The Yoga rules

By Ntathu Allen

Have you ever woken up feeling slightly "off balance", anxious and worried about something?

Maybe you are mourning the loss of a loved one and wake up feeling empty and alone. Perhaps you have recently separated from your partner and lie in bed and ponder what your future holds. You may be aware of rumours at work of possible redundancies and are fearful what will happen to you and your family if you are made redundant. No matter what your particular issue is, you wake up, feeling heavy-hearted, grumpy, tense and just "don't feel right."

Have you noticed that when you wake up and feel like this, things just don't seem to flow, for example, you don't have time or energy to prepare a nutritious breakfast and make do with a handful of biscuits or packet of crisps as you rush out of the door; maybe you argue with your children about the untidy pile of clothes and books on their bedroom floor, or the copy of the report you thought you left in a safe place, is no longer there and you feel your head beginning to throb as you panic as you try to remember where it could possible be.

During these moments, it is very easy to wish you could just hide, return to bed and curl up with a good book!

If you can identify with the above scenarios, have you ever thought "there must be a better way to start my day" and wondered what you can do to try and set your day off on a better footing.

Spending a few quiet moments when you wake up and focus on how you are breathing is a simple yet powerful tool you can use to support your desire to wake up, alert and positively engage with your day.

Learning how to breathe correctly is an essential part of life. The slower and deeper you can breathe, the more you allow oxygen to enter and flow through your body. This expands your lung capacity, stimulates and opens up your heart, which has the instant effect to make you feel brighter and happier.

Next time you wake up and feel out of sorts, off-balance or just plain tired from lack of sleep, try this simple Yogic Breathing Exercise to energise, rebalance and align your energy.

-Lie on your back in your bed, with your eyes closed. Stretch out your legs (about 12-18 inches apart). Tuck your chin slightly into your chest, stretching out the back of your neck. Make sure you feel comfortable.

-Rest the palm of your right hand firmly yet gently on top of your navel and your left hand just below your collar bone.

-Take a slow steady breathe in through your nose from your abdomen (right hand) and breathe slowly up to your left hand.

-Slowly breathe out.

-Breathe slowly and deeply this way for 4 - 7 rounds as you feel your mind become calmer and quieter.

-Slowly release your hands, gently stretch your body, rest a while in your bed and enjoy the calm and peace you have now created in your body.

Relax and Have a Good Day!

Ntathu Allen, Yoga Teacher, teaches professionals simple yoga stretches, breathing practices and meditation to manage stress at work, improve creativity and strengthen relationships at work and at home. Contact Ntathu for your free monthly Yoga and Polarity Enewsletter - Healing for the Soul. Email: ntathu@yogainspires.co.uk and http://www.yogainspires.co.uk phone: 07973 777 882