How Yoga can help us Shine!

melisathomas
May 17, 2016
3 min read

As a child I loved Roald Dahl’s stories. One thing I read which made such an impression on me that it has almost formed part of my psyche, is a line from The Twits: "...if you think good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely". Actually, it’s not the words I think about, but Quentin Blake's picture of the lovely lady with a face like sunbeams!

You are of course much more likely to shine when you have set out with good intentions and a sense of integrity – but in my experience, also when you have incorporated yoga into your life! By regularly practising the asanas in Hatha yoga, you release tension in the muscles, open the heart, harness strength from the bandhas, and generally bring peace, space and clarity into the body and mind - and a sense of positivity too. It is easy to see how those who lack self awareness, or are somehow repressed or unable to express themselves are less likely to fulfil their potential as a force for good in the world; and can start to become increasingly hunched up and stooped over.

The yoga which I have incorporated into my life is Hatha yoga (which encompasses all the physical types of yoga which you will be familiar with, including Iyengar, Ashtanga, Anusara, Forrest, Jivamukti - and all the rest!) Hatha yoga is but one of five “paths” of yoga. (Bhakti yoga promotes love, kindness and devotion; Karma yoga is concerned with the act of selfless service; and Jnana yoga and Raja yoga essentially focus on attaining oneness with the world and peace within – Jnana through understanding of philosophy and Raja through practice of meditation.)

Here is a list of the asanas and sequences which help me shine as a person:

Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana): I love this one for many reasons. I feel grounded through my hands and feet – stable and rooted to the earth, while extended through my spine. And I enjoy the fact this is a very active pose, keeping the elbows rotated inwards to facilitate an open chest.
Extended Side-Angle pose (Parsvakonasana): I enjoy the dynamism of this pose, and the fact you are grounding the feet while extending the limbs of one side of the body – almost as though you’re drawing energy from the ground via the back foot and transporting it all the way up to the fingertips of the extended arm! Side stretches in general are perfect for releasing tension in the torso and stimulating blood flow, for when you might have previously felt down in the dumps!
Supine Twist (Jathara Parivartasana): It always feels lovely to twist one’s torso. The adrenal glands are located in your lower back area, and twisting that part of your body is therefore thought to stimulate your nervous system. In addition this asana opens the chest and encourages you to relax your shoulders.
Camel (Ustrasana): Opening the chest and lifting your heart skyward feels wonderfully liberating, and helps release tension in the shoulders. It also stimulates the thymus gland responsible for regulating the immune system, as well as the Heart (Anahata) Chakra.
Pigeon (Eka Pada Rajkapotanasana): This is a brilliant pose for releasing tension in the hip of the extended leg and strengthening the hip of the bent leg. And it is another chest/heart opener!
Plough (Halasana): This is a great one for bringing space into the back of the body and extending the spine – particularly the lower back. (Also, this pose can potentially stimulate the thyroid gland and therefore the metabolism.)