Yoga Salutations
Author: Shannon Miller Lifestyle
Are you new to yoga? You will find yoga provides many benefits.
- mind focus
- conscious thinking
- body focus
- balance
- stamina
- strength
- flexibility
- spirituality
- meditation
- breath focus
- stress relief
- relaxation
Just to name a few!
If you are new to yoga, the basic beginnings of yoga often start with a focus on the breath through movement. Ashtanga yoga, or movement with yoga, helps the practicing yogi to cadence his breath with his movement. These lessons can be carried through life, as the breath is the giver of life, and our movements need to flow well with the breath.
Prana is the yoga word for “breath of life.” It is in yoga philosophy that breathing properly is the foundation for a healthy life. Much time is spent getting the breath deep into the abdominal cavity, focusing on the time spent to fully inflate and deflate the lungs.
As one moves through yoga salutations, special care is taken to put the breath into each movement and to feel the flow of oxygen through the body.
A warm-up in yoga is often the Sun Salutation, a series of movements to warm up the breath and all of the major areas of the body.
This is also a time of moving meditation, to focus on each body part as it moves and stretches, and to challenge the body to do a little more as it gets warm.
Other salutations are specifically to focus on certain elements of life. For instance, the Earth Salutation is to refocus the mind (get your head out of the clouds), and become present in the given moment.
This salutation is for one of those days where your mind races.
The Star Salutation is to increase energy and drive.
It is more demanding physically and can refocus the mind to the body. It is also a moving reminder to share positive energy with the world.
Finally, in the evening, when the body wants to slow down and sleep, we need to slow body functions and brain functions down. We, in effect, need to cool down from the heat of the day and its stressors, in order to relax.
The Moon Sequence is for this purpose. As a side note, it also helps relieve pain and pressure in the lower abdomen and pelvis.
All of these videos are designed, performed, and videoed by Carrie Harper, our staff fitness plan design professional, and owner of CarrieFit.