Michelle shares some awesome tips 🙂

All of us suffer from some form of stresses in life. After delving into yoga and the link on how the postures, breathing and meditation can diminish anxiety, insomnia and all the symptoms, this weeks blog will give you tools on how to overcome stress. Firstly one needs to identify the triggers in life that bring about anxiety. It could be the food you eating, that you are dehydrated, lacking certain essential vitamins such as Vitamin C that influences our moods and metabolism. The triggers may even be unconscious and will eventual reveal themselves to you when you go into deep self discover through meditation. Once the triggers are identified, scrap out those ones you can control and let yoga work on the deeper triggers and to set you free.

 Top 10 Yoga Poses for Stress and Anxiety:

 1.Vrksasana- Tree Pose: Promotes concentration, focus and awareness, taking your mind away from common anxiety triggers and brings self awareness. 

2. Virabhadrasana III- Warrior III: Strengthens and works into the core and helps improve digestion. There is a link between a healthy gut and fighting anxiety. 

3.Uttanasana- Standing Forward Bend: The spine moves into the primary curve, known as the natural shape from when you were in the womb, subconsciously making you feel safe and comforted.

 4. Lunge Twist Quad Stretch: Lunges energizes the body and with a twist working into the quads gives you that feeling of openness. 

5.Paschimottanasana- Two legged seated forward bend: As your face moves towards your body, you will feel deep closeness within yourself.

 6. Cat/Cow pose: Works into and massages the abdominal organs, and increasing circulation to these areas giving you a feeling of lightness.

 7. Sirsasana – Head Stand: Reverses the blood flow, bringing more oxygen to the brain. It detoxifies the adrenals which contributes to fighting depression. 

8. Dhanurasana- Bow Pose: For a boost of energy and to see life from another perspective. You will also learn that limits are self imposed. 

9. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana – Bridge pose: Keeps the back flexible and healthy, opening up the frontal heart, where flexibility in the body mirrors flexibility in the mind.

 10. Simhasana -Lion Pose: Releases emotions and feelings that have been stored in the body. By increasing the exhalation, more impurities are diminished. Practice these poses daily, holding each pose for a minute.

– From Eleanor, this is my favourite yoga pose…Aidanasleepsana 🙂

* Visit Feel Good Yoga studios every Mon to Thurs for our 9am and 5.45pm class. It’s time for you to feel good….

You know the yoga with Michelle from Feel Good Yoga posts I told you we would be starting? I told you HERE remember well today is the official start 🙂

Michelle Says:

As a beginner it may be daunting having a class full of regulars surrounding you flowing to the cues given and leaving you feeling completely out of sorts as your left becomes your right and that darn leg won’t move into the same position as the rest of the class. Well here are a few tips to keep you semi sane and to give you that ease to soak up the benefits of yoga as opposed to soaking up the fear. 

1. Wear comfortable clothing : Have you ever had those butt munching panties on with hanging lose tops that shows your underwear every time you do a forward bend? Never fun, and not needed on top of all else that you are still settling into. Try wearing just tights (no panties), a tight fitting sleeveless top and a loose airy flowing top over top to make you feel covered and not overly exposed. You will be able to flow easily from one posture to the next and not have to worry about showing off those wobbly bits to the person behind you. (Yes, we all have wobbly bits). 
 2. Join a Back to Basics workshop where your yoga teacher can go through the alignment of each posture focusing on the core adjustments needed to prevent injury and suit your body type. 
3. Get to class at least 10 minutes before: By arriving early, you have the upper hand to place your mat in your desired space. Lie, close eyes listening to your breathe and settling the body. We do yoga to withdraw from the stresses of everyday life and what better way to start a yoga class than to quieten the thoughts and sink into that zen mode to work deep into your practice.
 4. Talk to your yoga teacher: the reason you are attending a class at a studio is because you have a professional there to help you. There are plenty You Tube vids out there teaching yoga, however having someone guide you and help you adapt your body type into a yoga pose is what makes class attendance so much more reassuring. 
5. If you feel that group classes are just not working out for you, private classes are also available. Here, your yoga practitioner can adapt the class to your needs, up the level or sooth the practice depending on how you feel, what you desire to achieve come the end of your class and so forth. The greatest gift that yoga has to offer you is the gift of living in the present and becoming mindful of the magnificent being that you are. Not only do you become internally aware, your external apparent will change too by becoming more beautiful, bright and energetic. 

Well done on gifting yourself with yoga and watch overtime how the authentic you starts shining through.

– If you are in the PE area get in touch with Michelle, she even does yoga for kids which has had raving reports