We’re bringing the year to a close just like we do in our yoga classes – with Savasana! Our zamasana of the month this December is arguably everyone’s favourite, the Corpse Pose. Savasana (which is also sometimes spelled as it pronounced, shavasana) is an incredibly important part of a yoga class, when the body and mind connect the work that was just done in the class.

For many of us, Savasana can be just as (if not more) challenging as a strong yoga pose, because of its focus on quietening the mind. Learning to be still is very valuable in your yoga practice, and Savasana prepares the mind for meditation.

Savasana is such a beneficial yoga pose, both physically and mentally. Physically, Savasana allows the body to completely and fully relax – sometimes the sensation is like effortlessly floating on water, while still feeling grounded and heavy. Savasana also decreases heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension and metabolic rate, and decreases fatigue while improving sleep. Mentally, Savasana reduces anxiety and increasing confidence and concentration. A full engagement in Savasana is a gateway to a deeper yoga practice – one which values the mind equally to the body, and turns the awareness inwards, removing the mind of sensory distraction. Savasana is the perfect introductory to meditation, because the reclined position allows the body to become totally still, which invites the focus to the breath and the mind.

There are variations to the Savasana pose – which is typically lying flat on your back, feet slightly wider than hip width, palms facing up to the sky. You can change up your restorative practice by putting legs up the wall, a blanket under the head, a bolster under the knees or even legs propped up on a chair. Have a try of these variations to see what works best for you.

For the month of December, all of our wonderful Zama yogis will have the pleasure of enjoying a longer than usual Savasana at the end of class. Rather than treating Savasana as a way to catch your breath, or a quick pathway to slumber, see if you can really focus on clearing the mind completely during this valuable time.

Enjoy!

Our Zamasana of the Month for November 2014 is Kundalini Froggy Squats! These squats are part of the Surya (sun) Kriya (cleanse) in Kundalini yoga, and build lower body strength, as well as increase circulation and the health of the heart. Practice slowly and build up to 26 froggies, then 54, and then 108! Take care of your knees, maintain even breathing and take care to stretch the legs before and after practicing. To practice, follow Sam on this video! [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXYLpMc899Y]

Spring is here, and with it brings our cleansing and invigorating Zamasana of the Month for September – Malasana, a low squat pose. Also know as ‘Garland Pose‘ (due to its resemblance to a rosary, or garland), Malasana stimulates the digestive organs and works on cleansing the body by helping the movement of the metabolism. As you sit into Malasana you feel a release through the back of the body, as this low squat pose provides a great stretch for the sacrum, lower back and groin. Malasana is also an incredible hip opener, and helps to tone the belly.

To practice:

1. Lower your body from standing to a squat, keeping your feet as close to hip distance apart as you can. If your feet aren’t flat on the floor, fold up your mat to support your heels (or use the edge of a block).

2. Draw your thighs outwards and exhale as you lean your torso forwards until it fits neatly between your thighs.

3. Bring your palms together as you press your elbows against the inside of your knees, using the resistance to lengthen the torso and spine.

To extend on this pose, reach left hand to the ground and the right hand to the sky before reaching around the left knee to clasp hands and create a bind. Repeat on the right side.

When practicing Malasana, if you experience any knee pain or pressure, use a block under your hips and sit down onto it. Be aware of your lower back and if there’s any pain in that area, come out of the pose and rest.

Surya Namaskar (known in English as Sun Salutations) is a sequence of asanas that salute to the sun, traditionally practiced facing the rising sun, and draw the sun’s energy into the body.

Light, in the mind, body and spirit, has the attached symbolism of awareness – so with the sun’s energy and light comes an awareness of self. Ideally, Surya Namaskar is practiced in the morning as the sun rises, and creates heat to invigorate the body at the beginning of the day. Surya Namaskar is a balanced practice, with an equal amount of forward and back bends, upward and downward motions, making it a complete and whole practice in its own right.

Zama Yoga hosts a pre & post natal yoga program at both Toowoomba and Toowong studios. 

Prenatal yoga has been proven to have a myriad of benefits, for both during pregnancy and labour.

During the course of the pregnancy, practicing yoga offers many physical benefits, such as reducing stress hormones, improving sleep, strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, opening the hips and assisting in minimising pregnancy-related symptoms such as nausea and back ache. It can also reduce the risk of pre-term labour and pregnancy-induced hypertension.  As the pregnant body grows, a woman’s sense of gravity shifts, and the body’s posture changes to adapt to the new shape. Yoga helps realign the posture, which can ease any back problems brought on during pregnancy (which are quite common). Keeping the abdominal muscles and core strong helps hold the lower back muscles in place, and there are gentle core strengthening poses practiced within Zama Yoga’s prenatal class. During pregnancy, feet are also adapting to holding extra weight, and as the body’s centre of gravity moves, this changes the pressure on different areas of the feet and joints which can lead to pain. Yoga brings attention to the feet, which are often neglected, and practicing barefoot allows awareness to travel through the many hardworking bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles that are found in the feet.

As well as the physical benefits, practicing yoga during pregnancy has emotional advantages too. It reduces stress and anxiety about the upcoming birth, and offers a time and space for women to really connect with their body and the child within. It offers an awareness of self, and inspires nurturing feelings about the journey that the body and mind is currently taking.

Practicing prenatal yoga provides essential tools that can be utilised during the process of labour. Of course, first and foremost is the breath – pranayama practice can only be positive in the lead up to labour. During the labour, breathing releases oxytocins and endorphins that offer natural pain relief in the birthing process. Deep yogic breathing, which is taught in prenatal classes, travels around the entirety of the body and brings calming feelings to both mother and child and can aid a ‘stillness of mind’. Alternate nostril breathing (nadi shodana) reduces stress, fear and anxiety. Practising these breathing processes is helpful for pregnancy, birth and beyond as you embark on the motherhood journey!

Yoga is also an ideal form of exercise after you have your baby, too. Generally, it is safe to wait about 6 weeks after giving birth before resuming your yoga practice. The gentle stretching and strengthening is a perfect way to start the body moving again, as well as giving yourself the time to relax and find peace of mind. Above all, yoga teaches you to let go and enjoy the present moment – it only happens once!

As always, check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise. General medical advice suggests avoiding yoga for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and here at Zama Yoga we ask that you wait until after 12 weeks before beginning, or resuming, yoga. The first trimester is the most delicate phase of pregnancy, due to embryo development. From there, depending on your doctor’s advice, there is a range of beneficial yoga poses that can ease and aid your pregnancy. The golden rule in prenatal yoga practice is: do not compress, overstretch or strain the abdomen – always create space for the growing belly. For this reason, closed twists are never practiced during pregnancy. Prone postures, strong backbends and active inversions (such as Headstand and Shoulderstand) should also be avoided. After four months of pregnancy, it is also recommended that women avoid poses lying flat on their backs, and to rest fully during and after class. Of course, as with all yoga practice, it’s important to know and listen to your body, and remember that every pregnancy (and every day!) is different.