November Theme of the Month

Running on from last months Autumn theme of focusing on different parts of the body, for the next five weeks we will be focusing on other areas. Being able to slow down our practice and focusing our attention by stretching and strengthening various parts of the anatomy allows us for a deeper connection to our self.

When we are more connected and in tune with our own bodies we notice where we hold tension or tightness and where we need to strengthen and lengthen to keep our body healthy and moving with a full range of movement.

This month, just like where everything begins to slow down through Autumn and we move into a deeper and quieter state, our poses that focus on the lower part of the body such as the legs and hips help us to release and let go more.

In Chinese Medicine the organ of the body that is associated with the Autumn is the lungs. Practicing pranayama - yoga breathing helps to nourish and gently energise you. We will be focusing on equal part breathing and also extending the exhale. There will be time to work with a lovely meditation that I was taught on my training called the seven points of posture to really let us move inwards.

November - Autumn

Week 1 - Happy Hamstrings
Yoga poses to increase your hamstrings range of motion and strength. Help to release the hamstring muscles and increase leg flexibility and alleviate tightness as well as poses that strengthen the hamstrings. Incorporating yoga moves that both stretch and strengthen this area will allow you to stand taller and move with more grace.

Week 2 - Hips and Lower Back
Yoga poses to loosen the hips and relieve lower back pain. Many of us find our daily routines involve a lot of sitting down and when we have tight hips, we may also experience lower back pain. Allow yourself to loosen up your hips and release tension from your body.

Week 3 - Hips Flexors and Psoas
Long periods of sitting down or hunched over a computer can start to take a toll on your backs and your hips. The hip flexors can become tight and shorter during these moments. Through our yoga poses we can maintain balance, strength, and flexibility to keep our bodies healthy. An extra focus on poses that help to release the hip flexors and lengthen the psoas muscle.

Week 4 - Releasing Tightness in the Quads
Yoga poses to help release tightness in the quads muscles at the front of the thigh. Stretching the quads can help with your posture, help to prevent knee and back injury, release tightness in the lower back and can allow for deeper back bends.

Week 5 - Hips and Glutes
We will start off with poses that open up the hips with longer slower holds through floor-based poses and then work with poses that help to increase the muscular strength of the glutes. Strong glutes can support the low back, hips, and knees, stabilize the pelvis, and can create space around the hip flexors.

This Month’s Music

Here’s the usual selection of music that Vicky has been listening to this month.