Yoga Pose of the Month: Natarajasana

Natarajasana
Nata= actor, mime, dancer
Raja= king

This beautiful back bending pose is a classic, seen not only in many yoga styles, but also in classical India artwork. It is a pose dedicated to the god, Shiva, the Lord of the Dance and seen often in graphic depictions of him. You too can feel like a kingly dancer, or at least 10 times more energized when you do Dancer Pose correctly. Its many benefits include, stretching the chest, shoulders, quads, and abdomen. This pose strengthens your ankles, and whole leg, while honing your balance and focus skills.

Get into the Groove

1. I know you are developing your yoga practice from not only reading this wonderful blog, but also by taking regular classes with our fantastic SAC teachers!! Right!! So, that said, please do some Surya A and B warm up before attempting this challenging backward bending pose.
2. After warm up, come to the top of your mat and shift your weight onto the right foot. Bend right knee, and grasp the foot in a classic “runner’s” quad stretch pose. If you find it a struggle to easily grab your foot, please grab a towel or strap for the rest of the exercise.
3. Allow your pelvic bone to drop and tilt forward, this will stretch the quad more deeply and prevent pinching your low back as you back bend. Hold this simple stretch for 5 breaths.
4. Before going further, keep your pelvic bone dropped, AND lift your chest up to your chin. Then you can proceed into a backbend by leaning slightly forward, and kicking the weight of your foot into your hand and continuing to lengthen your foot and hand upward.
5. If you feel any pinching, stop, grab a strap and use this excellent tool to ease into Dancer till your quads, pectoral’s and mid back are more open.
6. GO SLOW. A lot of folks slam themselves into poses, and they are designed to be meditative, thoughtful and well, dancer like. If you find yourself rushing into Dancer or any pose, stop. Are you breathing? Are you struggling to go further than your muscles will allow at this time? Remember, yoga is NOT a competitive sport, but a wonderfully challenging way to integrate breath and body to enhance a healthy mind and body. Stay in Dancer about 10 breaths, then switch.

Counter Poses/Modifications Forward bending with slightly bent knees, or “soft” knees, or a supine twist are great counter poses to Dancer. Also, if you are still feeling vibrant, a headstand or one leg stretched forward, balance ( Eka Pada Hasta Padagustasana) are excellent ways to balance Dancer. If you need to modify, grab a strap and lasso your lifted foot with it. Also, standing near a wall and using it for support is a great way to train yourself to balance. You can also do this pose with a buddy, who can hold you. As always, all poses are best learned under the guidance of a certified yoga teacher. We have so many excellent teachers at SAC to choose from. You can always talk to me in one of my classes, Mondays and Tuesdays.

Tonja Renee Hall
Is a yoga instructor at Seattle Athletic Club Downtown, and for professional sports teams. She uses her 10 years teaching experience here, internationally and in many disciplines of dance, cycling sports, and equestrian sports to inform her teaching. She uses humor and discipline to encourage her students to reach for their personal best. To schedule a private yoga lesson, please refer to her website tonjareneehall.com or contact Anna Miller, Group Fitness Director at Seattle Athletic Club Downtown. Her favorite color right now is orange, and she can’t get enough of this sun!!!

Written by Tonja Renee Hall
Yoga Instructor, Seattle Athletic Club Downtown
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Downward Facing Dog

Adho=Downward
Muka=Face
Svana=Dog

Let's all breathe in together... and sigh out a big exhale and relax. Usually that's the sound made when coming into your first Downward Dog of the day. Of course if your hamstrings and hips or shoulders are tight, you'll let out a few grunts, but like most forward bends, the function of relaxation and total body stretching out ways the groans. 

Downward Dog is an extremely popular pose in most Yoga sequences. Ashtanga, Hatha, Vinyasa, Power, Anusara, Hot Vinyasa all use this excellent pose to warm the big muscle groups and strengthen the arms and shoulders for the rigors of a more strength building practice. Downward Dog focuses on stretching the shoulders, mid back, hamstrings, calves, arches of the feet, hips and hands. The "yoga buzz" you might feel at the end of class, when mind, body and breath are in alignment are often directly related to downward dog. Yoga Therapists have known for along time the benefits of forward bending and stretching to calm the mind, ease mild depression and anxiety.

DIG IT
Ok, let's examine this pose more closely and practice.

1. Set your mat, and come to hands and knees (Cat/Cow) from there tuck your toes under, ground the palms and first finger and thumb toward the floor and come to Downward Dog. Set your feet hip width apart and lift up on your tipy toes. Once on your toes, you'll take the pressure off your hamstrings so you can roll your shoulders back, straighten your spine, lift your sit bones to the ceiling.
2. As you're lifting everything up, LENGTHEN, your heels to the floor, without rounding back and shoulders. Remember when you were in eight grade, chewing gum, if you clenched 1/2 the gum in your teeth and pulled the other half out like string, THAT'S lengthening. If your shoulders hunch, put a bend in your knees, grind your palms more firmly and press your chest closer to your legs.
3. While holding Downward Dog for 5-10 breaths, engage your core and lift your kneecaps, keep micro adjusting shoulders and lengthening. Rest, by coming down to Child's pose or Cat/Cow.

MODIFY THIS!

1. If you have shoulder, wrist or acute hamstring, eye injury, please do yourself a favor and HEAL before coming into a full on Downward Dog. You can get the benefits of a hamstring stretch by lying on your back, and strapping up a lifted leg and gently pulling it toward you. Go slow.
2. If you can't yet comfortably ground your palms, grab two blocks as support props under your hands and come into the pose. You can also use a strap around your upper arms for more stability if your elbows poke out.

Like any yoga pose or practice, please consult your instructor before continuing if you have an injury or contraindication. I work with a lot of athletes, and often they work with incredible pain to stay on the field. Coaches have different theories on this, but my feeling, as a Yoga Coach is if you are in acute pain, stop and examine what's going on. I like to push people to there limit, not drive them into pain.

That being said, enjoy. Downward Facing Dog is one of my favorite poses and this combined with stretching hips, neck and a slight back bend, and sitting in silence for 5 minutes, can be your whole practice routine to re focus and energize your body daily.

Written by Tonja Renee Hall
Yoga Instructor, Seattle Athletic Club Downtown
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Yoga Pose of the Month: Eagle Pose

For athletes who spend a lot of the game balancing on one leg, like kicking a soccer ball, or pushing off a dominant foot for a jump shot- Eagle Pose is an excellent pose for you to strengthen the standing leg, while improving balance. Eagle also targets a tough muscle group between the shoulder blades, that include your Rhomboids and Trapezes, which need to remain flexible especially in sports like tennis, and basketball to take the stress off shoulders.

The benefits of Eagle include:

1. strengthening ankles, calves and adductors (inner thighs)


2. Stretches hips, shoulders and upper back


3. Improves concentration and breath flow under stress

Let’s Play

1. Start at the top of your mat with both feet together and find a point of focus about 5’ in front of you. Get in tune with your breath; slow rhythmic breathing through the nose.


2. Bend your knees and cross your right thigh over the left, balancing on your left foot.


3. Squeeze inner thighs firmly together, and get active in core to increase your balance.


4. Reach your arms out in front of you and cross your right arm over left, bend elbows and bring palms together. If it’s difficult to wrap your arms, hug your shoulders instead.


5. To increase the intensity, sit lower in chair till your thighs are parallel to the floor and reach your fingertips forward. A slight rounding in the back and you ‘ll really feel the stretch between your shoulder blades.

Have Fun! Remember to Breathe! It’s only yoga after all, and the more you can keep your sense of humor and come back to the pose if you fall out, the more relaxed and determined you’ll be under pressure; in sports or in life.

For more instruction on Eagle, or any pose, please come to my classes at the SAC or schedule a private yoga lesson, now offered at SACDT, by myself or any of our many wonderful yoga teachers.
Let's raise a glass to Summer!!

Written by Tonja Renee Hall
Yoga Instructor, Seattle Athletic Club Downtown
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Yoga Pose of the Month: Upward Facing Dog

The sun is peeking its elusive head out more often these days. For all those winter months we Seattleites have been hunched over our computers and bundled against the rain, and now it's high time to open our chests (and hearts) to the sun's warmth!

Upward Facing Dog is a quintessential pose in the Ashtanga/Power Yoga/Vinyasa warm up sequence that opens the chest, strengthens the arms, and provides a strong back bend when done correctly. Up Dog provides much needed space to breathe, strength for triceps, deltoids, traps, and core. Back bends are very energizing and calming when done in combination with a forward bend (like Down Dog, or standing forward bend). Most summer sports including, Cycling, Soccer, Squash/Tennis, Swimming would GREATLY benefit from Up Dog, because so many of those sports require the body to constantly be in a hunched or forward moving motion. Up Dog provides a much needed back bend relief.

Let's Begin:
It's best to warm up for 10 minutes doing gentle poses (refer to my previous SAC blogs for more info) before moving into Upward Facing Dog.

1. From Downward Facing Dog, roll your shoulders forward over the hands for a strong Plank pose.
2. Slowly, with elbows gracing the sides of your body, lower like a board, all the way to the mat.
3. Slide wrists back to the middle of the rib cage (your bra strap line... sorry gents, you'll have to use your imagination!) and with your hands as flat as a pancake and fingers spread wide to protect the wrists, push yourself up and forward through the arms until your legs are off the floor. Your chest should be forward of your wrists, shoulders away from your ears, elbows very slightly bent, low back in a deep arch, legs strong around the knee caps, and chin level to the floor. You should be able to breathe comfortably and have no pain in wrists or back. If you feel "pinched" in any way, please start with a variation, below.

Beginning Variations:

1. Low Cobra - from lying on your front side, squeeze your glutes and shoulder blades together until your chest peels off of the floor. In this Up Dog variation, your hands can be under your shoulders, and very light on the mat. This still gives you a chest opener, without aggravating wrists or shoulder injuries.
2. Sphinx Pose - Similar to Cobra, from laying on your frontside, prop yourself up on your forearms, and make sure your glutes are SOFT in this pose, and shoulders down. This is usually a strong back bend for folks, so be conscious of your low back.

From any of these variations, bend your knees on the floor, and push your hips back to Child's Pose or Down Dog for a counter pose to a back bend.

For more instruction on Upward Facing Dog, or any pose, please come to my classes at the club or schedule a private yoga lesson now offered by myself and many of our other wonderful yoga teachers at Seattle Athletic Club Downtown.

Written by Tonja Renee Hall
Yoga Instructor, Seattle Athletic Club Downtown
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Yoga Pose of the Month: Side Plank

Vasisthasana = “best, most excellent posture”
Vasisthansana or “Side Plank Pose” is a very rich core exercise indeed. As summer approaches and we want to look our “bikini” best, time to add Side Plank to your routine.

Most summer athletic sports require a strong core and flexible side waist. Think, reaching for a football pass, keeping your balance on your mountain bike while ripping up a tricky trail, or max length for free style swim. Side Plank will strengthen your Serratius (deep side muscles) and Latissimus Dorsi (the big group of outer corset muscles that span from your shoulder blades and wrap around your side waist to pelvic region). This pose will also strengthen wrists, shoulders, arms and legs, while creating flexibility in your hips. I will give modifications for those with injury in the arms.

Let’s Play
1. Start in Down Dog and tune into your breath. Once your breath is steady and engaged, then start your practice. This will help you stay focused.
2. Roll forward to Plank Pose
3. Move your right hand underneath your nose on the mat, and spread your fingers wide like a pancake. IF you have injury in any part of your arm, please drop your bottom knee on the floor to support your body weight from here on out.
4. Carefully roll to the side, opening hips and stack your feet on top of each other, lifting the hips as high as you can, reaching the left hand straight up to the ceiling.
5. If you are feeling fresh, lift your top leg a few inches off the other while lifting hips. This will increase your balance and strength practice.
6. Hold Side Plank for 5-10 breaths and repeat on opposite side.
7. Rest in Child’s pose with hands by hips for 10 breaths before moving into the rest of your practice.

Modifications
1. Drop bottom knee to the floor, and keep it there.
2. Rest on forearm for side plank instead of wrists, to protect injured parts.
3. Engage your core, and lift kneecaps for max focus on strength. Stay like a board, not sagging in the hips, shoulders, etc.
4. BREATH!
Side Plank is one of my favorite poses to build the core strength and awareness for more complex poses and inversions. I am available for private Yoga coaching at SAC, if you have any questions about this pose or want to enrich your on going practice!

Written by Tonja Renee Hall
Yoga Instructor, Seattle Athletic Club Downtown

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Yoga Pose: Baddha Konasana

Spring is here! With all of it’s fickle weather that will have you smiling into the sun one minute, and running for cover from a hailstorm the next. Spring is such a tease, and it’s a time of wild transition that leaves most folks feeling a little spacey.

Time to get grounded!
At this time of year, most of us are trying to quickly shed our winter coats that may have settled around the mid section and the hips, creating some stiffness and discomfort. Baddha Konasana is one of the most perfect poses to gently stretch your inner thighs, groin and knees that will keep you flexible from your mid morning run or post winter soccer try outs. This pose is also soothing for menstrual pain and sciatica.

Here we go:
I suggest that you warm up with a few down dogs or vinyasa first to heat the large muscle groups of the body. Then, before you sit down on your mat, grab a blanket and fold it up like a burrito. Sit your sit bones on the edge of the “burrito” so your pelvic bone can tilt forward and give the knees, hips and inner thighs more room to stretch, especially if you have a tight low back. Once you are in position, bring the soles of the feet together, and draw your heels up as close to the groin as possible. From there, you can grab your feet, shimmy your sit bones back a touch, and round forward over your feet.

All together now.
Let’s put this pose together with a few others now for a little feel good sequence, that includes forward bending to kick in the relaxation response, and a mini back bend to fire up your nervous system and bring your forward bends into balance.

1. Sit on your “burrito” blanket in a cross-legged seat, for a seated twist. Bring the opposite hand to knee, and exhale on the twist.
2. Bring the soles of feet together for Baddha Konasana and sit in this pose for a minute.
3. Then, plant your feet on your mat about hip width, palms flat on the floor behind you, and lift your hips for Table Top pose. It is a half back bend.
4. Drop your hips back down on your “burrito” and extend your legs straightforward, bending at the hips for a forward bend.

Do this sequence 3x slowly after a run, or your workout, and you will feel amazing. Guaranteed.

Written by Tonja Renee Hall
Yoga Instructor, Seattle Athletic Club Downtown

Yoga: Triangle Pose

Triangle Pose, or Utthita Trikonasana in Sanskrit the language of Yoga, is a classic pose. Almost every style of yoga has some version of this intense hip and inner thigh stretcher and strengthener pose. If you practice Triangle regularly, it will strengthen the thighs, ankles and adductors (inner thighs). It will stretch the groin, hips, hamstrings and chest and strengthen the side waist. Any forward bend will aid in relaxation from stress and relieves anxiety.

How it's done:
1. Step to a wide legged straddle on your mat where your feet are about 3 1/2 feet apart and you feel stable.

2. For your first side, turn your left foot forward to the top of the mat and angle right foot out about 90 degrees.

3. Lift your arms about shoulder height, keep your chest open and side waist strong
as you slowly reach your left hand down to your shin. If you feel your chest and shoulders collapsing or are still developing core strength, grab a block and set your left fist on it.

4. Stay in the pose for at least 10 breaths, come out by bending your left knee to support your back to come up, switch sides.

5. The best way to learn new poses or if you have questions, please visit one of our many yoga classes, or sign up for a Yoga Private at Seattle Athletic Club Downtown.

Written by Tonja Renee Hall
Yoga Instructor, Seattle Athletic Club Downtown

Amp Up Your Yoga Practice

Brrrr…it’s cold out there! This is the time of year where we Seattleites hunker down in our jackets to avoid the crisp temperature and seasonal rain fall. No wonder many people have trouble with depression, foul moods and forgetting about the charge we get from the warmer summer months.

Wanna find something to help bring our the smiles? Amp up your Yoga Practice.

“It’s getting’ hot in here!”
Winter is the best time to take advantage of our wonderful saunas at SAC. Not only is sauna heat proven to boost the immune system, rid the body of toxins and lubricate your joints, it is a great way to pump up your metabolism, warm your muscles, and help shed your winter coat. Sit in the dry sauna for 10 minutes before class and do some gentle stretches. Hydrate well, and you will be amazed at the difference!

“Take a Seat”
Winter is a deep time of introspection and when balanced with heat producing exercise, can be a great time to develop a meditation practice. One of the main differences between Yoga and other sport is it’s designed to unite the Body and Mind through Breath. Used in tandem with yogic breathing techniques, Meditation can be used as a very powerful tool to calm the mind, focus and suggest to the sub conscious anything you would like to accomplish. Before your physical practice, sit up on a folded blanket in a comfortable seat on your mat. As you settle into your seat, begin to focus on the sound and rhythm of your breath. Begin to increase your inhale to a count of 6-8, hold the breath in at the top of the inhale, and as you exhale, open your mouth and let loose a” Lion’s Breath”. After 3-5 Lion’s Breath, return for a few minutes to your natural breath and see if your mind is more relaxed and calm. I use this technique with the elite athletes that I train to great effect. They develop their lung capacity and can keep their heads in the game with more focus and energy.

“Get Sweaty”
Vinyasa Yoga or Power Yoga is an athletic form of yoga that links powerful poses to the breath, which is offered daily by our excellent yoga instructing team at SAC. Between each pose is a series of fast moving push-ups, up dogs and down dogs. This sequence is beautifully designed to rapidly heat the large muscle groups of the body to prepare you to be flexible and strong enough for the more intricate asana’s or poses. In the winter, challenge yourself and keep moving through the sluggishness to create a bright perspective on your life.

“Get Grounded”
Since winter is a dark and heavy season, also focus on poses that will strengthen your legs and ground you to the earth. Ayurveda is the sister science to Yoga, and stresses that to stay healthy, we must stay in tune with the season. To balance your sweaty Vinyasa practice, add poses like Warrior I and II, Triangle and Tree. Ground your feet, find your focal point, and stay grounded for 10-20 breaths. The longer you hold these leg strengtheners, you are building endurance, and the large muscle groups that will aid any winter sport like Skiing or Snowshoeing. Also, remember to return again and again to your breath and deepen it the more challenging the pose.

I have created a Winter Yoga Sequence for you to try that will take about 20 min. This will not only aid in keeping you fit during the winter months for winter sports it will heat your large muscle groups and loosen your joints so you can shine bright.
Enjoy!

• 5 minutes supported Meditation and Breath seat. 3-5 Lion’s breath
• Rolling neck and shoulders
• Abdominal crunches
• Down Dog for 10 breaths
• Surya Namaskara A (Sun Salutation A) 3x’s
• Bent knee Lunge. Stand in lunge with your back knee bent half way. Arms are raised and elbows bent like a Cactus. Straighten and bend your legs, deepening every time for 3x’s on each side.
• Side angle pose, stretching your side waist 10 breaths each side
• Chair pose with twist
• Happy baby pose
• Svasana or final relaxation pose

Written by Tonja Renee Hall
Yoga Instructor, Seattle Athletic Club Downtown

www.tonjareneehall.com
LuluLemon Ambassador 2010 Pacific Place Store
Yoga Trainer for Seattle Sounders, fc.