For those of you new to or curious about yoga, there’s no better time to learn about its important health benefits. While yoga studios and festivals seem to be all the rage, this centuries old practice is hardly a trend. Here at B4BC, some of us have been practicing for many years while others are just discovering it for the first time through our recent ReTreat Yourself wellness experience and B4BC Yoga Heals sessions.
Yoga 101: Practice
The word PRACTICE describes your individual experience – something that is very personal and constantly evolving every time you step foot onto your mat or mindfully enter a pose. By making the commitment to your practice of yoga, you are making a commitment to love and connect with yourself. And while there is no perfect way to practice yoga, practice does make for a perfectly effective approach to preventative health with stress reduction and improved strength and flexibility being just a few of its benefits.
So where to begin? Don’t worry – we’re here to help! B4BC’s intent is to introduce you to the basics of yoga and provide you with opportunities to experience it at home or through our affiliated events.
Here’s a look at a recent B4BC Yoga Heals session hosted by the Healing Arts Centre & Movement Studio in Mammoth Lakes, CA.
Our teachers Scott Saltsman, who has studied with world renowned yogini Shiva Rae, and Sierra Yoga’s Lindsey McLaughlin, a 5 year breast cancer survivor, lead us through challenging yet heart-opening VINYASA yoga movements that helped kick off two amazingly beautiful days on the mountain.
This Saturday, please join us for a B4BC Yoga Heals session with Yoga Studio Tahoe at Sugar Bowl (Donner, CA). And if you can’t attend, try to start your day with this basic SUN SALUTATION YOGA SEQUENCE by our friends at Lululemon and their global ambassador Eion Finn – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI56RQuny44.
With love,
B4BC
YOGA 101 TERMS
Practice – see above.
Vinyasa (Vin-YA-sa) Yoga – Vinyasa means “breath-synchronized movement,” and Vinyasa yoga is a series of poses that will move you through the power of inhaling and exhaling. Vinyasa movements are smoothly flowing and almost dance-like, which explains why it is sometimes referred to as Vinyasa Flow or just Flow. The breath is connected with the movements in a progressive nature which heats, lengthens, strengthens, tones, purifies and stimulates every muscle and organ in the body.
Yoga Sequence – a series of yoga poses with a core focus and makes up a part of a yoga routine.
Sun Salutation – The sun salutation is a basic series of poses that moves you from the front to the back of your mat, warming up the whole body. Often it is used at the beginning of a flow or vinyasa yoga class and is a good way to start a home practice.
Sources:
www.lululemon.com
www.harmony-yoga.com
www.sierrayoga.org
