Christmas hols flow

SIMPLE AND ACTIONABLE
I’ve written lots of articles with sequences for Chritsmas  and New Years over the years. From The ultimate Christmas flow and Christmas mini flows to Step gently into the New Year and Mini flows for 2020. This year I’m going to keep it really simple and give you a sequence which includes all my favourite techniques I’ve been using recently in my own practice, my classes and with my private students. I’ll keep it short and sweet and divide it into a few different sections to make it easier for you to proactively make time to step on your mat to do the full sequence or to pick and chooses some of the different techniques if you are short on time or just need an SOS moment to yourself before you resume your festivities. Just a few minutes to yourself makes all the difference to help you enjoy your Chritsmas hols. 

MY FAVOURITE TECHNIQUES
We know that doing yoga makes us feel good physically and mentally. It increases our mobility and strength, helps with good posture and balance and even reminds us to breathe better. Along with yoga poses I love to add MFR (myofascial release), pranayama (breathwork) & restorative poses (relaxation) to my practice. By using this multi faceted approach I ensure that I am optimising my time on my mat in a holistic way. Pranayama and MFR are quick and potent tools for stress relief while restorative yoga can be used to build an adaptable nervous system and rewire the brain's response to stress. Pranayama breathwork is the fastest way to reduce stress. It has a very immediate effect on mood and energy – increased breath rate is invigorating and energising, while decreasing breath rate is calming and relaxing. It can also be used to manage pain by stimulating the relaxation response and reducing our ability to feel the sensation of pain. MFR has many benefits but is used mainly to increase range of movement and ease aches and pains. It also stimulates receptors under the skin called ruffinis that initiate our relaxation response and can be used at the end of the day to help switch off in preparation for sleep. Restorative is considered the king of all yoga when it comes to stress resilience. It is a relaxation practice that turns down the dial on the stress response and helps you consciously relax. By practising restorative poses you teach the nervous system to recognise and deal with stress in your everyday life. When stress is reduced the body can focus on the functionality of the immune, respiratory, cardiovascular and endocrine systems. Helping the body as it strives for balance.

EXPLORING CHRISTMAS HOLS FLOW IN YOUR PRACTICE
This sequence starts with a pranayama practice as described below. You also have the option to do the pranayama at the end of your practice if you prefer. This sequence has an outer hip focus so you will start with MFR on the outer hips and the glutes, as detailed below, to prepare the area and allow you to feel and access its strength as you flow through the standing flows. The second and third row are the two main standing flows. In row two you will step the right leg forward first, do the full flow and then repeat it with the left leg forward. Do the same for the second flow in row three. The final row starts with MFR on the shoulders as detailed below to help initiate the relaxation part of your practice. Followed by two gentle two pose flows and two restorative poses. Practice the whole sequence or mix and match sections to meet your changing demands over festive period.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Below are the pranayama, MFR and restorative techniques used in this sequence. The props you’ll need are:
2 x MFR balls - or 2 tennis balls.
1 x bolster - or 2 towels, wrapped around a horizontally rolled pillow and tied to secure.
2 x yoga blankets - or any wool, thick cotton or fleece blanket with density.

Pranayama
Sit in a comfortable position – cross legged, sitting up on a brick or straddling a bolster.  Inhale for the count of 4, exhale for the count of 4 x 3 rounds. Inhale for the count of 4, pause for 2, exhale for the count of 4, pause for 2 x 3 rounds. Inhale for the count of 4, pause for 4, exhale for the count of 4, pause for 4 x 3 rounds. 

MFR
No.1 - Hips (gluteus medius)
Compression - from side lying up on your forearm, stack  2 x balls behind your frontal hip bone on your outer hip, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths.
Sheer - slowly lift and lower your leg x 5.
Roll & cross fibre - roll up and down on your outer hip.

No.2 - Glutes (gluteus maximus & piriformis)
Compression - from supine with knees bent, place 2 x balls in the centre of each buttock muscle, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths.
Sheer - slowly lift and lower one knee at a time towards your chest x 5. Place your right foot on your left knee and lower and lift your right knee.
Roll & cross fibre - roll around the whole buttocks area.

No.3 - Shoulders (trapezius & supraspinatus)
Compression - from supine with knees bent, place 2 x balls in the centre of each upper shoulder, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths.
Sheer - slowly circle arms overhead and back to the ground x 5. 

Restorative
No.1 - Supported childs
Come into a kneeling position with your hips on your heels. Nestle a bolster between your knees, vertically along your mat with a folded blanket on the far end. Place your hands either side of the bolster. With an inhale lengthen through the whole spine and on an exhale gently place your front spine along the centre of the bolster. Place your right cheek on the bolster. Feel the breath in the back of the ribs and lungs. Swap to your left cheek half way through the pose.

No.2 - Mountain brook
Half roll a four fold blanket and place it at the top of your mat. Accordion fold the other blanket and place it below your top blanket where your shoulder blades will lie. Place the bolster towards the bottom of your mat where your knees will be. Lie supine on your back, nestle the rolled part of the top blanket in the curve of your neck, place the accordion folded blanket under the lower tips of your shoulder blades and the bolster under the creases of your knees. Legs and arms extended, palms facing up, feet fall out to the side. Feel the rise and fall of the props supporting your back body.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.
Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Morning routines

SETTING A PRECEDENT
Starting your morning with a solid foundation to build on will set you up for a productive and enjoyable day ahead. The predictability of kicking into a familiar morning routine is very soothing for the nervous system and eases you into the day's activities. Putting aside time for yourself in the morning gives you a sense of personal space and fulfilment beyond work and deadlines and helps you value your down time. For most of us the morning is a set amount of time. When you set yourself a certain number of routines to get done in that time you need to be quite particular about how long each task takes. Establishing a routine makes you more disciplined and organised and helps with time management too. These important skills will help you feel less stressed and more in control of your day.

Some elements to your morning routine are personal preferences – like eating brekkie or fasting till later, having a tea or coffee ritual, meditation or journaling. Other elements are universally recognised recommendations – like starting the day with some sort of movement, hydrating first thing, going to bed and getting up at the same time everyday, getting natural light within the first hour of waking. Some of the world's most successful people have a no compromise morning routine including rituals like exercise, walking the dog, coffee rituals and meditation.

WHERE DO YOU START?
Be realistic about how much you can fit into your morning before your day starts or your routine will quickly become a source of stress. Stick with a simple routine for a few weeks, and if you have time, you can add another element to your routine. You can start with really simple tasks like ritually making your bed in the morning as soon as you get up or planning your day ahead to start the day off smoother and calmer. A morning routine starts the night before by getting to bed at a time that will allow you to get between 7 to 8 hours sleep. Don’t be tempted to scroll on your phone in the hours before bed, it reduces your deep sleep which is the period of sleep where your brain replenishes and your immune system strengthens. Try not to have weekend lie-ins, it has been scientifically proven that they are a fallacy. You can’t catch up on missed sleep at the weekend, it actually throws off your circadian rhythm and makes you even more tired on a Monday. Planning some self care into your morning ensures that you get your daily fix of ‘me time’ which will stand to you for the day ahead. Pick a few of the following morning routine suggestions, start modest and add as you get into the rhythm of you new rituals:

• Wake up and get up at the same time, no snooze buttons!

• Make your bed.

• Drink a glass of room temperature water.

• Meditation.

• Journaling.

• Breathwork.

• Exercise, yoga!

• Sunlight.

• Cold shower if you are brave enough!

• Plan your day ahead.

• Shower and get dressed, try not to get into the habit of staying in PJs.

MORNING EXERCISE ROUTINES
When you wake up in the morning your body has just completed a min hibernation. When we are asleep the brain stores new information and washes out toxins, while the body restores energy, repairs muscles and fights infections. But with extended hours of minimal movement the body can feel a bit slow and stiff in the morning. Getting moving first thing in the morning will help blow away the cobwebs and wake up all the muscles so they can support sitting, standing and moving posture. Exercise releases the happy hormone endorphins, increases respiration which brings in more oxygen, and boosts your circulation to distribute the oxygen around the body to make you feel more buzzy and energised.

The addition of a simple yoga practice is the best way to start your day. It is one of the easiest forms of exercise to fit into your morning routine, just roll your mat out, and covers all the bases when it comes to preparing the body and mind for the day ahead. Yoga stretches and strengthens all the muscles of the body, moves the spine in all directions and mobilises the hips – which is particularly useful if you know you will be sitting for most of your day. Yoga also balances the nervous system, eases stress, tension & anxiety, aids digestion, increases circulation, boosts the immune system, and helps with focus and concentration. You can read more about the benefits of yoga in my recent article.

My morning routine sets me up for the day ahead. I get up at the same time every day of the week. I have a shot of lemon and ginger elixir to wake me up and wipe down the already cleaned kitchen surfaces as a way to clear and prepare my mind for the day ahead. I put the porridge on, make school lunches and head out for a morning walk. I listen to podcasts or audible books on my walk which distracts me from procrastinating over the day ahead. When I get back I kick straight into my yoga rituals before I get distracted by work and emails. For my morning yoga ritual I have a formula that includes bite sized amounts of all my favourite wellness tools – MFR (myofascial release), pranayama breathwork and yoga mini flows. How long or how strong I practise for depends on how much time I have and how I am feeling that day. After my practice I’ll shower, have my brekkie and make my ‘to do’ list for the day ahead.

EXPLORING MORNING ROUTINES IN YOUR PRACTICE
Before you start, step on your mat and take a few moments to work out how your practice can support you today. Ask yourself how did you sleep, what you need physically, what do you need mentally, what your energy levels are, where do you feel stiff, where do you feel weak? Adjust your practice according to your answers. If you had a great night sleep go for it and maybe repeat the standing flow if you have the time. If you are feeling tired, focus on your breath to get your oxygen levels up to wake you up. If you have an injury, mind those areas and move slowly, adjust or leave out any poses that don’t currently suit you.

This sequence is some of my current favourite techniques and mini flows that give me a full body and mind floss. The first row starts with two MFR techniques followed by some mobility and breathwork flows. Row two and three and your two standing flows. If time is an issue you can just do one of them, if you have more time you can repeat each of them twice. Remember each standing flow is two rounds – one with the right leg forward and one with the left leg forward. If you don't have a brick you can do them without. If you do have a brick, use it as an opportunity to use the brick to refresh familiar poses, press into the brick when it's on the ground to lengthen up form and squeeze the brick between your hand or thighs in the poses where you are holding the brick. At the end of the fourth row is your third MFR technique and a short pranayama session which are detailed below. For more information on MFR go to my earlier article.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Below are the MFR and pranayama techniques used in this sequence:

No.1 - Feet
Compression - from standing or seated, place 1 x ball at position No.1, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths and move on to No.2. Continue to No.5. 
Roll & cross fibre - with the toes on the ground place 1 x ball at No.5, roll the ball across your heel x 5. Place 1 x ball at No.6, roll the ball across the knuckles of your toes x 5. Place 1 x ball at No.6, roll in one direction from toes to heel x 5. 
Scribble - roll and scribble across the sole of the foot. Repeat all steps on the other foot.

No.2 - Hips (gluteus medius)
Compression - from side lying up on your forearm, stack 2 x balls behind your frontal hip bone on your outer hip, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths.
Sheer - slowly lift and lower your leg x 5.
Roll & cross fibre - roll up and down on your outer hip.

No.3 - Lower back (quadratus lumborum & erectors)
Compression - from supine with knees bent, place 2 x balls above the back of the hips either side of the spine, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths.
Sheer - slowly lift and lower one knee at a time towards your chest x 5.
Roll & cross fibre - roll up and down the lower spine below the ribs.

Pranayama
Sit in a comfortable position – cross legged, sitting up on a brick or straddling a bolster. Inhale for the count of 6, exhale for the count of 6, and pause exhaled for the count of 2. Continue through the three progressions in the sequence. When you get to the third progression repeat this count for 3 to 4 rounds. You can then take an optional Savasana if you have time. 

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

The respiratory system

ENERGY GENERATION
The respiratory system is made up of the nose, mouth, throat, voice box, windpipe, lungs, and diaphragm. It is responsible for bringing oxygen in, to create cellular energy (ATP), and removing carbon dioxide, which is a by-product of this energy production. When we breathe in, a gaseous exchange takes place between millions of little sacs in the lungs, called the alveoli, and a network of blood capillaries that surround the alveoli. Oxygen from the inhaled air swaps over with carbon dioxide from the deoxygenated blood in the capillaries, creating oxygenated blood ready to be transported around the whole body by the circulatory system. Carbon dioxide is not just a byproduct of energy, it is the key to this exchange in the capillaries. When there are low levels of carbon dioxide in the blood there is reduced oxygen absorption. The body is more sensitive to low levels of carbon dioxide than low levels of oxygen. When carbon dioxide levels are low it creates ‘air hunger’ and an urge to breathe. 

The main muscle of respiration is the diaphragm. The action of the diaphragm is a bit counterintuitive. You would expect the contracted phase to be when the chest is contracted, but it is the opposite. On an exhale the diaphragm relaxes, domes up into the thoracic cavity and pushes the air out of the lungs. While on an inhale it contracts, flattens down towards the abdominal cavity and pulls air into the lungs. When it contracts it creates a decrease in pressure in the lungs. This is what causes the air to be pulled into the lungs through the nose and mouth to rebalance the pressure. The respiratory system is part of the autonomic nervous system, which means it works involuntarily without us having to think about it. What makes the breath unique is that we can also voluntarily control it, to a certain extent, by extending, shortening and holding the breath depending on the desired outcome. 

PRANAYAMA LIFE FORCE
The breath has a huge impact on our overall wellness. Not only does It brings in oxygen, it also decreases stress, helps relieve pain, stimulates the lymphatic system, improves immunity, increases energy, improves digestion, and even plays an important role in good posture. Our emotional state has a profound effect on our breath. When we are feeling stressed the breath rate increases, when we are feeling relaxed our breath rate slows. We can use this principle so that our breath can have a positive effect on our emotional state. In the world of yoga this conscious breathwork is called pranayama. The direct translation of the Sanskrit word pranayama is up for debate. The version that makes most sense to me is prana-life force, yama-control - ‘life force control’. The breath being the source of life.

With pranayama we can upregulate the nervous system by tapping into the sympathetic nervous system (fight & flight) or we can downregulate the nervous system by tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system (rest & restore). Although referred to as the flight & flight response, the sympathetic nervous system is not all about stress, it is also what gets us up in the morning and gives us the energy to be productive during our day. Techniques that focus on the inhale, inhale retention, speeding up and increasing the breathing rate are energising practices and best practised in the morning or anytime of the day where you need a quick energy boost. While techniques that focus on the exhale, exhale retention, slowing down and decreasing the breathing rate are calming practices and are best practised in the evening or anytime of the day where you need a calm moment. A pranayama practice which includes a bit of both creates a calm focus and can be practised anytime of day.

EXPLORING THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM IN YOUR PRACTICE
Breathing consciously is an important component of yoga and is one of the main elements that makes it different, and more beneficial, than other exercise or movement disciplines. In yoga we nose breath to further increase the benefits of the breath. Nose breathing slows down the breath, allows more time for gaseous exchange and increases lung volume. The nasal cavity also produces and adds nitric oxide to the incoming air, which increases oxygen absorption, has antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties. Nitric oxide also promotes learning and memory recall and is the reason why there is an increase in awareness of the benefits of sleeping with your mouth closed at night.

This sequence incorporates pranayama techniques throughout the sequence. The illustrations give you the inhale (+), exhale (-) and pause (p) count information. When flowing from one pose to another you will arrive into your pose at the end of the count given and hold the breath for the pause count given. For example in the first mini flow, in the row, you will take an inhale in Cow Pose for the count of 1, then exhale and transition into Child's Pose for the count of 6, then pause exhaled in child's pose for the count of 1. You will move through the breath progression until you arrive at 1 inhale, 4 exhale, 4 pause, and repeat this 3 times. Similarly with the standing flows you arrive into the pose at the end of your inhale or exhale. It ends with a pranayama technique called Viloma where you inhale and break the exhale down into three counts of 2.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Have a read of the tips below and either print out the sequence or save it onto your device:

• Use the breath guide in the sequence to help you link breath with movement in the flow. Inhale is indicated with a ‘+’, exhale is a ‘-” and a pause where you hold your breath is a ‘p’.

• Pause and breath at the end of each standing flow for as many breaths as you need to give the counted breath a break.

• For a longer practice add in a Sun Salutations at the start of each mini flow or repeat each mini flow.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru