Happy New Year Yogis!!
The uncovered potential of a new year ~ what kind of year will 2013 be?
What do you want to focus on, change, or start this year?
My list of resolutions is long, but I will start with this one,
“To dedicate more time to my practice and study of yoga”,
and share what I learn with my students and friends!
This also includes more activity on my blog,
so please take a look regularly for information about yoga poses,
food, events, and other fun stuff!
Winter Yoga Practice
In the winter, our body has different needs than in other seasons.
We may not have as much energy as we usually do, we may find it harder to get out of bed in the morning etc. For these reasons, it’s a great idea to do yoga or other exercise to wake your body up.
If you are feeling sluggish (怠い), some warming “yang” (陽) yoga poses may be just what you need.
It’s also important to do calming, seated, slow “yin”（陰）poses to give your body the rest it needs.
You can decide what works for you, but it feel more natural to do “yin” poses in the morning
and “yang” poses in the afternoon or evening, during this time of year.
The following whole routine should take about 60 to 70 minutes,
but feel free to only do a few of the poses if you don’t have time.
※To be clear, many yoga poses can be either yin or yang, depending on how fast you do them。
Winter Yoga Routine
1. Abdominal breathing (腹式呼吸). Sit crossed legged, and take 12 to 20 breaths.
YIN and YANG
2. Stretch your shoulders with the cow face pose (牛面),
hold each side for 3 to 12 breaths. Do the opposite stretch,
crossing arms in front like a big hug. YIN and YANG
3. Seated cow and cat (座りポーズで吸う息で胸を張り、
吐く息で背中を丸める), 3 to 12 sets. YANG
4. Seated torso circles. Put hands on knees and make circles with your chest,
folding forward and sitting up. 6 circles in each direction. YANG
5. Leg maintenance. Lymphatic massage for the leg, from the toes to the thighs.
Sit up straight and breathe while you do it.
On the sole of the foot, find the "Bubbling Spring" ゆうせん point.
YIN and YANG
6. Hip joint massage. Sit with legs open wide (開脚) and rock back and forth,
50 times. YIN and YANG
7. Seated forward bend (座り前屈) , for 3 to 12 breaths. YIN and YANG
8. Down dog pose (下向きの犬). Cross legs and swing them under your torso, then bring butt up and
stretch legs out into down dog pose for 3 to 5 breaths. YANG
9. Stand in Tadasana (山のポーズ）. Feel the mat under your feet at four points. Calm your breath
before moving forward, 3 to 5 breaths. YANG
10. Sun salutes (太陽の礼拝). Do 2 to 6 times. First, right leg back then left leg back.
Make sure to move with your breath, one or more breaths for each movement.
Hold each pose longer if you are feeling stiff. YANG
11. Standing wide angle forward bend (立ち開脚の前屈). Stand with legs extra wide,
bend forward with a straight back towards the mat.
Rest your arms and head on the mat or a block. Hold for 5 to 12 breaths. YANG
12. Shoulderstand（スキから全身まで). Lie down on the mat, bring your legs behind your head.
Support your lower back with your hands and bring your legs up.
Hold for 5 to 12 breaths. The longer the better! YIN and YANG
13. Bridge Pose (橋のポーズ）. Bring hips off the ground for 3 to 12 breaths.
→ Go into wheel pose (半円）for the second set if you feel up to it.
Bridge YIN Wheel YANG
14. Seated forward bend(座り前屈), for 3 to 5 breaths. YIN and YANG
15. Happy baby pose. Legs bent toward the head, hold backs of the knees. YIN
16. Savasana (死人のポーズ）
17. Alternate nostril breathing. Use the fingers, Deer Mudra, to close one nostril while exhaling and inhaling.
Hold the breath in-between each inhale and exhale.
