Terre Pruitt's Blog

In the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or whatever inspires me.

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Archive for November, 2021

Daily Coloring

Posted by terrepruitt on November 30, 2021

It has been almost an entire year! I started with the idea to “move” at least 30 minutes a day and I was using a specific color for a specific movement, but then that first month became primarily just one color. So I decided to just use any color for any movement. Since I had received a set of gel pens for Christmas I was excited to use them. And I decided to use one type per month, I used each type twice. April and September are the fluorescent pens. March and July are the pastels. In November I used two types the fluorescent and pastels. Also . . . as you can see I went from coloring in the entire space to making designs or patterns. That helped speed up the process.

The pictures does not do the color of the pens justice.  Some of the yellows, oranges, and greens are not showing, but basically every day is filled in. I have done some intentional type of movement at least 30 minutes every day. It is not always 30 minutes of the same thing, but it is at least 20 minutes of spinning and then a variety of yoga, stretching, and strength training. I did not count the time I teach because teaching is a little different than DOING in some cases.

One month to go!

 

I know there are so many variations of daily tracking calendars out there.  Did you do one?

 

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Garland Or Malasana Or Squat

Posted by terrepruitt on November 17, 2021

Whatever you call it, it is generally good for you. I say “generally” because I am sure there are some people who have some issues where this would not be good for them.  But like most yoga poses they were created to be practiced by healthy individuals and they have been modified and have many variations so that the general public can do them.  The Garland or Malasana or Squat requires flexibility in several muscles and a large range of motion in several joints.

For ideas on helping you “Get Down On It” 🙂 you can click to my post with that name (I had the song in my head at the time of writing).  Like with many, many things in life it may take some practice in order to get into this pose.  And also, like many, many, many things in life it takes continued practice to continue to be able to do it.  So have patience if you can’t do it YET, and keep doing it if you can.

Here is a photo of Garland/Malasana/Squat and two separate ways to modify:

This is also one of those poses that can be done throughout the day.  There are many reasons one may need to squat so practicing this does not have to be a set-time-aside-to-do-it type of thing.

This is an addition to the specific post about this pose and also the post I wrote in 2014 about my favorite poses.

Is those pose part of your practice?  Do you squat to do things during your day?

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Picturing Cobra And Updog

Posted by terrepruitt on November 15, 2021

Continuing on with adding to my post from 2014 about favorite poses. I am posting pictures of Cobra and Upward Facing Dog (Updog). Keep in mind these are photos of modified Cobra and Updog. These poses look similar and sometimes if I am taking a fast flow class I may end up doing a hybrid of both, but they are different poses using different energy.

I have a Cobra post, and in my Updog post there is a link to a video which I think has a great explanation of the two poses. The video is still up and available on Youtube, but I couldn’t find any information regarding the place that posted it and the link to the person goes to something else now.

In short I think of cobra as being done more from the back with hands further forward than Updog. And I think of Updog as more of a front body opener than Cobra.  In using muscles from the back, my cobra tends to be what so me call baby cobra.

Here are my photos for both.

 

Do you include either of these in your practice?

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Picture The Great Sphinx

Posted by terrepruitt on November 10, 2021

In 2014 I wrote a post about a list of favorite poses and mentioned how I would post further about them. Well, I was talking about additional posts with additional poses, but here I am in this post revisiting a post and an asana. This post along with the next few are here to add pictures to instructional posts.

I think of the Sphinx pose as a regal pose. Cats are regal and the Great Sphinx of Giza looks regal to me. I think of that 66 feet high, 240 feet high statue when I practice this pose. I try to elude that regalness.

Keeping the shoulders down and not sinking into the chest is the key.  This is a very achievable backbend for many.  I did a post on it Regal Pose.

Are you familiar with the Sphinx pose?

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Gate, Locust – Pictures May Help

Posted by terrepruitt on November 8, 2021

In 2014 I wrote a post about a list of favorite poses and how I wanted to do them everyday. I also mentioned how I would post further about them. Well, neither happened. I know I didn’t do the poses everyday and I can’t find that I made any additional posts except the one I just posted recently primarily to assist my students in learning the Half Moon Pose which was on my list but not in that post. This post along with the next few are just to add to the post from 2014 and the posts about the poses.

In the 2014, Working On My Favorite Yoga Poses, I mentioned the gate pose. I sometimes see it called Crossed Gate. Parighasana or Gate pose is an intense side stretch done on one knee that tends to also make it a balance pose. It may be that when thinking of balance poses we think standing and primarily on one foot, well since the body is stretching over to one side which also requires the engagement of muscles that we use to balance, it is somewhat of a balance pose. There may be a smidge of clicking involved for you to get the whole picture (for instructions on how to do it click Finding Balance In The Gate) but I wanted to post an actual picture as I decided it may be helpful in doing the pose.

Also mentioned in my 2014 post is Locust (Salabhasana). This is a prone pose (lying on the belly) that is excellent at engaging many muscles on the back side of the body (trapezius, deltoids, triceps, lats, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, and calf muscles). It is back bend, that for many people is small, like with all poses everyone does it different and it can be bigger, but as with all back bends it opens the front of the body. I prefer to do it with my arms behind me palms up and my feet together. As with all the asana there are many variations and modifications that can be done. I still think of it as “Icky Name, Great Pose” (where you can click for instructions). I figure a picture might be helpful.

Do you include either of these poses in your practice?

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Bathtub Fish

Posted by terrepruitt on November 5, 2021

I was looking through pictures and this made me happy. There was a bed and breakfast in Santa Cruz (sort of) we used to stay at. I loved that place. It was so clean and so peaceful. It was near the ocean cliff so you could sit on the porch or on the deck upstairs and see the ocean. Ahhhhh.

This was the bathtub in one of the rooms.

This picture is so old it was taken with one my first digital camera which decided everyday was January 1, 2002.

Bathtub Fish for my Friday Photo today.

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Half Moon Pose

Posted by terrepruitt on November 3, 2021

I thought I had posted about this pose a long time ago because it is one of my favorite poses. We do it in the gentle yoga classes I teach. It is somewhat of an advanced pose because there is a lot going on. The class is gentle not beginner, but a lot of modifications are provided so that it can be done to the individual’s ability. As with many asana there is more than one pose that can be done to transition into it. The name of the pose is Half Moon Pose/Ardha Chandrasana.

I feel it is important to warm up the glutes and do a bit of balance practice before having my students do this pose.

In the photo I am doing a modified version with my hand on a block. The full version is without a block and looking at the skyward hand. I have only managed to balance without the block a few times and only for a few seconds.

What tends to happen when students get into this pose is the supporting foot moves. The supporting foot is to be in line with the body, but as soon as the leg comes up, the foot moves to an angle. One must really focus to keep that foot pointing in the right direction.

I often have students go from a Warrior 2 to a Half Moon, so if you start out in a Warrior 2 . . .

(doing the left side) the thigh is rotated out to the left with the toes pointing to the left, the knee is bent and the knee is over the ankle, the hips and chest are pointing forward, the arms are out, and the right leg is straight with toes pointed forward. . . (here, getting into half moon)

—take a little hop to the left with the right foot so the weight can begin to shift to the left leg
—as the weight shifts over to the left the leg begin to straighten it — here is where one must be mindful of the toes – they are to remain pointing out to the left
—the left hand seeks out the floor, a block, or a chair, and we stand on a straight left leg
Note:  the block is about 6 inches (or more) away from the foot AND to the right
—shoulders are stacked with chest to the front
—hips points are stacked with pelvis facing front
—right leg is in alignment with torso and hip, toes and knee facing forward
—right foot is flexed

Other things to keep in mind in addition to the shoulders and hips remaining stacked, is to not bow into the low back, keep a neutral spine with the core engaged.

One can look up at the right hand.

Getting out is just like getting in there are many places to go from here. I like to have my students practicing using control and coming into the Warrior 2 again . . . gently.

As you can see a chair can be used instead of a block.  Hand can be on the seat or the back of the chair.  There are many things that can be used for stability as long as it is stable and safe.

This pose has a lot going on as I mentioned previously, it requires balance practice, strength, and even flexibility.

Are you familiar with this pose?  Do you like it?

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