YOga for sonja
This is your resource page (to access for up to 3 months from your Session) which contains all the information and resources you will need to begin a Home Practice and use Yoga as your Medicine for your Body.
I've tried to arrange it logically and simply, so on any given day/season/time in your life, you're able to know what might best suit your body/mind/spirit and create/curate a practice for you.
Recommendations for Beginning:
1. Create a space in your house ( even if its just a corner of the living room) with a nice little altar, ( fav things/feathers/rocks/photos o loved ones) some nice cushions, candles, incense.
This means all you need to do in the morning or evening is place your mat down and practice.
2. Commit to a certain time of day and make it non- negotiable. I find personally this works best.
3. Don't complicate things
After a few weeks you'll learn what feels best.
I recommend sticking to once practice for a bit/ one meditation type. I like 40 Days, as a Rule for a Sadhana ( personal practice commitment) and then you get to see the effect on yourself( your mind and body).
Above all, remember it's a work in. A never ending journey inward toward self. Source. Spirit.
.
start here.
After our Initial session I would Start here:
This pre- Sadhana Preparation will I think help to clarify and settle you. Providing a steady foundation from which to expand from.
1. Each Day Complete some morning gentle movement, spine- cat/cow, intuitive movement.
2. Complete the Sama Vritti Breath Practice. ( see recording ) MOVING into Repeating the Mantra SO HUM with your breath. ( I AM THAT, THAT I AM)
Inhale - SO
Exhale- HUM
4. Complete this Daily Yoga Nidra Practice: Best done before or after lunch but at least 1 hour away from meals time and not before bed.
5. Complete Daily Surfboard practice to help with relaxing/releasing tension in Psoas. Or Legs up on Chair
BUILDING A HOME PRACTICE
Building a home practice is like creating art. That's how I like to think of it. It's also like creating a prescription for your body.
From a traditional view point, we are using the Asana and Pranayama to clear and prepare the mind for Meditation. We are doing that by managing our energy/Our Vital Life Force (Prana)
full practice
1. Grounding/Landing
2. Pranayama
3. Asana
4. Savasana
5. Mantra
6. Prananayama
7. Meditation
My suggestion is to also ALWAYS include Nadhi Shodhana (Alternative Nostril Breath) its the most brilliant simply yet powerfully cleansing and balancing breath. Aim for 5mins of this a day.
shorter practice.
1. 5 Gentle Landing Breaths
2. Some Gentle Spinal Movement/joint movements or muscle activation.
3. Pranayama
4 Following my Meditation.
MANTRAS:
Are repeated 108 times traditionally. But that doesn't have to be the Case.
I like simple Mantras for repetition:
Such as OM ( on each exhale)
So Hum ( So on inhale, hum on exhale) I am that.
But you can also choose some other beautiful ones depending on what is happening in life at the moment:
Ie for Transition/New Beginnings: you could repeat Om Namah Shivaya ( the ode to the God of destruction/rebirth/preserve) Shiva)
or Om Gam Gananpate Namaha ( Ode to Ganesh, remover of Obstacles and for new beginnings.)
HERE Is a great little run down on some different Mantras.
And HERE is a great resource of a Book called Yoga & Ayurveda by Dr David Frawley., well worth the investment I think.