Five Ways to De-stress as you go through the day

Here are some simple ways to de-stress and release tension as you go through your day

1.  Breathe in and sigh out - a nice, deep breath
2.  Include your shoulders, so: Breathe in and raise your shoulders; sigh out and let your shoulders drop downwards and relax
3.  Stretch any muscle and hold the stretch for 8-10 seconds
If you hold your left hand (palm towards you) in your right, then gently bend the hand backwards at the wrist, away from you.  This will stretch the muscles of your inner forearm.  Hold the stretch for 8-10 seconds.  You can do a few of these, alternating right and left.
This example was explained to me by Alison Trewhela (of the Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs Institute).  If you are very stressed, your muscles are very tense; your brain responds to this, interpreting danger and is therefore on high alert, sending messages to your messages to be ready for action/tense.  So you have a vicious circle of tension - tense body - tense brain - tense body!  To begin to break this cycle, stretch any muscle for 8-10 seconds a few times.  Then your body/mind can begin to calm down.
4.  Breathe out noisily.  Sighing is good as mentioned above, but any noisy exhaling helps to release tension.  Try humming, for example.  Breathing out noisily means that you breathe out for longer, which in turn, has a soothing effect on your whole system.
5.  When you are ready for sleep or a rest, breathe so that your out-breath is longer than your in-breath.  Counting helps: count to 3 as you breathe in, count to 4 (or longer) as you breathe out.

Try to build these techniques into your day and enjoy the feeling!

Best wishes from Susan

Keep moving, keep warm!

1. Keeping moving, little and often, can help you to keep warm.  You can do these exercises for the feet and toes, either seated or standing on one leg, using a chair if you wish to help balance.

Breathing: before you start moving

Abdominal breath: Breathe IN, count to 3, as abdomen rises; Breathe OUT, count to 4, as abdomen falls away. Do a total of 3 rounds.

Toes/feet: do all exercises x 3; can do up to x 10.

loosen & spread toes widthways
squeeze toes under the foot & then up towards you
point the whole foot away & then bring the whole foot towards you
rotate the ankles to the right 
rotate the ankles to the left
rotate the ankles inwards
rotate the ankles outwards   

Rest – observe all the different sensations

And/or.....

2. Another gentle exercise is to follow the sequence of ten mindful movements from Thich Nhat Hanh

We have used these in class and you can find the whole sequence to follow (about 14mins) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mz-dJFkmrk       Try starting your day this way!

Remember, Take things gently, do not strain.

I hope you enjoy these!
Susan

 

For easier movement and more comfort in your joints - tune into gravity!

We've been trying to picture the pull of gravity below us in a variety of postures in my yoga classes over the last week or two.  Focusing on the gravity pull will make the response of the body to it more intense and this can have the effect of creating space in the joints/articulations, according to John Stirk. osteopath and yoga teacher.  This can help to improve the comfortable range of movement in the body.

"Feeling the pull of gravity" may sound a little mystical, yet....it also has a common-sense appeal.  We know we carry more tension in our bodies than we need, so can we use this approach to relax as we surrender a little to a powerful natural force?  Try lying on your back with your arms perpendicular (pointing straight upwards), resting in your shoulder sockets and relax your wrists.  Once you have found the right position, this is surprisingly effortless - you are resting in gravity. 

Gravity does affect our bodies.  When astronauts spend time weightless, they have problems with their muscles/joints when they return to earth and need expert guidance and exercise to readjust to the pull of gravity.

Tuning into gravity also adds an extra dimension to a grounding meditation, when we try to rest the busy mind by bringing its attention to the sensations in the body resting on the ground.

Why not try picturing the pull of gravity below you?

Please let me know how you find all this by writing to me at sjyogaandphilosophy@gmail.com

Gentle Chair-based Yoga with Mindfulness Meditation, Canterbury - Term starts Jan 16th 2017

This class offers gentle exercise for anyone with limited movement or for anyone who simply prefers to use a chair rather than the floor. 

Canterbury Yoga Studio, Harbledown, CT2 8NH, Mondays 11.30-12.30

 

The new term will start on Monday Jan 16th 2017 – try a taster class £6

Sign up for 4 classes – Jan 16th, 23rd, 30th, Feb 7th – for £24 total

Absences known in advance can be deducted, payable at first class of term.

Single classes £8
It is possible to join later in the term, if there are spaces, paying on a pro-rata basis for the remaining classes.  Do get in touch!

The class is aimed at anyone who would benefit from gentle exercise based on a chair.  This could include older people, people recovering from operations, those suffering from stress, office or chair-based workers who would like to learn some new exercise techniques, people with weight problems or with limited movement – in short, anyone who would find chair-based exercise preferable to floor-based work.  Exercises are chair-based, with some standing exercises by the chair where appropriate.  The class always includes some breathing techniques and mindfulness meditation, both of which help with relaxation and aid better sleep.

    For further information about the class or to book your place, please contact

the tutor, Dr Susan Jeffery  sjyogaandphilosophy@gmail.com or phone 01304 620467

Places are limited; please book your space to avoid disappointment.

See also website www.dsjyoga.com and the blog for updates - dsjyoga.blogspot.co.uk

For more information about the studio, please see website www.canterburyyoga.co.uk

 

Feeling anxious for no particular reason? You can change this......

If this describes you, neuroscientists might say that your fight-or-flight reactions are oversensitised and that you are living life “on simmer”, always ready to react to threats.  This is a habit of responding to the world which means that implicit memories are shaded with fear.[i]  The effect of this mental habit is a general anxiety and feeling upset for no particular reason.  The good news, of course, is that you can change this over time through starting to practise ways of soothing your nervous system. 

Hanson’s first suggestion to soothe your nervous system is big exhalation – breathe in deeply and breathe out fully and slowly.  Breathing out fully is a powerful and simple way to soothe your nervous system.[ii]

A second technique he refers to as “balance your heartbeat”. Firstly, breathe so that your in-breath and out-breath are the same length – count to 3 or 4 to measure it.  Secondly, imagine or sense that you are breathing in and out through the area of your heart.  Thirdly, bring to mind a pleasant, heartfelt emotion – a good feeling/memory about family/friends/pets/good things in life.  Imagine this good feeling moving through the heart as part of the breath.  Try this for a minute.[iii]

 

You can practise these techniques and more in yoga and mindfulness classes, currently in my classes below – email me, Sue, at sjyogaandphilosophy@gmail.com for more information.

Gentle Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation, Wednesdays 5.15-6.15, Fitness Connection Gym, Sandwich.  See also  http://www.dsjyoga.com/classes.html

Chair-based Yoga, Canterbury Yoga Studio, 11.30am-12.30, Canterbury Yoga Studio, Harbledown. See also http://connectwellkent.org.uk/activities/chair-based-yoga-412/?Keyword=yoga

---

[i] Rick Hanson explains this more fully on pages 56-7 in The Practical Neuroscience of Buddha’s Brain, 2009, New Harbinger Publications Inc., USA.

[ii] Hanson, p. 82

[iii] Hanson, p.84

Chair-based yoga class in Canterbury - new term starts Monday 5th September 11.30am

This NEW class offers gentle exercise for anyone with limited movement or for anyone who simply prefers to use a chair rather than the floor. 

Canterbury Yoga Studio, Harbledown, CT2 8NH, Mondays 11.30-12.30

 

The new term will start on Monday Sept 5^th – try a taster class £6

Sign up for 6 classes – Sept. 5^th, 12^th, 26^th, Oct. 3^rd, 10^th, 17th – for £36 total

Absences known in advance can be deducted, payable at first class of term.

Single classes £8
It is possible to join later in the term, if there are spaces, paying on a pro-rata basis for the remaining classes.  Do get in touch!

The class is aimed at anyone who would benefit from gentle exercise based on a chair.  This could include older people, people recovering from operations, those suffering from stress, office or chair-based workers who would like to learn some new exercise techniques, people with weight problems or with limited movement – in short, anyone who would find chair-based exercise preferable to floor-based work.  Exercises are chair-based, with some standing exercises by the chair where appropriate.  The class always includes some breathing techniques and mindfulness meditation, both of which help with relaxation and aid better sleep.

    For further information about the class or to book your place, please contact

the tutor, Dr Susan Jeffery  sjyogaandphilosophy@gmail.com or phone 01304 620467

Places are limited; please book your space to avoid disappointment.

See also website www.dsjyoga.com and the blog for updates - dsjyoga.blogspot.co.uk

For more information about the studio, please see website www.canterburyyoga.co.uk

 

Chair-based yoga demo/taster class 2.30pm on Sandwich Quay Green Sunday 28th August

I will leading a chair-based yoga taster class for 15mins - come and join in!  The class will be at the Quay Green Arena and is part of Sandwich Community Showcase during the Sandwich Festival.
I look forward to seeing you there!
Sue

Chair-based yoga is aimed at anyone who would benefit from gentle exercise based on a chair!  This could include older people, people recovering from operations, those suffering from stress, office or chair-based workers who would like to learn some new exercise techniques, people with weight problems or with limited movement – in short, anyone who would find chair-based exercise preferable to floor-based work.  Exercises are chair-based, with some standing exercises by the chair where appropriate.  The class always includes some breathing techniques and mindfulness meditation, both of which help with relaxation and aid better sleep.