How to release tension: Part 2

Hopefully you read Part 1 and used the acknowledgement and breathing techniques for a week. If you did, post comments would love to know what you experienced.

As I mentioned I have one more technique, which I recommend using if the previous two suggestions of acknowledging and breathing aren't enough.

This is something that I have taught for quite some time, especially in the area of releasing shoulders. Some how I was doing some research and stumbled upon Somatic Experiencing , which described a technique very similar to this one.

Lets say, for example you are in Warrior II with your arms extended out and you notice your shoulders are tense and up to your ears and you've already done the above steps. The next thing would be to scrunch your shoulders up to your ears, take a nice big inhale, then as you exhale release your shoulders. You will probably notice a lot more freedom in your shoulders and more space between your shoulders and ears. I swear this works every time I try it!

The trick is you want to exaggerate the tension, so if you're noticing the tension in your jaw, tighten the jaw, if you notice the tension in your belly, scrunch your belly. Then inhale and as you exhale, somehow it simply releases. My sense is that exhales are synonymous with letting go, so you could be aware of letting go of that tension as you exhale, although it is not necessary as it will happen on its own.

Now you have something else to practice when you are in yoga class or even if you are just driving and notice tension in your body. Use the first two techniques first, because at some point you might notice the areas that needed the tense/release exercise will start to just melt once you acknowledge it. Then if that's not enough, go for the tense and release technique described here.

Give it a shot and post your experiences here!

How to release tension: Part 1

I had a student mention that she notices tension in her shoulders outside of class and wondered how could she release that. I have a few great techniques to help with this and I will be sharing a couple towards the end of this post. It also got me to thinking about how we hold so much tension in our bodies both in and outside of yoga class.

First think I'd like to share is yoga is a practice and a fantastic opportunity to learn from our bodies. We do not only experience tightness in our bodies when we are in yoga class as this student recognized. Often tension can be carried for quite some time in the body for a variety of reasons. We could go into the why and analyze that, but really that just takes us out of our bodies and into our heads.

I find acknowledgement to be the best first step. When I'm in a pose, after I've made my adjustments, I'll begin to breathe and mentally scan my body, noticing any discomfort any tension and space any tightness and so on. What I have found overtime, is as I acknowledge those tight spots the tension simply releases.

This is what I call the "kid in the grocery store factor". You know when you go to the grocery store and you hear a kid going "Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom.." basically nonstop until the mom finally (and usually exacerbated at this point) says "What?" Usually the small child will say what he/she needs to say and stops. Our bodies can be like that child, all it needs is to simply be acknowledged and often times it just stops.

If this isn't enough then another simple thing to do is breathe with the intention of sending your breath to that specific area of the body. If you are in tuned with energy, this may be easy to get. Something that may help you to know is as you breathe deeply, the oxygen will go into the bloodstream, which will take that oxygen to the muscles, and it is the oxygen that will help relax the muscles. So sending the breath to your muscles is actually a very literal experience!

So these are a couple basic techniques you can try anytime you're in a yoga class and in a pose that is either simple or challenging. This is also something you can take off the mat and into your life. Whenever you find yourself in a "tight spot" in life, scan your body, ask yourself "Where am I holding tension" and if simple acknowledgement isn't enough, breath with the intension of sending the breath to that area.

Next week in part 2 I will describe another great technique I've been using for quite sometime, and just recently found out how and why it works! For now, practice these techniques and you'll be ready for the next one!

Be Good 2 Yourself!

Namaste

Brandi

Practice at Home

Taking a regular yoga class once or twice a week is awesome! Classes give you an opportunity to be part of a community of people as well as gain instruction for healthy alignment and so much more.

Eventually, adding a regular practice at home will take you to much deeper levels in your practice. It also gives you an opportunity to go inside to connect and ask yourself "What do I need today?" I am always giving suggestions and recommendations in my class...um, ok sometimes I'll even say to someone you need to do this every single day. The point of this is because as a teacher I am a guide and my goal and intention to bring people back with in themselves, trust themselves, and connect to their bodies. As my teacher would say "You are your greatest Guru"

An at home practice can be really simple. It doesn't have to be a full hour practice although that is something you can work towards. Taking 15 minutes out of your day is a great way to start. Maybe its doing a few stretches you enjoyed in class in the morning to get you moving or a couple poses at night to help you relax and get to sleep. Maybe its about just sitting and focusing on your breath practice.

Any way you approach it, having an at home practice is a wonderful thing to do for yourself. If you're fairly new or wonder what are some things you need to work on, I offer private sessions where i can design a sequence for you to work from.

At any rate, have fun practicing, and remember to take what you learn from class and see how you can integrate it into your daily life...even if its just remembering to breathe through the challenging parts of life.