June 2013
18 posts
Asana of the week: Parivrtta Trikonasana
Asana of the week: Parivrtta Trikonasana
Digestive issues? Bloating? Gas? Twists are your new best friend.
Photo credit: Jacquie Greaux
Stay tuned for FREE video yoga asana of the week from Fern, coming in the next few weeks! Don’t miss out on your free personal yoga instruction from Fern - get on the VIP list right now.
Benefits of rotated triangle pose:
- Strengthens and stretches the legs
- Stretches the hips and spine
- Opens the chest to improve breathing
- Relieves mild back pain
- Stimulates the abdominal organs
- Improves sense of balance
- Constipation
- Digestive problems
- Asthma
- Lower backache
- Sciatica
This pose is one of my favorites, because I love trikonasana and I love twists, but I do acknowledge that it is quite a challenging pose! Both beginners and advanced yogis may struggle with tight shoulders and tight hips, making this pose pretty difficult. On first glance, this asana doesn’t look so challenging, but the challenge comes from the fact that it works so many parts of your body - spine, legs, chest, lungs, digestive organs…so here we go, let’s get to it.
How to do it:
1. Begin in Tadasana, mountain pose, with your feet together facing forward, arms along side the body. Step about 3 to 4 feet apart, right foot in front, turning your left foot out slightly so your hips face forward. As you inhale, reach the left arm up along your ears, maybe even arch back and lift your heart up to the sky to find even more length in your torso.
2. As you exhale, reach the arm out in front of you and parallel to the floor, finding length in the spine, reaching forward with energized fingers, feeling one long line of energy from your left fingertips all the way down the spine, and release your left palm down on the outside of your right foot or a block (totally a block moment, use a block under your left palm to bring the floor closer to you).
3. Bring your right palm to your sacrum and make sure your hips are level.
4. As you inhale, find length in your spine. As you exhale, twist from the navel and begin to turn your gaze up towards your left fingertips. Beginners may need to stay here and maintain the right palm on the sacrum until they are ready to reach the right arm up along the ears.
5. If you are moving on, on an inhale, reach your right arm straight up and gaze at your right fingertips. Stack shoulders and lift the heart center up so you are not sinking down in your torso. Maintain energized arms and fingers, lift the kneecaps. Inhale to lengthen the spine, exhale to go slighter deeper in the twist.
6. To come out of the pose, on an inhale press into the feet and come up to stand. Exhale step feet together, come into Tadasana, mountain pose, standing at the front of your mat. Repeat on the other side.
Tips: Once you get your feet in position, you may find it helpful to shimmy the front foot to the right a bit (to the left, when doing the other side). This will help anyone with tight hips (who doesn’t?!) to maintain balance better.
Learn more about Fern and her passion to help you become the healthiest person you know.
“If your yoga practice isn’t making you more loving, you have to think about what you are really doing. What kind of Buddha are we going to have when the next Buddha arrives? The next Buddha will be sangha, community. Look around you. Really, look around. I, for sure, want a world motivated by love and compassion. Are you on board with that?”
—Kelly Morris @wanderlustfest
“If your nervous system is grounded, you have greater “ojas” (In Ayurveda, Ojas is our protection – our immunity from disease and from the penetration of negative vibrations) and you can have such a greater impact on people you are going to help in their transformation path. That potentiality allows you transform yourself and become a magnet for students for your business.”
—during “Redesign Your Yoga + Wellness Career” with Cate Stillman, Yoga Healer
May 2013
43 posts
In Memoriam →
elephantjournal.com
As you enjoy the beauty of the day, savoring the sweet smell of BBQ and soaking up the sunshine… this memorial day, I hope you’ll take a moment to remember, to pray for, all those who have fallen in the line of fire—not just “our” men and boys, wives and daughters, but all of those who have fallen, everywhere around the world.
“
Take a moment right now to look out at the beauty right in front of you. Take a deep breath, soak it all in. Show your thanks to the men and women who have helped make it this way by being kind to all others in your thoughts, words, and actions. Be helpful, don’t hoard, give back. Be your authentic self, give your gifts to the world. This is gratitude.
You have gifts no one else has. Go live. Truly live this life. Bless the world with your beautiful spirit.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
with love and gratitude,
Fern Olivia
Can’t Sleep? Try this Green Juice Recipe →
yoganonymous.com
If you’re having trouble falling asleep at night, skip the sleeping pills for this nutrient-rich juice instead. Neka Pasquale, founder of Urban Remedy, developed this recipe using ingredients known for having calming properties on the body.
“Yoga can happen from the outside in or the inside out. You can look at a pose or picture of someone else or the person next to you in class and try and move and pose and make your body in the same shape, which has nothing to do with you and will create tension and struggle in your body and mind. Or you can move from the inside out, finding your own way into the movements, allowing your body to move with ease, cultivating a strong, healthy body and calm capable mind. Moving from the inside out you’ll be able to do much more with less effort. Have fun, stay easy and enjoy the ride!”
—
Dharma Talk - Week of May 20, 2013 - Inspired by Tara Stiles, Founder of Strala Yoga, entrepreneur, best-selling author, visionary, Taurus soul sister who shares the same birthday, May 6th <3
“Good morning! Start your day connected and feeling great. Sit up and follow your breath. If your mind starts to wander, guide your attention back to your breath. 5 minutes is all it takes. Pass it on & have a great day!”
— Tara Stiles
“I love a good rain at night. I love the sound of raindrops against the window as I wake up. It’s probably one of my most favorite sounds. Peaceful. Washing away the old. A fresh start. A new day.”
—
HOT OFF THE PRESS - Why eating seasonally will help prevent spring allergy symptoms →
yogitimes.com
Springtime is magical, uplifting, and even sexy. As nature moves out of the dark, wet, chilly winter towards spring, flowers bloom, hearts race, and baby animals start stretching their legs for their first walk in the sunshine. Nature makes it look so smooth, but for us humans it’s not nearly such a graceful transition... read more from Fern at Yogi Times
“Living vibrantly gives others permission to do so also. It furthermore creates a resonance within them that awakens their own vibrancy.”
—
Almine
WKitche(ny): (Green) Riff on a Mojito →
wkitcheny.com
Check out my friend Willa’s blog WKitche(ny) and her delicious green smoothie recipe, (Green) Riff on a Mojito. Mmmm perfect for sipping on roofdecks and great lawns.
