January

1) Supta Baddha Konasana  (Reclining Bound Angle Pose)           

Lie on the floor in Corpse Pose (Savasana), bringing soles of the feet together by the groin and dropping the knees out to the side. If needed take a moment to find the best heel and groin placement for your body. Releasing your spine and buttocks to the floor, use folded blanket for lower spine support. Allowing your neck to be extended and relaxed, with the chin tucked in towards the chest. Release your arms besides your body and eyes closed, bringing your attention to your breath. Allow your belly to be soft. Relax any tension in the hip sockets, releasing your inner thighs with slow in steady breath.

Suggestive Props:             Folded blanket or pillow for lower back support

2) Baddha Konasana  (Cobbler’s Pose)

Come to a seated position with legs extended out. Bending your knees out to the side, bring the soles of the feet together. Draw the legs towards the body and heels into the perineum. Place your hands behind your back and press down into your sitting bones as your spine is lengthening towards the ceiling. Bring your attention to the inner edge of both thigh, while lengthen outwards towards the inner knees. With every releasing breath soften any pressure in the inner thighs. Once you have established your sitting position keeping shoulders soft, hold the balms of your feet together. With every breath slowly draw your spine upwards and the exhale releasing your knees towards the floor opening the pelvic region. This is posture for stretching the adductors muscles of the inner thighs. This is beneficial for anyone with tight hips especially bikers.  

Suggestive Props:             Folded towel, Pillow, Bolster, or wall for spinal conditioning and support

3) Danadasana  (Seated Staff Pose)

Sit on the floor with your legs extended out and feet flexed big toes, inner heels and knees together. Begin to work you legs, embracing the thigh muscles to the thigh bones and activate the muscles around the knee caps. Securing the back of the knee caps to the floor, drawing the leg muscles slightly inwards. Heels pulling away from the sitting bones and begin to tilt the pelvis slightly forward, and lengthening the back of the legs as well as your lower back. Keep equal weight distribution between the sitting bones. Now place the balms of your hands flat, fingers facing forward, next to your hips. Using your arms to lengthen your spine, while securing your sitting bones to the floor, allow your chest to expand across the shoulders, keeping shoulders relaxed. Pull the naval towards the spine, giving you a sense of lengthening the front of the torso, keeping chin parallel, eyes closed and focus on your breathing for a few minutes.

Suggestive Props:             Folded towel, Pillow, Bolster, or wall for spinal conditioning and support
 

January

Pranayamas

Breathing technique used for a variety of wind instruments to produce a continuous tone without a break. This is accomplished by breathing in through the nose while blowing through the mouth using the air stored in the cheeks. The most widely known of the wind instrument is the Australian didgeridoo, also with some of the traditional oboes and flutes of Asia and the Middle East.

To begin fully inhale to lung capacity and begin to exhale and blow. When the lungs are nearly empty, the last pocket of air is blown into the mouth, and the cheeks are inflated with this air. Then while still blowing this last bit of air out by allowing the cheeks to deflate, the person must quickly fill his lungs by inhaling through the nose prior to running out of the air in the mouth. If properly done, by the time the air is in the mouth and is nearly relinquished, the person can begin to exhale from the lungs once more, ready to repeat the process again.

Listening recommendation for the didgeridoo:

            Intakes:            Didjeridoo Meditations

                                The Gathering

                                Quatum Dreaming

Other wind instruments for Circular breathing:  Alboka, Arghul, Duduk, Hornpipe, Kaval, Ken bau, Khlui, Launeddas, Mijwiz, Mizmar, Ney, Pi, Practice chanter, Sipsi, Sralai, Suling, Suona, Zurna
 

January

Mantra/Prayer

I do not speak, so my words won’t hide your voice.

I allow my thoughts to grow with patience, wisdom, and compassion for your arrival.

    Namaste                

January

Animal Guide

        Teachers, warriors and protectors

        They symbolize the Great Mother Goddess

        Matriarchy, benevolence, divinity, royalty

        Supernatural, infinity, change, elemental magick and spiritual instruction

                Fire (Drai-teine): Pronunication; Draga-teine

        Increased ability to overcome obstacles, vitality, enthusiasm, courage, leadership skills

                Air (Draig-athar): Pronunication; Drag-athar

        Conduit to psychic and intellect, manifesting its sudden flashes of
        illumination, insight and clarity with your thoughts and imagation.

                Earth (Draig-talamh): Pronunication; Drag-talav

        Facing our potential, Unlocking secrets of our hearts, releasing beauty
        and power within us.

                Water (Draig-uisge): Pronunication; Drag-ooshcu

Hidden memories and wishes may emerge carrying apparent sense of negativity, Facing these experiences with compassion and courage will bring you closer towards a greater sense of connectedness with all life, continuing your journeys in achieving a sense of balance and stability in your daily routine.