June Blooms: Movement Challenge + Yoga for Spring at the MPL continues...

 

June is here, the month that leads us into summer! With all the rain we have had, my garden is blooming. With all that is going on in the world, I look to the flowers to bring me hope, cheer, and positivity. The sight and smell of flowers naturally trigger the release of 'feel-good' neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. Flowers can lower stress, anxiety, and agitation, I like to call it my garden therapy. For me, nature and movement go hand in hand. I love being outside and find beauty in the changing seasons. The inspiration deepens when I look closer and find connections in the way I want to move day to day. The energy of each season brings a shifting awareness to my mind and body that I've been sharing in my weekly classes. There is an upward momentum to the season of spring, from root to stem to leaves and blossoms, I find similarities in nature to the way I share my yoga practice. 

For me, it's all connected. 

Extended Side Angle Pose Utthita Parsvakonasana

utthita ~ extended/stretched parsva ~side kona ~angle asana ~pose/posture

The side bend in this pose is one of reaching, lengthening, and expansion. Like the climbing green ivy, flowering clematis, or unfurling fern, the body grows toward a source of energy, with a strong and balanced center carried by the breath.

This month, I'm sharing extended side angle pose and the functional movements of push and pull. Extended side angle pose is a foundational standing posture and lunge variation that builds strength in the legs, opens the hips, and stretches the entire side body. This pose creates stability and spaciousness, with a focus on alignment and softening, the breath opens the rib cage, further extending the stretch into the waist and shoulders. This pose is one of action, reaching, lifting, and lengthening with a firm, grounded foot base. Enjoy this pose as you connect to your breath before switching sides. 

Supported extended side angle pose with the use of a block or a chair provides options and accessibility. Adding in arm and shoulder mobilization with the addition of a hand weight creates an opportunity to work on the functional movements of pushing and pulling. Push and pull are movement patterns that allow you to lift, carry, and reach for objects. Pushing motions move a load away from your torso and pulling motions draw a load toward your body. See the videos below for details on how to add intentional push/pull movements into this yoga pose. 

My previous 'Movement Challenges' start here. As each month passes, this collection of yoga poses and functional movements are slowly growing, allowing creative opportunity to tie them together for a short, daily, mobility routine. My current yoga teaching schedule is below.

Yoga for Spring at the Melrose Public Library

Yoga for Spring will explore the connection of moving with the breath, from lying down poses to transitional sitting/kneeling poses into standing poses with a focus on strength and balance. Classes are free and open to all to join.

Weekly in-person yoga classes:

Wednesday Chair Yoga (10a-10:45a) at the Melrose YMCA.

Thursday Mat Yoga (8:45a-9:45a) + Chair Yoga (10:00a-10:45a) at the Milano Senior Center.

FREE yoga videos on YouTube

FREE guided meditations on Insight Timer

One of my favorite ways to connect to nature is to spend quality time pressing my feet into the earth. It only takes a few minutes to pause, breathe, and feel into the benefits of earthing or grounding to reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm.