“Rumi fell into ecstasy and felt as his own soul began to whirl. He who had never danced before, who had never practiced the Sama, began whirling round and round in the goldsmith’s shop. For the first time he recognised his own soul, which, like the soul of Shamz his master, rose up majestically from his body, lifting him toward the heavens.”-Idris Lahore, “Rumi and the Soul of the Goddess Samadeva”  (from Dervish Yoga for Health and Longevity)

Inspired by the science of movements taught for centuries in secluded Dervish brotherhoods, and also yoga, tai chi, and more recent methods like eurythmy and stretching, Dervish Yoga or Samadeva Gestural Euphony is a new art of movement that stimulates and harmonizes all our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual resources, allowing us to be more at peace, more creative, and more joyful in our daily lives. Consisting of slow, meditative movements that mobilize and strengthen our powers of attention and dynamic, dance-like movements that fill us with a new energy, Dervish Yoga brings deep harmony to every level of our being. It relaxes and invigorates our body, harmonizes our psyche, sharpens our mind, and we learn through our body to listen to ourselves, to our profound inner being.

Effects of practicing Dervish Yoga

Dervish Yoga has beneficial effects on our muscles, eliminating our unnecessary tensions and giving us the energy we need for our active lives, and also on our physical and psychological equilibrium, the quality of our sleep, our concentration and memory, and all the organs of our body. Practicing Dervish Yoga, we’re relaxed physically and psychologically, and this makes it a superb anti-stress method, helping us stay healthy and fit with just a little practice every day.

Health

We’re healthy when all our organs are functioning harmoniously and when we’re in a state of psychological equilibrium, with a clear mind, ready to adapt to whatever situation life presents us. Like all systems in the universe, we have a self-regulating force, or vital energy, that maintains the equilibrium between our different constituent parts, between the organs of our body, our mind, and our emotions. This self-regulating force keeps us healthy, but troubles start to appear when it’s not circulating correctly. Traditional Eastern forms of medicine like acupuncture, Ayurvedic, Tibetan, and Yunani medicine aim to rebalance this energetic circulation, and certain movement techniques like Dervish Yoga also have this effect of rebalancing our body’s energy flow.

Movements

The Seven Major Arkanas are the cornerstone of Dervish Yoga; this specific series of movements (with evocative titles like “The Cascading Fountain,” “Reeds in the Wind,” and “Sparks of Fire”) has a profound action on all our organic systems and our energetic circulation.

Emotions

Every emotion has two sides, physical and psychological, what we feel and how it manifests. This means it’s possible to rebalance our emotional life by having an action on our body. Above and beyond what we usually perceive, our movements and gestures are the expression of our emotions and our deeper inner movements, and the same is true in the other direction; our movements have an influence on our emotions and our inner life. Practicing euphonic movements like Dervish Yoga has a harmonizing action on our emotions and also a positive action on our unconscious.

Attention

The most important thing when we practice Dervish Yoga is our attention – our attention to our movements, our positions, our breathing, our emotions, and our thoughts. Practicing Dervish Yoga is a privileged moment for returning to ourselves and for being present to other people; with time and practice, it helps us bring into our lives an art of moving, feeling, and even thinking that is in total harmony with the reality of the present moment.

Neurobiology

Recent discoveries in neurobiology shed scientific light upon this ancient knowledge. The effects of attention, asymmetrical movements, and music, and the connection between our movements and our emotions have been studied; new connections in our brain are created, permitting more appropriate movements, more harmonious emotions, and an improved capacity of concentration and memory. The science of psychoneuroimmunology has revealed the molecular connections between our psyche, nervous system, and all the systems of our body, substantiating what the most ancient medical traditions tell us.

Who can practice Dervish Yoga?

Anyone interested in or enthusiastic about different forms of body expression, and also anyone who feels alienated from their body and wants to come back into relationship with it. Dervish Yoga is practiced in very diverse settings: yoga centers, fitness studios, schools, businesses, hospitals, centers for the physically and mentally handicapped, and retirement homes, to name a few. Dervish Yoga stimulates our forces of healing and so is also for anyone who wants to regain or maintain their health, as a complement to medical treatments (that it does not substitute).

The model session

Dervish Yoga or Samadeva Gestural Euphony can be discovered during weekend workshops and classes, and also during weekly model sessions lasting between an hour and an hour-and-a-half. The model session, the heart of Dervish Yoga, always begins with a moment of meditation to clear the day’s problems, followed by stretching exercises to prepare our muscles. The dynamic section includes different forms of traditional dance that coordinate our head, arms, and legs, while the central part of the model session is the Arkanas and Meditative Movements, slow movements that mobilize our capacities of attention. The session concludes with a meditation, a relaxation, and a short verbal exchange.

Order Dervish Yoga for Health and Longevity by Idris Lahore, Ennea Tess Griffith and Emma Thyloch

]]> http://www.totallyzen.com/dervish-yoga-the-sufi-secret-of-eternal-youth.html/feed 0 http://www.totallyzen.com/learn-about-energy-consumption-350-philly.html http://www.totallyzen.com/learn-about-energy-consumption-350-philly.html#comments Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:52:32 +0000 Stephanie http://www.totallyzen.com/?p=783

On 10/10/10 people all over the world in 188 countries at 7,347 events joined together to show how they respect the Earth, want to help heal, preserve and sustain it through multiple avenues. People are becoming aware of how harmful our current lifestyle & consumption patterns are killing the atmosphere and in turn our planet.

Learning more about the real situation will startle you! The question is are you motivated to start changing to try to Save Our Planet? You might not think this is so bad but scientifically it has been proven we are over the tipping point. How, When Will We Wake Up & make this an important matter is up to us!

What is 350*?

*350* is the most important number in the world—it’s what scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Three years ago, after leading climatologists observed rapid ice melt in the Arctic and other frightening signs of climate change, they issued a series of studies showing that the planet faced both human and natural disaster if atmospheric concentrations of CO2 remained above 350 parts per million We are now at 392. In the past, it took us close to a decade to raise 2 million parts per million. Currently we are breezing through that proportion in a year.

Everyone from Al Gore to the U.N.’s top climate scientist has now embraced this goal as necessary for stabilizing the planet and preventing complete disaster. Now the trick is getting our leaders to pay attention and craft policies that will put the world on track to get to 350*. *

Please, tune into your consumption, make a commitment to do something beyond what you are doing now, try to get involved in your local government and beyond. It will be too late once all the ice glaciers have melted & are flooding our lands. All the polar animals are dead & we are suffering massive heat waves. Extreme thoughts are said to become reality if We Do Not Wake Up & TAKE ACTION!

Daily efforts are needed by everyone to change from consuming to conserving resources. We should all be interested in increasing clean energy sources and using naturally occurring elements such as sun and wind as power. These elements are a necessity!

In Philly, 350*Philly, we had a firey group who demonstrated their commitment through loud roars of the crowd, signs, costumes & speakers who educated us as to what the facts are and what our responsibilities should lead us. It was fun, try to make it out next year!

Think About it; this is our home!

*CR -http://www.350.org/

Either to garner some interest and enthusiasm to begin or to remain committed to a practice of Qigong; we should know how many ways we are improving our lives by practicing Qigong.

Sometimes instantaneously or after a period of time you can feel the tingling, heat or vibration in your palms. Eventually your internal self will feel warmer. Your three tan tiens, or energy centers, will feel more vibration when you do your energy work, which strengthens the energy at each center. Your root will heat up because you are cultivating energy there as well.

Other Types of Improvements found as a Benefit from Practicing Qigong:

Increased Health and Vitality-
Reduces blood pressure, resting heart rate, and cholesterol levels.
Improves vision and hearing, bone density, digestion, arthritis and fibromyalgia.
Improves immune system with regular practice you can relieve or cure allergies, asthma, senility, chronic fatigue and more.

Chronic Pain- can be managed with practice. Through visualization and mind/body control you can reduce or eliminate pain.

Better Circulation- with the practice of regular breathing you increase the oxygen within the body. Then through movement and focused intention you move this energy throughout your body.

Builds Moral Character- by creating virtue and wisdom.

Spiritual Development- evolves by clearing your mental state and nourishing your intuition. As the focus turns inward you can begin to
see the interconnectedness of all things and beings.

Oneness with the Universe- is developed by removing all the obstacles and thoughts to develop Universal intention and energy during your practice.

Inner Peace- is established by the peace and calmness you feel in your practice. Happiness, gratitude, compassion can be truly experienced.

Stress Reliever- by decreasing your stress response. Helps obsessive-compulsive behavior, depression, anxiety and Type A personalities.

Increased Intelligence- by integrating different states of consciousness and developing more awareness.

Develops Discipline- by practicing anything on a regular basis you create discipline.

Improves- coordination, balance, strength, stamina, flexibility.

Builds Self-Esteem and Self Confidence-by allowing you to feel good and comfortable in your own skin.

Qigong is one of the fastest , most effective forms of health maintenance and therapy. It will enrich your life in many different facets of life and living. 

Introducing a Brand New Reiki Program at Brio Vim taught by Danielle Stimpson. Reiki Level 1 course offering at Brio Vim will take place Thursday evenings 6-9pm February 5 to April 9, 2009 and is currently enrolling.  

I got the opportunity to meet Danielle and her sweet, soft, enthusiastic energy immediately started to rub off on me. In fact, she gave me an intense reiki session that made my back feel stimulated by a warm, smooth energy. We talked about Reiki, her background and the fact that she is offering you a great way to take care of yourself, friends, family and others with a skill that you can take with you wherever you may be!

Danielle and I agree that being able to heal or heal someone is such a blessing! Once you become a healer you understand. Before that it’s like anything in life when someone says, “You can’t really know or identify unless you go through it yourself.” Healing others is BIG JOY and you get better at your skill and it gets more rewarding as you continue your practice.

Danielle had always known she wanted to be a healer originally a nurse. After becoming a pharmaceutical consultant it was clear to her that this was not the place for her. So, she let her hair grow, pierced her ear & wears casual clothes. By the third Reiki I class she knew she wanted to be a reiki master. She trained at 4th Street Reiki St., to become a certified reiki practitioner in 2006 and just recently became a teacher of Reiki in August. Congratulations! She gives treatments at Brio Vim and the Philadelphia Community Acupuncture.

PRESS RELEASE

Reiki now available in South Philadelphia and for the first time at sliding scale Philadelphia, PA January 5, 2009 – Reiki Master Teacher Danielle Stimpson is expanding her offerings of affordable Reiki treatments & training to South Philadelphia through a partnership with Brio Vim.

Reiki is a Japanese bodywork & natural healing practice that stresses the importance of self-development and responsibility. Practitioners are trained to use their hands to direct healing energy into their client. Palm healing in various forms has been practiced for thousands of years and by numerous different cultures. Reiki is safe and has no side effects or interactions with medical treatments or medications. Ms. Stimpson’s practitioner training program is currently thriving in West Philadelphia, having completed a successful first offering in November.

Danielle offers Reiki treatments and classes on a modest sliding payment scale in support of her mission to bring Reiki to people and communities who may not otherwise have access to it. Her approach is very cost effective, limiting overhead in a number of ways and passing the savings directly on to the students. According to Danielle “The practice of Reiki connects us with our body’s natural ability to heal itself, physically and emotionally. When the cost of treatment and training becomes unaffordable, we limit who can benefit.” Additionally, students will practice their skills in free and low cost public clinics to develop their confidence while supporting their community.
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Brio Vim, located at 1543 S. Mole Street in South Philadelphia, opened its doors September 27, 2008. It is a hub for Philadelphians working for our environment, public spaces, conscientious eating, holistic health, the arts, and grass roots organizing. Founders Prana and Sean Jacobs feel the addition of the Reiki program will compliment their existing offerings of pay-what-you-can Yoga, Vegan feasts, and workshops including healthy eating and zero-impact crafts. Prana says “The practice of Reiki exemplifies Brio Vim’s mission to spread DIY Good Living-it is simple, powerful, effective, and motivated by compassion” and adds “Studying Reiki changed my life in ways I could never have foreseen. When you realize the power you have, the connections you have to the people around you – nothing is impossible.”

Danielle Stimpson stated, “I am excited to ally myself with Brio Vim’s already remarkable movement. Together, we will bring holistic wellness to more people in Philadelphia.” Sean Jacobs responds “Brio Vim is thrilled to bring Danielle Stimpson into our family. She gets what we are all about.” There will be a free introductory workshop on Saturday, January 10, 2008 from 2:00-4:00pm at Brio Vim where the public will be invited to learn about Reiki and experience it’s effects with complimentary mini-sessions, drinks, and snacks.

Private treatment sessions are now available, and the first Reiki Level 1 course offering at Brio Vim will take place Thursday evenings 6-9pm February 5 to April 9, 2009 and is currently enrolling. Level 2 training will soon take place in West Philadelphia, dates and times to be announced.

To learn more, contact Danielle Stimpson at (267) 974-4093 or on the web at www.daniellestimpson.com or Brio Vim at (215) 476-1231 and www.briovim.com.

Reiki is a spiritual practice that was developed by Mikao Usai after a 21-day meditation and fast on Mount Kurama, Japan in 1922. He was a master Buddhist meditator and believed he had received the knowledge and ability to heal without depleting his energy.

Palm healing, tenohia, is a form of moving energy or chi through the palms to others. It is now incorporated into Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).

Reiki Principles, or GOKIA in Japanese, were developed when Usai went to Tokyo to set up his Reiki system and school. He used Emperor Meiji’s ethical writings as a precept for the philosophy. Many Reiki teachers, practitioners and spiritual people follow the five principles because they are key to finding balance and peace in your life, one of the translations is:

“The secret art of inviting good fortune. The marvelous medicine for all sickness. Just for today:

Do not be angry

Do not worry

Be grateful

Work with integrity

Be kind to others.

Every morning and every night sit in the Gassho position (hands held palm-to-palm) and speak these words out loud in your heart. For the evolution of body and soul, Usui Reiki Ryoho”, Mikao Usui.

Reiki is not taught in the traditional sense but is given to a student through an “attunement” by a Reiki master and then the student can begin to tap into the healing energy. It works on the Hollow Bone philosophy that states that the practitioner is a conduit for the healing energy. It is not the practitioners’ or patient’s energy being used but the life force or universal energy being channeled through the process for healing.

Treatments are usually about 45 minutes to an hour long. Using palms placed in positions for 3-5 minutes. Traditionally, there are about 20 hand positions used in a treatment but some practitioner’s use their intuitive powers to heal. Practitioners’ will move head to toe, back and front or simply concentrating on certain areas.

People who receive the treatments report they feel heat, tingling or energy sensations while the palms are being applied to the body.

It can be useful if practiced in conjunction with other medical treatments to reduce side effects and reduce recovery time. The benefits of reiki are improved well being, relaxation and healing for the mind, body and soul.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reiki
http://www.reiki.org/faq/WhatIsReiki.html

The Development of Qi is a building block for your longevity. Taking care of yourself is a lifelong process. If you are “doing all the right things for our health”; are you engaging in energy work? We can create so much more vitality to our life force by practicing Qi Gong on a weekly basis. It is like taking your vitamins or eating your vegetables – performing your Qi Gong exercises will add strength, health and longevity.

That being said, the Development of Qi takes as much time as you give it. Almost immediately one can feel the connection to your energy or Qi once you start practicing a Qigong form.

The energy you cultivate can be different as the intention of the specific form you partake in has a slightly different meaning. Health practitioners use Medical Qigong to diagnose and cure disease in their patients Buddhist use Qigong as an avenue to reach higher consciousness. Taoist Qigong emphasizes the cultivation and development of QI for the release of stress, warding off old age and moral excellence. Martial Arts Qigong can be used to protect the body from the attacks sustained by fighting and bring the shen to the strikes to make them most powerful.

Whatever your purpose for developing Qi you should know it is like another other skill you obtain. It gets better, stronger, and more intense as you continue to practice it. A person can move from: “feeling connected” to their QI: occasionally, to more frequently, to consistently, to feeling the presence of this energy even when you are not practicing, to having others notice and feel this energy. The spiritual effect of this practice continues to build as you further your practice in time.

QiGong exercises increase your ability to: focus, control, and emit your body’s energy. The energy manifests as a physical entity as you begin to notice the tingling, burning, slight heaviness of the energy that you connect, strengthen and move within and around your body or that of others. Once the physical presence of your energy arises it is hard to stop practicing because you know there is a real result.

Years of practice will raise your vibration as a direct result of raising your energy level. The energy or chi you are developing is white light, breath energy. It is the universal energy that everything and everyone is made up of. Continue to practice this exercise form to establish a direct connection to the source.

Qigong is an amazing gift. It is a non-biased way of becoming one with yourself, others, your environment and the higher power. Begin to enhance your mind, body and spirit with Qigong!

Continuing our Qigong Fundamentals Series with some thought into, How to Practice Correctly. Like anything you engage in practicing Qigong correctly is the key to receiving the greatest benefits of this energy exercise form. Qigong is a very powerful healing discipline and should be engaged in with concentration and focus.

The most important element of Qigong is the breath. Breathing is the key to the creation and movement of energy. Without a constant stream of deep breathing the body is unable to cultivate true chi (vital energy).

Usually you begin Qigong with a meditation to connect to your breath and relax your body. After you sink into meditation it is useful to begin visualizing the breath as white light that flows through your body. As your practice progresses you will be able to channel the energy to places in your body that need to be healed.

The system of internal arts or healing discipline is based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory. Using the acupuncture points to circulate energy throughout your body. This will allow your body to naturally balance the yin and yang forces.

Proper posture is imperative each and every time you practice. Mentally scan your body to see that:

• The feet are planted firmly into the ground at the ball, heel, left and right side of feet
• The knees are bent slightly
• The legs shoulder width apart
• The buttocks tucked under the hips
• The head tucked under so the nostrils are flesh to the Earth
• The tip of the tongue is curled up so that it rest on the back of the upper teeth
• Arms should be engaged on the outside and open and easy on the inside
• Usually the arms are rounded and lifted away from the torso to let the body breathe fully

Practicing with an educated teacher will prevent unwanted mental or physical side effects.

People should not practice when they are:                      

• Pregnant
• Have a fever
• Dizzy
• Internal bleeding
• Infection

Try to practice Qigong at the same time every day to establish a body rhythm and habit of practice.

Practicing three days before and after the full moon increases the blood and chi’s circulatory ability because of the gravitational force of the moon.

Practicing outside is best because you absorb the energy of the natural elements around you. If you practice around trees in the park you will feel differently than indoors. I just experienced a lovely session of Qigong in the park. The sun was warm and the light perfect. The temperature outside was moderate with a small breeze and the change of season ripe in the air. I felt so calm; but, still buzzing with energy after the session.

Practice Qigong correctly and you will experience tremendous energy, vitality and health improvements.

Often times when you enter into a new situation you are met with a mix of excitement and anxiousness. Such was the case when I recently went to teach the girls from Philadelphia Dance Academy summer session. 

Here were teenage girls participating in a brand new activity; nonetheless, the girls seemed to be able to flow from dance to yoga almost effortlessly. Their yoga forms were as good as their dance moves I had just seen. They moved into the postures with ease and comfort. They seemed naturally able to understand the form.

I studied dance from 5 yrs. until about their age. It was something I loved and enjoyed thoroughly. I wasn’t the size of a traditional ballerina nor did I have the grace of one. I advanced more in jazz and modern dance. I was slightly frustrated by the fact that I wasn’t as expressive or advanced as some of my mates. I had no idea why, if I wanted to do something, I wasn’t able to fully engage in it. I think my level plateau and I never found a method or worked hard enough to excel past my natural talent.

Such as life; but, it is a good time to discuss the natural advantage that people would have in advancing their dancing skills with the addition of yoga or pilates to their regimen or vice versa. Joseph Pilates (1881-1967) knew this when he created a way to strengthen the body, elongate muscles, improve health while working the mind and body in harmony.

For me, learning yoga after I danced was very interesting and enlightening. I found it was the tool that could have advanced my dancing. When you practice yoga you learn how to concentrate, control, breath, engage in that moment in that form. This is very necessary to make each movement, pose, step, action a deliberate and artistic one in dance. The zest in a dance performance is the energy in the form.

In yoga I found my energy. I found my focus. I found my form. Slowing the mind down to control the body and emotions. While every person does not struggle with the same set of challenges I believe a true dancer must have high skill levels in these areas naturally or trained.

Beyond the immediate benefits to a dancer, anyone can benefit from these forms of exercise because they are mental and physical forms that help create grace and perspective in life. A free spirit will know how to release their body and mind and move to the rhythm thereby building a connection to their spirit. Let your spirit shine!

If you have a girl that wants to study dance, find out more by contacting:

Lori A. Lahnemann
Director
The Philadelphia Dance Academy
232 S. Fourth Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215.922.2422

Head massages, Shiro Abhyanga, are a perfect end or beginning to any day. In the Ayurvedic medicinal system from India this treatment is said to maintain health and wellness. They can be given in the traditional way massaging the shoulders, (arms, hands), neck, scalp, face and ears. Also, a scalp massage can be incorporated into a body massage or even used as part of a self-healing modality.

I have long hair and because I am active and sweat a lot I tend to pull my hair back often. Because of this constant tying of the hair and restriction I felt at times my hair had become weak and fallen out excessively. Hearing my story, my friend recommended head massage and since then I have been doing scalp massages weekly in the shower. You can find many products that will help you in stores. Or you can make your own oil with the recipe I give you at the end of my post .

Hair loss can result from stress, illness, poor circulation, genetics or age. Head massages are a way to prevent or restrict hair loss. Not everyone will benefit from this practice; results will depends on how far along hair loss has developed before you begin the treatments, how often you engage in this massage, how thoroughly it is undertaken and your body’s unique composition.

A healthy scalp should be encouraged from childhood and head massage techniques can be taught to calm the mind, body and spirit.

I incorporate a head massage from time to time while teaching yoga and people love it! A nice head massage provides relaxation and eliminates fatigue from mental and physical stress. Working along the top three charkas it helps put the whole body in alignment.

Other benefits of head massages are increased energy and mental clarity and better sleep. As with any new practice give yourself time to repeat the process to experience all the benefit.

There are many different herbs you can add to your oil to promote healthy hair. Such as: the essential oil of rosemary, which is invigorating for the scalp or sandalwood, which is warming. Choose one of the two since they are not good in combination. Henna helps create shiny hair. Brahmi herbs help to revitalize nerves and brain cells.

You want to gather a few items for your head massage:

• Any kind of vegetable oil; such as: coconut, olive, almond or sesame. Sesame oil contains phosphorous and calcium that benefits the hair shaft and is the traditional oil used in India.
• Any of the herbs that were aforementioned
• Towel
• Low back chair

To Begin your Head Massage:

You want to sit up tall in the chair with the spine aligned properly.

The massage starts at the top of the crown using small, circular motions with your thumbs and fingers. You can apply varied pressures finding something suitable for you. Work your way slowly down and out each side of the skull. Go back to the top of the skull and keep moving down and out until the entire skull is invigorated.

Next, you can apply pressure with the base of the palms and then massage the temporal lobes which relaxes the senses of hearing and vision.

You can pull the hair from the root upward which loosens the scalp and increases the circulation at the scalp.

Next you would work down the base of the neck on both sides.

Continue with the shoulders, warming the trapezious muscles. Then you will move out along the arms and down into the hands.

*Take your time and massage with the intention of relaxation it will greatly increase the enjoyment and effectiveness of your massage.

*This can be a self-massage: you would use one hand for the opposite side at a time.

*Most treatments last about a half hour.

http://www.geocities.com/mistysounds/indianheadmassage.html

How many people consciously take time to address or open their hips, a gateway to the energy flow of your body? If you think about the crown as the top of the energy flow and the feet as the bottom, the natural middle is the hips. We want our energy to flow unobstructed from head to a toe, and back again, which enables blood, energy and oxygen to stimulate the body.

There is a lot going on when we talk about the hips. The hip joint affects the legs and the pelvis, the sacrum and tailbone. The hips join these two workhorses of our bodies. The hips make sure the legs track properly and that the spine is erected in a straight long fashion. This means we are kept in good form and order by having aligned, open hips.

Inherently hips are tight to maintain the delicate balance and mobility of our lives. We should keep that in mind when we begin to address our hips and attempt to increase their flexibility. When I first started practicing yoga I had no patience and I was very persistent to open my tight hips. It was a battle and I used force to try and win the feat. What I learned was there is no strong-arming your basic anatomy and eventually I tore a hip flexor by practicing kung fu kicks with inflexible joints.

Know that for every action there is a re-action. By the way, it takes about a year to fully repair a hip flexor. Not fun at all!

The smarter safer way to increase your flexibility and cultivate good chi (energy) throughout your body is to consciously, regularly return to your practice. Engage in those types of postures that address the body part that you want to work. Take time to send your breath energy (long, slow, controlled breaths) into the spaces where you are working. Release the tightness through your breath and mind being focused to that area. You can even visualize the hip, as you desire it.

If you can slowly allow the body to change and evolve you will be accomplishing patience and flexibility at the same time. Getting in tune with the rhythm of your body and allowing it to feel comfortable and safe enough to naturally open. This will make you more in harmony with what and how your body acts, responds and adapts as you create a deeper flow through your body.

Try these postures or forms:

Seated:

Cobbler’s Pose

Butterfly

Knee to Ankle

Pigeon

Standing:

Straddled Forward Bend

Triangle

Warrior Two