I have dedicated this month to restoring my body. Revitalizing the body is for everyone. A gentle, unhurried yoga practice permits us to nurture ourselves and establish a relationship between our breath and body that feeds us and brings new energy to our lives.
I am finding that the deepest restoration work, for me, is accomplished through twisting postures. Twists are basically a way of giving yourself an internal massage. But be warned, in the process of healing, a twist is capable of releasing toxins into your blood stream that could give you flu or cold-like symptoms. So, if you are focusing on twists – drink extra water to dilute those contaminates.
And, now for the really good news. Twists target the Manipura and Anahata chakras. As we have learned, these are important chakras that rule over your metabolism and breath mechanics. Esoterically, they are the centers of power, purpose, love and compassion. No wonder I feel so much positiveness when I restore via twists!
For this Friday Focus, we reiterate a pose performed in class that I have termed “lifted twist”. Its unique quality is that it supplies us with a truly effortless release.
Be sure to keep the twist initiating from your torso and stabilize the knees via some firm support.
If you do not have a bolster or want to decrease the “lift”, use your blankets (1-2 depending on your comfort level) to stack underneath your hips and add a block between the knees.
This week’s challenge was to use the heart opening postures of yoga to balance the anahata chakra. Anahata literally means 
After skipping a week for the first time since beginning this blog, I admit I feel slightly freer. Not guilty like I thought I would. But happy that I can drive this caravan when and where I’d like to. Within limits – I don’t want to get stuck in the desert from whence I may never return. What I’m trying to say is it feels good to honor myself and make the choice to do what brings me joy.