May Pose of the Month

Laura DeMent, RYT

May's Pose of the Month is Utthita Trikonasana, Extended Triangle Pose. This pose is known to most of you simply as Triangle Pose. When asked why she chose Trikonasana as her pose to share, Laura responded, "Trikonasana is an 'island pose' for me.  That means if I was stuck on an island and could only practice a few poses while I was there, I would pick Triangle as one of the poses.  It is a perfect balance of stretch and strength.  I love the way it opens my hips, stretches my back and strengthens my legs."

Practice Utthita Trikonasana at home:

1. Step your feet wide (3-4 feet) and extend your arms up to shoulder height. Check that your ankles are directly under your wrists, if not, adjust accordingly.

2. Turn your right foot out 90 degrees (so that it's pointing toward the top of your mat), and turn your left foot in 35 to 45 degrees (to the right).

3. On an exhalation, extend your torso to the right, directly over the plane of your front leg. Hinge at your right hip crease and let your right hand drop to your shin, your ankle, or the floor behind your right foot.

4. Extend your left arm toward the ceiling with your shoulders stacked. Turn your left palm in the same direction as your face and turn your gaze toward your left thumb.

5. Breathe evenly, in and out, through your nose. Hold the pose for 5-7 breaths, then hinge up to standing on an inhalation. Repeat on left side.

Benefits of Trikonasana (from YogaJournal.com):

• Stretches and strengthens the entire leg from the hip to the ankle.
• Stretches side body
• Stimulates abdominal organs.
• Improves digestion.
• Relieves stress.
• Relieves back ache.
• Therapeutic for anxiety 

As the complete name of the pose indicates, Utthita Trikonasana is a pose of extension. In addition to the strong extension in the legs, the sides of the waist should be equally extended. To help extend your torso, Laura shares this advice, "My tip to lengthen the torso in Triangle is to drop your bottom ribs toward the floor." 

She adds, "I have had a hard time with my neck in this pose.  I had a teacher tell me to make my head parallel to the floor, then move the skull back in space, then turn to look up toward my thumb.  This set of instructions made a big difference for the comfort of my neck in Triangle."

Unroll your mat and give Utthita Trikonasana a try today!

 Laura was first introduced to yoga in 2002. At first, she enjoyed yoga as a form of exercise that did not bother her knees. As she continued her practice, yoga became a way to live her life in a balanced and healthy way. In 2005, Laura was asked to sub a yoga class and realized she would enjoy teaching. That fall she enrolled in OM yoga's Weekend Warrior teacher training in Indianapolis and graduated in 2006.

Laura's teaching is inspired by her teachers, Seane Corn, Chris Crews, Frank Mauro, Ramanand Patel and Laura Spaulding. Her classes focus on alignment, breath, flow and the use of props to make the asanas (postures) accessible to all students.




 

What to eat before yoga class......

Whether you come to an early morning asana class, or usually stop by for class on your way home from work, you've probably been faced with the dilemma of what to eat before class.

Twisting, forward bending and inverting can be less than blissful when your stomach is full of heavy, greasy food. But do fruits and veggies have enough fat and protein to keep you going through the most rigorous vinyasa practice? What should you eat to keep you going all the way to Savasana?

1. Nuts

A handful of nuts (I prefer cashews and walnuts) is a perfect pre-yoga snack. Their fat and protein will keep your energy levels up and their fiber will keep you feeling full. Plus, nuts are easily digestible, meaning your energy won't be spent on digesting food, but instead available for supporting your practice.

2. Dates

The sugar in the dates will slowly release, keeping your energy levels up for your entire practice. Dates are also a good source of fiber, so you won't feel hungry again before your practice over. Dates are packed with vitamins and minerals. Dates are also high in potassium which helps maintain proper fluid balance in your body, and plays a role in fueling your muscles.

3. Protein Smoothies

PlantFusion protein powder, coconut water, spinach and berries blend together for a perfect pre-yoga snack. The plant based protein in PlantFusion is perfect for providing muscle energy. Coconut water helps balance electrolytes. Spinach is great for bone health, and berries provide a great source of antioxidants. Put these together and you have one powerful combination. Plus, a small smoothie before class won't leave you full and uncomfortable for your practice.

4. Kit Bars

If convenience is what you want in your pre-yoga snack, Kit's Organic Fruit and Nut Bars by Clif are your answer. With many flavors to choose from, you could have a different snack each day of the week. Just throw one in your bag on the way out the door. My favorite is Dark Chocolate Almond Coconut.....made with Organic Dates, Organic Almonds, Organic Unsweetened Dark Chocolate, Organic Coconut, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Sea Salt. These are perfect blend of fat and protein and carry the health benefits of many of the options listed above. Plus, with the dark chocolate, they taste so much like a treat you'll forget they are healthy!

5. Bananas

Bananas provide many of the same benefits as dates, are portable, and readily accessible at any market. An obvious pre-yoga snack!


With these five healthy and delicious options, you'll never have to come to class hungry again. Tell us, what are some of your favorite pre-yoga snacks?


Carrie Klaus, E-RYT

Embracing Yoga during the Lenten Season

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the Lenten Season for those of the Christian Faith. Lent is a time for Christians to focus on their spiritual selves and the sacrifice their Lord made for them. During Lent many Christians give up something they consider to be a vice in order to experience suffering, add something that will bring them closer to God, give time or money to help others, participate in prayer and penance, and abstain from eating meat on Friday.

Embracing the yoga practice during the Lenten Season can help Christians better understand the meaning of Lent and why the above mentioned practices are observed. In the Yoga Sutras, Book 2 Sutra 1, Patanjali tells us "accepting pain as help for purification, study of spiritual books, and surrender to the Supreme Being constitute Yoga in action". In other words, self-discipline, self-study, and self-surrender are the preliminary yoga. Patanjali goes on to say in Sutra 2, "self-discipline, self-study, and surrender help us to minimize obstacles and obtain samadhi (bliss)". Through study of the Yoga Sutras we see that our efforts are a means to samadhi, or absorption - a mind clear and focused on God.

According to the Yoga Sutras, the first practice of yoga in action is "accepting pain as help for purification", or self-discipline.  This can be likened to the Lenten practice of giving up vices.  Our nature is to run after pleasure and by abstaining from those things we find pleasurable our minds are steadied and purified. Under the practice of self-discipline we can also add the Lenten practice of adding things that bring one closer to God. Lent is a great time to commit to your yoga asana (posture) practice and/or your meditation practice.

Another form of self-discipline often practiced during Lent is abstaining from meat on Friday. In fact, abstaining from meat and other animal products is, in my opinion, the highest practice of the yogic practice of ahimsa (non-harming). Non-harming is an essential practice for the yogi, as it creates karma that leads to eternal happiness. Through the practice of ahimsa we develop our compassion, and through compassion we begin to see our self in all beings, and see that we are all a direct line to God.

We see that the practice of yoga is much more than the physical practice of asana.  The practice of yoga is a set of practices designed to awaken us to the Divine.  By embracing the yoga practice your commitment to and understanding of your own faith can be strengthened. Even if you aren't a practicing Christian, I encourage you to use this holy time to deepen your practice and understanding of yoga and connect with your own Divine Self!

Namaste,
Carrie

Meat Free Resources:
VegWeb
Plant Powered Kitchen
Engine 2 Recipes
Post Punk Kitchen