Thomas's Profile

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Stirling, GB

Despite the t-shirt in my pic, I'm very rarely Mr Mean! I've been raised to believe that what ever you put into the world will come back to you 3 fold so I stick to putting out joy and reap the benefits.

 

More About Me

My Occupation is
I'm currently searching to find that special something that makes me tick. That role that would let my passion flow, my imagination run wild and help me grow.

My hobbies/interests are
The kitchen is the heart of my home and whenever I need a timeout and I'm not on a yoga mat, you'll find me in the kitchen whipping up a feast. My food isn't always the healthiest but it comes from the heart and will fill the belly.
Yoga of course! I started practicing 5 years ago now and have, finally, managed to ease myself into daily practice. My favorite pose is Trikonasana(triangle).

One secret that helps me to stay healthy is
It's not a secret but drinking lots of water has increased my energy levels and helped me stay focused longer. I'm sure it helps keep my smile glowing too!

My wellness goals are
I'm not sure I have a wellness goal as such. I'd like to run a marathon one day but for now I'd settle for improving my core strength and balance and holding a headstand for more than a few breaths.

I see myself achieving my wellness goals by
Practice practice practice.

My inspirations are
My family. They helped me be free, they let me find my own way, they were there when I realized it wasn't the right path.
Babies!

A little more about me
At 26, I've suffered 2 serious depressions that yoga has helped me work through. I found yoga during my first serious downer and even when I was at my lowest, struggling to get out of bed for fear of the day, I found peace in Yoga which eventually flowed through me totally, giving me the strength to heal. More recently it was through maintaining my routine, practice, that kept me centered and ready to face the day.

Thomas's Wellness Diary

Recent Posts

    • Struggling with Forward Bends

      October 20, 2011 at 2:27pm

      I started practicing over 5 years ago and although I have seen a small improvement, I find that i am still struggling with forward bends. I feel quite strongly that I have developed a mental block that is preventing me moving forward in these poses and I'm looking for some inspiration and advice to help me work through my block and start making gentle progress. I find it incredibly challenging trying to relax into any forward bend, a tightness in my low back and hamstrings makes even a basic seated pose a challenge.
      All and any advice and inspiration is welcome!
      With love,
      Tom

      • kregweiss
        kregweiss
        Expert Post

        Hi Tom,

        I too have always struggled with forward bends (particularly double closed leg ones like Uttanasana and Paschimottasana) due to previous injuries. In these poses, I try to focus on my hip flexors as a 'power center'. Contracting the hip flexors will help rotate the pelvis forward generating a proper fold at the hips and not the lower back.

        I always ease lightly into the folds, wait for the muscle receptors to relax, and then use contract/relax techniques to trick the muscles into relaxing more. I attached a couple articles on those topics that may help:

        http://www.myyogaonline.com/search?q=Reciprocal+Inhibition-Stretching+Tip+for+Janu+Sirsasana
        http://www.myyogaonline.com/about-yoga/yoga-anatomy/the-almighty-psoas-muscle

        Key element to opening the hamstrings and increasing hip mobility for forward bends is preparation sequences. Let the body warmup well with cat poses, chair poses, warrior poses, and if doing sun salutations, bend the knees through the fold and even downward facing dog. Let the sun salutations be about warming the body, creating spinal space, and setting a meditative rhythm with the breath - forget about the stretching element as there is plenty of time in later poses in most practices to open up the limbs.

        Hope this helps.
        Namaste,
        Kreg
        My Yoga Online

        By an expert 2 years ago in Montreal, CA

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