We continue our discussion about the beauty of focus. Have you thought about how we all might benefit from props, real and imaginary?  Restorative yoga enables you to maximize the poses by using props to allow limbs to rest, held from five to twenty minutes. Maybe our brains need some helpful props to be creative, like moments of quiet or beautiful memories.

Getting the blocks and bolsters just right during practice takes some fidgeting, so expect your brain to fuss as well. Imagery helps with the beauty of focus. Try to remember the prettiest sunset you’ve seen, how the waves lap the shore of your favorite beach, what do the geese sound like overhead in the fall, what do your favorite flowers smell like?

Chakras may seem like civilization’s first Rubik’s Cube. When all are aligned, you are feeling your best self. If one or all are off, the world can seem unsolvable like the cube. Visualization during breathing exercises helps mitigate pain. Imagine the chakras like seven pinwheels that need to be spun with your breath. What color are the pinwheels? Do they match the colors of the chakras? Are they metallic with glinting patches of sun? Are they located in a field or on the beach?

Imagine your breath flowing around, filling and gently turning one blade at a time. Every inhalation and exhalation should focus on turning the pinwheels until they are spinning. Once the bottom “chakra pinwheel” is turning, move to the next and so on. Personally, a respiratory lightness follows when tight muscles finally loosen.

If you’re like me, breathing helps to an extent. Muscles can be stubborn. One way to help the physical stress is to get a massage. A pull-through benefit is the ability to disconnect mentally and unwind tight knots.There are so many options these days for massage, from day spas to larger chains conveniently in a neighborhood plaza near you.

As a local business who is just starting in the tough world of corporate brands, it is important to differentiate your services.  And I found a new method offered in the heart of Dilworth. I’m so excited to share my review with you!!

Until tomorrow…be well friends!

Want to learn more? Read Restorative Yoga for Life by Gail Boorstein Grossman.