The golden rule of yoga: Never, ever strain. I know this is different from other methods of exercise that you might have tried, but in yoga we focus on the positive health of the pupil and the enhancement of the energy flow or life-force within us. Straining in yoga is never an option.
Your body today is the result of how it has been taken care of how you have exercised, coped with your share of troubles, the diet you have eaten, how you have slept and relaxed and your individual focus and attitude to life.
It is extremely hard to suddenly come face-to-face with your body in certain movements and realize how stiff and out of shape and uncoordinated you have become. Please cheer up – it really is a good thing to gradually discover our imbalances and frailties. All you need is your daily yoga to help correct them.
Now, to go back to straining – if you strain or jerk in a movement you are liable to tear or hurt yourself so putting a total halt on further practice for a while.
Move into each posture slowly and carefully without strain, and relax in your own maximum position. This is the secret of success. Every time you practise, no matter how bad you were to start with, you will find that you are a tiny bit more flexible, and after just a few weeks you will really see the difference in your flexibility, shape and feeling of well-being. When a system has been tried and tested for over 5,000 years, as yoga has, and is still increasing in popularity, we know it works!
The key to developing a beautiful physical appearance is to start from the inside out by clearing away physical and emotional toxins.
ANNE LOUISE GITTLEMAN
Decide now to devote a minimum of 15 minutes a day to your yoga practice. Decide on the time of day convenient for practice, and commit to it.
Start with Stage 1 of ‘15-Minute Miracles’ and do it every day, if possible before breakfast. As soon as it becomes really easy, then move on to Stage 2, which is a little stronger, and finally to Stage 3. Stages 4, 5 and 6 are ideal to do in the afternoon or in the evening before bed. Try them in the same way as the earlier Stages, moving at your own pace. Find a time that suits your schedule. If like me, you are a morning type, then just do either the a.m. or p.m. workouts in the morning, or both if you have time.
Continue in this way until you are able to do all six Stages with ease. This will give you a fantastic grounding in yoga and will tone and firm all the major muscles in your body and leave you feeling relaxed, calm and revitalized, and much, much younger.
Once you have mastered these Stages, replace them on alternate days with your own choice of the first four sequences in Part Two – concentrating on your face, arms/neck/shoulders, stomach, and bottom/hips/thighs – which will help perfect your body in record time:
Your 15-minute facial will sculpt and tone your facial muscles, neck and jaw, while releasing neck tension. The eye exercises will help your vision and eye muscle tone. Once learned, all these movements can be done at odd moments during the day.
The arms, neck and shoulders movements are excellent for toning and firming the arms and shoulders, and also firm the bust and help to relieve neck and shoulder tension.
The flat stomach plan is an amazing system for giving you a firm, flat tummy. It consists of movements already included in the first six Stages, grouped for easy reference should you wish to have that flat tummy in record time.
The bottom, hips and thighs plan is composed of two 15-minute sequences of movements that you will already have practised. If this area is a challenging one for you, these movements will sculpt your hips, bottom and thighs and really benefit your shape and reduce cellulite. Again, use it as well as or alternating with the 15-Minute Miracles.
When you feel ready, move on to ‘Your Ageless Body’. These movements are amazing. I show you how, with continued practice 15 minutes a day, you can reap yoga’s wonderful benefits: an ageless body and mind. Personally I would hate to grow old without yoga. I am delighted to show you these movements and to show you how you can be in great shape and feeling and looking fantastic at any age.
In the Age-defying Anti-gravity Movements section, you will learn that these postures are quite simply the best face-lift in the world, doing wonders for your skin, hair, brain, energy level and feeling of well-being.
Until you are familiar with the movements in all six Stages and beyond, you may like to tape-record yourself reading the instructions for each posture, or do them with a friend, taking it in turns to read out the instructions to each other. Then, once you are familiar with the names and sequence of movements for each posture, you can make up a schedule or chart for yourself for each daily 15-minute sequence, using just the names of the postures as your guide.
The final three chapters of this book focus on techniques to help you get the most out of life alongside your daily yoga practice:
The Meditation chapter will help you to learn the amazing benefits of simple meditation exercises.
In the Visualization chapter, we focus on your life and goals – to help you to reach them.
Finally, the last chapter offers you my 30 Top Tips to help you look and stay young for ever.
This sequence will start to correct your posture, tone and firm your upper arms and neck, help your spine to incredible flexibility, slim your midriff waistline, thighs and upper arms, aid joint flexibility and help you to develop the powers of focus and concentration.
Breathing Demonstration
Free the Spirit Standing
Posture Clasp