Take Ten for Yoga

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Take Ten Mindful Moments : Essential Daily Yoga Practice Guides

“Yogis realized thousands of years ago -- and what scientists are now catching on to -- that changing dysfunctional habits is largely a matter of the mind.” T. McCall, Yoga as Medicine

“Once the mind has been stretched beyond original belief, it never returns to its original dimensions” Oliver Wendell Holmes

By Cynthia Lynne Certified Lifeforce Yoga Practitioner 2013

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Essential Mindful Practices: Guided Patterns of Breath Practice

Essential Patterns of Breath Practice: Integrated Sitting Poses & Intentional Breath


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Daily Yoga Practice Intention: Take Ten for Yoga:

Start with a simple intention to take ten minutes a day for yoga.

Can’t commit to ten minutes? Then start with two minutes, twice a day; tomorrow double it up until you reach ten.

It’s simpler than your mind will complicate it up to be. Just commit to do it – do yoga!

Begin the day with yoga. End the day with yoga. Take a ten minute break somewhere in your day.

Just take ten for yoga. Begin to experience the power of a consistent yoga practice. Dedicate time and space for your body to discover its unique rhythm and movement. Let yoga guide you into the rhythm and movement that suits your body just right.

Wake up to the intention of breathing into your body and awareness of the rhythm of your breath.

Take time to listen to the song of body and breath uniting as one….before you open your eyes to the morning light…

JUST BREATHE : Carpe Diem! Begin Now….


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Inhale deeply into your nostrils; pause before you exhale and relax deeply into the expanding of your breath.

Breathe deeply to awaken the body gently with breath…

Relax as you release into the center of your body and breathe into the energy of awakening.

Draw the source of your energy from deep within the body. Breathe – slowly, smoothly and deeply into your body.

Feel your belly rise and fall with the rhythm of your breath.

Focus on drawing your belly into your backbone as you exhale, deeply and fully.

Pause as you feel the power of belly to back. Relax into the sensations.

Inhale again. Relax. Release.

Simple to start.

Just get started…!

Where can you find your ten minutes to start with?

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Intentional Breathing Patterns are powerful practices that will help you calm, energize and balance energies in the body and mind.

The patterns that follow are simple enough to start with and will give you an opportunity to experience the power of a simple patterned breath practice.


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When you integrate breath patterns with flow sequences, you create a dynamic practice that breaks through any myths you may have that yoga is a static practice.

No, you don’t need to buy an expensive gym membership, new tennis shoes or an outfit from LuluLemon. You can get started in your home – or your office – any time you choose.

Where is your Zen Zone to practice yoga?

Commit and dedicate this place to your yoga practice.

Be amazed at what you will discover when you hold this space as essential.

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SAFE PLACES TO DO BEING :

When you commit time and space to the practice of yoga, you will increase the odds of your success. Clearing the space will help you honor the commitment to eliminating clutter and distractions.

Where would you begin to clear space in your world?

Safe Place to Reflect & Relax : Essential Commitment: Set Aside


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Time and Place

Commit to create a place where you will be free from distractions and disturbances and other clutter.

Dedicate this place for the practice of yoga.

Commit to holding this place for yoga and yoga only.

Use screens to partition space, add bolsters, pillows, rolled up blankets and mats.

Add candles, music, photos, a status of Buddha or Lakshmi – whatever inspires you into this place.

Essential Yoga : Basic Sitting Poses:


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Begin by choosing a sitting pose – either half lotus or easy pose. Choose the pose that is most comfortable for you to sit supported with a straight spine so you can fully relax into your body.

Easy PoseSit on the floor with your legs in front of you. Your spine is elongated. Your arms rest by your sides. Shoulders are down away from the ears. Cross your legs so that the arches of your feet are positioned beneath the outside of your calf muscles. Your right foot should be under the left knee, the left foot under the right knee.

Half Lotus Pose: Follow instructions above for sitting with straight spine and comfortably supported sitting bones. Place the sole of your right foot along the inside of your left thigh; turn the top of your left foot so that it lies on the top of your right thigh. Be gentle with your knees and left ankle joint. Place your hands gently on your knees with palms facing either up or down. Be certain the knees are supported by bolsters, blocks or folded blankets so that the knees are slightly higher than the hips.Close your eyes or rest them half closed so that you can focus the attention on the rhythm of your breath. Listen to the sound of your breath as your focus your attention on the ebb and the flow of breath in your body. Settle in. Feel the comfort of being safely supported by your spine as you relax fully into the support of a solid seated position.

Essential Breath Patterns: Focused Breathing:

As you inhale deeply into the diaphragm, draw the breath smoothly into the nostrils and focus all of your attention on the expansion of the exhaling


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breath.

Make it twice as long as the breath before.

As you exhale, notice where you most experience the sensations of relief and relaxation in your body.

Count ten of these deep breath beats.

Notice where you feel more relaxed in your body.

Is it your neck? Is it your shoulders?

Notice how the breath has cleared space in the mind.

Breathe deeply, smoothly and slowly.

Notice your shoulders release the tightness as you relax into your breath.

Release the tension in your neck as your expand into your exhaling breath.

Notice the energy flowing into your lungs, your heart, your chest…

Breathe into the expansion…release, relax, expand….

Essential Mindful Breath Practices:

Essential Mindful Breath Practices: Bhramari Breath - ‘bee breath’

“The traditional Yogic cleansing practice called Bhramari..aims to purify through realignment of the brain’s functioning. “ L. Redmond, When the Drummers were Women


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This is a cleansing breath practice and deeply relaxes the body while calming the mind.

Sit on the floor in a cross-legged position with your spine straight

Close your eyes and breathe deeply until you settle in comfortably resting in this pose.

After a full inhalation, begin making a gentle buzzing sound from the back of your throat as you slowly exhale. Imagine the sound of bees buzzing in a meadow of lush green grass and flowers the colors of rainbows reaching up to touch the sun.

As you exhale, feel the vibration of the sound rising out of the back of your throat, through the roof of your mouth and up into the brain.

Breathe deeply and smoothly into the sensations of relaxation you feel from head to toe.

Focus on the soothing sounds and sensations as they fill your body with a deep calmness; breathe slowly, smoothly and deeply. Let your attention become fully absorbed by the sensations within.

Inhale deeply into your belly as you release deeply into the exhaling breath;

Pause in the suspension between exhaling and inhaling. Allow your self to rest for a moment in these sensations.

Notice the sensation of pausing in the suspension between breath moments. Relax.

Breathe slowly, smoothly and deeply as you focus your attention on the sensations of deeper relaxation within your body. Notice the smooth rhythm of your breath as your body becomes absorbed by the sensations within.

Resume the practice as you are comfortable, gradually increasing the length of the exhaling breath; resting in the sensations of the breath suspension. Allow yourself to continue the practice up to five minutes.

Essential Mindful Breath Practices:

Essential Mindful Breath Practice: Lifeforce Yoga Pulling Prana

This is a simple energizing breathing technique that stimulates the vagus nerve to support the body’s release of endorphins, or “mood chemicals” . It can be done either in a seated or a standing pose.

Stand with your feet a comfortable distance apart.


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Inhale deeply through your nostrils while extending your arms straight out in front of you with your fingers spread wide and your palms face up.

Make fists of your hands and vigorously draw them back to your waist with a forceful exhalation of breath through your nostrils.

Do this twenty times, then let your arms float to your sides. Rest there and breathe quietly, deeply and slowly. Feel the fullness of the energy throughout your body.

Close your eyes and breathe normally as you bathe in the effects of pranayama.

** This practice is adopted from Amy Weintraub’s Yoga for Depression

The Ten Minutes Challenge : Time Tracker/Time TraderSet an intention to track all of the time you spend beginning tomorrow. Use a notepad and write things like “breakfast 1 minute; stretching; 2 minutes; checking wardrobe 5 minutes; driving to work; 10 minutes”

(1) How many minutes a day you stand in line? (2) How many minutes a day are you sitting in traffic? (3) How many minutes a day do you scroll through e-mails that don’t

matter,(4) How much time do you spend watching television that you don’t care

about?


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(5) How much time do you spend carrying on a conversation that wastes time and energy?

Total the Numbers:At the end of the day add up all of your totals. How do you feel about your numbers?Where do you find you waste the most time? How much time total is that?

Trade Your Time : - What if you were to trade your biggest time waste to stretch?- What if you were to trade your second biggest time waste to sit

quietly to still your mind?

Mindful Reflection: Review the results and notice your thoughts & feelings about what you’ve discovered.

What if you, too, could be a master of your time?

What choices would you change to make better use of your time?

BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR CHANGE POSSIBLE Essential Mindful Review: Daily Habits Inventory:

To begin, define the present state of affairs in mind and body. When you identify the habits and patterns you are currently engaged with, you begin to focus on areas for possible change.

1.Name your Daily Habits:

no breakfast eat on the go no food planning fast food postpone hunger skip meals not enough water smokinggrazing binging sedentary irregular

sleep no relaxation no recreation no leisure


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excessive exercise alcohol/drug use excessive dieting excess mirror gazing excess media excess gadgets unhealthy peers

unhealthy media diet pills or laxatives or diuretics or other weight compensatory measures

other:

2. Notice Energy and Endurance:

Do you have problems with lethargy, fatigue or sluggishness? (circle all that apply)

If yes, what time of day do you most notice this?

Do you have problems with excess energy: fidgety? restless? agitated? anxious? easily distressed?If so, when or what time of day?

3. Sleep Patterns:

Do you have problems with sleepiness? Sleeplessness? Inconsistent sleep? Disturbed sleep patterns?

4. Food Cravings:

Do you have problems with food cravings? __y __n: if yes, what foods, what time of the day, under what terms or conditions

5. Emotional Eating:Do you have problems with emotional eating? If so, describe problematic emotions and associated patterns or rituals:

6. Level of Fitness/Activity:Do you have a problem with sedentary habits? Inertia? Sluggishness? Inconsistent exercise patterns? Irregular patterns of activity? Sporadic?

Avoidance?

Essential Mindful Review: Essential Learnings :

Insights from Daily Habits Inventory: =====================================================

MINDFUL JOURNAL REVIEW : Mindful reflections are opportunities for


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insightful discoveries. Setting any and all judgment aside, go back and review what you have written.

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(1) Highlight the answers that stand out for you:

(2) Highlight any patterns that you notice:

(3) Notice what you feel:

(4) Notice what you experience in your body:

(5) Notice the thoughts that run through your mind:

(6) Make note of any insights you have about this habit:

MINDFUL REDESIGNS


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BUILD ON YOUR SUCCESSES : WHAT IS WORKING

Define what daily habits or healthy patterns are working best for you:1.2.3.

Define the unhealthy habits you most need to change1.2.3.

Identify the unhealthy mindsets, belief systems and negative ideas limiting your success:1.2.3.

REALIGN WITH THE ESSENTIAL : RESET YOUR PRIORITIES


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If there is one area of your life you would most desire to change to bring you closer to bold and brilliant, what one change would make the most difference to you when you can achieve it?

Mindful Possibilities: Positive Patterns and Habits to CreateFive Essential Areas of Desired Change:1.2.3.4.5.

Name up to three changes you would choose to make today for a better tomorrow:(1)(2)(3)

Essential Mindfulness: Mindful Designs: Desired ChangeMindful Substitutions: Getting Creative with Additions and Subtractions

Next, name the additions and subtractions you can make that will support the change you desire to create.

This essential change sets you up for success – which eliminates the emotional problem of futility and frustration complicating the eating equation with a mood problem.

You can choose wisely what you add and what you subtract. If you’re fearful of adding any food in the first week of mindful eating, then choose to eliminate the unhealthy choices you are making now: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------For example: Unhealthy food habit: not eating or eating the smallest amount possible: Additions: Eat a medium sized salad at lunch: Subtractions: subtract no breakfast by adding a smoothie.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE POWER OF MINDFUL CHOICE : CHOOSE WISELY

Start with the end in mind.


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Mindful Inquiry: What one choice will you choose to start to do?Next choose one from each category to bring into your weekly yoga fitness workout.

(1) Strength builders fitness choice: _______________________________________

(2) Endurance builders fitness choice: _____________________________________

(3) Balance builders fitness choice: ________________________________________

(4) Flexibility builders choice: ____________________________________________

(5) Grace builders choice: ________________________________________________

(6) Muscle tone builders choice: __________________________________________

CHANGE YOUR HABITS : DAILY YOGA AS A SUCCESS HABITAnthony Robbins, Stephen Covey, Jack Canfield, Phil Jackson – any success coach will tell you – success habits are essential to creating fitness in mind and body as well as discipline.

Discover what ancient yogis did, yoga will help you master “the fluctuations of your mind,” calm and strength your body and infuse your spirit with fire.

Train your mind : strengthen your body : calm your spirit : inspire your muse : ignite passion


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When will you fall in love with how yoga helps you feel, think and be strong in your body?

What will you discover ignites your unique yoga fire….tapas….the heat the flame of your yoga practice will ignite inside of you?

What custom design yoga fitness practice will you create to ignite your yoga fire?

Visit www.Amazon.com/YogaTransformations for more guided principles and practices


http://www.Amazon.com/YogaTransformations

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Take Ten for Yoga