Leveling out

Whether it's our fluctuating glandular systems or just the sensitivity we women are born with, we tend toward highs and lows. We may overreact, take things too hard, project our own pain into situations, and just generally get out of balance. But what can seem like a curse can also be seen as a blessing. We are blessed to be aware, sensitive beings. Whether the issue is depression, manic behavior, or both alternately, the first step in evening out highs and lows is to pick up one foot and put it down. Then continue to place one foot in front of the other until you are standing on your yoga mat. Promptly sit down, tune in, and get ready to feel better with yoga and meditation for balance, clarity, and stability.

Balancing poses

The intricate connection between body, mind, and spirit is quite apparent in the practice of balancing poses. Working with balancing postures strengthens your focus and brings your mind to neutrality. And the more focused and stable you are, the easier it is to remain steady in your practice.

Triangle

This pose stretches the spine and spinal nerves laterally, helps to adjust the sacrum and lower back, and stretches the muscles and nerves in the legs and arms. It reduces stress and anxiety through its capacity to center and balance you.

1: Stand with the feet 3—4ft (I m) apart and your arms raised so that they are straight out to the sides at shoulder level.

2: pivot your right foot 90° to the right and turn your left foot in slightly by moving the heel outward. Check your right heel is in line with the arch of your left foot and that the weight evenly distributed. Keep your pelvis facing forward and your shoulders relaxed, broaden from the center of your chest, and breathe deeply a few times before continuing on with step 3.

3: Inhale, lower your right arm, and bring it to rest on your shin. Extend your left arm up from the shoulder with the palm facing forward. Exhale and shift your pelvis to the left while moving the shoulders toward the right, bringing the right shoulder out and over the right leg. Keep your chest and pelvis open and facing forward. Take a few deep breaths.

4: Slide the hand down toward the ankle, as far as you can without rotating the left hip forward. Fully extend both arms, keeping them in alignment with each other and straight out from the shoulders. Look up toward the extended arm, straight ahead, or down at the foot. Relax and breathe as you hold the position for 30 seconds to 1minute.

5: To come out of the pose, exhale, press through the ball of your left foot, and lift, keeping the spine elongated. If you feel unsteady, bend the left knee to lift out of the pose. Then turn your feet toward the original position in step 1, take a few breaths, and practice Triangle pose on the other side with the left leg extended.

Crow

This pose strengthens the arms, wrists, and shoulders and lubricates the joints, tendons, and ligaments of the upper body the intense focus on balance strengthens the nervous system and gives excellent powers of concentration. Crow also encourages a feeling of inner balance and prepares the mind for meditation.

1: Come into a squatting position, with the feet flat on the ground and the arms between the knees. Place your palms flat on the ground and spread your fingers wide apart and turned slightly inward, like the feet of a crow.

2: Bend your elbows outward so that your upper arms can act as a support for your knees. Rise up onto the balls of your feet and rest your knees on each upper arm.

3: Keep your head facing forward, with your eyes focused on a point a little way in front of you. Inhale deeply. Hold the breath as you gradually shift your weight forward onto your hands so that your toes hardly touch the ground. Stay at this level until you can balance comfortably, or experiment by carefully lifting your toes off the ground for a few seconds at a time.

4: Keep your head up by focusing out in front of you and shift the balance of weight entirely onto the hands, slowly lifting the feet off the floor If this proves difficult, try raising one foot and then the other Ideally your knees are resting on the upper arms, and the lower legs are parallel to the ground with the feet relaxed. Breathe deeply and hold for as long as is comfortable.

Yoga for mental and emotional balance

This yoga set balances the pelvis and adjusts the navel area, which opens up nerve channels and builds prank life energy. Strong backward bends and dynamic arm movements then encourage the prank energy to flow through to higher chakras, activating the heart center and bringing the mind into a state of equipoise.

Hip circles

Hip circles bring flexibility to the pelvis since the lower spine and hips are adjusted and balanced in this movement. Mentally, this exercise gives you the spirit to keep going and not to give in.

1: Stand tall, spreading the legs as wide apart as possible while maintaining your balance. Distribute your weight evenly across the soles of your feet. Keep your knees straight but not locked. Bring your elbows toward your sides, and bend them so that your forearms are more or less parallel to the ground and your hands are relaxed.

2: Begin to rotate your hips in large circles in one direction. Widen the circles as you continue for one minute. Breathe deeply as you circle. Then reverse the direction and repeat the movement for one more minute.

Miracle bend

This pose activates the navel center, which helps to give a woman the ability to find her inner security, balance her emotions, and release depression. It helps to process strong emotions and if practiced with deep breathing, it can bring about a sense of calm.

1: Stand with your heels together and your toes angled outward for balance. Bring your arms straight out in front of you, with the hands close together and fingers straightened. The thumbs may be crossed over each other.

2: Begin to inhale deeply as you raise your extended arms upward and backward in a smooth, flowing motion. Your head and upper body follow your arms so that your arms, head, and upper body form an unbroken curve, lifted upward and backward as far as possible. Breathe deeply and slowly as you hold the position for 1-2 minutes.

3: Exhale deeply and begin to slowly straighten your body and smoothly bend it forward to your maximum capacity. Keep your arms and head moving together in an unbroken line. Then inhale, retain the breath within the rib cage, and for as long as possible begin to pump your navel, pressing it in toward your spine and releasing. Continue until you have to exhale, then do the same on the held exhalation. Inhale and continue this pumping pattern on the held inhalation and exhalation for 2 minutes.

4: Come out of the pose by rolling upward at an unhurried pace while inhaling slowly and deeply. Uncurl one vertebra at a time in a slow, fluid motion.

Alternate arm circles

This exercise helps with stamina, clear thinking, and balance during menopause. Though there is no breathing pattern specified, you may want to inhale as you bend in one direction and exhale on the other.

1: Stand with your feet 3—4ft (1 m) apart. Straighten your arms and begin rotating them in backward circles, starting with one arm and then adding in the other Your arms are positioned out to the sides as much as possible throughout.

2: Bend the torso forward from the waist while continuing to move the arms in alternate circles. When you have bent forward halfway begin to straighten up again as you circle.

3: Without breaking the movement, bend backward halfway, or as far as possible. The rhythm is around 15 seconds for a complete cycle of forward and backward bends. Keep circling the arms the entire time as you continue for 1-2 minutes.

Meditation to deal with life

This meditation totally recharges you, and is an antidote to depression. It gives you the capacity and caliber to deal with life as it is. It strengthens your prank life energy, your internal energy system for making optimum use of the vital life force of the breath. When the prana flows through the nadis, or energy pathways, the cells of the body come alive with vitality and toxins are released. Sit in Easy pose with a straight spine. Extend your arms out straight in front of you, slightly below shoulder level and parallel to the ground. Close your right hand into a fist. Wrap your left hand around the right so that the fingers of the left hand are over the knuckles of the right fist. The heels of the hands touch each other. Straighten the thumbs, extending them up so that the sides are touching. Focus your eyes so that you gaze at your thumbs. Inhale for five seconds, then exhale for five seconds. Exhale completely and hold the breath out for 15 seconds. Then inhale and continue the pattern. Do not retain the inhalation; suspend the breath out of the body on the exhale only. Start with 3-5 minutes of this powerful breathing meditation. Build the time of this meditation gradually to 11 minutes. Eventually you can work up to holding the breath out longer, up to a maximum of a full minute, but always increase the time slowly and moderately according to your natural capability.