Tea and Yoga

It’s no secret that tea and yoga go well together, both encouraging mindfulness and creative thinking, while also achieving extraordinary effects on physical, mental and spiritual health.

Now, I’m more of a tea connoisseur than a yogin, so I talked to my friend and certified Vinyasa flow teacher about choosing five yoga poses that encourage mindfulness and some teas to go with them.

Practice these positions individually or in series with a flow of four to seven minutes; you can perform them during tea infusions.

Some positions to try

Needle Head Position

The Needle Crunch pose is a beautiful, supine hip opening that connects your back to the earth and is a crescendo of energy. To create awareness, focus on the breath and extend your inhales and exhales into a 4 to 6 second count. Try to quiet your mind, listening to the breath helps.

Accompany with: Silver Needle white tea, leave to infuse at 85° C for 3-5 minutes.

Baby position

Child’s pose or Balasana can be done whenever you want, but always on an empty stomach. In this position you breathe from the back and helps relaxation. While performing make sure not to create tension in the neck and shoulders.

This is the perfect pose to do before starting a creative endeavor.

Accompany it with: Red Bergamot Assam from Taiwan, invigorating and setting the creative process in motion. Let steep in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.

Head Down Dog Position

Upside Down Dog, also known as Adho Mukha Svanasana, is a “resting” pose that requires a lot of work for a beginner and can be uncomfortable if not performed properly. But breathing into this pose, which is a full body stretch, can really be energizing and subtly invigorating.

Accompany it with: the Pu’er Sheng will stretch and challenge your palate just as this position will do with your body! Soak a teaspoon of tea in hot water (90° C) and drink almost immediately.

Forward Bend Position

To relieve stress and fatigue, try the Forward Leaning pose (Uttanasana), it’s perfect, it’s a relaxing pose that is especially helpful in calming the mind.

This is probably because you’re not just stretching through your legs, but also appreciating a nice relaxation on your cervical and thoracic spine, and getting additional flow to your brain. Love it!

Accompany it with: Pu’er Shu for a truly restful experience. Let it steep in boiling water for 5-10 minutes.Mountain Location

Tadasana, or Mountain Position, is a particularly powerful and energizing pose – perfect for helping you mentally prepare for a meeting or presentation. “By embodying the firm, solid, immovable strength of the mountain, we fixate and focus on ourselves and feel the power that resides within us,” says Ursillo.

Pair it with: High Mountain Oolong for extra mountain goodness. Let steep for 2-3 minutes in nearly boiling water (95° C).

Fonti

Doyouyoga.com

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