April Theme of the Month

The last few months we have been focusing on poses that have been slower, grounding and working with qualities such as releasing, letting go, surrendering and patience. As we are well into spring now you can already feel the change in the air. The mornings are crisper, the days are getting longer, and the weather is getting warmer. It’s a busy time at our allotment at the moment with seeds being planted and seedlings popping up here there and everywhere. We’ve been watching the ducks busy preparing making their nests. The trees are budding and blossoming and the snowdrops and daffodils are out. It’s like everywhere around us there are signs of life and energy. Spring is a time of growth, expansion and renewal which is an ideal opportunity in yoga to get everything moving.

The theme this month is a good time to start to bring in some of that new life into our bodies and our mind. Winter is more of a time of quiet contemplation, while spring is a time to plant seeds and plan for the future. Take a moment at the beginning of class to decide what seeds you are planting with your intentions. Further ways to help in moving into spring can include getting outside more now especially when the weather is good, refreshing your space at home like decluttering, cleaning or adding a vase of flowers and moving more if we spend a lot of our day sitting down.

This month we get to explore a different variation of the sun salutations, one that you may not have hear of before. The Egyptian sun salutation which I first heard of quite a few years ago when one of my classmates Mel did a class from my yoga teacher training. It’s one that is gently energising and a great sequence to do on its own if you have a short amount of time to practice. It’s also a good warm up and mobilises the body as it takes you through the six basic movements of the spine – forward folding, back bending, and side bending a twisting to each side. It’s a great alternative to the traditional sunsalutations if you struggle to transition up and down off the floor and suffer with knee or wrist issues. It’s always good to learn something new and we will move through this sequence each class as repetition is a great way to learn, remember and grow. Hope you enjoy it.

Poses and practices that are great for the spring months including twisting poses to release what we don’t need and increase some energy in the abdomen which relates to the fire element. Backbends to bring in some vitality energy, side bends to bring in space and expansion and strength and core work in yoga to feel focused and energised. Standing poses to bring strength and energy to our legs. Poses that require some strength in our muscles especially the core will be explored so expect to see some traditions planks, forearm planks and side planks and variations.

Step Into Spring…

Week 1 – Awakening
move through poses designed to release tension, activate the body, and prepare you for the season of spring. Let the body wake up with energising movement and breathe fresh life into the body. Lots of side body openers and focus on how good it feels to stretch, open and lengthen to find space in the body. Awaken your mind, body and senses through this blend of movement, breathing and mindfulness.

Week 2 – Spring Renewal
Spring brings renewal, and our yoga practice is a great way to help your mind and body be balanced and aligned. Springtime is often about cleansing the old and nourishing the new. Backbends and chest and shoulder openers are great poses to work with as they open us up to new space and energy.

Week 3 – Lengthen & Twist
Lengthen and Twist – Yoga twist poses are often like spring cleaning for the body and can help us feel light again. Through twists we can lengthen the space and create space between the bones allowing our energy to flow better and can even give us an instant lift.

Week 4 – Embracing Change
Embrace the change of season with yoga and see the beauty in change, which is part of life. A mindful practice to bring about body/mind balance. Connect to the calm, quiet, centred space in the midst of it all. Core connection and strength allows us to find our physical and inner strength. Poses like balances also help us to find stability amidst the changing energy of spring.

Week 5 – Transformation & Grow
Spring’s renewal and yoga’s path of the journey of transformation, reminds us that with patience and practice, beauty unfolds. Everything changes constantly and with it we can let go of what no longer serves us and transform and surrender to change. Practices poses like standing poses, balances, twists and backbends to feel rejuvenated and refreshed.

Related Videos

Creating Space
Invigorate Body & Mind
Lengthen To Twist
Spring Into Yin
Yoga For Spring

This Month’s Music

Here’s a selection of the music Vicky has been enjoying this month.