4 Relaxing Upper-Body Yoga Poses

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child's pose, hot yoga, spine twisting pose, standing forward bend, vinyasa yoga, Wide-legged forward bend, yoga asanas, yoga poses neck, yoga poses spine, yoga relaxation, yoga shoulder, Yoga With Paul

During the colder weather it is easy to unconsciously tense up, especially in the upper body. Areas like our neck and shoulders can get stiff, leading to discomfort.

One of the  best ways to stay relaxed and flexible during winter is to maintain a regular yoga practice. Hot yoga or warm vinyasa flow are good options to keep your whole body moving comfortably.

These four relaxing upper-body yoga poses release tension in the neck, shoulders and spine, to ensure you stay balanced, flexible and strong.

Standing forward bend (Uttanasana)

This is a wonderful, gravity-fuelled stretch for the shoulders and neck. The key is to let your whole upper body hang loose and heavy. This will relax the muscles and give you a light warm-up for the more active poses.

Twist your way to a more relaxed upper body

Wide-legged forward bend (Prasarita padottanasana)

The wide-legged forward bend lets gravity stretch your spine and neck, creating space and flexibility. The key is to take a wide stance then fold forward from the hips, keeping your spine straight and letting the weight of your head pull you towards the floor. Keep your belly tight, thighs engaged and weight on your toes to permit maximum extension.

Spine Twisting Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

It is important to work your neck through a full range of motion: up, down and side-to-side. Spine twisting pose is fantastic for increasing the flexibility of your whole spine, right through the top of the neck. The important thing to remember is to keep your head level. Don’t throw your chin over your shoulder, it can do more harm than good.

Child’s pose (Balasana)

Round out your upper-body mini-yoga session with a meditative rest in child’s pose. It opens your upper body and brings natural relaxation. You can vary it by alternating between arms-forward and arms back. Mentally, it is also a soothing pose, helping relieve the stress and distractions that cause you to tense up in the first place.

Read more: Seasonal yoga adaptations, Benefits of forward bends

When Not To Do Yoga

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personal development, yoga healing, yoga mental health, yoga mindfulness, yoga positivity, yoga well-being, Yoga With Paul

Yoga is amazing so, the more the better, right?

Yes. Except when it’s not. Sometimes, we don’t need to do yoga. Sometimes, we need to do something different entirely, or need to do a different kind of yoga.

I got to thinking about this reading a post called “Yoga poses I simply can’t do, and what I do instead“. The point of the article is simple: not everyone has the same body so we can’t all do the same yoga poses in the same way.

Photo by Ümit Bulut on Unsplash

Some of us need to modify postures a little, or a lot. Or substitute for another pose. Or just park on the mat and take a breather in child’s pose. None of us should ever feel bad about this, or like we’re doing it wrong.

This applies beyond the studio, too.

There are times when, for our own well-being, we shouldn’t do yoga. The whole point of yoga is to learn to flow with our bodies, ourselves, and our circumstances. If we do it in the wrong situations, or use it to mask feelings that need to be addressed, we muddy its purpose and create an unhealthy energy in our practice.

When should we not do yoga?

• When we are under-nourished.
• When we are exhausted.
• When we have an urgent responsibility.
• If we are using it to block or avoid painful emotions.
• If we are using it to feel superior or powerful.
• If we are using it to punish ourselves.
• If we are chasing an unrealistic body image.

In these emotional states, we need to be honest with ourselves and brave enough to address the real issues. Yoga is a beautiful, healing, energising tool to help us through life. If we try to make it a shield or a weapon against the things we find difficult or scary, we distort its meaning and our relationship to it.

The ethos of yoga is unity and compassion, with starts with ourselves. We should always practice in a spirit of wellness and harmony, not anxiety or evasion.

Share you thoughts on when not to do yoga, in the comments.

 

3 Yoga Poses for Toes

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awkward pose, crescent lunge, Eagle pose, yoga balance, yoga feet, yoga power, yoga toes, Yoga With Paul

Stability, balance and movement begin with your feet, and especially your toes. Without these ten digits, we wouldn’t be able to walk into class, or stand in Mountain Pose, much less do a Standing Head to Knee posture!

These three yoga poses will increase your toes’ strength and flexibility, adding power to your practice and your every day life!

Photo by Ramesh Iyer on Unsplash

Eagle pose (Garudasana)

This is a fantastic posture for your toes, as it calls on you to mindfully balance your whole weight on one foot at a time. Start with your feet side by side and root your standing foot into the earth, pressing your toes into the ground and checking that your weight is evenly distributed. As you enter the full expression of the posture, note how your toes work to wrap around your standing leg slide your foot down the supporting leg to get a full stretch of your toes.

Awkward pose (Utkatasana)

This is a great pose to invigorate and strengthen your feet, not to mention a wake-up call to  your large muscle groups like the quadriceps, abs and calves. To gain maximum benefits, focus on planting your feet and keeping them parallel in the shape of an 11. Don’t let your feet turn in or out, and spread your toes to create a firm foundation.

Crescent lunge (Anjaneyasana)

This power pose is a great workout for your toes, building balance and flexibility. As you move into the posture, focus on your front foot, ensuring the toes are gently spread (don’t exaggerate, but don’t scrunch them up) and fully planted in the earth. Your rear foot comes up, giving a wonderful and enhancing the propulsive power of your toes.

 

Read more: 3 Tips for Eagle Pose, 4 Ways to Treat your Feet, Crescent Lunge

 

4 Yoga Poses to Unlock your Shoulders

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bow pose, child's pose, dhanurasana, healing yoga, Revolved side angle pose, uttanasana, yoga flexibility, yoga forward bend, yoga postures, yoga shoulders, yoga stress, Yoga With Paul

Our shoulders carry a lot of weight, physically and emotionally. When we are tense or stressed, we tighten our shoulders. This can lead to short-term discomfort and long-term pain, stiffness and imbalance.

Regular yoga is an antidote to stress and its physical expression in our bodies. Before doing these poses, warm up with Pranayama breathing. The deep breaths open your lungs and rib cage, and the rhythmic arm movements gently warm and open your shoulders. When you’re ready, here are four great poses to unlock your shoulders.

Standing forward bend (Uttanasana)

We usually think of the forward bend as a hamstring stretch, but it is also a wonderful, gravity-fuelled stretch for the shoulders. The key is to let your whole upper body hang loose and heavy. This will relax the muscles and give you a light warm-up for the more active poses.

Bow pose (Dhanurasana)

This is a challenging pose that strengthens your back and creates a strong shoulder stretch. It is important to maintain good form: keep your knees and feet six inches apart, and perform the pose slowly, being mindful of the pressure you are putting into your shoulders. Work gently to the point you can maintain the posture and hold it.

Revolved side angle pose. Photo: Urban Decay Visuals

Revolved side angle pose (Parivrtta Parsvakonasana)

This posture is an incredible stretch that opens your upper body, creating space and clarity. Your shoulders lead the way as you turn the upper body in one direction and the lower body in the other, giving a strong, detoxifying massage to your organs and connective tissues. To deepen the rotation and increase the stretch across the back of your shoulder, press elbow against the knee.

Child’s pose (Balasana)

Round out your shoulder session with a long, meditative rest in child’s pose. It is an incredible stretch for your spine and shoulders, opening your upper body and inciting natural relaxation. You can vary it by alternating between arms-forward and arms back. Mentally, it is also a soothing pose, helping relieve the stress and distractions that cause your shoulders to lock up in the first place.

Questions? Comments? Tweet me @YogaWithPaul or write in the comments!

4 Thigh-power Yoga Poses

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awkward pose, bow pose, crescent lunge, leg yoga poses, quads yoga poses, standing bow pulling pose, thigh yoga poses, yoga power poses, Yoga With Paul

Thighs are powerhouses. They keep us balanced, mobile and on track in daily life — and in yoga. The quadriceps, like any big muscle groups, work best when we challenge them.

Yoga is a low-impact way to use our own body-weight and tension to power up our thighs without damaging our joints, or needing bulky equipment.

These 4 thigh-power yoga poses will get your legs strong, flexible and ready for action.

Awkward pose (Utkatasana)

This is probably the first pose you think of when you think of thighs — and with good reason. Utkatasna is a great pose to strengthen quadriceps, activate the core, improve balance, and build strength to protect the knees. For this posture: keep you feet parallel in the shape of an 11 (don’t let them turn in or out), keep your thighs parallel to the floor and keep your abdominals tight throughout.

Crescent Lunge (Anjaneyssana)

For a full-body workout focused on your thigh, you can’t beat Anjaneyssana. This energising pose activates all the large muscles of your lower body, with an emphasis on the quads and glutes. To protect your knee, make sure it stays above the ankle on the front leg; straighten your back leg, tuck the pelvis, tighten the abs, and reach for the sky.

Standing bow pulling pose (Dandayamana Dhanurasana)

This posture builds strength, flexibility and overall balance. To get the maximum thigh workout you must remember, the kick drives the posture. Grasp your foot firmly at the ankle and kick, letting your upper body and raised arm tilt in response to the driving force of your thigh. This should be a push, not a lunge! Done properly, you will really feel the burn in your thighs.

Bow pose (Dhanurasana)

Rounding out your thigh session with Dhanurasana is a great way to build stamina. Though we often think of it as a back-strengthening pose (which it is) it is also a terrific challenge to the quads. The key is to maintain good form — keeping your knees and feet six inches apart, and performing the pose very slowly. Don’t rush to your maximum expression then flop down. Work gently to the point you can maintain the posture and hold it. Start with 10 seconds, or even five. Work up till you can hold it for 30-45 seconds and you will notice a difference!

Read more: 3 energetic yoga poses,  Awkward pose – tips for strong legs

3 Single-legged Balancing Yoga Poses

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balance poses yoga, Eagle pose, single-legged balancing postures, standing bow pulling pose, Tree Pose, yoga balance, Yoga Holiday With Paul, yoga postures, Yoga With Paul

Balance is essential. Without it, we wobble all over. Yoga is a great tool for improving our physical balance and regular practice also helps balance our lives in general.

In this blog we’ll look at 3 single-legged balance poses. These postures have a range of benefits. Physically, they strengthen major and minor muscle groups in the legs, helping avoid common problems such as weak ankles; the improve core strength; and they teach us to regulate our breathing.

Mentally and emotionally, they increase focus and concentration; give us a sense of achievement; and help promote calm, mindful movements.

If you’re new to single-legged balancing poses, don’t worry. It is normal to fall out! The point of practicing these postures is to always challenge ourselves to go a little bit further in our practice. That might mean holding the posture for three seconds, or for 90 seconds, depending on your level. How long doesn’t matter. It’s the effort that counts.

Getting our Eagle on at Yoga Holiday With Paul!

Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

In this pose you challenge your body to stand on one leg while maintaining a tall, straight posture like a tree. To begin, create a firm base by locking the knee of your standing leg, which activates your muscles and mind. Then you find your balance as you bring your other leg up. Once in the posture breathe deeply, extending your spine and growing upward with each breath.

Eagle pose (Garudasana)

Eagle pose is a balance posture that stretches all your muscles and joints. The ankle of your standing leg is working hard to keep your body connected and balanced, which strengthens the muscles in your lower leg and helps support the Achilles tendon. This is a challenging pose so start with a few seconds and gradually increase your time in the posture. Keep the weight evenly distributed on the foot and your hips straight. Wrapping the second leg creates a deep stretch in the muscles and connective tissue.

Standing bow pulling pose (Dandayamana Dhanurasana)

Standing bow pulling pose builds balance, strength, flexibility and concentration. One particular challenge is keeping the hips level throughout the posture. To achieve this, begin square to the mirror, with your right hand holding your right ankle from the inside and left arm straight up, palm forward. As you kick back your body tilts forward. There should be a twist in the upper body, with your two shoulders coming into one line. Kick into the hand until you can see your foot in the mirror at the centre of your head. Keep the hips level to the ground. This pose is a continuous challenge so don’t be discouraged if you go up and come down multiple times. Just try!

What’s your favourite balancing pose? Share in the comments!

 

4 Yoga Poses to Stand Tall

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cobra pose, spine twisting pose, Tree Pose, Wide-legged forward bend, yoga back pain, yoga spine, yoga stretching, Yoga With Paul

Recent research found that regular yoga practice made the practitioners taller!

According to the researchers, this was “mainly due to the extension of the spine by yoga, which improves the spinal deformations and dysfunction.”

Even a small, fraction of a centimetre change in height indicates important changes in the body. Our spine is critical to every movement and sensation.

Leaning forward — whether working, riding a bike, pushing a pushchair, or sitting at a meal — puts heavy demands on the spine. Over time, our posture sags and it gets harder and harder to stand tall.

Yoga helps us prevent and, as the study showed, reverse compression and stooping. When we practice yoga, we consciously extend, twist, and compress the spine in beneficial ways. We also strengthen our core and back muscles, creating more support.

 

These four poses will help you create a long, strong supple spine to stand tall!

Stretch it out with a wide-legged forward bend

Wide-legged forward bend (Prasarita padottanasana)

The wide-legged forward bend uses gravity to stretch your spine and neck, creating space and flexibility. The key is to take a good, wide stance then fold forward from the hips, keeping your spine straight and letting the weight of your head pull you towards the floor. Keep your belly tight, thighs engaged and weight forward on your toes to permit maximum extension through the neck.

Cobra pose (Bhujangasana)

This pose activates and strengthens the muscles in your back, wrapping the spine in power and security. Remember to maintain the connection through your hips and legs and keep your lower body tight, like a cobra’s tail. Take small breaths at the top as you gently increase the arc of your spine, lifting your eyes toward the ceiling.

Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

In this pose we emulate the grace and stature of a tree. The first part of the posture is creating a firm base with your standing leg, which activates your muscles and mind. Then you find your balance as you bring your other leg up. Once in the posture breathe deeply, extending your spine and growing upward with each breath, just like a tree.

Spine Twisting Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Spine twisting pose is a fantastic posture for increasing the flexibility of your whole spine, right through the top of the neck. The important thing to remember is to keep your head level. Don’t cheat by throwing your chin over your shoulder; it can do more harm than good.

Further reading: Yoga poses for your neck and Spine healing yoga poses

 

3 Energetic Yoga Poses

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best yoga poses, crescent lunge, downward-facing dog, energetic yoga poses, energising yoga, energy yoga, hot yoga, vinyasa yoga, wheel pose, yoga poses, Yoga With Paul

Yoga can be calming and grounding. It can also be energising. These three energetic yoga poses are perfect for recharging and revitalising the body to keep you strong, flexible and open to what each day brings.

Anjaneyasana (Crescent lunge)

This is a fantastic energising pose that activates the major muscle groups of your core and lower body, opens your heart, and gets the energy flowing along your spine.

1. Root the front foot with the knee directly above the ankle.
2. Straighten the back leg.
3. Distribute the weight back onto the toes as the rear heel pushes towards the earth.
4. Tuck the pelvis and draw the inner thighs towards each other.
5. Lift the rib cage to open your heart and lungs.
6. Extend the spine.
7. Raise the arms straight, without bending elbows or the wrists.
8. Clasp hands together or separate them with palms facing and fingers spread.
9. Breathe.
   

   Recharge with wheel pose

Wheel pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)

Wheel pose is a challenging, invigorating posture that creates great space in the body. The amazing front body stretch and compression of the spine reverse our normal posture, rebalancing our energy and opening our hearts.

1. Lie on your back with the soles of your feet on the floor, close to your bum, feet hip width apart and parallel to the sides of the mat.
2. Place your hands on the floor just above your shoulders with fingers spread wide, finger tips pointing towards your shoulders.
3. Contract your inner thighs so they pull together, but maintain hip width distance.
4. Send your arm bones into their sockets so that you feel your shoulder blades come on to your back. Your elbows are moving towards one another but stay at shoulder width.
5. Press evenly into your feet to lift your hips and lower back off the mat.
6. Press into your palms and lift your upper torso off the mat, bringing the crown of your head to touch on the mat.
7. Check that your inner thighs and inner upper arms are still pulling towards each other, with hands and feet planted firm. Then press into your palms again to straighten the arms and lift your head off the floor.
8. Relax your neck and let it hang with gravity.

 

Adho Kukha Shvanasana (Downward-facing dog)

Downward-facing dog is a great posture for immediately activating and engaging the whole body, at the beginning of your practice, or as a reset from the stress of the day. It engages the major muscle groups, stimulates the digestion and elongates the spine.

1. Start on your hands and knees, with knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly ahead of your shoulders.
2. Place your palms with index fingers parallel and turn your toes under.
3. Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor.
4. Keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor.
5. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis then lift your sit bones.
6. Push your top thighs back and stretch your heels toward the floor.
7. Straighten your knees but be sure not to lock them.
8. Press the base of your index fingers into the floor, keeping your arms firm.
9. Lift your inner arms from the wrists to the tops of the shoulders.
10. Keep your head between the upper arms, relaxed but not hanging.

What’s your favourite energising yoga pose? Share in the comments!

3 Grounding Yoga Poses

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Balasana, child's pose, corpse pose, foundation yoga, half-tortoise pose, meditation, mindfulness, relaxing yoga, savasana, three grounding yoga poses, yoga 2019, Yoga With Paul

As we open up to a new year we also need to build a solid foundation for new sensations, experiences and challenges. Yoga is a tool to ground us, to help us connect with what is fundamental in our body and spirit so we can expand and grow.

I’ve chosen these three grounding yoga poses because you are literally on the ground. There are many other powerful grounding poses (more on those later) but I want to highlight these three because they are for anyone, any time, any level.

These three grounding poses will gently awaken the awareness between your mental and physical body. They will activate your spine, relieve stress, release tension and prepare you for everything that follows.

Welcome the new year with Balasana

Balasana (Child’s pose)

This is a wonderful posture to do any time you need to stretch, refresh and relax.

1. Kneel on your mat with your legs and feet together. Sit on your heels.
2. Separate your knees to hip-width apart.
3. Stretch forward on the exhale laying your torso between your thighs and resting your forehead on the mat. Feel your tailbone lengthening away from the pelvis.
4. Bring your arms back so they are resting alongside your thighs, palms facing upwards. Let gravity pull the front of your shoulders down, stretching your shoulder blades.

Ardha Kurmasana (Half-tortoise pose)

This is a fantastic pose for stretching your whole spine from sacrum to neck.

1. Kneel on your mat with your legs and feet together. Sit on your heels.
2. Raise your arms over your head and place your palms together, squeezing your ears with your biceps.
3. Bow forward with a long, flat back.
4. When your fingertips reach the floor relax your forehead onto the floor.
5. Press your palms together to activate your arms.
6. Work your hips down towards your heels while reaching forward, elongating and releasing your neck.

Savasana (Corpse pose)

This is a fantastic yoga pose for relaxation and cultivating mindfulness.

1. Lie flat on your back on your mat (or any firm, comfortable surface).
2. Relax your shoulders, extending your arms by your side, palms up.
3. Keep your heels together or spread your feet slightly, whichever is comfortable.
4. Breathe naturally, trying to inhale and exhale for the same count.
5. Mentally scan your body for any tension and release it for complete relaxation.

What’s your favourite grounding pose? Share in the comments!

Scary Good Halloween Yoga Looks

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Halloween, Halloween yoga, Halloween yoga costumes, hot yoga outfits, London yoga teacher, Warm Flow Yoga, yoga clothing, yoga gear, Yoga With Paul

Yoga shouldn’t be too serious. So why not get into the spirit of Halloween and dress up?

There is a fun post over on Popsugar about costumes you can create using black yoga leggings — my favourites from the list are pirate, ninja, burglar, and one of the Pink Ladies from Grease. 

Of course, it’s a bit difficult to do Pranayama with a cutlass clinched in your teeth, and the pink satin jackets would really ramp up the sweat so… I got to thinking about slightly more user-friendly yoga looks based on different asanas.

Tree

Hop into brown leggings/shorts and a green sport bra or tee and et voila, you’ve got the perfect tree costume to help you connect with nature on Halloween.

Bridge

Dress in all grey to practice your Bridge Pose this holiday!

Crow

An all-black yoga outfit will help you soar (ahem!) into crow pose on the 31st.

 

Cobra

Snakeskin leggings and a coordinating top will add flair to your Cobra Pose!

Sun

Bright yellow or orange will lift your mood and brighten the studio as you practice your Sun Salutations.

Moon

Opt for shimmery silver or soft white to capture a slice of lunar magic in Half-Moon pose.

Add your suggestions in the comments!