Yoga Sparks , livre ebook

“This is a wonderful collection of micro-practices designed to elicit the meaning of the teachings [of yoga]. Who would want more? Pause, feel the truth, be glad. Keep it simple, short, and frequent.”
—Erich Schiffmann , author of YOGA: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness
“With a lighthearted understanding and compassion, we are offered 108 easy practices to ‘spark’ our remembering, connecting us to our spiritual source, each and every moment.”
—Nischala Joy Devi , international teacher and author of The Healing Path of Yoga and The Secret Power of Yoga
“Krucoff’s Yoga Sparks is a simple, powerful tool for you to move from ‘doing’ yoga to ‘being’ yoga. For too long in the West we’ve separated yoga as something we do, when by practicing Sparks you will discover that yoga is in fact what you are, moment to moment. My sense is you will soon be creating your own Sparks as you delight in your realization that 108 is really only just a good start! Let your fire burn brighter with Yoga Sparks !”
—Matthew J. Taylor, PT, PhD, ERYT , former president of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, and the ‘mindbody’ rehab guy bridging traditional rehab with yoga
“ Yoga Sparks is the perfect book for anyone interested in a practical way to incorporate yoga into his or her daily busy life. Krucoff goes beyond the poses and really provides a guide to experiencing all of the benefits that yoga has to offer for improving health and wellbeing.”
—Adam Perlman , associate vice president for health and wellness for the Duke University Health System and executive director at Duke Integrative Medicine
“Yoga is popularly described as a practice for on and off the mat, but how many people actually integrate and transfer their insights from yoga to ordinary moments? Our reactivity easily eclipses our ease and calm when triggered by the unexpected, or worse, the unwanted details of life. If yoga is to become more than merely exercise, we need to inhabit mini moments with awareness and find ways to reconnect ourselves in body and mind. In Yoga Sparks , Krucoff offers profound wisdom in sparkling bites that can easily be applied while moving through our day, enhancing our capacity for mindful living. She teaches us that our busy life is not in the way of our yoga practice, and in fact the way to live yogically is through the everyday moments of our life.”
—Sarah Powers , author of Insight Yoga
“It is so easy to go from zero to sixty and stay in high gear until you break down. Yoga Sparks generously offers a way for you to make a Uturn: quickies that translate into quick ease of posture, concentration, joy, and presence. Krucoff’s sensitive sparks jump off the page and inject moments of repose into your days, nights, and life.”
—Jill Miller, ERYT , creator of Yoga Tune Up® and the Therapy Ball System™
108 easy practices for stress relief in a minute or less
Carol Krucoff, E-RYT
New Harbinger Publications, Inc. -->
Publisher’s Note

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books

Copyright © 2013 by Carol Krucoff
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com

Acknowledgments for the use of copyrighted material appear on pages 232, which constitute an extension of the copyright page.

Cover design by Amy Shoup; Text design by Michele Waters-Kermes;
Acquired by Jess O’Brien; Edited by Jasmine Star

All Rights Reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Krucoff, Carol.
Yoga sparks : 108 easy practices for stress relief in a minute or less / Carol Krucoff, E-RYT.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-60882-700-8 (pbk. : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-60882-701-5 (pdf e-book) -- ISBN 978-1-60882-702-2 (epub) 1. Stress management. 2. Relaxation. 3. Yoga--Therapeutic use. I. Title.
RA785.K78 2013
613.7’046--dc23
2013014405
To my teachers, on whose shoulders I stand,
And to my students, who have taught me so much
The Gita sums up [what] this means in one word—yoga… This ancient word is pressed by the Gita into service to mean the entire gamut of human endeavor to storm the gates of Heaven. It is derived from the verb yuj …which has numerous meanings: to join, to attach, to yoke; to direct, to concentrate one’s attention on; to use, to apply, to employ. In the Yoga Sutras it is used to mean discipline or control. It thus means the yoking of all the powers of the body and the mind and soul to God; it means the discipline of the intellect, the mind, the emotions, the will, which such a yoking presupposes; it means a poise of the soul which enables one to look at life in all its aspects and evenly.
— The Gita According to Gandhi , by Mahadev Desai
Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
• 1 • Anywhere Practices
Posture Sparks
1. Freeze, Ground, Breath, Spine
2. Mountain Pose
3. Seated Mountain Pose
4. Tree Pose
5. Shoulder Shrugs
6. Gentle Twist
7. Lips Together, Teeth Apart
8. Lion’s Face
9. Relaxation
Breathing Sparks
10. Relaxed Abdominal Breath
11. Three-Part Breath
12. Even Breath
13. Extended Exhalation
Meditation Sparks
14. Mindful Awareness of Breath
15. Conscious Breathing with a Smile
16. Mantra Meditation
17. In and Out Visualization
18. Loving-Kindness
19. Riding the Waves
20. Preferred Place
Principle Sparks
21. Body Scan
22. Awareness
23. Self-Talk
24. Letting Go
25. Acceptance: It Is What It Is
26. Contentment and Gratitude
27. Cultivating the Opposite
28. Cleanliness 1: Hand-Washing Practice
29. Set an Intention
• 2 • Around the House Practices
Posture Sparks
30. Rise and Shine
31. Knee-to-Chest Pose
32. Apanasana: Wind-Relieving Pose
33. Standing Salutation
34. Chair Pose
35. Hip Hinge: Lift and Carry
36. Puppy Pose
37. Nondominant Hand Practice
38. Tightrope Walking
39. Palm Tree
40. Crane Pose
41. Legs up the Wall or on a Chair
Breathing Sparks
42. Shower Om
43. Bee’s Breath
44. Alternate Nostril Breathing
45. Chanting or Singing Breath
Meditation Sparks
46. Housework or Yard Work Meditation
47. Mindful Eating
48. Sacred Space
49. Three Good Things
Principle Sparks
50. Cleanliness 2: Tidy Home Practice
51. Unplug: Restraint of the Senses
52. Clutter-Busting Practice
53. Self-Study: Journaling
54. Discipline
• 3 • At Work Practices
Posture Sparks
55. Mini Mountain Pose
56. Side Stretch
57. Computer Asana
58. Seated Back Bend
59. Angel Wings
60. Wrist, Arms, and Hands Stretch
61. Forearm Stretch
62. Hand Jive
63. Modified Cow’s Face
64. Spread Your Wings
65. Eye Play 1: Clock Eyes
66. Eye Play 2: Fingertip Push-Ups
67. Eye Play 3: Palming
68. Neck Side Stretch
69. Restorative Forward Bend
Breathing Sparks
70. Breath Surfing
71. Sun Channel Breathing
72. Moon Channel Breathing
73. Victorious Breath
Meditation Sparks
74. Boot Up, Download, or On Hold Meditation
75. Telephone Meditation
76. Rehearse Success Visualization
77. Walking Meditation
Principle Sparks
78. Sympathetic Joy
79. Concentration
80. Integrity
• 4 • On the Go Practices
Posture Sparks
81. Driving Asana
82. Seat Stretches
83. At Ease
84. Core Strengthener
85. Pelvic Floor Strengthener
86. Self-Massage of the Head and Neck
87. Shake Hands with Your Feet
Breathing Sparks
88. “Ha” Breath
89. Cooling Breath
90. Timing the Breath
91. Square Breath
Meditation Sparks
92. Waiting Meditation
93. Sacred Objects
94. Pause: Inner Listening
Principle Sparks
95. Slow Down
96. Cultivate Patience
97. After You
98. Cleanliness 3: Sanitizing Practice
• 5 • Practices with Others
Posture Sparks
99. Smiling Eyes
100. Namaste
101. Pet Poses
Breathing Sparks
102. Laughter Yoga
Meditation Sparks
103. Mindful Listening
104. Honor a Difficult Person
105. Extend Compassion
Principle Sparks
106. Nonharming
107. Nonstealing
108. Right Speech
Epilogue
References
Foreword
When it comes to yoga, meditation, or anything you know is good for you, you might feel as though you don’t have enough time to truly get anything out of it. Maybe you feel overwhelmed by just thinking about how to fit it into an already busy schedule. We live in a world where the message is “If a little bit is good, a lot is better.” Yet there never seems to be enough time in the day to do “a lot.”
Here’s some good news: Sometimes a little bit is enough. Sometimes a small dose can even be the most healing. This is true for yoga and all of its benefits. A single moment can provide relief, and a small taste can trigger profound transformation. The benefits of small doses is the premise of Carol Krucoff’s book Yoga Sparks , which can help you find health, happiness, and meaning in less time than it will take to read this foreword. As radical a promise as this may seem, the latest science supports it.
Research has shown that you can shift the state of your brain with as little as a minute of meditation or mindful breathing. Changing your physical posture—say, from slumped to standing tall—can transform your mood. A brief burst of movement can do more to relieve stress than a longer workout. A short reflection on gratitude can improve your relationships. Choosing to engage in these sorts of brief practices—what Carol calls micropractices or Yoga Sparks—throughout the day is a powerful way to create lasting change. And it’s a much more effective way to create joy and well-being than trying to squeeze in a practice you don’t have time for.
Carol is a trustworthy guide in th