Living Your Yoga With Dr Melissa West

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Hatha Yoga to Cultivate Gratitude | Yoga Sutra 2.30 Ahimsa | YWM 675 Order my Book

Attune to Autumn Energy Restorative Yoga | YWM 674  Order my Book

This Yin Yoga practice is designed to release your painful and aching neck and shoulder tension. In one hour yin yoga class, we'll focus on gentle yin yoga stretches and poses that target the connective tissues responsible for neck and shoulder pain. Several of the yin yoga poses are chosen to open up the chest and shoulders. Opening your chest, helps in improving shoulder mechanics and reducing strain on the neck and shoulders caused by muscular imbalances. I have also sequences in yin yoga poses that strengthen the scapular stabilizers, including the Serratus Anterior and Lower Trapezius. This will aid in stabilizing the shoulder blades and promoting better posture. Yin yoga poses will stretch the shoulders, upper back, and between the shoulder blades. We will also focus on gentle decompression of the neck and upper back which can also alleviate neck pain and discomfort. Throughout the practice, we will to focus on your breath and the principles of yin. I will encourage you to use props like blocks, cha

This is an Empowered Beginner Yin Yoga class for full-body vitality! In this Yin Yoga class for beiginners, we will explore the transformative power of yin to create bring balanc to the deeper connective tissues of your body. Yin yoga targets the yin tissues of the body, such as ligaments, bones, and joints. Unlike yang styles that focus on warming and stretching the muscles, yin yoga applies gentle pressure for extended periods, stimulating the deep connective tissues to grow stronger and more flexible. In this yin yoga class, we will gently pressurize the tissues to strengthen your ligaments nad joints to increase your mobility as you age. Additionally we will begin to explore some of the organs and meridians of yin yoga to empower your vitality. Overall we are focusing on connecting with yin qualities of yielding and allowing in a world of constant activity and achievement. I will introduce you to the four principles of yin: finding an appropriate edge, softening, and being still, allowing the tissues

This Yoga Nidra meditation for immune support will offer you profound healing and rejuvenation. Deep rest is the cornerstone of physical, mental, and emotional well-being, allowing your body to heal at its core. During this meditation, you will nurture your parasympathetic nervous system, lymphatic system, thymus, tonsils and spleen, enabling them to carry out their natural immune functions. This guided practice is especially beneficial during times of illness, discomfort, or emotional exhaustion, unlocking your body's innate healing potential. Within this Yoga Nidra meditation, you will breathe and body scan through your cells, tissues, and organs, promoting the flow of vital energy along your body's pathways. By opening your awareness to various areas within, you'll activate your body's intrinsic healing power. This enhanced flow of energy empowers your body's innate capacity for healing, offering profound support for your immune system.

In this healing nervous system restorative yoga class we focus on the healing power of support through self-regulation. In this class, we create the conditions for support and nervous system healing with the wall. The wall and the earth together are the foundations that will invite deeper nervous system healing. When we find ourselves fully supported by props, such as the strap and the wall, a co-regulated relationship with ourselves emerges. This class invites you into a nervous system healing protocol that offers an easy step by step process for healing. Legs Up the Wall Yoga for Nervous System Healing Sequence Legs up the Wall Hamstring Stretch R & L Half Happy Baby R & L Figure Four R & L Twist Right and Left Goddess Legs up the Wall An Autumn Day Perfect for Getting Things Done, But by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer Props Needed: Wall, Yoga Strap

This 60-minute Restorative Yoga class designed to support your immune system. In this session, we'll explore therapeutic poses that are designed to activate your lymphatic system, thymus glands and vagus nerve. By activating the parasympathetic nervous system, the restorative yoga poses encourage relaxation and reduce the production of stress hormones which suppress your immune system. There are several poses which support lymphatic drainage and production which aid in toxin removal and enhance your immune system's effectiveness. Throughout the class we will also focus on postures and breath practices to support your respiratory health and activate your parasympathetic nervous system which will also improve sleep quality, and reduce inflammation. These restorative yoga poses are designed to assist in improving lymph production and therefore toxin removal and support immune cell circulation in your body. Restorative Yoga Immune Support Pose Sequence 1. Legs Up the Wall 2. Supported Fish Pose 3. Body Tappin

Our vagus nerve sends signals from our internal organs to our brain. When it is balanced and engaged we feel open and curious, compassionate and mindful, in the present moment, we are able to ask for help and offer it in return, we feel safe and connected (to ourselves and our environment). Sometimes we need to “reset” our vagus nerve if we are experiencing sympathetic arousal of our nervous system (anxious & irritable, angry, fight or flight, stuck in worry) or if we are stuck in shut-down (which can look like sleeping a lot, lack of motivation, depression, dissociation, numbness and helplessness). This yoga class is a great class to practice daily to bring you back into ventral vagal activation so that you can go with the flow, meet the demands of the day, be grounded in the present moment and give and receive help with and from others.

This gentle hatha yoga class will support you in dealing with information overload, overstimulation, overwhelm and nervous system regulation. By easing your way back into your body with gentle and grounding yoga practices we can support nervous system dysregulation symptoms like anxiety, energy drain, and releasing intense emotions. Gentle and supportive movements will reduce physical tension and the muscular holding patterns that often accompany nervous system dysregulation. Gentle hatha yoga practices like this support us in self-regulating allowing us to respond to the ongoing stresses of life so that we can increase our capacity to navigate this strongly transitional time. Gentle Hatha Yoga to Soothe Overwhelm & Body Tension Sequence Somatic Breathing with Grounding Touch Reclined Somatic Embodiment Sleeping Pigeon Reclined Twist Knee to Chest Pose Cat Pose Lunge Pose Eye Yoga Tadasana Qigong Inspired Sequence Dancer Standing Pigeon Cobra Malasana Reclined Twist Somatic Breathing with Grounding Touch Poe

This is the second class in a 5-class series that will introduce you to 5 - element theory in 1 hour yin yoga classes. We will begin by describing what 5 element theory is. From there we will go into wood element, its organs, meridians, the emotions associated with it, the colour and direction. Intro to 5 Element Theory Yin Yoga Wood Element Sequence Centering Butterfly Bananasana Hand to Big Toe Pose Broken Wing Pose Eye Yoga Reclined Butterfly Props Needed: Bolster, 2 blocks, yoga strap, meditation cushion Poem: Forgiveness by Mary McCue

This is the first class in a 5-class series that will introduce you to 5 - element theory in 1 hour yin yoga classes. We will begin by describing what 5 element theory is. From there we will go into water element, its organs, meridians, the emotions associated with it, the colour and direction. Intro to 5 Element Theory Yin Yoga Water Element | YWM 665 Sequence Wide Legged Child’s Pose Sphinx Pose Half Happy Baby pose Half Caterpillar Dragonfly Reclined Bound Angle Savasana Props Needed: Bolster, Yoga Strap, Folded Blanket, Blocks Poem: Wintering by Sandra Lim

This transformative Yoga Nidra practice designed to soothe chronic pain. In this session, I offer an alternative approach that doesn't involve suppressing or denying your suffering, nor does it require you to reach some elevated spiritual state. Instead, I invite you to embark on a journey of curiosity and courage, gently exploring uncharted territories within yourself. As you navigate the waves of pain, you will be invited to witness how your heart contracts and observe the stories woven by your thinking mind in response to this perfectly natural human response to pain. This intimate and honest exploration provides new ways to relate to your physical pain. Visualize this Yoga Nidra as a compassionate embrace, tenderly holding your heart's suffering and facilitating the release of the narratives created by your mind. By freeing yourself from the stories generated by your mind, a shift occurs. The pain transforms from an overwhelming burden to a dynamic field of sensations. Embrace the openness and presence

Welcome to a powerful Yin Yang Yoga class, focused on cultivating full-body self-connection. This practice combines elements of strength and surrender, offering a balanced experience for your body and mind. We begin with 30 minutes of yin yoga and Butterfly pose, encouraging self-connection and the recognition of our inner refuge. Trusting in our own presence, we can navigate life's complexities with more ease and find contentment in caring for ourselves. Moving into Pigeon pose, we explore appropriate edges, embracing grace, gratitude, and acceptance. Stillness becomes our guide, allowing the magic of yin yoga to unfold, nurturing our bones, joints, and meridians. Surrender to gravity and the sensations, experiencing the power of non-doing. In Bananasana, we deepen our self-connection, building trust in ourselves and our lives. Transitioning to the 30 minute yang/hatha portion, we engage in a series of dynamic poses, including Hand to Big Toe Pose, Bridge Pose, Dead Bug Pose, Cat Pose, Side Plank, Downwar

In this yin yang yoga class to nurture a peaceful heart, we will dedicate the first 30 minutes to gentle and intentional yin postures to cultivate tranquility and inner peace. Beginning with wide-legged child’s pose, we will surrender to the present moment and gather the yin energy required for the yang portion of the class in our sea of tranquility. Next, we target your heart meridian with broken wing pose and begin our exploration of the principles of yin. In each of the yin poses, I will give you the anchor of a unique loving kindness mantra to nurture a peaceful heart. As we move through the yin portion of the class, we cultivate softness, gentleness and compassion within ourselves and radiate that kindness outward into the world. In heart-melting pose, we lovingly surrender into the realm of non-doing, embracing stillness and cultivating peace within ourselves. Finally, in supported-fish pose, I will teach you an acupressure point to regulate your emotions in fire element season. In the second half

https://youtu.be/0fhoJOC9BL4 Blissful Heart Effortless Full Body Restorative Yoga is a 60 minute, deeply rejuvenating and heart-centered practice. You will experience a unique blend of restorative yoga poses and inspiring poetry for your heart chakra, your heart organ system, your heart meridian, and fire element in summer that is deeply soothing and nourishing during the most yang time of year. As you effortlessly rest into your restorative yoga postures, I will read you contemporary, spirit-infused poetry designed to touch your heart and encourage introspection and self reflection. May these inspiring words from contemporary heart-felt spiritual poets resonate with you and awaken a sense of inner peace and tranquility. To calm your heart, we will engage breath practices or pranayama as a gateway to calm your heart, body and mind. Through various breath practices from gentle cleansing breath practices, to more soothing breath practices we will invite in a sense of surrender and release tension from our bo

https://youtu.be/n2yeVNgKLWw This 60 minute class begins with a 30 minute yin yoga sequence for your heart meridian to invite in self love followed by a 30 minute qigong inspired hatha yoga full body yoga flow that will leave you feeling refreshed and full of self love. Our consumer culture is highly competitive and values certain types of intelligence, bodies, and achievements. The standards set by the dominant culture cause us to feel like we can’t measure up in a way that is incredibly painful for our psyches. This causes us to live in what Tara Brach calls a “trance of unworthiness.” This continual sense of feeling that we are falling short of the person we should be, when what we really want is love and approval. With loving awareness and kindness we can choose to let go of the belief that we are unworthy. When we feel filled with judgment, shame, confusion and inner criticism, there are ways that we can come back to compassion and loving kindness. Our ego-self believes that we do not have a place w

https://youtu.be/9PPXDsEMNEA We all know how difficult it is when you can’t fall asleep or you fall asleep and you can’t stay asleep. Fatigue and exhaustion settle in. Sleep anxiety becomes real. Nobody want to spend their nights tossing and turning. Whether you have difficulty falling asleep or experience fragmented sleep, this yoga nidra is here to support you through your insomnia. Yoga nidra is a state of deep relaxation that allows your mind and body to unwind, releasing the stress that contributes to insomnia. It will activate your parasympathetic nervous system known as rest and digest, promoting a sense of calm, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. By entering into the state of deep relaxation offered in yoga nidra, it can lead you into a more restorative rest or sleep, allowing you to feel more rejuvenated when you wake. Throughout this yoga nidra, you will be invited to feel the gentle guidance and protection of your ancestors, guardian angels and spirit guides surrounding you with pr

https://youtu.be/qMT0-QIO6u8 Fire element season, summer, is the most expansive, yang, outward focused, with its long, hot, social days. It can ignite the fire of anxiety in our bodies. Throughout this yin yang 60 minute yoga class, we will bring in the gentle, balancing and harmonizing qualities of five element theory to neutralize anxiety. We will bring in the moderating influence of water, to quell the expansiveness of fire and anxiety. We will pull and pressurize the tissues of the small intestine meridians to clear the mind of worry and judgment. This class begins with a 30 minute yin portion to tune into the always present and nourishing earth element so that you can release the accumulated physical tension from anxiety into thte ground. You will experience several calming and relaxing yin yoga postures to support you in neutralizing the fire of anxiety. From there, we will move into the yang portion of the class which will be a gentle and intentional 30 minute hatha yoga session. We will bring in qi