Lead with your heart..

(A good friend of mine was an inspiration for this next post, and the yoga pose I chose to write about =)  ... Enjoy) 


Lead with your heart, follow with love, and know that your world is designed by you.  You choose it, the people, the places, the events (not always consciously).  Whatever life brings your way, own it.  Choose whatever frame you want to put around it. Because truthfully speaking thats all it is- the frame that you place around the situations given to you.  But I recommend one that really brings out the beauty of the events unfolding in it.  The past holds events that might mold our thoughts, but our thoughts are what is creating our future (try saying that 10 times over).   The world is huge  tremendous, you deserve every part of it.  Know that and lead with your heart.  The world will hand it to you on a silver platter.  

Camel Pose- backbend

Yoga poses referred to as heart openers are relaxing, energizing and emotionally freeing.  Heart openers target the heart center or chakra (anahata), they allow you to feel more compassion, for yourself and others.  


In addition....
benefits of backbends:
- improves spinal flexibility
- stretches abdomen, and hip flexors 
- strengthens the abdominal and pelvic organs
- stimulates the pituitary, pineal and thyroid glands
- increases lung capacity
- alleviate stiffness from the shoulders, back and ankles

1. Kneel on the floor with your knees hip width and thighs perpendicular to the floor. Rotate your thighs inward slightly.  Use padding (blanket or towel) under your knees if there is discomfort. 

2. Rest your hands on the back of your pelvis, bases of the palms on the tops of the buttocks, fingers pointing down. Use your hands to spread the back pelvis and lengthen it down through your tail bone. 

3. Reach your hands back one at a time to grasp your heels. (Beginners: Curl your toes under and come to the balls of your feet if you cannot reach your heels, or if your compressing your lower back when the feet are flat, or use blocks on either side of your feet.)

4. Bring your hips forward so that they are over your knees.

5. Let your head come back, opening your throat.

6. Stay in this pose anywhere from 5 to 10 breaths (never compensating your breathing). To come out, bring your hands onto the front of your pelvis, at the hip points. Inhale and lift the head and torso up by pushing the hip points down, toward the floor. If your head is back, lead with your heart to come up.  Rest in Child's Pose for a few breaths.

"Back bends are rejuvenating. They give energy and courage and combat depression. They open the chest and make the spine flexible. The arms and shoulders become strong. The mind and body become alert."

B.K.S. Iyengar, "Light On Yoga"