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Backbends
 Backbends, our Focus of the Month at Flow this February, are literally heart-opening. Anatomically speaking, they extend and open the chest muscles, and increase circulation to the heart and lungs. The thyroid, nervous, digestive and lymphatic systems all get a boost, as do the kidneys and adrenal glands. Psychically speaking, backbends require us to let down our guard and expose our hearts. While some yogis eagerly practice backbends, others find they trigger fear or feelings of inadequacy. Perhaps more than any other pose, they bring us face to face with the limitations of our strength, flexibility and patience. But if compassion is borne from loving ourselves, we must learn to practice in harmony with our boundaries instead of struggling against them. Backbends offer us an opportunity to accept the truth in our muscles, hearts, energy and, ultimately, our selves. Backbends can help us open areas where we traditionally tend to “hold” much of our energy, such as the chest, and the pelvic region. This month at Flow, through intelligently sequenced asanas we will learn various alignment techniques that gently allow us to explore these heart opening poses and their benfits.
Heart Opening Inquiries - Heart-Living with Julie Schwartz
Put your hand on your heart. What do you notice? (Stop reading and try this for 20 seconds.) Did you automatically take a deep breath, slow down, change your posture, feel more love or compassion? What shifted for you? Our heart center is a powerful place to live from. It is a place of love, truth, wisdom, passion, compassion and aliveness. Paying attention to it for just 20 seconds, here and there, can make huge shifts in our bodies and lives.
Unfortunately, the way most of us live our lives, from our posture to our busy lifestyles does little to support heart-living. Most of us have to consciously cultivate heart-living for ourselves. Some find that yoga, meditation, being with a pet or letting love for a partner or good friend flow can help us to tap into the powerful energy of our hearts.
This month, the Flow theme is compassion and backbends (heart-openers). I invite you to explore your compassionate and vibrant heart. Let the all of feelings, sensations and living flow!
Here are some tips that can help you consciously connect into your heart this month and beyond.
1. Put up at least 10 sticky notes with a big heart on them. Put them in obvious and not-so-obvious places to remind you to tap into your rich heart energy.
2. Take some time every day to put your hand on your heart, close your eyes and breathe. Commit to this activity for a mere 1-2 minutes a day and see what you notice. Schedule a date with your heart in your date book or set a watch to go off every hour as a reminder.
3. Do yoga. Play with your backbends and heart openers, compassionately. Choose a gentle heart opener to do each day to stir up your vibrant heart energy.
4. Meditate. Focus on the sensations in your heart.
5. Smile 5 times a day from your heart.
6. Speak 5 times a day from your heart.
7. Ask yourself:
What is it to live from your heart?
What is possible for you when you live from your heart?
What do you give the world when you live from your heart?
Our Previous Monthly Focuses
The Core
Twists
Ahimsa
Relax and Renew
Gods and Goddesses
Meditation
Agni (Fire)
The Yamas
Bakasana
Chaturanga
Bhandas
Saucha
Backbends
Inversions
Chanting
Meditation
Compassion
Impermanence
Chakras
Blissful Hips
Sun Salutations
Warrior Poses
Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
The Breath & Prana
Balancing Poses |
