Welcome to HHAPY Newsletter #9!

Today we continue on to the second segment in the 4-part series we began last week, where I am sharing with you my 4 Rules of Thumb that I share with every person who attends a yoga class with me for the first time. (And as many of you know, I repeat them often in each practice.) While they are universal principles of any asana practice, they serve as the foundation of my personal style of teaching.

So, without further ado...

#2 - Engage Your Belly ~ Gently (not rigidly) activating your abdominal muscles is ideal throughout a yoga asana practice. I personally think of engaging my abdominals with about 50% effort – not 100%, unless you’re in a pose that requires that (think Plank, Side Plank, Chatturanga Dandasana, Crow, etc). This gentle activation means that you can still breathe smoothly and deeply through your nose, your belly naturally expands and contracts with each breath, and you remain relatively relaxed while the abdominals are actively supporting you.

If you're unsure how to do what I'm describing, place one or both hands on your belly and "brace" as if someone was going to punch you in the stomach. Do that a few times and then practice doing that with varying degrees of intensity - 50% effort, 100% effort, somewhere in between, and also practice very slight engagement, like 20% of your maximum. With some practice of this, you'll be able to bring greater control and awareness into your poses and have a sense of how much engagement you need to stay strong in your center and how it's really helpful to your practice!

Email me and let me know how this goes for you!

I would also love to hear about anything that lit up your day, inspired you, made you smile, or made you feel good...so reply to me and tell me! ✨

Namaste,

Melissa 🦋

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