This is a great way to destress at the weekend. It opens up the chest and gets the energy flowing. So why not give it a try this weekend?

(oosh-TRAHS-anna)

ustra = camel

Step by Step

1. Kneel on the floor with your knees hip width and thighs perpendicular to
the floor. Rotate your thighs inward slightly, narrow your hip points,
and firm but don’t harden your buttocks. Imagine that you’re drawing
your sitting bones up, into your torso. Keep your outer hips as soft as
possible. Press your shins and the tops of your feet firmly into floor.

2. Rest your hands on the back of your pelvis, bases of the palms on the
tops of the buttocks, fingers pointing down. Use your hands to spread
the back pelvis and lengthen it down through your tail bone. Then
lightly firm the tail forward, toward the pubis. Make sure though that
your front groins don’t “puff” forward. To prevent this, press your
front thighs back, countering the forward action of your tail. Inhale
and lift your heart by pressing the shoulder blades against your back
ribs.

3. Now lean back against the firmness of the tail bone and shoulder blades.
For the time being keep your head up, chin near the sternum, and your
hands on the pelvis. Beginners probably won’t be able to drop straight
back into this pose, touching the hands to the feet simultaneously while
keeping the thighs perpendicular to the floor. If you need to, tilt the
thighs back a little from the perpendicular and minimally twist to one
side to get one hand on the same-side foot. Then press your thighs back
to perpendicular, turn your torso back to neutral, and touch the second
hand to its foot. If you’re not able to touch your feet without
compressing your lower back, turn your toes under and elevate your
heels.

4. See that your lower front ribs aren’t protruding sharply toward the
ceiling, which hardens the belly and compresses the lower back. Release
the front ribs and lift the front of the pelvis up, toward the ribs.
Then lift the lower back ribs away from the pelvis to keep the lower
spine as long as possible. Press your palms firmly against your soles
(or heels), with the bases of the palms on the heels and the fingers
pointing toward the toes. Turn your arms outwardly so the elbow creases
face forward, without squeezing the shoulder blades together. You can
keep your neck in a relatively neutral position, neither flexed nor
extended, or drop your head back. But be careful not to strain your neck
and harden your throat.

5. Stay in this pose anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute. To exit, bring
your hands onto the front of your pelvis, at the hip points. Inhale and
lift the head and torso up by pushing the hip points down, toward the
floor. If your head is back, lead with your heart to come up, not by
jutting the chin toward the ceiling and leading with your brain. Rest in
Child’s Pose for a few breaths.

Determination in yoga is not any version of stubbornness or will power or fortitude, qualities that are often considered positive and that we sometimes associate with determination. I try to keep such qualities out of my yoga practice, because I don’t want to consciously bring anything onto my yoga mat that might make me aggressive or willful.

This doesn’t mean that I want to be lazy or less than fully involved and engaged in my practice, but simply that I want to approach my yoga less forcefully. Yoga does require commitment: commitment to showing up on a regular basis, to being willing to gently try even when you feel tired or checked out, to being open to whatever presents itself, to responding to what is actually happening and not what you think should be happening. As I’m sure you have heard many times and in many forms, yoga is about being true to the present moment. This means developing our conscious ability to observe and participate in the present moment, and learning how to use our asana practice as a forum for experiencing and enhancing this awareness.

Being present, however, also means that we cannot come onto our yoga mat with an agenda. Often when we are determined we become committed to a plan or an idea that obstructs our ability to be open to the present moment.

From shoulderstand, exhale and bend from the hip joints to slowly lower your toes to the floor above and beyond your head. As much as possible, keep your torso perpendicular to the floor and your legs fully extended.

Plough Pose Step 1

With your toes on the floor, lift your top thighs and tailbone toward the ceiling and draw your inner groins deep into the pelvis. Imagine that your torso is hanging from the height of your groins. Continue to draw your chin away from your sternum and soften your throat.

Plough Pose Step 2

You can continue to press your hands against the back torso, pushing the back up toward the ceiling as you press the backs of the upper arms down, onto your support. Or you can release your hands away from your back and stretch the arms out behind you on the floor, opposite the legs. Clasp the hands and press the arms actively down on the support as you lift the thighs toward the ceiling.

Plough Pose Step 3

Halasana is usually performed after Sarvangasana for anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes. To exit the pose bring your hands onto your back again, lift back into Sarvangasana with an exhalation, then roll down onto your back, or simply roll out of the pose on an exhalation.

Laos is holds one of Southeast Asia’s most untouched landscape, intact cultures and lovely people on earth. It’s developing quickly but still has much of the tradition that has sadly disappeared elsewhere in the region. Village life is refreshingly simple and you could find yourself merging into the culture quite nicely. Then, of course, there is the historic royal city of Luang Prabang, where you will find plenty of things that will make you want to stay.

The forested mountains of Northern Laos, the gothic limestone karsts around the backpacker-haven Vang Vieng. The Lao wilderness is drawing travellers looking for nature. The adventourous souls out there will enjoy kayaking, rafting, rock-climbing and biking. It’s the community-based trekking that is most popular because it combines spectacular natural attractions with the chance to experience the ‘real Laos’ with a village homestay – while spending your money where it’s needed most.

There is a growing interest in Laos, but that just means there’s plenty of roads off Rte 13 where you can make your own trail.  It’s the same the world over the travelling here is the most important part of the process – the people you meet, pigs you share seats with, wrong turns you take and lào-láo you drink. Like most people after a while you will fall in love with it all.

Inspiration -

Cooking

Lao cooking courses are available in Luang Prabang and Vientiane.

Meditation

If you can speak Lao or Thai, or can arrange an interpreter, you may be able to study vipassana (insight meditation) at Wat Sok Pa Luang in Vientiane.

The Yoga Wellbeing team love to think, talk and most of all eat food. We were having a winding chat about whether we should add a couple of  ideas about healthy snacks instead of just recipe ideas. We are a collection of grazers and love to plan what the next snack will be. We have scribbled down our top ten healthly snacks through the week.

Nutty nuts - There are good for you in nearly every way. Our nut of the moment is the almond. It can feature on your morning cereal or could just be popped into your mouth.

Houmous

Jarvis Cocker ordered two crates of it when he was touring with Pulp. Rock and roll. Whichever way you look at it, it’s the most perfect dip in the world. Made up of cooked chickpeas, with a dash of garlic and, if you choose, tahini, which is a great source of calcium. Try chopping some celery or carrot and enjoy a healthly dunk.

Smoothies

Blended fruit drinks - also known as ‘Smoothies’ - have, in the last few years, become a popular ‘trendy’ lunchtime alternative. Here is a basic recipe:

The full version of Side Plank pose (Vasisthasana) includes with the
top leg raised perpendicular to the floor, is a intense for even the most energetic yogi/yogini. The pose described here is a modified version suitable
for all levels of students.

Step by Step

1. Perform down facing dog . Shift onto the outside edge of your left foot, and stack
your right foot on top of the left. Now swing your right hand onto your
right hip, turn your torso to the right as you do, and support the
weight of your body on the outer left foot and left hand.

2. Make sure that the supporting hand isn’t directly below its shoulder;
position the hand slightly in front of its shoulder, so the supporting
arm is angled a bit relative to the floor. Straighten the arm by firming
the triceps muscle, and press the base of the index finger firmly
against the floor.

3. Firm the scapulas and sacrum against the back torso. Strengthen the
thighs, and press through the heels toward the floor. Align your entire
body into one long diagonal line from the heels to the crown.

4. If you’d like you can stretch the top arm toward the ceiling, parallel
to the line of the shoulders. Keep the head in a neutral position, or
turn it to gaze up at the top hand.

5. Stay in this position for 15 to 30 seconds. Come back to Adho Mukha
Svanasana, take a few breaths, and repeat to the right side for the same
length of time. Then return to Adho Mukha Svanasana for a few more
breaths, and finally release into childs pose .

Depression and Anxiety are the most common forms of mental health problems encountered today. One in ten people will have to deal with one or the other in any given year. Yoga is a unique technique for dealing with these disorders. Yoga is a practice that has always had a holistic approach that recognises physical states affect mental states, mental states affect bodily states and all actions can affect the body and mind.

The general message is to work not only on the body but in conjunction with the mind to influence our mental state. Or perhaps to begin with we need a healthly body and mind to fully reach a state of well being and wellness. This is where yoga comes in, the word yoga means union and this union between the body and mind helps create mental harmony. Yoga does not offer a cure for depression, however it is powerful tool. Yoga focusing on asana (Postures), pranayama (breathing) and meditation help to develop a stronger state of mind which in itself will help overcome fears leading to anxiety. Depression is often caused by a combination of recent life events and personal factors including chemical changes in the brain.

Yoga can give back control over both of these factors, aiding in stress control and helping to create a balanced, calm state of mind with which to approach life. Feeling more calm and centred will begin to spread through everything other aspect of your life. Many sufferers find themselves withdrawing from society, lethargic, tired, suffering from appetite problems, sleeplessness, frustrated, miserable and unable to concentrate. Yoga provides a set of tools with which an individual can combat these symptoms. Yoga gives back control over both of these factors, aiding in stress control and helping to create a balanced, calm state of mind with which to approach life. Feeling more calm and centred will begin to spread through everything other aspect of your life.

This weeks asana is the boat to get your core muscles working. If it gets your wobble on after a while then don’t worry it’s only your muscles showing you that they are working. Why not give it a go and get your wobble on?

1.Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Press your hands on the floor a little behind your hips, fingers pointing toward the feet, and strengthen the arms. Lift through the top of the sternum and lean back slightly. As you do this make sure your back doesn’t round; continue to lengthen the front of your torso between the pubis and top sternum. Sit on the “tripod” of your two sitting bones and tailbone.

2.Exhale and bend your knees, then lift your feet off the floor, so that the thighs are angled about 45-50 degrees relative to the floor. Lengthen your tailbone into the floor and lift your pubis toward your navel. If possible, slowly straighten your knees, raising the tips of your toes slightly above the level of your eyes. If this isn’t possible remain with your knees bent, perhaps lifting the shins parallel to the floor.

3.Stretch your arms alongside the legs, parallel to each other and the floor. Spread the shoulder blades across your back and reach strongly out through the fingers. If this isn’t possible, keep the hands on the floor beside your hips or hold on to the backs of your thighs.

4. While the lower belly should be firm, it shouldn’t get hard and thick. Try to keep the lower belly relatively flat. Press the heads of the thigh bones toward the floor to help anchor the pose and lift the top sternum. Breathe easily. Tip the chin slightly toward the sternum so the base of the skull lifts lightly away from the back of the neck.

5. At first stay in the pose for 10-20 seconds. Gradually increase the time of your stay to 1 minute. Release the legs with an exhalation and sit upright on an inhalation.

This recipe has many variations. Instead of one cup of dried fruit, you can use 1/2 cup fruit and 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips just to add a little bit of choclate goodness to your Thursday.

Ingredients

Makes 20 cookies

• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup dried peaches, apricots or other dried fruit, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup sliced almonds or other chopped nuts
• 1 Tbs. cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, optional

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300F.
2. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually beat in sugar until meringue forms stiff, yet billowy, glossy peaks. Set aside.
3. Mix dried fruit, nuts, cornstarch and cinnamon, if using, in separate bowl. Fold meringue into nut mixture.
4. Spoon heaping tablespoon-sized dollops onto greased baking sheet or sheet lined with parchment paper (or for ease, use 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop to drop perfect mounds).
5. Bake 40 minutes, or until meringues are lightly browned, set on outside and spring back when gently pressed in centers.

We made a batch with the choclate chips and they were gone after one afternooon. Yum.

We are all reminded to keep our breath flowing throughout our practice, this is the foundation to our practice. I have heard many people  mention that  theycan’t help but steer away from the importance of their breath when they are wrapped in a pretzel style yoga pose, think eagle pose with eagle arms. Take a look below for extra inspiration for different types of breathing.

Upper-Chest Breathing Lie on your back, placing one hand on your upper chest and the other on your abdomen. If the hand on your chest moves as you breathe but the one on the abdomen does not, you’re definitely a chest-breather. Anything more than slight movement in the chest is a sign of inefficient breathing.

Shallow Breathing Lie on your back and place your hands around your lower ribs. You should feel an effortless expansion of the lower ribs on the breath in and a slow recoil on the breath out. If your ribs remain motionless, your breathing is too shallow, even if your belly moves.

Overbreathing Lie down and take a few minutes to let your body establish its relaxed breathing rate. Then count the length of your next exhalation and compare it to the length of the following inhalation. The exhalation should be slightly longer. If not, you are an overbreather. As a second test, try to shorten your inhalation. If that causes distress you are probably an overbreather. Because it is easy to manipulate the outcome of these two tests, you may want someone else to count for you at a time when you are not paying attention to your breath.

Holding the breath Holding one’s breath after inhaling may be the most common poor breathing habit. To determine if you do this, pay attention to the transition from inhalation to exhalation. A breath-holder usually feels a “catch” and may actually struggle to initiate the exhalation. This tendency is particularly noticeable during exercise. You can reduce the holding by consciously relaxing your abdomen just as an inhalation ends.

Breathing in reverse Reverse breathing happens when the diaphragm is pulled into the chest upon inhalation and drops into the abdomen on exhalation. Lie on your back and place your hands on your abdomen. The abdomen should slowly flatten as you exhale and rise gently as you inhale. If the opposite occurs you are a reverse breather.

Open mouth Breathing It’s fairly easy to notice if you’re a mouth-breather; if you’re not sure, ask your friends or try to catch yourself at unguarded moments.