Tree yoga - for more inner peace
Tree Yoga, these are gentle exercises from the Kundalini Yoga, a dynamic yoga form that combines movement and breath. They are executed under a tree. The concept was developed by the Hamburg Kundalini Yoga teacher Satya Singh Wester and his colleague and tree expert Fred Hageneder. Your idea: Each tree has a certain energy, to which specific yoga exercises fit. For our yoga set is best suited to the indestructible pine, a training process that gives energy and courage to make!
You need this: Start by choosing the "tree" under which you would like to do the yoga exercises. You do not necessarily have to stand exactly under it, you can also practice within sight of the tree. Good is a seat nearby - for the subsequent meditation. With a thin extra fleece jacket keeps you nice and warm, and with a watch or a cell phone with alarm function, do not forget the time.
Good to know: Allow about 30 to 40 minutes for the Tree Yoga series. In total, there are six different exercises and a meditation. Always breathe in and out of the nose. From a yogic perspective, this is important for the energy exchange in the body. If you want to do the exercises with your eyes closed, focus on the point between your brows. This helps against dizziness and sharpens the perception.
Warm-up: To warm up, go to your tree, the last 3 minutes quiet a bit faster. Arrived? Then do it with all your senses: look at or touch the tree, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Watch out for sounds and smells around you. Finally, imagine yourself hip hip. Describe large circles with stretched arms - circle forwards 15 times and back 15 times, for a total of approx. 3 minutes.
Exercise 1 - for face and shoulders
Relaxes the face and promotes lymphatic circulation, mobilizes and perfuses the shoulder area
Put hip width down. Put your hands on your hips, with your fingertips pointing forward. Inhale, hold your breath and blow your cheeks, moving the shoulders up and down a few times. Then exhale again, relax cheeks and shoulders. And repeat the exercise. For 1 minute.
Exercise 2 - for the lungs
Strengthens shoulders, upper arms and lungs. Especially on inhalation, the lungs are stretched and the chest wide
Stand hip-width and bring the elbows to shoulder height in front of the upper body. With your forearms bent upright and your hands clenched into fists (the thumb is inside, the fingers surround it).
Inhale and bring your elbows out in a fluid motion until the forearms are parallel to the floor. Exhale and bring your forearms to the starting position. Always keep the shoulder belt relaxed. Pull down the shoulder blades and to each other. For a total of 1 to 3 minutes.
Exercise 3 - for hips and legs
Mobilizes and stretches the hip and leg tendons - and strengthens the fighting spirit
Spread the feet slightly further than hip width. Angle your forearms parallel to the floor and let your hands hang loose. Circle with your hips. Circling forward when breathing in, exhaling backwards. Problems with the intervertebral discs? Then divide the circular motion into small individual movements. For 2 minutes.
Exercise 4 - for the circulation
Stimulates the circulation, strengthens the lungs
The feet are hip-width. Bring your upper arms straight up over your head. The fingers to the so-called "Venus grip" firmly interlock - while the left thumb is over the right thumb, the right little finger is outside. Now tense the pelvic floor, inhale (the chest rises) and pull the arms up and back. As you exhale, bend your upper body and arms forward to the floor, moving as smoothly as possible. For 4 minutes.
Exercise 5 - for legs and back
Relieves and relaxes blockages in the legs and back
The mantra "Har" stands for the "Divine" and should stimulate reflex points in the palate, which in turn should provide for more energy and assertiveness. Stand shoulder width. Put your arms straight over your head, fold fingers into each other, this time turn your palms upwards. Now, without lifting your feet, shake your legs, slowly, then more and more intense. For 1 minute. Then gently shake the whole body for 2 minutes. Anyone who wants to speak at the last minute according to the mantra "Har". While trying to roll the R - with the tip of the tongue on the palate.
Exercise 6 - for concentration
Strengthens the nervous system, brings clarity and concentration The archer, the starting point for this exercise, should be the best posture to face and courageously pursue a goal.The syllables of the mantra "Sa Ta Na Ma", which can accompany the four-part movement cycle, stand for the circle of life: birth, life, death and new beginning.
The Archer: To do so, continue to stand out as hip-width. Angle the right foot 45 degrees to the side and shift the weight to the front foot, the right leg is stretched, hips and legs are in line. Now lift your right arm forward, clench your fingers into a fist (thumb up) - as if you were holding a bow. Then also clench your left hand into a fist, bring it up and pull it to the shoulder - as if you were cocking the bowstring. The elbow is at shoulder height. The right knee bend slightly, the knee is above the heel.
Now start with the following four-part movement cycle: 6a Slightly bend the right knee (do not exceed the tip of the toe), sing loudly "Sa" or just think and with the upright upper body once back and forth. Return to the starting position. Repeat movement with the syllable "Ta", return to the starting position and continue with the syllables "Na" and "Ma" as well.
6b Now bring your hands straight over your head and for each syllable of the mantra "Sa Ta Na Ma" back and forth, the upper body remains straight. To clap on each syllable once in the hands.
6c The stretched arms bring in front of the upper body, parallel to the ground. To the syllable "Sa" outweigh, clap your hands, back weigh. The upper body remains straight. Continue with the next syllables.
6d Match the hands behind the upper body. Back and forth with each syllable of the mantra "Sa Ta Na Ma", upper body remains straight. To clap on each syllable behind the upper body in the hands.
Start again with part 6a. The movement cycle is repeated for 5 minutes. Then change the leg position and repeat the exercise for 5 minutes. Throughout the sequence, focus on one point, such as the jaw. After that, you have arrived at the end of the yoga exercises. Before meditating, relax while standing or sitting. Listen to the sound of the wind, the crackling of the branches and the silence that surrounds everything. As long as you want - no matter if 1 or 10 minutes long.
Exercise 7 - Final meditation
Clarify the thoughts - the meditation at the end
Sit in a simple, upright posture, on a bench or on the floor. Bring the left forearm vertically in front of the chest (the hand is a few inches below the chin). Angle the left hand with the palm facing up and the fingers to the left. Now reach under your left with your right hand and cover the outer edge of the left. Breathe long and deep into the abdomen. Keep your eyes slightly open at all times. So that the thought carousel gets a little bit quiet, you can silently sing the mantra "Sa Ta Na Ma" (the melody can be found on the internet at www.satyasingh.com/baumyoga). At least 3 minutes. In the end, sit still, close your eyes and just feel good.
