yoga with grace
  • Home
  • About
  • Pam's Blog
  • Essential Oils
  • Mission & Vision Statements
  • Organize a Class/Workshop
  • Biography
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Chair Yoga Teacher Training

Yoga may help memory!!!

9/1/2014

0 Comments

 
There has been a study posted that practicing yoga "boost brain function in older adults."  Awesome news!  Of course we knew this from experience.  The study followed people ages 55 - 79.  Some practiced yoga 3 times per week.  The others did a program of stretching and toning.  Those that participated in yoga had "significant improvements in work memory capacity."  These folks where also able to do tasks without being distracted.  Those folks that participated in the program of stretching and toning did not have these changes!
So keep up the great work!
Please let me know how your yoga practice has helped you with your memory and general every day activities. 

Click below for article:  Hatha Yoga May Improve Brain Function in Older Adults
Article
0 Comments

Moving Palm Trees

8/24/2014

0 Comments

 
Picturefrom www.bestclipartblog.com
We have practiced posture series "Moving Palm Trees" in class.  It is a great series of poses that encompass many different stretches.  Moving Palm Trees takes 2 to 5 minutes, depending on how long you hold each pose.  Moving Palm Trees may also be adapted to sitting in a chair.

Click on the picture of Palm Trees to open up a (PDF) description of "Moving Palm Trees".  Sorry there are not any pictures.  I hope to add them at a later date.
Enjoy!



0 Comments

Getting the Most out of Your Yoga Class

7/28/2014

0 Comments

 
Found an awesome article called "10 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Yoga Class" from Yoga International.  It is a very truthful list of ways we can approach our yoga classes and find our classes becoming more valuable. 
Here is a brief listing:
1. Come to class free of expectations - expectations for the class and of your body
2. Have an intention - We leave time during centering for setting your intention
3. Free yourself of  distractions - do your best
4. Disclose physical limitations to the instructor - I keep a notebook of what people share with me
5. Honor your own inner teacher
6. Listen to your body - Heard this before?!!
7. Leave your phone at the door - please!
8. Bring your own stuff - matt, blanket etc.
9. Breathe - we talk breathing during each class
10. Be grateful - be thankful for what is!
Click HERE for the full article.
Let me know what you think of these ideas!





0 Comments

Downward Facing Dog - Variations

7/26/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Downward Facing Dog is a great pose except if you have wrist, knee or other similar issues.  There are ways to modify Down Dog.  During Chair Yoga we stand at the back of the chair and step back into a position similar to a table, feeling an extension from our heads to hips. 
We can also modify Down Dog by leaning onto our forearms instead of our hands. 
Check out the following website for some great pics and descriptions.
http://yogaforhealthyaging.blogspot.com/2012/10/featured-pose-downward-facing-dog.html
The YouTube video below guides us to head placement while practicing Down Dog using a chair.
Check it out!
0 Comments

Bow Pose - Dhanurasana

7/26/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
This week we will begin to practice Bow Pose during Monday morning Yoga at Gleason Family YMCA.  During the last few weeks, we have been practicing  Boat Pose - Navasana to prepare ourselves.  Boat Pose encourages us to extend our spine out through our head and our legs.  It will be important to remember this extension to protect our lower backs as we bend further back into Bow Pose.
 
Instead of me describing Bow Pose I have  include a connection to a great description from Yoga Journal and a video describing some corrections to make our Bows better and safer.
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/875
http://www.yogavibes.com/videos/watch/free-online-yoga-video-dhanurasana-bow-pose-therapeutic

Hope this is helpful!

1 Comment

The Quad Challenge!

5/31/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
This week during chair and floor yoga classes, I will challenge participants to
 1.  use their quadriceps with yoga postures during the upcoming weeks 
2. notice when they use the quadriceps muscles during daily activities
and report back either in class, on Facebook or on this blog. 
    
 What are "quadriceps" ? 
Quadriceps  or "quads" are a group of muscles on the front of your thigh.  Quadriceps help us walk, run, squat, and kick.  The quadriceps work to extend your knee which means when your knee is bent the quadriceps straighten your leg.  Try sitting in a chair with legs bent, feet on the floor.  Now extend (straighten) your leg and then flex (bend) your knee a few times.  See if you can feel your muscles on the top of your thighs contracting.  
  
What are some yoga postures that use our quadriceps? 
We have practiced "goddess pose" during class and is a great quadriceps stretch. 
More standing poses: Dancer Pose, Warrior I and Warrior II, Chair Pose
Sitting Poses: Knee Lift and extend, Knee lift and swing to side
What other poses can you think of? 
What have you done this week?  During what activities did you use your quads?
(Hint: Did you vacuum? Did you work in the garden? Did you pick stuff or cat up off the floor? Did you walk/jump/run?)
Please let me know how the Quad Challenge went for you.
My Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YogaWGrace
My Email: yogawithgrace@comcast.net

Note: Click on the green highlighted poses above for a description.


0 Comments

Stories from the Field

5/10/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Before Thursday night yoga at Gleason YMCA, one of the participants approached me and shared a little of his story.  "John" said he hurt his ankle a few years ago leaving it weak.  John said he became inactive because of his ankle.  John pointed to his ankle and said yoga practice had improved his ankle!  I was so glad to hear that.  During yoga practice we do stretches specifically geared toward ankles, but also many yoga poses involve the ankle.  For example,  when we do Child Pose we extend our ankles out against our mats giving our ankles a good stretch.  Downward Facing Dog asks us to balance on the balls of our feet which helps strengthen our feet and ankles.  Thank you John for sharing your story!

0 Comments

Child's Pose/Balasana

2/10/2014

0 Comments

 
Picturefrom www.yogajournal.com
During yoga practice we often practice Extended Child's Pose.  It is a great pose for rest and breath during yoga practice.  Child's pose is also good for stretching our backs. 
Extended child's pose adds arms extended out in front.  This creates a long arms stretch and opens the space under our shoulders, our armpits. 
Add some deep breath to your child's pose and see how much your back expands with your breath.
Click on the picture to connect to Yoga Journal's description of this pose.

0 Comments

Savasana

6/18/2013

2 Comments

 
PictureNeely Da Kat snoozing on his "Throne" in the window.
Savasana or Shavasana  translated as sava (corpse) asana (pose).  We all know it as the resting pose. Usually we do this at the end of our practice but can be done anytime to relax.  Savasana is a time to tune out, breath, and relax.  It can be done laying on your back, side or with feet up the wall.  During chair yoga class we do savasana in the chair.  When doing chair yoga at home, savasana can be done with your head rested on a table.
If you click on Neely's picture, you will be connect to a page of Wikihow that has a 7 step series of pictures with instructions for savasana.

2 Comments

Funny!

4/7/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
     Funny...my cat tries to tell me what to do!

0 Comments

    Author

    I enjoy yoga as it brings peace to my life.  Teaching yoga has brought joy to my life and given me a chance to encourage others in learning yoga.

    Archives

    July 2020
    March 2020
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    April 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    November 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013

    Categories

    All
    Adaptive Yoga
    Ahimsa
    Arthritis
    Asana
    Breathing
    Cartoon
    Chair Yoga
    Challenges
    Christian
    Cognitions
    Compassion
    Feet
    Focus
    Food
    Fun
    Giving Thanks
    Goddess Pose
    Hands
    Healing Pain With Yoga
    Helping Others
    Jesus
    Light
    Massage
    Meditation
    Memory
    Mountain Pose
    Mudra
    Mudras
    Music
    Postures
    Prana
    Pregnancy
    Presences
    Reflection
    Seniors
    Shoulders
    Ski Yoga
    Stories
    Sutras
    Undoing
    Video
    Welcoming
    Welcoming Others
    Yoga Class
    Yoga For Seniors
    Yoga In Schools
    Yoga Mats
    Yoga Practice
    Youth

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About
  • Pam's Blog
  • Essential Oils
  • Mission & Vision Statements
  • Organize a Class/Workshop
  • Biography
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Chair Yoga Teacher Training