Have you ever walked down the street, passed a stranger, looked into their eyes, glimpsed, and recognised something, but you didn’t know what? Deep down, it felt expansive, honest; there was a connection. I recently watched a cookery programme, the presenter was in France, and he commented how the place he was visiting had not lost its soul; its roots were deep, and you could feel, see and taste it all around. This got me thinking about how yoga has a reputation for connecting people to a space, a place within themselves that feels like time has slowed down. You can peer through the keyhole, breathe, reconnect, root and ground down. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you are, how stiff you are or what kind of a day you’ve had; yoga is always there to help your mind, body and soul. By threading postures together through physical movement and breath control, you begin to calm and focus the mind, relax and stretch the body and peel back the layers of your day, your life; you begin to notice the immense and all-important now.

PRANAMASANA
Praying Pose

This is a powerful grounding pose. With your socks off, stand at the top of your mat, your feet hip-width apart. Place your hands in prayer position/Anjali Mudra. Take a deep breath in; as you exhale, press your palms together, keep your elbows active and draw your awareness down to your feet, pressing them firmly into your mat. Focus on the soles of your feet touching the mat, and whilst standing tall and strong, surrender to the pose through your breath and awareness. Breathe deeply, slow and steady and take a moment to be grateful for someone or something. This pose prepares your mind and body for your practice. It activates the heart’s chakra, centres and grounds your energy and brings awareness and focus to the here and now.

VRKSASANA
Tree Pose

Standing tall and strong like a tree, growing upwards and rooting downwards. After practising three rounds of Sun Salutations A and B, come to the top of your mat with your feet hip-width apart. Bring your hands into Anjali Mudra/prayer position, press your thumbs into your heart Marma point, gaze forward, root down through the feet, inhale and place your left foot on the inside of your right calf or thigh; as you exhale, lengthen though the crown of your head whilst rooting down keeping your pelvis in a neutral position. If you are a beginner, you can hold onto a chair or wall, anything stable to help you. Stay for three deep breaths and then change sides. You can lift your arms up and bring your palms together over your head if you want. This pose stretches, strengthens and lengthens the muscles in the legs, hips, back, arms, shoulders and core. It calms and relaxes the mind and body, bringing awareness and focus; it improves flexibility and range of motion and prepares the body for more challenging standing poses.

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