If you’re a yoga devotee, you’re probably intimately familiar with Shavasana (also Savasana, or the corpse pose). You do it at the end of every yoga session, and the rule of thumb is typically five minutes of Shavasana for every 30 you’ve spent practicing other yoga poses. So if you do a 30-minute session of yoga five times a week, that’s at least 25 minutes of Shavasana. When you’re spending so much time in one pose, wouldn’t you like to make sure that it’s as close to perfection as possible?

You might think that the corpse pose is pretty self-explanatory, and it is – but to truly perfect this pose, it takes a little bit more than playing dead. Practice, more heightened concentration, and awareness of the pose’s goal can help you experience the incredible benefits of a perfect Shavasana pose. To get started, check out the following suggestions for improving your corpse pose.

Finding the Perfect Position

Going by the name, a corpse pose would have you simply lie on your back as if you were dead. Easy enough, but it’s tougher than it sounds. To begin Shavasana, sit on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat against the floor, and lean back as you use your forearms to guide your torso down to the floor so that you’re flat on your back. Slide one leg straight out, leading with the heel, as you inhale slowly andexhale. Extend the other leg and arch your back slightly. Now, soften your thigh muscles and allow your legs to turn slightly outward into a natural pose that doesn’t require you to hold any muscles taut. Soften your lower back, but don’t allow it to touch the floor. You want to retain a soft, natural curve in your spine. If you’re having trouble with this, use a bolster to find the curve and remove it when you’re confident that you can retain the curve on your own. Once you’re comfortable in this initial position, you’re ready to move on.

Focusing onAlignment

Try to keep your body symmetrical with your left and right sides reflecting each other along the mid-line of your torso. To get your head in the game, take hold of it with both hands and gently lift it away from the back of your neck. Keep your ears at equal distances from your shoulders – this will help you stay symmetrical along your mid-line. As you support your head with your hands or a folded blanket, try to release your spine and relax it from the base of your skull down to your tailbone.

Using Your Arms and Surface Area

Reach your arms up to the ceiling, perpendicular to the floor, as you rock gently from side to side. The purpose of this is to broaden your back by moving the ribs and shoulder blades away from the spine, giving you the sensation of having more surface area between you and the floor. This will help you feel rock solid as you fully relax your body. Allow your arms to find a natural position at your sides, equally angled away from your mid-line, with the palms facing up. Keep your shoulder blades firmly but gently pressed against the floor, allowing your collarbones to spread open and your chest to expand.

Silencing Your Sense Organs

Your sense organs are always at work, but in Shavasana, it’s important to try to silence them and participate in total relaxation. You can start at the top of your head and work downward, relaxing your eye and facial muscles, your inner ear canals, and nostrils. To become more aware of the stress you’re holding in your nose, try flaring your nostrils and then actively relaxing them. Now, soften the root of your tongue and release the tension in your jaw. If your teeth are gritted at this point, work to soften your jaw muscles and your tongue will naturally relax during this process. Any muscle groups that are still taut should be tensed and deliberately released. Trouble spots can include the shoulders, neck, face, back, and jaw, so make sure that these parts of your body are entirely relaxed.

Breathing and Mental Relaxation

There aren’t any specific breathing tricks to learn for Shavasana. Just observe your breath as if you were outside of your body and become aware of its natural rhythm. Focusing on this simple act of respiration will allow you to relax your mind, releasing any stresses or concerns you might have and eliminating thoughts of what you’ll have to do when you’ve finished your yoga session. Let your breath guide you within the moment of Shavasana and exclude the world as you know it. Detach yourself from your body and watch your thoughts slowly dissipate, enabling you to enter a state of total relaxation. No matter what you do, treat Shavasana as a pose that deserves your full concentration just as much as the toughest handstand. You’ll be rewarded with the perfect ending to your yoga session.

Bio: Alexis Bonari is currently a resident blogger at College Scholarships, where recently she’s been researching scholarships for ice hockey students as well as student loan forbearance. Whenever this WAHM gets some free time she enjoys doing yoga, cooking with the freshest organic in-season fare, and practicing the art of coupon clipping.

Photo: Public Domain
URL: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3469/3908380242_97fb2ffa61.jpg

If you had the chance to design and then enjoy a weekend retreat that was tailored to your own needs and preferences, what would it look like? Would you want to be in a beautiful place, eat wonderful healthy food, to get to know the natural environment of ocean and mountains? Would you want to meditate and have personalized restorative yoga sessions? Would you want to end your evening with the most amazing bodywork you will ever experience? Does that sound better than the usual spa experience where m

ost of your time will be spent inside and eating food that is cooked for multiple guests? Having been to many spas in different parts of the country, my recent weekend at Soma Get Fit was in a different league entirely and far surpasses all my other experiences. Here’s why: For starters, the staff spends considerable time before you arrive to develop a personalized itinerary and menu. They want to know what priorities you have, be it cardio/aerobic, yoga and meditation, hiking, biking, kayaking or other water sports. Once that is established, they develop a schedule that integrates the extraordinary natural environment of Santa Barbara into your entire exper

ience. I biked in town, stopped at a number of beautiful parks where Karen led me and my friend Marlo in Yoga sessions. Scott and Karen took is on an amazing hike into the hills of Romero Canyon where the views and flowers were terrific. We visited a soothing Buddhist temple, which allowed us to appreciate silence and some time for reflection and more. Karen guided us on our kayaking trip in the harbor and educated us about the marine biology of the area.

We went to the Farmer’s Market with our personal chef Lys Poet where we picked out the produce that she transformed into a 4 star meals. Each evening ended with Scott Crawford giving us each the most amazing 2 hours of bodywork. His talent must come from the Gods. His work is magical and you won’t want your session to end.

The activities, the setting, the food and the tone all contribute to this unique experience. But the essential quality of the Soma Get Fit stems from its people. They are invested in creating experiences for their guests that change body and mind. Their goal is to facilitate personal transformations that their guests have envisioned for themselves. They come to you without judgment, they don’t have preconceptions and they really want to “be there” for their guests. They are gentle but determined that the time you spend at Soma Get Fit will mean something, both while you are there and after you leave. The only drawback to this entire experience is that you have to leave. I for one will go back as soon as I can.

Do you know the difference between Yoga and Pilates?  If your answer is no, you aren’t alone.  Over the years as a Pilates Instructor I’ve been asked by friends “how’s yoga going.”   Today that question makes sense as I’m in the middle of a yoga certification.  However, for the past 7 years while I’ve only been teaching Pilates, the question would make me laugh.  Then I sometimes get “what’s the difference between the two”?  My go to answer for years was “think of yoga as mind/body and Pilates as body/mind.”  It seems a little simplistic to me today, but until recently I didn’t really know how to give a more in depth answer.  Now many years into teaching Pilates, practicing yoga, and being immersed in a yoga certification, I feel I can answer with more substance.   Happily I’ve also come to realize that the two compliment one another quite nicely.

While there might be a few similarities between Pilates and yoga, like the obvious increased strength and flexibility, at the core they are quite different.  Pilates has only been around for about 100 years, while yoga with much more spiritual and meditative aspects dates back at least 5,000 years.  Pilates uses apparatus with springs to give bodies the resistance they are unable to find on their own when doing the mat work.  Yoga is all done on a mat, with props and walls used when needed.  I’m so grateful to those walls as they’ve saved me with my inversions on a number of occasions.  Peter Fiasca wrote in his book, Discovering Pure Classical Pilates, “Although some of the postures of yoga may resemble those found in Pure Classical Pilates, it is in the emphasis and execution that one discovers their distinct differences.”  The classical approach to Pilates keeps bodies moving from one exercise to the next with breath being important and core always a constant focus.   Where as yoga poses might be held for many minutes at a time while perfecting the alignment and focusing on breath.  The breath is also linked to movement.  Many  yoga teachers like to have students set an intention in a yoga class and carry that through until the end of class.  Pilates is an all over workout, but the strength starts at the core.  While yoga touches on the core in some of its poses, it definitely isn’t the main focus.

When I started doing Pilates it was because I thought it was similar to yoga but better.  I tried yoga when I was in college and I have the distinct memory of laughing my way through the class with my friends.  It’s funny to think about that now as yoga has become just as important to me as Pilates is.  Honestly I can’t imagine not having either modality in my life.  Pilates might have helped me get to yoga, but I wouldn’t be able to practice yoga the way I do without my Pilates background.  Anyone with experience in Pilates knows the core is the primary focus, but this is not the case with yoga.  Although, recently I have had some yoga teachers do ab work in their classes.  It seems they are beginning to realize the importance of core strength.  I’m convinced that my inversions, which at times are still tricky, haven’t been as hard for me in my yoga training as they have been for my fellow trainees, because of my core strength and understanding.  This goes both ways though.  My mid-back and shoulders tend to get tight and standing over people all day teaching doesn’t help.  I look forward to that first moment in yoga when I get to extend and twist my spine.  I can’t say I love the deep shoulder stretches we do, but I can completely appreciate what they’re doing for me.  There is plenty of extension work in Pilates, but yoga just goes that much deeper.

So for all you yogi’s out there wanting to move your practice forward, why not try Pilates.  And for all you hard core Pilates fanatics, take a stab at yoga and see if you can increase your extension or twists.  If you haven’t tried either, I hope you now have a better understanding of the differences between the two and will pick at least one to add into your workout routine.   I’m a firm believer of cross-training as muscles can be like people and get bored.  Mix it up and have fun!  Take note that there are many styles of yoga and Pilates out there  (another topic for another time) and finding the right style for you is important.

Kristen Matthews teaches Pilates in Los Angeles, and is currently going through Yogaposer’s 200-hour yoga certification.  You can follow Kristen on twitter or become a fan on facebook.  To read more about where she teaches go to www.kristen4pilates.com.

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Check out this interview on how Santa Barbara locals including our Karen Keltner are celebrating Earth Hour.

]]> http://somagetfit.com/blog/2010/04/06/somas-karen-keltner-shares-her-tips-for-earth-hour/feed/ 0 http://somagetfit.com/blog/2010/03/02/try-surf-and-turf-soma-style/ http://somagetfit.com/blog/2010/03/02/try-surf-and-turf-soma-style/#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:20:20 +0000 scrawford http://somagetfit.com/blog/?p=960 Surf and Turf’s up with Stand up Paddle Surfing with Pro Kite Surfer Chris Gutzeit followed by Hatha Yoga with Karen Ketlner on beautiful Leadbetter Beach.  Starting in April this bootcamp is sure to sell out fast.  Call 805-689-8326

We loved hosting Chill Out LA for a Press to Impress Retreat Package. See what they had to say in their review:

http://www.chilloutla.com/chill-out-la/getaways/

Check out our most recent press in the daily healthy online magazine Vital Juice.

We hosted the LA editorial team here for one of our weekend retreats and they absolutely loved it.

Click below to read the full review and save 20% off your next retreat.

http://vitaljuice.com/entry_detail/la/1037

by Karen Keltner

It is a new year, new decade, and new time to create, declare, or reconstitute any resolutions, dreams, inspirations and changes that you may want and desire, but as every year or moment comes and passes it is always a new opportunity for being present. As most of us strive for change, to achieve goals, or sometimes to be other than where we are right now, essentially all we want is a fulfilled life- health, love, connection, friends, family, etc. But how about taking on the challenge this year of being present and rather than wanting more or better allowing yourself, your “yogi” self, to

see yourself (and maybe others) accurately!

How do you see your yogi self accurately? What does that even mean? Think of it as an increased self-awareness in the present in order to reach an expansion of desired fulfillment, dreams and or change.

A monk living in the 12th century once put it this way:

“When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town so I tried to change my family. Now, as an old man, I realized the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realized that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation, and I could indeed have changed the world.”

How many times while on the yoga mat have you peaked over to a fellow yogi and wished your warrior III, side plank, or half moon was more or better? What does your mind tell you about yourself? Judgments? Well what if the practice of seeing your poses or yogi self accurately with self-awareness was your first step towards change, and that practice of self awareness expanded to the change that you can have in the world?!

Seeing yourself accurately and without blame, excuses, self-doubt or so on can be hard work, especially when patience steps in the way of being present and change does not happen automatically. So here is a mantra to manifest a path around the obstacles that may stand in the way of balance, strength, endurance, breath, mindfulness or just simply life.

Om Gum Ganapatayei Namaha

Om Guhm Guh-nuh-puh-tuh-yea
Nah-mah-hah

Translation :Om and salutations to Ganapati (Ganesha)

Online Sound Sample: Thomas Ashley-Farrand is the author of Healing Mantras and Shakti Mantras http://www.amazon.com/Om-Gum-Ganapatayei-Namaha/dp/B000QWIRC0

This mantra is a sound meditation that is chanted to start new endeavors with positive, present energy while removing, letting go of any obstacles that are in the way of seeing your yogi self accurately! So chant, meditate, dream, and yogi on for the New Year!

About Author: Karen Keltner is a photographer, marine biologist, yogini, pilates instructor and  SOMA GET FIT Retreat Specialist.

by Jennifer Lynn

Our joints are places in the body where two parts come together in a way that creates mobility, more freedom and possibility. Relationships in life are meant to do the same; bring two parts together to create a third life-enhancing energy. However, if the nature of the parts are not understood and honored, the relationship will not be effective and can often become damaging. By understanding the nature of our joints we can honor them with conscious movement and continue enjoying the freedom they are designed to give us. When we create healthy connections in our bodies and feel the goodness of that, we will naturally begin to do the same in our relationships with others.

Let’s deepen our understanding of our joints. Joints are designed for mobility, not stability. Our muscles are meant to keep us stable, not joints. Yet, often we “dump into” our joints. Over time this will compress our joints and weaken our muscles. Not a healthy combination. This is what causes joints to fall out of alignment and get locked in misaligned positions causing uneven wear, degeneration and pain. With yoga we can reverse these unconscious patterns. First we must understand the “home position” or optimal alignment of our joints. From there we see which muscles need to be stretched and which need to be strengthened in order to support the joint in that home position. Finally we learn to move without uprooting our joints from their optimal alignment. Keeping joints rooted in optimal alignment allows the articular surfaces to glide evenly. Keeping joints hugged with muscles allows us to reach without unplugging and, in fact, allows us to decompress the joints. Think about it. If one group of muscles is rooting your upper arm bone into the shoulder girdle while another group reaches your forearm and hand away from the shoulder, you are creating space in the joint capsule. Again, this triple action of aligning joints, hugging into the alignment then lifting up out of the joint creates healthy connections. Let’s apply this to the major joints of the body; the shoulders and hips.

The shoulder joint is the intersection of three bones; the upper arm bone, the shoulder blade and the collar bone. The head of the upper arm bone is ball-shaped. On the outer edge of the shoulder blade there is a bowl-shaped depression meant to hold the head of the upper arm bone. In optimal alignment, the head of the upper arm bone stays snuggled against this depression and glides evenly across it. However, most of us allow our shoulder heads to slump forward. Not only does this move the head of the upper arm bone away from its home position, it also pulls the shoulder blades off the upper back causing the upper spine to round. You’ve seen this slumped posture in many people and perhaps in yourself as well. It can become habitual and our muscles lock into misalignment causing our joints to move in a damaging way. Each of us is responsible for recognizing our unconscious habits and empowering ourselves to wake up and heal. Again the metaphor is clear; when we dump into relationships/joints and expect them to keep us stable we give away our power and freedom and we can cause damage. Let’s get clear on how not to do that in the shoulders.

Again the shoulder joint is the three-way intersection of the head of the upper arm bone with the shoulder blade and the collar bone. When one of those bones move, the others move too. This is good news. It means with awareness of the shoulder head (head of the upper arm bone) we can align the whole kit-n-caboodle. In order to get big movement in the shoulders, we need slack. If the upper arm bones are pulling down away from the ears we tighten the tendons around the shoulder. Do that now and feel what I mean. Pull your upper arm bones down hard and feel what is happening across the top of your shoulders. Keep pulling them down and try to move them back behind you. You can’t get much movement and it feels like crap, right? Okay, now, sit tall and inhale, lift your armpits (like a gentle shrug). Keep the armpits floating and move the head of your upper arm bones back and your upper chest forward. Do it again, exaggerating the movements. Can you feel how free your neck gets? Aligning the shoulders will free your neck and help you lengthen your spine. So aligning your shoulders this way should be a habit you get into in your postures and throughout your day. Use the mantra “Inhale float the armpits, exhale, arm bones back, heart forward”. Try this in different arm positions. With the arms over head, you will be drawing the armpits back away from your field of vision and moving your heart towards it.

When your shoulders are optimally aligned, your shoulder blades will be on your upper back. Let your awareness go to the bottom tips of the shoulder blades and draw them close to your spine. Feel the muscles that make that happen. You want to flex those often, get them strong. They are essential to keeping the shoulders rooted in optimal alignment as you move. Now try this: keeping your shoulder blade tips “pinned” to your spine, lift your arms. Can you feel how you have to struggle to get your arms up without uprooting? That’s a good thing. We are so used to uprooting the shoulders to lift the arms or reach with the hands that it feels very odd when we say “no” to uprooting. But we must be adamant about keeping the healthy connection as we move. If we practice this enough we integrate it and it becomes the natural way we move.

So your homework for healthy connection in the shoulders is to move through your day keeping your shoulder blades on your upper back; the bottom tips narrowed into the spine and the top edges broad. Okay, you won’t be able to do this every minute of the day, but do your best and notice the unconscious habits that pull you out of healthy connection and be willing to balance them. Let’s move onto the hips.

Your hip joint is where the ball-shaped head of your thigh bone tucks into a socket in your pelvis. If the ball at the top of your thighbone is snuggled deep into the socket, the joined surfaces roll evenly across each other. This is a healthy connection. However, if the ball is pushed forward, pressure is concentrated at the front of the ball and the front edge of the socket and they wear down quickly creating joint degeneration. Our habit of dumping into our hip joints not only pushes the head of the thighbone forward it also compresses the joint. Dumping into the hip joint means we shove our groins forward. You might notice your tendency to do this when you stand facing a counter or when you are holding a child or bag of groceries. Not only does this habit compromise the hip joint, it also compresses the low back. Now there is motivation for creating healthy connections in the hip joints. Let’s explore how to do that.

In order to seat the hip sockets, we move the head of the thighbones back (toward the hamstrings). This will soften the groins and make you feel like you are sticking your butt out. That’s okay. We’ll balance that by tucking the tip of the tailbone under to draw the pit of the abdomen up and back. Hook the tailbone down without shoving the groins forward. This dynamic dual action keeps the hips integrated and creates a lifting feeling through the low belly. Learning to keep the thighbones back and the tailbone hooking forward, you will stop the habit of dumping into the hips and empower your core to keep your stable and centered.

In addition to saving the joints themselves, aligning the hips and shoulders will greatly benefit the spine. When the hips are properly seated, we have a strong lumbar curve. When the shoulder blades are on the upper back, our thoracic spine (the part that is attached to our ribs) is deep in our bodies and can help with extension. Aligning the hips and shoulders will improve your posture and give you a light and floating feeling as you move.

With awareness and practice we can integrate these healthy habits into our postures and the way we move through the world.  May the healthy connections in our bodies inspire us to make healthy connections with each other and our beautiful planet.

Jennifer Lynn teaches Wisdom Flow Yoga on Maui.  info@YogawithJenniferLynn.com