Yoga Poses and their Benefits

When you join my yoga class, I help you identify any potential musculoskeletal, postural or health concerns you may be experiencing to allow your movement during yoga to feel right. And work right. When you feel good, I can see you feel good. Yoga can be hard, and it’s easier with a watchful eye that notices your knee isn’t aligned or your neck is too far back. Come to these small yoga classes to feel how much you can strengthen .

Fish pose stretches the front of the body, particularly:

• the throat
• chest
• abdomen
• hip flexors
• and intercostals (the muscles between your ribs)
• It strengthens the upper back muscles and the back of the neck
• improves spinal flexibility and posture

** Cautions:
**Abnormal Blood Pressure

Yoga for Anxiety

When you're stressed and anxious, it's hard to focus on anything else. The word stress can be used to describe almost anything in your everyday life that causes you to feel uneasy or uncomfortable. You can experience stress at work, at school, with family, friends; or even due to your own personal pressures or worries. Stress is nothing new though and has been around for years. What's new is the way that people are using yoga to help control their anxiety and stress levels.

This pose can be done in lotus, cross legged or with the legs straight in front if it is too difficult to cross the legs. If you can work towards doing half lotus (one leg on top of opposite thigh) then the pose is even more beneficial for the low back, legs and hips.

This pose will:

• improve posture by strengthening muscles along the spine
• lift and expand rib cage
• stretch and tone the backs of the arms (triceps)
• reduce fatigue if you can stay with it for 2 min

Cobra pose:

• increases the mobility of the spine
• strengthens spinal muscles supporting the spine
• can help relieve back pain
• opens the chest and the front of the body

Sphinx Pose is often a better alternative for those who cannot practice Cobra pose due to back issues, especially lower back. Sphinx pose helps in :

-stabilizes the shoulders

• myofascial release of the abdomen
• strengthens entire back musculature
• prepares the spine for stronger back bends
• lengthens the abdominal wall without over-stretching the anterior hip capsule
• Avoid if you have an injury in any part of the spine or have a stiff back

Why do our hamstrings get so tight? There are no activities we do throughout our day that lengthens these muscles that insert behind the knee and up into our buttocks.
Hamstrings :

• enhances running, walking, and the stamina to stand for long periods

• helps reduce low back pain

• Nothing bad can happen if you keep breathing and avoid locking the knee if the back of the knee hurts.

To get your legs up the wall, bring your side waist up to the baseboard and tuck your knees into the chest, then lie on your side in tucked position, pivoting your tailbone until it touches the baseboard.

Legs up the Wall is a relaxing pose (yin) and fabulous for tired legs.
Alleviates tired legs. It also :

• Calms your mind, reducing stress
• Relieves leg and feet cramps.
• Helps with backaches.
• Softly opens the backs of your legs.
• Knee pain reduction

Benefits of shoulder stand:

• can improve digestion
• strengthens arms, spinal, and core muscles
• increases range of motion (ROM) in your neck and shoulders
• personally, this pose is a winner for reducing or eliminating hot flashes (I haven't had a hot flash for 7 yrs. at 59 yrs old!)
• can enhance your lymphatic system
• can relieve stress and anxiety
• reduce fatigue
• Avoid If you have weak internal organs,enlarged thyroid; high blood pressure, migraine, or are pregnant or menstruating .

Celeste teaches how to use the mind's energy to live a life that honours your emotional needs and learn how to trust your body's signals.

When you do these moves, the anxiety is unable to be convincing: the movements shown here will help cancel and deploy negative, rushing thoughts that are trying to cause you to feel like you are doomed. The brain will change and activate the relaxation response (parasympathetic nervous system) to relax muscle tension, slow down brain waves and allow you to embody (feel like you) your self.
The poses will stretch:
-chest
-shoulders
-rib cage,
-hips
-quads (thighs).

Celeste teaches how to use the mind's energy to live a life that honours your emotional needs and learn how to trust your body's signals.