.

From Warrior I step back foot forward, arms still reaching up, swan dive to toe touch, plant your hands and step into down dog for several breaths.  From down dog step your left foot forward. Turn your right foot parallel with the back of your mat. Bring your  left hand to a block placed just outside your left ankle, right hand reaches to the ceiling palm facing forward, look up at your right hand.  Hold for several breaths.

Bring right arm down, step right foot forward to toe touch, engage abs and reverse swan dive to reach arms to ceiling.

Move into Warrior I on opposite side and repeat with Triangle pose on opposite side.

Happy New Year to all Yogis.

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October Yoga Puppy and Monty’s Suggestion

October’s yoga puppy was Liza practicing chair pose.

Monty is really smitten with her.

Monty suggests following chair pose with a gentle backbend.

Feet hip distance apart, bring palms to your sacrum fingers pointing down.  Point elbows to wall behind you.  Keeping back of neck and lower back open gently engage buttocks.  Opening chest lengthen torso top of head reaching toward wall behind you in a gentle backbend hips pressing gently forward.

I love Liza’s coat and she make me feel like I have found a soul mate.  White with black spots and those ears!  Sigh….. Her form is adorable don’t you think?

 

Postcard Reminders to Vote

I received these postcards anonymously in the mail reminding me to vote and to work on my Yoga form.

September Yoga Puppy and Monty’s Suggestion

 

September’s yoga puppy is Bella doing Lotus Pose.

Monty’s suggestion?  Follow with seated side bends with your best friend.

Come to Easy Pose.   Place your dog in your lap.  Place right-hand on floor at your side-left arm reaches up and over.  Several deep breaths.  Come to center place left hand on floor at your side-right hand reaches up and over.  Several deep breaths.

Carefully flip your legs switching top leg without dislodging your best friend. Repeat on each side.

Monty finds doing yoga with his best friend is much more beneficial than practicing alone.

 

 

 

 

May Yoga Puppy and Monty’s Suggestion

 

May’s yoga pose is Warrior II as shown here by Bailey.

Monty suggests combining this pose with tree pose.

Moving into tree pose from Warrior II.   Here Bailey’s right leg is back he will step his right leg forward into mountain pose and take a couple of deep breaths there.   Shifting your weight into your left foot bring your right foot into your left thigh toes down.  Bring your hands to prayer, gaze soft and breathe deep.

Return to mountain pose and bring your left foot back into Warrior II for several breaths.  Step your left foot forward into mountain pose for a couple of deep breaths.  Shift weight to right foot and bring left foot to thigh toes down.  Bring hands to prayer.

Return to mountain pose and deep breathing to allow your body to enjoy your practice.

Good luck with your Yoga and stay happy!

Monty

April Yoga Puppy and Monty’s Suggestion

 

April’s pose is Upward-Facing Dog as shown here by Pansy⬆️🐶 aka Up Dog.

Monty suggests combining this pose with Downward-Facing Dog ⬇️🐶 aka Down Dog.

Moving into Down Dog from Up Dog.

On an exhale turn your toes under and and lift your knees away from the floor.  Tail (or tailbone) reaches to the ceiling.  Thighs reach to chest.  Heels press back towards floor.

Knees stay soft, don’t lock them.

Keep the head between the upper arms but not hanging, back of neck long not compressed.

Here is my brother Roscoe doing down dog.

He should try to position his tail more like mine here:

Monty pup

Good luck with your Yoga practice and happy springtime!

 

March Yoga Puppy and Monty’s Suggestion

 

March’s pose is Peacock Pose as shown here by Bae.

Monty suggests combining this pose with Child’s Pose.

Upon release from Peacock Pose bring yourself into table top or sitting on your heels with knees hip distance apart.  From table top sink back onto your heels, or from kneeling fold forward, both ending with your torso on your thighs.  Do not let the back of your neck compress as you reach forward with your arms, palms facing down.  Broaden upper back and release all tension with deep breathing.  Rest in this pose as long as you want.  To release you can either walk your hands up to seated or table top or gently roll to one side and come to seated.

Here is Peacock Pose done by a human and Child’s Pose.

Mom and her friends who practice Yoga together are not able to do Peacock Pose yet but they all do a mean Child’s Pose!

 

 

February Yoga Puppy and Monty’s Suggestion

February’s pose is Warrior I Pose as shown here by Yogi.

Monty suggests combining this pose with Mountain Pose and a pose he calls Blind Dog’s Swaying Mountain Pose or another slightly more challenging pose he calls Blind Dog’s Swaying Tree Pose.

Blind Dog’s Swaying Mountain Pose:  From Warrior I step into Mountain Pose, close your eyes and move your breath and your focus to your feet.  Begin to gently sway in very small movements, take notice of your balance and feel the shifting of your weight in your feet as you sway.  Keep movements small.  Open your eyes and step alternate leg back into Warrior I.

Blind Dog’s Swaying Tree Pose:  From Warrior I step into Mountain Pose.  Shift weight into left leg and move into Tree Pose keeping the ball of the right foot on the ground.  Close your eyes and sway as if in a gentle breeze.  Keep movements small.  Open your eyes and move into Mountain Pose.  Shift weight to right leg and move into Tree Pose keeping the ball of the left foot on the ground.  Close your eyes and sway in the gentle breeze.  Open your eyes and move into Mountain Pose and when ready step alternate leg back into Warrior I.

Aids in balance, my Mom and her friend practice simple standing poses with their eyes closed and are now able to catch themselves when slipping on ice.  Decreases those nasty winter falls.

January Yoga Puppy and Monty’s Suggestion

Easy crossed leg pose.

Monty suggests combining with stomach grinds.

Place one hand on each knee.  Gently engage core.  Make a small slow steady circle around your center with your belly button or top of head.  Focus on steady breath.  After a minute switch directions (clockwise and counterclockwise).  Then switch your legs (other leg on top) and repeat.

May aid in digestion and realign organs in your core, great for circulation too!

Today’s Muse, Yoga in the Sanctuary

 

 

Muse:  A source of inspiration and a guiding spirit.

Our Yoga group practices in the small sanctuary of Simpson UMC.

The stained glass windows and shoji screens make for a serene setting for our practice.

Today’s Muse is our practice last night.

Our group  was small, very calm and meditative.

I lead the group so I don’t participate in Savasana by laying down in corpse pose but remain seated, holding the energy of the room, guiding the energy toward restoration and relaxation.

Last night at the end of Savasana I asked the group to release from the pose, wiggling fingers and toes, taking deep breaths, etc.

No one moved….. the room had fallen asleep!

Earlier today I realized that I really did a poor job of holding the energy in the room. Rather than restore and relax I let the room fall into a deep slumber, so deep they didn’t hear the chimes, didn’t notice the music ended and didn’t hear me trying to rouse them.

Just now I realized that we all achieved an amazing goal and left our practice totally relaxed and restored.  Poor job?  I have let it go.