Sun Salutations

A Few Notes on How to Do Sun Salutations:

In this class I will show you step by step, pose by pose instructions on how to do sun salutations or surya namaskar.

The yoga postures in this class will prepare your body for the walk through in sun salutations. If you have arthritis the yoga postures in this class will open your hip joints and relieve pain in your hips and knees. The yoga poses will give you increased flexibility in your hamstrings, calves, inner thighs, spine, wrists, psoas and hips. If you have back pain, there are several postures that will alleviate your backache and sciatica. There are also several strength-building postures to increase strength in your wrists, arms, shoulders, back, and core. By building upper body strength you will preserve your bone density and decrease your risk of osteoporosis. Chest and hip openers are great counter poses to sitting all day in chairs, computers, cell phones, and driving. There are poses to relieve stress and fatigue and elevate your mood. Final relaxation at the end of the class will help you to relax and relieve stress.

This yoga class explores the relationship between gratitude and spirituality by practicing sun salutations as a prayer of gratitude in four directions in the tradition of the Native American or First Nations Medicine Wheel. We will also combine breath awareness, yoga postures or asanas and mudra.

We did a blog post about a year ago on some of the things that are challenging about sun salutations and particularly the walk through. Not only are tight hips a limitation, but also tight hamstrings. I would recommend members do Hamstring Rescue from our Postures and Pranayama section in our membership community before you do this class

Beginner Yoga Classes

: This is one of the most frequently asked questions I get and the last time we answered it was two years ago.

Hi I’m a beginner, I love your videos, but where should I start? Which video should I do first? Is there an order that I should do your beginner videos? There are so many beginner videos!

Since we first answered that question we have added a lucky 13 beginner yoga videos. Now we have 31 beginner yoga videos (as of July 2015)

I would still recommend you start with Namaste Yoga 101, Namaste Yoga 101. This was the first beginner class I created and it goes over the basics of what to expect in a yoga class as well as some of the most standard postures in a yoga class.

Another great yoga class to start with is our Absolute Beginner Yoga class, Namaste Yoga 268. This is a class you can do if you have never done yoga before with tones of modifications. I will give you slow, easy to follow, step-by-step instructions and tell you exactly how to get in and out of each and every pose. Detailed instructions will be given for even the most basic poses and how to breathe. You will be given lots of cues of how to pay attention to your body and where to feel the effects of the yoga poses. You do not have to be athletic, flexible, strong, balanced, skinny or coordinated to do this class. The slow, step-by-step instructions will give you the confidence to let go of your self-judgment and stay focused with commitment and motivation.

If you find beginner yoga classes go too fast for you, then this beginner class – Slow Yoga – will move at just the right pace for you.

Thank you

:Thank you to all of you who helped us celebrate twenty five thousand subscribers and 3 million views. We really appreciate each and everyone of you who watch our videos, like our videos and subscribe to our channel. We appreciate each and everyone of you who take the time to leave your thoughtful comments after practicing your yoga. We appreciate all of you who support us by being members of our community and through your donations.

We were overwhelmed by the number of responses to our mala giveaway. Mostly we were touched by how Namaste Yoga has touched your lives over the past six years. This is a labour of love for Tim, Trinity and I. We know from your outpouring of comments that Namaste Yoga makes a significant difference to your life and for that we are grateful. We are grateful for your desire to continue to grow together in the years to come. That is our wish as well.

Keep leaving your comments, let us know how we can help you grow in yoga. We will be reading your comments at the beginning of episodes in the weeks to come. Today I will share with you our winners comments:

I joined the Membership site in August 2013 but followed Namaste Yoga for several months (perhaps even a year) before. I love EVERYTHING about Namaste Yoga: from the easy way Melissa teaches and makes yoga accessible to everyone; to the way she interacts with her sweet husband who films and supports her behind the camera; to the way she encourages growth in my yoga practice in a loving; compassionate way; to the beautiful community she has created in the membership area where learning to live yoga off the mat is taken to a new level of understanding. I am thankful for all the ways in which Melissa, Tim, and Namaste Yoga have enriched my life, bringing me more love, awareness, and beauty.

So congratulations to Nicole Nitzband. It is with great pleasure that I will be mailing this mala to her.

Gratitude and Happiness

Robert A. Emmons, Ph. D. has made an academic career of studying the psychological benefits of gratitude on your well being. His research shows that people who take the time to reflect with gratitude feel better about their lives as a whole and are more optimistic. Overall they are more joyful, enthusiastic, interested, attentive, energetic, excited, determined and strong. I would say that Emmons research proves that contemplating on what you are thankful about has a positive effect on your energetic disposition.

In one study Emmons followed three groups over ten weeks. The first group described five things they were grateful for in a single sentence each week. The second group recorded two to five daily hassles that affected them in the past week. The neutral group recorded listed two to five daily circumstances that affected them in the past week. The study found that the gratitude group felt better about their lives as a whole and were more optimistic about the future. They were 25% happier than the neutral and hassle group AND they exercised 1.5 hours more!

In a second study Emmons also followed three groups but changed the conditions slightly. This time he had the gratitude group record what they were grateful for daily to see if that would make a difference. He kept the hassle group the same. Then he added a comparison group to see if it would differ from the gratitude group. He asked the comparison group to think of a way that you are better off than somebody else. It seems positive on the surface, but he wanted to see if it had a different outcome than the gratitude group.

Well, it did. The participants in the gratitude group felt more joyful, enthusiastic, interested, attentive, energetic, excited, determined and strong than the hassle condition group. Additionally they offered more emotional support to others which led Emmons to conclude that gratitude increases prosocial motivation. Even others who knew the gratitude participants well rated them as more helpful. Daily gratitude intervention also led to greater increases in gratitude.

Recognizing and expressing gratitude has a powerful effect on your overall energy. Today we are practicing yoga postures and breath practices to elevate your energy in the same way as a daily gratitude practice will to connect you with the energy of gratitude.

Yoga Postures/Asanas: Figure Four Pose, Side Plank or Vasisthasana, Spinal Energy Series, Figure Four Pose, Side Plank or Vasisthasana, Spinal Energy Series , Mudra for Joy in Easy Pose, Standing, Breath of Joy, Goddess Victory Squat or Utkata Konasana, Wide Legged Standing Forward Fold or Prasarita Padottanasana, Wild Thing Pose, Zig Zag Twist or Bharadvajasana, Upavista Konasana or Wide Legged Seated Forward Fold, Savasana or Corpse Pose

Yoga Props: yoga strap, meditation cushion, folded blanket or chair, yoga blocks, bolster

Resources:

Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier by Robert Emmons

Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier

Did you like today’s show?

* Share it with a friend, family member or email it to a coworker.

* Like

* Subscribe to our channel.

* Please leave us a 5-star review on Itunes

* Leave your comment below.

Gratitude and Mindfulness

There is an interesting correlation between mindfulness and gratitude. As Martin Heidegger says, “thinking is thanking.” Gratitude requires some exploration of your life to see where thanks should be given.

Robert A. Emmons describes gratitude as a two-stage process. Firstly you must acknowledge the goodness in your life. Secondly you must recognize that the goodness lies at least partially outside yourself, either with other people, a higher power, animals, nature etc. you will find something to be grateful for.

Mindfulness is the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. To experience gratitude there must be an intellectual level of recognition. Then there has to be the act of acknowledging that recognition. To me, this is an act of mindfulness that goes hand in hand with yoga.

As yogis we are seasoned practitioners when it comes to awareness. We know how to bring our attention to our breath, our bodies, the sensations in our bodies. We know how to think about what is happening in our present moment experience in a way that is different from our day to day reality. In this way we are ready to practice gratitude. We are ready to open to the contemplation and reflection that gratitude requires of us.

What would we want to practice gratitude? Robert Emmons Ph.D.’s research shows that those who practice gratitude report feeling more loving, forgiving, joyful, and enthusiastic. Conversely, lack of gratitude leads to a shrinking sense of self, anger, resentment, envy and bitterness. Research shows that people who experience gratitude are more effective at dealing with everyday stress, recover from illness more quickly and benefit from greater health.

Today we will practice gathering our attention towards mindfulness and extending them towards gratitude.

Yoga Postures/Asanas: Ten Tigers Running Through the Forest, Shoulder and Neck Release, Pigeon or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, Anjali Mudra, Adho Mukha Svanasana or Downward Facing Dog, Bowing, Kundalini Kriya Stimulating the Master Gland for Increased Intuition and Wisdom, Eagle Pose or Garudasana, Rabbit Pose or Sasangasana, Fish Pose or Matsyasana, Supta Matsyendrasana or Reclined Knee Down Twist, Bountiful Beautiful Blissful Meditation, Savasana or Corpse Pose

Yoga Props: Yoga strap, Yoga Block, Meditation Cushion, Chair, or Folded Blanket, Bolster

Resources:

Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier by Robert Emmons

Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier

The Eight Human Talents

The Eight Human Talents: Restore the Balance and Serenity within You with Kundalini Yoga

Did you like today’s show?

* Share it with a friend, family member or email it to a coworker.

* Like

* Subscribe to our channel.

* Please leave us a 5-star review on Itunes

Thank you body

Today we are beginning a brand new yoga series of yoga focused on gratitude. This is going to be a truly transformative series that will allow you to grow spiritually as you take the time to consciously appreciate all the good in your life. When you slow down and express gratitude scientific research studies have shown that you will be happier, healthier and better able to handle stress. You will be more optimistic, sleep better and make progress towards personal goals. Not only will you be more likely to help somebody else, but you will also be perceived as more generous and helpful by others.

In our yoga class today we will focus on gratitude for our physical bodies. Instead of being annoyed and irritated by all the things our bodies won’t do for us, we will focus on all the amazing things our bodies to for us every single day. It can be quite common when practicing yoga to focus on all the things your body can not do. As a yoga teacher, I hear requests over and over again for all the things my students want their bodies to be able to do.

When people tell me they want to stand on their head, I remind them how grateful we can be to stand on our own two feet. When people tell me how challenging it is to find time and motivation to practice, I remind them what a privilege it is that we have able-bodies that are capable of getting up and down off the floor to practice yoga. When people tell me they want to put their foot behind their head, sit in lotus or go into the splits I remind them how lucky we are to be able to walk.

Take a moment to reflect appreciatively for all the amazing things your body has done for you. If you are healthy right now, your body has successfully fought off infection and if you are not, your body is doing its very best to keep you health. How many times has your body healed a bruise or a scar, gotten over that common cold or sore throat?

Remember all the times your body has learned a new physical skill. In what ways has your body gotten stronger over the last year?

Our bodies are amazing systems of creation. It is truly a miracle that you grew into your current form from two cells. You may have even grown another human being in your womb. That is truly an incredible act of creation.

Take a moment to thank your body for the gifts of your senses. Give thanks for every time your mouth has tasted the sweetness of a strawberry. Express appreciation for each time you’ve heard the joy of laughter. Remember the beauty and exquisiteness of your eyes being able to see a sunset. Know what it is like to inhale the scent of a rose. Give thanks for your body’s ability to receive a foot massage.

Think of all the amazing ways your body has of communicating with other human bodies. The ways you can read body language and facial expressions. Imagine all the times your body has kept you safe and free from danger. Give thanks for your body to be able to receive the loving embrace of a warm hug.

As you reflect on these teachings today. Speak words of gratitude to your body. Contemplate what is happening in your life right now. What is it that you would like to create, sustain, release or rebirth in your life and how could this yoga class help you do that?

Resources:

Mudras of India: A Comprehensive Guide to the Hand Gestures of Yoga and Indian Dance

Mudras of India: A Comprehensive Guide to the Hand Gestures of Yoga and Indian Dance

Allow

Today you are focusing on allowing things to come to you with the help of your yoga blocks. Props allow you to receive support in your yoga practice regardless of your age, physical ability, or even how long you have been studying yoga.

Often times, people are resistant to using props such as blocks in their yoga practice. It may be that they feel like they are not getting the full benefit of their practice if they use a prop. If this is the case for you, explore the life connection for yourself. Are you unwilling to receive support in other areas of your life as well? Is it just as challenging for you to receive support on and off your yoga mat?

I have found yoga props, such as yoga blocks to be an incredible tool to explore my creative expression as yoga teacher and a yoga student. Today you will explore the yoga block as a way to allow things to come to you as well as to explore a deeper level of awareness in your yoga postures.

Blocks bring the floor up to you. As my teacher Tama Soble always used to say, “There is nothing wrong with you, there is something wrong with the floor.” Instead of reaching, allow things to come to you with your yoga blocks. Can you see if there is a life connection here for you? Where you can allow things to come to you instead of efforting so much?

Blocks heighten and bring the poses to you. When you reduce the reach on your yoga mat, you cut down on upper back, neck and shoulder strain. What would happen in your life if you cut down on the reach and allowed things to come to you?

Blocks are amazing at providing support in a couple of different ways. When your body needs a little bit of a wake up – they can provide that. They can help to wake up dull areas of your body. They will help you to access your core stability by helping you to engage your inner thigh muscles and pelvic floor.

When your body needs help letting go, the blocks are also helpful for that. Yoga blocks will provide unique leverage in forward folds. Your yoga blocks will also help you release and support parts of your body. They can allow you to take a more restful and renewing variation.

Resources: 

The Radiance Sutras

The Radiance Sutras: 112 Gateways to the Yoga of Wonder and Delight (English and Sanskrit Edition)

Because so many people have asked, I recommend the Dusky Leaf cork blocks because they are heavy, stable, durable and they won’t give away in your standing postures.

Dusky Leaf Cork Yoga Blocks

Did you like today’s show?

* Share it with a friend, family member or email it to a coworker.

* Like

* Subscribe to our channel.

* Please leave us a 5-star review on Itunes

* Leave your comment below.What new thing did you learn to do with the block today?

If you would like to continue to receive support for your practice, we have a whole new section on our membership site, called Postures and Pranayama dedicated to supported you in the newest and most innovative research in the field of flexibility. I have begun to show you a little bit here about how props can help you to relax in...

Flow

This week is about flow. As we finish up our series of classes on our inner critic we realize it can be challenging to see where one theme ends and the other begins. Befriending your inner critic, awareness, acceptance, choice, discernment, truth, truth in action, all flow into each other and are never ending. We keep on cycling through these themes with our inner critic in a continuous way throughout our lives.

The journey with your inner critic does not end today with the last class in the series. The continuous flow of endings and beginnings – life, death, and rebirth. Just like in yoga your body flows from one yoga posture to another, so too many of you have noticed that you flow between being in befriending, awareness, acceptance, choice, discernment, truth and truth and action. Bringing presence to your inner critic is a journey and not necessarily a linear one. It is one with loops, twists and turns, ups and downs.

As you continue on past this series you can flow with the awareness of where you are with your inner critic. Is it time to befriend or bring acceptance? Is there a choice to be made about radio station KRAZY – should you turn down the volume, change the channel or turn off the radio? What are you discerning about the layers of your critic? Is that you speaking or your inner critic? Is it true? What is your truth? Is it time to put that truth in action or is it time to sink back into awareness and bring acceptance to your situation? Flow allows you to see where you are in the stream without judgment and be with your inner critic with an attitude of friendliness.

Yoga Postures/Asanas: Marjaryasana Vinyasa or Cat Flow, Balasana Vinyasa or Childs Pose Flow, Vairagya Mudra in Easy Pose, Standing Twist, Breath of Joy, Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutations, Bridge Flow or Setu Bandhasana, Dead Bug Flow or Ananda Balasana Vinyasa, Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy Flow, Savasana or Corpse Pose

Yoga Props: meditation cushion, chair or folded blanket

Resources:

Turn Stress into Bliss: The Proven 8-Week Program for Health, Relaxation, Stress Relief by Michael Lee (click the link below to get it through my amazon link)

Turn Stress into Bliss: The Proven 8-Week Program for Health, Relaxation, Stress Relief

Embracing Your Inner Critic: Turning Self-Criticism into a Creative Asset by Hal and Sidra Stone Ph.D.

Embracing Your Inner Critic

Mudras of India by Cain Carroll and Revital Carroll

Mudras of India: A Comprehensive Guide to the Hand Gestures of Yoga and Indian Dance

Did you like today’s show?

* Share it with a friend, family member or email it to a coworker.

* Like

* Subscribe to our channel.

* Please leave us a 5-star review on Itunes

* Leave your comment below.

You can show your appreciation for a series of classes to give you the tools to be with your inner critic with a donation or you can like, subscribe or leave a comment.

If you would like to continue to receive support for your practice we have a yoga buddy system in our membership community. I have a yoga buddy and I practice with her every day and she helps to hold ...

Truth in Action

Today’s class is about truth in action.

Over the last few weeks we have been digging deeper through the layers of our inner critic to discover the truth. We have been detaching from our inner critic and asking is that true? This week we will go a step further and explore what it’s like for you to act in your truth, separate from your inner critic. With discernment you can take a step back and see if now is the time to put your truth into action, maybe it’s not time to act on your truth, and sometimes the best action is not to act. In this class we will ask ourselves might the voice of my inner critic begin to fade in the light of action?

Our members continue to share their stories of how they are interacting with their inner critics in ways that are shedding so much light on our transformational journey with our inner critics.

Nicole spoke poignantly about the truth of how people come in and out of our lives and how her inner critic has played a role in that for her.

Nicole says, People come and go. Very few are really meant to play a permanent role in any one person’s life. That’s just part of life. We are to contribute to others what they need and them to us. Those people who choose to walk away when things become difficult get to make that choice for themselves. I have no right to beg and plead with them to stay, especially when I have stood firmly in my own truth and tried my best to act in compassion and loving kindness. This week was different as I chose to allow my tears to flow as I heard someone slam the door in anger, knowing I had probably just lost another friend forever. For those I have pushed away because of my own fears and insecurities, however, I ask for forgiveness from them and myself.

What stands out to me from Nicole’s story is that both Nicole and the people in her life are acting in their own truth. Her critic who she calls, Mean Girl kept on telling me that all these people were taken from me for a reason. Her Mean Girl brought her insecurities, frustration, anger, fear, loneliness, and sadness. However, Nicole also spoke about how yoga, mantra, and meditation have brought her an underlying peace and faith that all the negatives from her inner critic that she is facing will soon pass.

Another member, Linda spoke about how she is taking her truth in action with her critic.

I have the idea that I live in a quite harmonious way with my inner critic now, after long years of abuse, whipping me up to work more, do more, be more kind, more clever, more lean, etc. I was never good enough. But that totally changed and I am so grateful for that. Now I can decide at the last moment, before going to meet someone or having to do something, to take a step back and think if it’s a good thing to do for me. (Discernment) And I can decide to say no to the plan. (Choice) Like this week I had friends coming over to dinner and I had promised to make a certain dish for them, but that day I could not find the right ingredients, felt a bit tired and not really in the mood, so I decided to cook a simple meal. They loved it, I was enjoying the cooking, and it was such a good night and decision! It is the intention that counts not the outcome. It gives me more ease, less stress.

To me this story shows that Linda decided to connect with her truth and put it into action. She connected with the truth of her energy and the ingredients in her pantry and decided on a simpler meal. In the end, everybody enjoyed themselves.

Free Giveaway

Hello Namaste Yogis! In order to celebrate 25 thousand subscribers and 3 million views and thank you for subscribing to my YouTube channel we are having a giveaway.

Recently I went to an evening out with the Shanti Collective to create a mala. I created this mala to give away to you to celebrate 25 thousand subscribers and 3 million views and to thank you for subscribing to our channel.

This mala is made up of:

Blue Lace Agate (main stone)

Which is good for:

* hope

* unity

* transformation

* protection

* optimism\calming

* positive thinking

* appreciation for nature

Tiger Eye

Which is good for:

* protection

* clear thinking

* personal empowerment

* integrity

* will power

* practicality

* grounding

* power

* courage

* grace

and

Howlite

Which is good for:

* inspiration

* creativity

* artistic expression

* calmness

Here is how you can enter to win this beautiful mala that I made just for you.

* Subscribe to my channel : YouTube.com/drmelissawest

* like this video and leave a comment

* in the comments tell us what you like best about namaste yoga and how long you have been following namaste yoga

Contest Closes: June 15, 2015