Welcome to “Pose Of The Month,” a new blog series that features a different yoga pose each month to help enhance your recovery journey. Yoga is soooo much more than a fitness craze or trend. It’s a holistic system for healing mind, body, and soul that everybody can do. It consists of not just poses, but also breathing techniques, meditation practices and guidelines for balanced living that cultivate healing, peace, and joy in our lives.
Each month we’ll practice a pose focusing on how it helps in the areas of:
*body image
*balanced eating
*mood and energy levels
*self-esteem/worth and confidence
*physical health
*emotional well-being and more
In general, you’ll need:
*1 yoga mat
*a couple of yoga blocks or small pillows
*a small blanket
Let’s get started now! Remember, just like your recovery journey, your yoga practice is unique to you. Always listen to your body and only do what is self-loving. Feel free to share any questions or comments below.
Pose Of The Month: Hero (Sanskrit “virasana)
Yours is a story so brave and so true. And life is awaiting, the hero in you.
Affirmation: “I am a hero.”
Additional props:
*2 rolled cloth napkins or dry wash rags
Benefits:
*stretches the thighs, knees, and ankles
*strengthens the arches
*improves digestion and relieves gas and bloating
*helps relieve menstrual cramps
*reduces swelling of the legs
*therapeutic for high blood pressure and asthma
*improves posture
*calms the mind
*serves as a pose for meditation
Contraindications:
*heart problems
*headache: practice this pose lying back on a bolster
*knee or ankle injury: avoid pose unless assisted by an experienced
teacher
I chose this pose as our kick off because I believe the experience of an eating disorder is not all bad. I believe it holds valuable lessons for us that ultimately brings out our best selves. We learn through recovery that we are stronger than we ever knew and that we indeed, are the heroes of our own story. I invite you to explore hero pose with me in the video here. Feel free to share your questions or comments below and to share the love!
More power to you,
Julie
