Yoga and Pilates NEWSLETTER

Term two 2007

Pilates

Once again we have focussed on maintaining stability while adding the moving levers of our limbs this term.  We have paid particular attention to maintaining our core without the tummy popping or the ribs lifting in our abdominal moves, and on only raising our heads if we can maintain the core contraction in either an imprint or neutral spine position.  We have found this has given our Pilates movements a new depth and experienced people especially have found that this added awareness has added to the quality of the Pilates move that they are doing.

In a perfect world the neck and ab muscles should be equally strong, so this term we have also tried to only hold our heads up for as long as we can do that without using our hands.  Regression is an important aspect of Pilates in order to lead to progression.

The Pilates move that everyone has perfected this term is the all fours swimming.  I am really thrilled by the precision with which all of you do this movement.  As I’ve said in class, done correctly, this is actually a very strong movement, and done incorrectly it can highlight already existing problems.  This movement makes us use all our stabilisers as well as using the glut max to lift the leg and the deltoid to lift the arm.  Next term we shall attempt to do this movement on the foam roller.

The other movement that you are all doing fantastically is the dreaded push up, again, as well as using all our stabilisers of the abdomen and shoulder and neck complex to maintain the correct position, we are using our pecs and triceps, those muscles we all like to have!!

For several years now many of you have asked for a dvd or video of my teaching.  At the end of last year my niece and her husband filmed me teaching various Pilates sequences.  They have recently sent the dvds to me and I am very pleased with them.  They are intended for use by my own students, who know my instruction and have been checked by me performing moves correctly.  They will be $20.00 each.  The titles are below:

Pilates for lower back pain and Pilates for shoulder and neck pain (one DVD).

Pilates – beginners

Pilates – intermediate

Pilates on the ball

 I am really excited by this, as you know it has taken a long time to achieve!!  If anyone is interested in ordering any please let me know.

Yoga

Our yoga has focussed on Vinyasa this term.  That is flowing yoga, where we combine the flow of the breath with the flow of the posture.  I must say I love this style of yoga.

This style of yoga is particularly good at this time of the year when we are focussing on the meridians of the lung and large intestine, to maintain health in the changeable season of Autumn.  The best time for this style of yoga is the morning to get everything in our body going while maintaining a focussed mind.  However I also find it beneficial in the evening at times when my mind is very busy, it becomes like a moving meditation.

Vinyasa yoga is also good for resting the sympathetic nervous system, that is the flight or fight response.  It is the style of yoga taught by a famous Indian teacher called Desikachar.  You may have noticed that after completing the moving yoga we have performed still postures to rest the nervous system.

When we can really bring our breath and moving postures into union it’s as if we could do this practice for a long time.  Everyone has done very well in picking up the sequences.  The sequences are opening both our lungs and our hips, so we often feel lighter and taller after these particular sequences.

At the beginning of each lesson we have been practising Viloma pranayama, where we breathe for two, hold for two, breathe for two, hold for two etc. then breathe out on one continual breath out.  Then we do the reverse, breathe in continually, then breathe out for two, hold for two, breathe out for two, hold for two etc.  On the held breaths we contract Moolabhanda (the pelvic floor muscles). Those people who are able without strain, can also hold the breath between the inhalation and exhalation.

This practice is said to balance all the chemicals at a cellular level as well as balancing our blood pressure.  As usual with any breathing technique it is important to practise it smoothly and without strain.

In our Tree Posture, we have been putting our hands into Yoni mudra.  Our thumbs are together (lung meridian), our index fingers are together (large intestine meridian) and the other fingers are intertwined.  I have explained the other three fingers represent the three “gunas” of yoga philosophy.  We have rajas (activity), tamas (relaxation) and sattwa (balanced) aspects of ourselves.  We need all three to conduct our lives successfully, and we need to know when to be in each state appropriately.  This hand position reminds us of these three states. 

The hand position is also said to balance the left and right parts of our brain and the two flows of prana we have flowing through us.  Notice if you find this works for you.

Our relaxation technique this term is actually a meditative technique from the Satyananda style of yoga.  Again I have found this practice beneficial for myself.  I change these practices each term so hopefully each of you finds one or two styles that help you.  At the moment I am investigating how to put my relaxations onto cd as tapes have become an outmoded part of our lives.

With the imminent visit of the Dalai Lama to our shores, I thought I would include one of his quotes.

Destruction and violence always produce misery.  It is time for the world to learn to transcend differences of race, culture, and ideology and to regard one another through eyes which understand the common human situation.

I am looking forward to seeing some of you in the holiday program.  The last time we held a family yoga day, it was a huge success, so I’m sure you will enjoy it.

Have a lovely break and I look forward to seeing you next term. 

Om Shantih

Annette