Update: My 1-Month Yoga Journey

If you frequent H3Daily you know a couple weeks ago I publicized the pact I’d made to participate in yoga for one full month. This was the first time that I’d ever taken more than a single class in a week. I admit, there are some revelations I’ve had concerning yoga that now make me a believer.

1. Your golf game will noticeably improve

I’d venture to argue that you’d see athletic improvements in any sport with a month of yoga. I’ve played golf three times in the past month and can see significant improvements in my core flexibility and strength. In addition, my balance is trending upward.

2. I’m sleeping much better

In November, I was waking up one or two times a night and in the morning I’d have a nagging back ache that only a lengthy warm shower could remedy. But, now I’m sleeping through the night and waking up feeling refreshed. The shavasana, known in layman’s terms as meditation, increases Alpha wave production in the brain. Picture the relaxed state a monk is able to maintain. These neural impulses help the brain and body relax.

3. I’m part of a new community

Yoga isn’t just about what you can do on your mat, it’s more about how you connect with others off of it. I’ve been practicing at Jiva Yoga Studio here on Hilton Head and they have an amazing community of like-minded individuals who are welcoming and helpful.

4. I can comfortably touch my toes

A month ago I couldn’t believe that before my third decade of life I wouldn’t be able to touch my toes. Sure, I could lunge toward them and possibly scrape the surface of my big toes, but now I can actually grab the bottom of my foot without bending my knees. As we age, flexibility plays an extremely large role in the health of our spine. If you can’t comfortably reach down and touch your toes without bending your knees you’ll likely have back pain far before you could’ve ever expected.

5. It’s not nearly as intimidating as I had imagined

I envisioned being lost in a room of pretzel twisted bodies. Boy was I wrong. There are lots of different levels in a typical yoga class and modifications are plentiful. Sure, there are times I feel a little out of my element, but getting out of your comfort zone is an important part of yoga. If we are always comfortable then we’re never going to improve.

So, it was definitely worth it! I’d encourage all of you to try yoga for just one month. I have a feeling that you’ll get hooked too

Salute the Full Moon with a Yoga Moon Salutation

With the Full Moon passing this Fitness Friday, I encourage you all to take a moment and salute the moon. The Moon Salutation series in yoga, also known as "Chandra Namaskara," is a series of interconnected postures that pay tribute to the power of the moon and its particular influence on the earth and our lives. A full moon completes the cycle, at most it represents change. Symbolically, it represents the end of a chapter- the promise of shedding light on the things we may no longer need to hold on to (i.e. inactivity, stress, etc.). Thus, performing the moon salutation series will encourage many things. For some, it will encourage something new, a new light- a yoga practice. For others, it will honor light toward better flexibility, improved balance, strength, creativity, fitness and overall health.

The moon salutation is characteristically practiced in the afternoon, evening and or night, when the moon is in ascendancy. But, the sequence can be practiced anytime as it generously offers a full body workout.

1. Begin in Mountain (or standing) pose. Take a deep breath in. On your inhalation bring your awareness to your stability. The strength in your legs; the power in your core; the openness and acceptance in your heart; as well as the expansion and growth from your roots to the crown of your head. Experience the stillness, the calmness and the ease of your mountain pose. Exhale completely. Follow with yet another deep inhalation, and on the exhalation this time simply open your practice by saying the term “Namaste” (na-ma-stay). A term we generally close the class with however, today- in efforts to honor the light of the moon as well as our own, “namaste” is light-fully appropriate! Simply take a moment now to acknowledge and bless the light within.

2-6. Breathe in and bring the arms up- into a skyward extension. Meet the hands together as you reach up into the sky. On the exhale, reach to the left to transform yourself into the crescent moon.

Inhale into the upward extension again, and on the exhale reach to the right. This time re-forming the crescent moon and balancing the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Inhale back to center. Exhale to set.

7. Breathe in and step wide. Point your toes out, keeping your knees bent and your back straight (sumo-squat). Bring your arms into right angles with the palms facing the ears. Exhale as you form the upward facing crescent: the sacred chalice of life.

8. Inhale to straighten the legs and extend the arms out into a “T.” Exhale as you experience a sense of infinity.

9. Inhale to reach into triangle posture. Reach for the right ankle or the floor. Reach the left arm to the sky. Exhale as you reach higher- lengthening and reaching towards your highest aspiration.

10. Inhale as you square your hips and turn downward over the right leg. Bring your left arm down and grasp both hands above the right ankle. Extend the spine forward while gazing slightly upward. Exhale as you shine your light forward.

11. Inhale as you carefully guide the left knee down to the mat (remember to use a pillow or blanket if you need extra support). The right knee shall remain bent, in a deep lunge (weight remaining in heel). Balance and lift both arms skyward, straight up as if you were hugging your ears and reaching for the sky. Exhale as you become the peaceful warrior.

12. Inhale as you drop your hands to the floor. Extend the back leg straight spinning the back heel to a 45 degree angle. Place your right hand on the inside of the foot, palm aligning with heel. Reach your left arm over your head, palm facing down. Embrace the full side angle as you open your heart and shine it to the sky. Exhale as you create a side angle line with your left leg and left arm.

13. On your next inhalation, using your abdominal strength, windmill up to your five pointed star.

14-25…Simply repeat the sequence in reverse order and on opposing sides.

Good Posture, Good Health, Good Life

“The view is always better from above”, thus I encourage you to plant your roots and grow- literally grow taller! As we approach our annual September Yoga Retreat here at H3, I encourage your focus to shift alongside ours. If we begin to focus our attention more on our posture and the integrity of our spine, our overall wellbeing will flourish. Our sights, smells, attitudes and potentially even self efficacy may prosper.

The definition of posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting or lying down. Good posture involves training your body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where during the movement or weight bearing fraction, the least amount of strain is placed on the supporting muscles and ligaments. So, keeping your spine tall throughout the day is totally worthy of ponder and practice. Many components can help to maximize improvements in one’s posture. Simply including strengthing and stretching exercises for the legs (specifically hamstrings), as well as back and abdominal muscles will help make it easier to reside in an ideal posture without any additional fatigue or strain- purely, yet another reminder as to why Yoga is so important!

Please note: The spine's natural curvatures: the cervical's inward, the thoracic's outward and the lumbar's inward curves are not to be confused with poor posture. “Poor” posture is often a byproduct of tight hips and legs, hunched shoulders, as well as improper neck positions. Simply keeping your head centered over your shoulders, rather than inching it forward will help you to generate better posture. Proper posture helps keep bones and joints in the correct alignment so you can utilize your muscles properly. Remember as I have repetitively stated, “all movements originate from the spine.” Proper spinal alignment can help to decrease abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could result in arthritis; decrease the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together; prevent the spine from becoming fixed in an abnormal position, prevent fatigue (because muscles are being used more efficiently, therefore allowing the body to use less energy); prevent strains and/or overuse problems; prevent backache and muscular pain; as well as contribute to a good appearance, healthier attitudes, and elevated quality of life.

In closing, I encourage all of you blog readers and H3 Alum, to par take in the postural yoga exercise below provided by “Yoga Journal”. You will greater height, stability, health and happier poise. Namaste.

(tah-DAHS-anna)
tada = mountain

1. Stand with the bases of your big toes touching, heels slightly apart (so that your second toes are parallel). Lift and spread your toes and the balls of your feet, then lay them softly down on the floor. Rock back and forth and side to side. Gradually reduce this swaying to a standstill, with your weight balanced evenly on the feet.


2. Firm your thigh muscles and lift the knee caps, without hardening your lower belly. Lift the inner ankles to strengthen the inner arches, then imagine a line of energy all the way up along your inner thighs to your groins, and from there through the core of your torso, neck, and head, and out through the crown of your head. Turn the upper thighs slightly inward. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor and lift the pubis toward the navel.


3. Press your shoulder blades into your back, then widen them across and release them down your back. Without pushing your lower front ribs forward, lift the top of your sternum straight toward the ceiling. Widen your collarbones. Hang your arms beside the torso.


4. Balance the crown of your head directly over the center of your pelvis, with the underside of your chin parallel to the floor, throat soft, and the tongue wide and flat on the floor of your mouth. Soften your eyes.
   Tadasana is usually the starting position for all the standing poses. But it's useful to practice Tadasana as a pose in itself. Stay in the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute, breathing easily.