Helios Yoga Instructor, Tamara Yasin takes us through five top tips to connect back to yourself; whenever you need to relax or refocus, these techniques will leave you feeling restored and ready to take on the world.
1. Soft Belly Breathing - Breathe slowly and deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth with the belly soft and relaxed. Expand your belly on your inhale breath and relax it even more on your exhale breath. If you feel your mind wandering you can say to yourself "Soft" as you inhale and "Belly" as you exhale to focus your thoughts. If time allows practice for 10-12 minutes to fully relax the body, quieten the mind and activate the vagus nerve (the antidote to our fight-or-flight stress response). Bonus tip - Practice before bed for a great sleep.
2. Walking Meditation - Step outside and take a walk in nature even if that's just your local park for at least 20 minutes, take time to walk slowly (a quarter of your normal pace). Notice, thoughts, feelings and sensations as your walk all the way down to your foot falling on the ground. Observe your surroundings and take everything in as if for the first time - every leaf, branch and rock. Feel appreciation and gratitude for the natural world and the power of nature to relax and rejuvenate. Being in nature can help connect us to our true nature, a place of infinite peace, inner wisdom and wholeness. Time can also slow down in nature, which never rushes and can teach us patience and trust that everything is happening and unfolding in perfect time. Bonus tip - Walk barefoot if your environment allows to cultivate even stronger connection to the earth.
3. Legs up against Wall - Find a wall and bring your seat bones up against it whilst extending your legs vertically upwards against the wall at a 90-degree angle, extend your arms out horizontally in line with your shoulders. I love to do this at the end of the day to wind down before bed or at any moment to relieve stress for 10 minutes. This gentle and restorative inversion takes the weight off our legs, is beneficial for circulation and lymphatic drainage and stimulates our parasympathetic nervous system (rest and relaxation mode). Bonus tip - Place a pillow horizontally under your hips for extra comfort.
4. Sleeping Swan Stretch - Bring 1 leg forward taking the knee between the hands to 90 degrees or diagonally if knees are sensitive, keeping the front foot flexed. This pose, which is also beneficial for the lower back, can help release tension in the hips which are a powerful reservoir for emotional tension, especially the piriformis (fight/flight muscle). The more we can relax and release tension in the body through gentle stretching the more we can let go of mental tension and release negative thoughts and limiting beliefs that no longer serve us and cause stress. Breathe into the pose for 2-3 minutes and concentrate your mind on the mantra "Let" as you inhale and "Go" as you exhale.
5. Solfeggio Frequencies - Sound and music possess incredible power to change our emotional state. I like to listen to Solfeggio Frequencies in particular, which are electromagnetic musical tones to penetrate the conscious and subconscious mind and promote relaxation. Find a comfortable space to sit or lie and dim the lights as you listen, closing or covering your eyes.. They can be found in abundance by searching on youtube.
Connect with Tamara at one of the Helios Retreats in 2021. Book your spot today, limited spaces available.