Yoga For Stress Relief: Yin and Yang
Yoga for Stress Relief: Yin and Yang is a class for everyone. Just in time for the holiday season to help us let go of stress. This can be a difficult time of year for many. This class starts with a "Yang" practice which heats up the body. Yang is associated with heat and light. It is male-dominated energy according to Chinese philosophy. Much of our world seems to be Yang dominant. Where I live in Southern California, there is so much Yang energy. A lot of competition to succeed...to "keep up with the Joneses" and to work, work, work. This creates stress for many. Our bodies spend way too much time in the "fight or flight" mode which wreaks havoc on our physical and emotional systems. Yin is the feminine passive energy associated with cold and darkness. It is a calming energy that allows us to relax and renew ourselves. Yin is as important as Yang and we need both in order to find balance in our lives and in our bodies and minds.
I highly recommend reading "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. It's a wonderful "hero's journey" that describes the importance of following your heart's desire, or dream, or "Personal Legend." It's so important to follow your heart to find your "Dharma" or what you were meant to do with your life. By following this, we all add love to the world.
To check out "The Alchemist" on Amazon:
goo.gl/iJ36er Thank you for your support!! :-)
Yoga for Flexibility: Splits and Backbends
Yoga for flexibility: Splits and Backbends is for all levels. However, please work at your own pace, rest when you need to and do not stretch deeper than your edge. Thank you to Ilse Nieman for requesting hamstring stretching, Angela Renzetti for asking for 30 minute clasess, Lucy Thaxter asking for flexibility especially splits (hanumanasana) and backbends and to Rebecca Bean for requesting hip opening and the "box split" or middle split (Samakonasana). There are options to go into some deep stretches in this video. If you have time, you could also practice the Yoga Quickie Flow video without Savasana for additional warming up.