Yoga with Melissa

How to Balance in Chair Pose

Members I recommend that you do the connective tissue class for feet before this class and remember we are doing a 28 day challenge with this for Fascia February in our Membership Community

David Whyte says : “to be courageous means to seat our feelings deeply in our body and in the world: to live up to and into the necessities of relationships that often already exist, with things we find we already care deeply about; with a person, a future, a possibility in society, or with an unknown that begs us on and has always begged us on. To be courageous is to stay close to the way we are made.”

In Yoga with Melissa 369 on Chair Pose, Awkward Pose or Utkatasana, we will come into our own bodies. In order to balance and connect with our strength we will first relate to our proprioception. You will feel your skin, muscles, and joints. They all contain sensory receptors (proprioceptors) that are sensitive to stretch or pressure in the surrounding tissues. Your skin, muscles and joints or proprioceptors helps your brain recognize where your body is in space, even if your vestibular and visual systems are compromised. Proprioception means your skin, muscles, and joints all contain sensory receptors (proprioceptors) that are sensitive to stretch or pressure in the surrounding tissues.

Balance also depends on your vestibular system. Sensory information about things like motion, equilibrium, and where your body is at in space is provided by something called a vestibular system. Your vestibular system is the part of your ear that includes the utricle, saccule, and three semicircular canals. The utricle and saccule detect gravity and front-to-back or side-to-side movement. In contrast, the semicircular canals detect rotational movement.

Our visual system contributes to our overall balance. This is the ability of your eyes to figure out where your head and body are in space and also your spatial location relative to other objects. In yoga we often train with our eyes closed, therefore improving our proprioceptive system (our sense of self in space). And we can also spend some time improving and training our balance by playing with our visual system, opening and closing our eyes.

David Whyte says from the inside we can often feel confused while we slowly learn what our life is about and what we really care about. We “allow our outer life to be realigned in that gravitational pull: with maturity that robust vulnerability comes to feel like the only necessary way forward, the only real invitation and the surest, safest ground from which to step.” In Warrior One or Virabhadrasana one we feel the gravitational pull, robust vulnerability and safe ground from which to step.

We can open our hearts and find the strength of our courage in chair pose. David Whyte says, “On the inside we come to know who and what and how we love and what we can do to deepen that love; only from the outside and only by looking back does it look like courage.”

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

Props: block, meditation cushion, blanket, yoga strap

Yoga Postures/Asanas: Guided Relaxation, Bridge Pose or Setu Bandhasana, Keyhole Stretch, Easy Pose or Sukhasana, Gate Pose or Parighasana, Downward Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana, Warrior One or Virabhadrasana one, Chair Pose or Utkatasana or Awkward Pose, Forward fold or Uttanasana, Cow’s Face Pose or Gomukhasana, Savasana or Corpse Pose, Mudra for Courage or Ganesh Mudra

Do you feel stronger and more balanced? Let me know by pressing that like button.

Do you know somebody else who would like to feel more courageous, strong and balanced? Why not share this video with them?

Thank you so much for your donations: Diane and Donna.

How to Balance in Chair Pose

Members I recommend that you do the connective tissue class for feet before this class and remember we are doing a 28 day challenge with this for Fascia February in our Membership Community

David Whyte says : “to be courageous means to seat our feelings deeply in our body and in the world: to live up to and into the necessities of relationships that often already exist, with things we find we already care deeply about; with a person, a future, a possibility in society, or with an unknown that begs us on and has always begged us on. To be courageous is to stay close to the way we are made.”

In Yoga with Melissa 369 on Chair Pose, Awkward Pose or Utkatasana, we will come into our own bodies. In order to balance and connect with our strength we will first relate to our proprioception. You will feel your skin, muscles, and joints. They all contain sensory receptors (proprioceptors) that are sensitive to stretch or pressure in the surrounding tissues. Your skin, muscles and joints or proprioceptors helps your brain recognize where your body is in space, even if your vestibular and visual systems are compromised. Proprioception means your skin, muscles, and joints all contain sensory receptors (proprioceptors) that are sensitive to stretch or pressure in the surrounding tissues.

Balance also depends on your vestibular system. Sensory information about things like motion, equilibrium, and where your body is at in space is provided by something called a vestibular system. Your vestibular system is the part of your ear that includes the utricle, saccule, and three semicircular canals. The utricle and saccule detect gravity and front-to-back or side-to-side movement. In contrast, the semicircular canals detect rotational movement.

Our visual system contributes to our overall balance. This is the ability of your eyes to figure out where your head and body are in space and also your spatial location relative to other objects. In yoga we often train with our eyes closed, therefore improving our proprioceptive system (our sense of self in space). And we can also spend some time improving and training our balance by playing with our visual system, opening and closing our eyes.

David Whyte says from the inside we can often feel confused while we slowly learn what our life is about and what we really care about. We “allow our outer life to be realigned in that gravitational pull: with maturity that robust vulnerability comes to feel like the only necessary way forward, the only real invitation and the surest, safest ground from which to step.” In Warrior One or Virabhadrasana one we feel the gravitational pull, robust vulnerability and safe ground from which to step.

We can open our hearts and find the strength of our courage in chair pose. David Whyte says, “On the inside we come to know who and what and how we love and what we can do to deepen that love; only from the outside and only by looking back does it look like courage.”

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

Props: block, meditation cushion, blanket, yoga strap

Yoga Postures/Asanas: Guided Relaxation, Bridge Pose or Setu Bandhasana, Keyhole Stretch, Easy Pose or Sukhasana, Gate Pose or Parighasana, Downward Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana, Warrior One or Virabhadrasana one, Chair Pose or Utkatasana or Awkward Pose, Forward fold or Uttanasana, Cow’s Face Pose or Gomukhasana, Savasana or Corpse Pose, Mudra for Courage or Ganesh Mudra

Do you feel stronger and more balanced? Let me know by pressing that like button.

Do you know somebody else who would like to feel more courageous, strong and balanced?

How to Balance in Chair Pose Members I recommend that you do the connective tissue class for feet before this class and remember we are doing a 28 day challenge with this for Fascia February in our Membership Community David Whyte says : “to be courageous means to seat our feelings deeply in our body […]

Yoga with Melissa 368

Are you exhausted, worn out, spinning your wheels, going in every direction, multitasking without getting results, anxious, restless, tense, nervous, fearful, agitated, sleepless, or a bundle of nerves? Then this class from our moving at the speed of your body series is for you. “Out of deep stillness, movement is created.” Deep stillness is the base for movement practice.

In our lives and even on our yoga journey and spiritual journey there will be many distractions. When we allow ourselves to be interrupted and preoccupied by what is happening in a careless, impulsive way, we become ungrounded, anxious, and tense. We start to feel nervous, fearful and even have trouble sleeping.

When we are strongly grounded, feeling our roots, connected to our stillness there is the inherent possibility for a lightness of being. We can move easily, freely, tenderly, softly through our world because of our basis of support, our rooting and grounding practices.

The Taoists like to use the example of a tree. They talk about how the blossoms and leaves of the herbs and trees are light, but perishable. However the root of the herbs and trees are heavy and lasting The root structure is as big as the tree or even bigger than the branches, leaves, flowers or fruit. It is that solid root structure that allows the tree to be strong and resilient.

The same is true for us. When our roots are strong, when we practice stillness, we are able to move easily through life and our many responsibilities with lightness and ease. We can experience tranquility and serenity amidst the storms of our lives.

Lao Tzu, the author of the Tao-Te-Ching and the founder or Taoism says that “heavy is the foundation of light.” When we have a solid foundation we can spread our wings and fly. When we have something solid to push off from, we have momentum for movement (chair jumps and chaturunga). It is by grounding down into the earth that we receive nourishment and preservation. When we feel frightened, tense and anxious we can return to stillness and these grounding practices to receive nourishment and vitality.

Props: yoga blocks, strap, meditation cushion, bolster

Yoga Postures/Asanas: Bridge Pose or Setu Bandhasana, Plank Pose or Kumbhakasana, Chaturanga Dandasana or Low Plank, Foot Series, Downward Facing Dog, Tadasana or Mountain Pose, Tree Pose or Vrikshasana, Chair Pose or Utkatasana, Eagle Pose or Garudasana, Dolphin Pose or Ardha Pincha Mayurasana, Locust or Salabhasana, Child’s Pose or Balasana, Savasana or Corpse Pose, Garuda Mudra

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

Did you feel more still, grounded, light, tranquil? Let me know by pressing that like button.

Do you know somebody else who would like to feel more still, grounded light and tranquil? Why not share this video with them?

Thank you so much for your donations: Hannah, Donna, Leah, Eva, Donna, Hilary, Rowena, we appreciate you for practicing Yoga with Melissa with us and love that you are inspired and receiving value from these classes. Donations like yours along with membership fees pays Tim and I a salary so that we can keep doing what we do.

You can make a monetary donation below or you can donate of your time by leaving a comment. Let me know what yoga pose felt most grounding for you today.

At the beginning of the yoga class I told you I I’m going to help you if you are exhausted, worn out, spinning your wheels, going in every direction, multitasking without getting results, anxious, restless, tense, nervous, fearful, agitated, sleepless, or a bundle of nerves which will scratch the surface of how to ground and be still but if you want to go deeper, with support from me and our amazing community then you need to be part of our membership community,

Yoga with Melissa 368 Are you exhausted, worn out, spinning your wheels, going in every direction, multitasking without getting results, anxious, restless, tense, nervous, fearful, agitated, sleepless, or a bundle of nerves? Then this class from our moving at the speed of your body series is for you. “Out of deep stillness, movement is created.” […]

Yoga with Melissa 368

Are you exhausted, worn out, spinning your wheels, going in every direction, multitasking without getting results, anxious, restless, tense, nervous, fearful, agitated, sleepless, or a bundle of nerves? Then this class from our moving at the speed of your body series is for you. “Out of deep stillness, movement is created.” Deep stillness is the base for movement practice.

In our lives and even on our yoga journey and spiritual journey there will be many distractions. When we allow ourselves to be interrupted and preoccupied by what is happening in a careless, impulsive way, we become ungrounded, anxious, and tense. We start to feel nervous, fearful and even have trouble sleeping.

When we are strongly grounded, feeling our roots, connected to our stillness there is the inherent possibility for a lightness of being. We can move easily, freely, tenderly, softly through our world because of our basis of support, our rooting and grounding practices.

The Taoists like to use the example of a tree. They talk about how the blossoms and leaves of the herbs and trees are light, but perishable. However the root of the herbs and trees are heavy and lasting The root structure is as big as the tree or even bigger than the branches, leaves, flowers or fruit. It is that solid root structure that allows the tree to be strong and resilient.

The same is true for us. When our roots are strong, when we practice stillness, we are able to move easily through life and our many responsibilities with lightness and ease. We can experience tranquility and serenity amidst the storms of our lives.

Lao Tzu, the author of the Tao-Te-Ching and the founder or Taoism says that “heavy is the foundation of light.” When we have a solid foundation we can spread our wings and fly. When we have something solid to push off from, we have momentum for movement (chair jumps and chaturunga). It is by grounding down into the earth that we receive nourishment and preservation. When we feel frightened, tense and anxious we can return to stillness and these grounding practices to receive nourishment and vitality.

Props: yoga blocks, strap, meditation cushion, bolster

Yoga Postures/Asanas: Bridge Pose or Setu Bandhasana, Plank Pose or Kumbhakasana, Chaturanga Dandasana or Low Plank, Foot Series, Downward Facing Dog, Tadasana or Mountain Pose, Tree Pose or Vrikshasana, Chair Pose or Utkatasana, Eagle Pose or Garudasana, Dolphin Pose or Ardha Pincha Mayurasana, Locust or Salabhasana, Child’s Pose or Balasana, Savasana or Corpse Pose, Garuda Mudra

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

Did you feel more still, grounded, light, tranquil? Let me know by pressing that like button.

Do you know somebody else who would like to feel more still, grounded light and tranquil? Why not share this video with them?

Thank you so much for your donations: Hannah, Donna, Leah, Eva, Donna, Hilary, Rowena, we appreciate you for practicing Yoga with Melissa with us and love that you are inspired and receiving value from these classes. Donations like yours along with membership fees pays Tim and I a salary so that we can keep doing what we do.

You can make a monetary donation below or you can donate of your time by leaving a comment. Let me know what yoga pose felt most grounding for you today.

At the beginning of the yoga class I told you I I’m going to help you if you are exhausted, worn out, spinning your wheels, going in every direction, multitasking without getting results, anxious, restless, tense, nervous, fearful, agitated, sleepless, or a bundle of nerves which will scratch the surface of how to ground and be still but if you want to go deeper,

Standing Hand to Big Toe Pose

Today we are continuing our balancing series, with a continued focus on our vestibular, proprioceptive and visual systems. Proprioception means your skin, muscles, and joints all contain sensory receptors (proprioceptors) that are sensitive to stretch or pressure in the surrounding tissues. It helps your brain recognize where your body is in space, even if your vestibular and visual systems are compromised (for example if your eyes are closed or your ears are plugged)

Sensory information about things like motion, equilibrium, and where your body is at in space is provided by something called a vestibular system. Your vestibular system is the part of your ear that includes the utricle, saccule, and three semicircular canals. The utricle and saccule detect gravity and front-to-back or side-to-side movement. In contrast, the semicircular canals detect rotational movement.

With your eyes, your visual system figures out where your head and body are in space and also your spatial location relative to other objects.

Our balancing pose for Yoga with Melissa 367 is Hasta Padangusthasana or Standing Hand to Big Toe Pose. This yoga pose highlights the imbalance that exists between the front and back of your body.

The backside of your body is often referred to as your posterior chain and includes your low back, your glutes, hamstrings and calves. These muscles are long and weak from our endless hours of sitting. Additionally our quadriceps and psoas muscles become tight and short from sitting in chairs for many hours of the day.

Furthermore hasta padangustasana asks us to focus on balance, bringing our body’s center of gravity into alignment with the earth underneath us. Balancing poses liking standing hand to big toe pose ask us to come into physical equilibrium with the ground underneath us. However, as we know from our previous classes on balance, this doesn't happen by remaining still, rather from rebalancing ourselves through our proprioceptive, vestibular and visual systems from moment to moment.

Coming into balance again and again through balancing postures takes sustained effort. When we are practicing balancing postures, or the lead up poses to balancing postures we are continually centering and re-centering ourselves. The information that travels through our proprioceptive, vestibular and visual systems acts as a kind of tuning fork not only for our balance system but also for our nervous system. When we practice balance we will feel more centered and calm.

Hasta Padangusthasana is a balancing yoga pose that promotes stability as well. In order to stand on one leg you need to have strength and stability through the muscles and joints of your supporting leg. This pose will strengthen the arches of your feet, your ankles, and thighs well lengthening your calves and hamstrings.

Members: I recommend that you do the connective tissue portion of hamstring rescue before this class: 12-28 minutes in the linked video

Props Needed: Strap, Blanket and Wall

Yoga Postures/Asanas: Supta Matsyendrasana or Reclined Bent Knee Twist, Eye of the Needle or Figure Four, Supta Padangustasana or Reclined Hand to Big Toe Pose, Lunge Pose or Anjaneyasana, Pigeon or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, Foot Series, Downward Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana, Standing Figure Four Pose, Utkatasana or Chair Pose, Warrior One Pose or Virabhadrasana One Pose, Hasta Padangusthasana or Standing Hand to Big Toe Pose, Uttanasana or Standing Forward Fold, Bhujangasana or Cobra, Paschimottanasana or Seated Forward Fold, Savasana or Corpse Pose

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* If you know somebody who would enjoy today’s show,

Standing Hand to Big Toe Pose Today we are continuing our balancing series, with a continued focus on our vestibular, proprioceptive and visual systems. Proprioception means your skin, muscles, and joints all contain sensory receptors (proprioceptors) that are sensitive to stretch or pressure in the surrounding tissues. It helps your brain recognize where your body […]

Standing Hand to Big Toe Pose

Today we are continuing our balancing series, with a continued focus on our vestibular, proprioceptive and visual systems. Proprioception means your skin, muscles, and joints all contain sensory receptors (proprioceptors) that are sensitive to stretch or pressure in the surrounding tissues. It helps your brain recognize where your body is in space, even if your vestibular and visual systems are compromised (for example if your eyes are closed or your ears are plugged)

Sensory information about things like motion, equilibrium, and where your body is at in space is provided by something called a vestibular system. Your vestibular system is the part of your ear that includes the utricle, saccule, and three semicircular canals. The utricle and saccule detect gravity and front-to-back or side-to-side movement. In contrast, the semicircular canals detect rotational movement.

With your eyes, your visual system figures out where your head and body are in space and also your spatial location relative to other objects.

Our balancing pose for Yoga with Melissa 367 is Hasta Padangusthasana or Standing Hand to Big Toe Pose. This yoga pose highlights the imbalance that exists between the front and back of your body.

The backside of your body is often referred to as your posterior chain and includes your low back, your glutes, hamstrings and calves. These muscles are long and weak from our endless hours of sitting. Additionally our quadriceps and psoas muscles become tight and short from sitting in chairs for many hours of the day.

Furthermore hasta padangustasana asks us to focus on balance, bringing our body’s center of gravity into alignment with the earth underneath us. Balancing poses liking standing hand to big toe pose ask us to come into physical equilibrium with the ground underneath us. However, as we know from our previous classes on balance, this doesn’t happen by remaining still, rather from rebalancing ourselves through our proprioceptive, vestibular and visual systems from moment to moment.

Coming into balance again and again through balancing postures takes sustained effort. When we are practicing balancing postures, or the lead up poses to balancing postures we are continually centering and re-centering ourselves. The information that travels through our proprioceptive, vestibular and visual systems acts as a kind of tuning fork not only for our balance system but also for our nervous system. When we practice balance we will feel more centered and calm.

Hasta Padangusthasana is a balancing yoga pose that promotes stability as well. In order to stand on one leg you need to have strength and stability through the muscles and joints of your supporting leg. This pose will strengthen the arches of your feet, your ankles, and thighs well lengthening your calves and hamstrings.

Members: I recommend that you do the connective tissue portion of hamstring rescue before this class: 12-28 minutes in the linked video

Props Needed: Strap, Blanket and Wall

Yoga Postures/Asanas: Supta Matsyendrasana or Reclined Bent Knee Twist, Eye of the Needle or Figure Four, Supta Padangustasana or Reclined Hand to Big Toe Pose, Lunge Pose or Anjaneyasana, Pigeon or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, Foot Series, Downward Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana, Standing Figure Four Pose, Utkatasana or Chair Pose, Warrior One Pose or Virabhadrasana One Pose, Hasta Padangusthasana or Standing Hand to Big Toe Pose, Uttanasana or Standing Forward Fold, Bhujangasana or Cobra, Paschimottanasana or Seated Forward Fold,

Special Yin Yoga Class with Kassandra

​Today's Yoga with Melissa class is a collaboration and features a special guest, Kassandra from YouTube channel Yoga with Kassandra. Kassandra has kindly filmed a yin yoga class for all of you.

This beginner friendly yin yoga class is a fantastic way to give your joints some TLC. Yin yoga is a passive practice where we learn to work with gravity to reduce stress and anxiety, improve joint health and increase our range of motion. Yogis with limited flexibility will enjoy these simple poses that can produce big results when done consistently. I'm not using any props during this practice but you may want to have 1 block and 1 strap close by. The three principles of Yin Yoga are: finding your edge, holding the pose and being still. This means that we are never trying to push ourselves further into a pose and risking injury. Respect your body and listen to the feedback you are receiving. We also want to remain still without engaging the muscles to bring the stress to our joints as opposed to our muscular tissues. Yin yoga asanas are held anywhere between 2 and 10 minutes. In this beginner practice, most poses will be held for about 3 minutes. Always remember that you can come out of a pose at any time!

​I'm excited to ​welcome Kassandra on my channel and look forward to future collaborations​ with other Yoga instructors from YouTube​. Please leave your requests for other YouTube yoga teachers that you would like to see on my channel in the comments below. ​​Or, if you are a Yoga teacher on YouTube who would like to collaborate, let me know :) ​

Props Needed: 1 block and 1 strap

FOLLOW KASSANDRA:

Free 7 Day Yin Yoga Immersion: link

www.yogawithkassandra.com

www.youtube.com/yogawithkassandra