Yoga: Opening the Hips with the Pigeon Pose

A common request in any yoga class is for hip openers like the Pigeon pose. Although hip openers can be challenging, they are popular because they can also be very satisfying, both physically and emotionally.

Our hips tend to be extremely tight. Most people spend much of their day sitting which renders their hips joints immobile and reduces their agility. Also, everyday activities like walking and common sports such as cycling and running involve hip strength but not hip flexibility. Most of us lead very busy lives and this leads to stress. This stress in turn creates tension in our bodies and often results in further locking up our already tight hip sockets.

Incorporating Pigeon pose into your daily routine will help you to unlock your hips, move with greater ease and relieve a considerable amount of tension.

This pose stretches the hip flexors and the hip rotators, providing a terrific solution to problems arising from hip tightness. Since it also requires internal rotation in the back leg and external rotation in the front leg, it will have a positive effect on your whole body, perhaps even allowing you to move more freely after consistent practice.

The Pigeon pose isolates various muscles in the hips, reducing stiffness and increasing flexibility. It is this isolation of muscles that can make this pose so challenging. Be aware that there is definitely some physical work involved with the practice of this asana. The key is to bring your attention to and observe the sensations created in your body during your practice.

On your mat, go on all fours with your knees below your hips and your hands underneath your shoulders. Bring the right knee forward until it touches the right wrist while maintaining a straight line between the right thigh and the sides of the mat. Slowly move your right foot and shin toward the middle of your body until your foot is directly below your left hip. Straighten the left leg toward the back of the mat.

Don't lean forward but walk your hands back and lower both sides of the pelvis toward the mat. Keeps your hips straight and level as the pelvis releases. You can use a block or a folded blanket if you have trouble lowering the hips evenly.

Press the fingertips firmly into your mat and lengthen the sides of your waist as your hips continue to settle. This will help keep your lower back long and free from strain.

Inhale deeply and walk the hands forward as you lengthen in the midsection. Exhale as you fold forward and lower the elbows to the floor. The weight that is released in the hips can be adjusted by using the arms. Using the arms to support the body can ease any discomfort felt in the hips.

Pay attention to the sensations in your hips and buttock. If it feels extremely uncomfortable, a shift in alignment may be required. Remember, the idea is to relieve tension, not to create additional tension in your joints.

Keeping the hips level is vital in the practice of the Pigeon pose. If the hips are uneven, an imbalance will result when you fold forward. To offset this, a folded blanket may be placed under the right buttock (if you are extending the right knee).

Keep the thigh of your front leg lined up parallel to the sides of the mat. Your front foot should be directly beneath your back hip. Bring your breath into your hips and observe the sensations running through them. Relax the muscles in your face and let go of thoughts appearing in your mind. Allow your body to melt to the floor as you continue to breathe into your hips.

Stay in the forward fold for 5 - 10 breaths. Then inhale and come back up. Lift your hips away from the floor as you press into your fingertips. Transition to downward dog and take 5 deep breaths, observing how you feel in your hips. Then switch to the other side.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Yoga

Yoga And Pilates In Brookline

Managing Stress on the Golf Course to Improve Your Game

golf involves stress and at times, this stress can be detrimental to your game. It may influence your behavior in negative ways and get you into a negative thinking process, which only deters your skills. Remember that a certain amount of stress is needed to facilitate your performance but too much stress can manifest itself in negative ways. Players need to learn how to objectively assess their levels of vulnerability to stress and how to set up appropriate strategies to compensate them.

It is important to remember that the grandest quality of the true achiever is persistence. This often means fighting off discouragement and difficult times and in playing through slumps in performance.

There are several strategies that may be helpful in assisting you to maintain a standard of confidence and a winning attitude. They are balance, positive thinking, respect, vision, goal setting, commitment to continued improvement, and character.

OK, so how do you make it happen? instead of getting mad when you play a bad shot, stay calm, remember everyone makes mistakes, if we did not, there would be no professional golf we would all be playing to the standards of Phil Mickleson, Tiger Woods et.al. Dont beat yourself up about it, even if you have a really bad round. You know you are better than that, the next time you will play better. A more difficult technique is visualization, many top sportspeople can and do visualise themselves performing well.

When goal setting, set realistic targets, beware of pointless and low targets, but be aware of your ability when setting high targets. If you dont achieve them, think why? Maybe they were not realistic. Maybe there are too many other things in your life right now. Avoid using them to generate negative thoughts, you didnt reach a target it is not the end of the world!

Yoga for golfers can help you to improve your concentration and also helps with anger control. This will help you to keep things in perspective out on the golf course. A yoga for golfers dvd would make an ideal gift for yourself, or for the golfer in your life. Having the instruction on dvd means that you can go over the techniques as many times as you want. It will pay for itself financially and out on the golf course very quickly and you can practice the exercises whenever you feel like it. It is like having a portable golf yoga guru!

So, with your improved mental attitude, you should find that you can enjoy your golf better even when having a bad round. But please remember, a little stress can add that winning edge to your game, just try to get the balance right!

Visit Think and Reach Par for a yoga for golf DVD, or maybe treat yourself or the golfer in your life to a golf birthday gift like the Body Golf series.

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Florida Honeymoon Vacations

Celebrate your marriage by planning a florida honeymoon vacation with lots of pleasant surprises in store for you! This is because florida is the host to plenty of popular honeymoon spots. Couples can enjoy one anothers company with activities such as horseback riding on white sandy beaches, biking or walking along bicycle trails, quiet visits to the museums, visits to the civil war tort, strolling along the cool breeze to lighthouses, sight-seeing of beautiful tropical garden, cuddling together enjoying the sounds of the sea and yes, fun-filled amazing entertainment at walt disney world, orlando.

Famous florida honeymoon attraction spots would be the Daytona Beach, orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Palm Beach, Sarasota and Tampa - St. Petersburg. These are hot spots for honeymooners from all around the world. orlando, home to Mickey Mouse, is an especially famous destination, attracting crowds with its never-ending fairy tale world. This is as the Walt Disney world does not only cater to family, children and teenagers, but also to honeymooners, with its Disneys Fairy Tale weddings and Honeymoon packages and events.

florida honeymoon resorts are mostly three-star and four-star rated resorts, such as The Shores Resort and Spa, The Plaza Resort and Spa in Daytona Beach, florida Keys and Key Wests hilton Key West Resort and Marina and Sheraton Beach Resort, Disney's contemporary Resort, and Gaylord palms Resort of Orlandos disneyland. Couples can be assured of lots of beach activities such as sunbathing, swimming, surfing, sea cruising, snorkeling and parasailing, as most of these resorts are located at the beach.

Apart from enjoying amenities in resorts, Floridas Palm Beach is also a place worth spending a day or two in. Palm Beach is home to swaying palms and sea oats which is inviting to couples for a relaxing swim in the warm Atlantic Ocean. Palm Beach's year-round temperate climate is also one of the many reasons that attract the sun and beach lovers. Apart from being a great destination for surfing, swimming, scuba diving, and boating, and golfers, Palm Beach County also own more golf courses than any other county in the nation! In fact, beaches are not the only places for couples on their florida honeymoons but indulgence in fine dining, trendy cafs, impressive shopping malls, art museums, theatres and even discos in Palm Beach are all there!

As the Daytona Beach in Floridas northeast coast runs at 23 miles long and 500 feet wide at low tide, there is plenty of room for all sunbathers on sunny days. Beach activities aside, couples can also spend their florida honeymoon at the famous Daytona International Speedway, participating in energetic jai-alai games, bargaining at the huge flea market as well as spending the evening in the botanical gardens to enjoy the sweet scent of blooms. For the best diving, snorkeling, fishing, and boating in the continental US, florida Keys and Key West is just the perfect setting for honeymooning couples.

Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Randy has more articles on honeymoons at Weddings Information and vacations at Vacation Destinations Guide.

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Brahmacharya

Brahmacharya is the fourth of the yamas and the word, literally translated means dedicated to the Divinity of Life. The word is often used in yogic practice to refer to celibacy or denying pleasure, but this is only a small part of what Brahmacharya represents. The purpose of practicing Brahmacharya is to keep you focused on your purpose in life, the things that instill a feeling of peace and contentment

Historically, Brahamacharya as celibacy was likely a product of teaching yoga to young men, whose desires can be difficult to harness. Unless you are living the ascetic life of a sadhu, chances are you will indulge in sexual pleasure, food pleasure or any number of possible treats. To bring brahmacharya into your life and yoga practice is to practice moderation in all things, including those things that are pleasurable distractions.

When we become hooked on pleasure, it becomes an addiction and the absence of pleasure feels like loss or dissatisfaction; we become unable to enjoy the simple happiness of life, to observe the quiet broad beauty of our minds - slowing down becomes difficult because the focus becomes the object of addiction. Practicing moderation allows us to enjoy pleasure and remain focused on our greater purpose. . How does this relate to asana practice? Sometimes yoga students push themselves in yoga practice, creating a sense of urgency, correctness (am I doing this pose well?) and anxiety. This can leave a student feeling exhausted at the end of their practice rather than feeling relaxed or refreshed and ready for purposeful action off the mat.

It is important to apply moderation to moderation also, so it is not a burden. It is a beautiful practice. It is about moderating the extremes, not wanting too much and being happy with what you have. The practice of Wanting Wanting Wanting will always leave you feeling unsatisfied.

Brahmacharya can bring out many issues and energies as you begin to observe moderation - our addictions and ego rebel strenuously when they are not in control. When they arise, notice what the issues are, go deeper into your practice and discover your true motivations.

Ask yourself what is your purpose in your yoga practice? What are your goals in yoga and do you allow space in your practice to reach those goals?

In yoga,

Jenn

Yoga And Workshop And Texas And Teacher