My Group Sequence

Normally, our yoga sequence takes about 30-90 minutes (depending on how intense the session may be). In this case, our yoga sequence will roughly take 40 minutes. 

Opening: 5 min (meditation/warm up)

Sun A: 2 ½ minutes

Sun B: 2 ½ minutes

Sun A: 2 ½ minutes

Sun B: 2 ½ minutes

Sequence: approx. 15 minutes (Poses to help with challenging yourself and becoming less tense)

Look at this presentation for more information: https://docs.google.com/a/mysummitps.org/presentation/d/1I6DQx2wYgnKscfBxQDdtKDTJ1RislqRVIiQap3Q4D8o/edit?usp=sharing

Savasana: 12 minutes (Time to become aware of your thoughts and surroundings)

Closing: approx. 3 minutes (Reflection time)

What is Yoga & Mindfulness?
Yoga is a resourceful way to help many who are stressed find their inner peace, spirituality, and awareness to themselves and other living things around them. This form of exercise teaches you discipline within your body as it does help you find ways to balance and strengthen your body and mind. 

Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, as it is acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations which is often used as a therapeutic technique.

Why yoga and mindfulness?

Yoga is a relaxing way to help relieve stress and tensions your body may be feeling at the moment. Whether you are feeling physically, mentally, or emotionally stressed, yoga is beneficial for your health as it does provide the following physical benefits:

1. Cardio and circulatory health
2. Improved athletic performance
3. Increased flexibility
4. Increased muscle strength and tone
5. Improved respiration, energy and vitality
6. Maintaining a balanced metabolism
7. Protection from injury

Mindfulness is a beneficial way to help find your inner peace, strength and balance to your mind. As mindfulness exercises are known to being silent, you become more aware of yourself and your surroundings. If you may be feeling stressed or overwhelmed, mindfulness provides the following mental benefits:

1. It strengthened immune system and physiological responses to stress and negative emotions.
2. It improved social relationships with family and strangers.
3. It reduced stress, depression, and anxiety and increased well-being and happiness.
4. It increased openness to experience, conscientiousness, and agreeableness and reduced negative associations with neuroticism.
5. It led to greater psychological mindfulness, which included an awareness that is clear, nonconceptual, and flexible; a practical stance toward reality; and present attention to the individual’s consciousness and awareness.

Resources:
- http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/about-your-health/health-conditions-library/general-health/Pages/yoga.aspx

- https://nau.edu/research/feature-stories/mindfulness-training-has-positive-health-benefits/%60/

Group Description: 
My group consists of myself (Paloma Arceo-Valencia) and my partner Reyna Nava. We built up our unique yoga routine that targets the places where you may be feeling tension. Through our yoga routine, we aim to relieve stress and tension your body and mind may contain. As our yoga routine may have some challenging poses, we offer other poses that are easier to do but still targets the same places your body is most tense. Through our yoga exercises, our goal is that students will feel more relaxed, challenged and less tense in the end of our routine.

How to do downward dog pose

1. Begin on your hands and knees. Align your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. The fold of your wrists should be parallel with the top edge of your mat. Point your middle fingers directly to the top edge of your mat.
2. Stretch your elbows and relax your upper back.
3. Spread your fingers wide and press firmly through your palms and knuckles. Distribute your weight evenly across your hands.
4. Exhale as you tuck your toes and lift your knees off the floor. Reach your pelvis up toward the ceiling, then draw your sit bones toward the wall behind you. Gently begin to straighten your legs, but do not lock your knees. Bring your body into the shape of an "A." Imagine your hips and thighs being pulled backwards from the top of your thighs. Do not walk your feet closer to your hands — keep the extension of your whole body.
5. Press the floor away from you as you lift through your pelvis. As you lengthen your spine, lift your sit bones up toward the ceiling. Now press down equally through your heels and the palms of your hands.
6. Firm the outer muscles of your arms and press your index fingers into the floor. Lift from the inner muscles of your arms to the top of both shoulders. Draw your shoulder blades into your upper back ribs and toward your tailbone. Broaden across your collarbones.
7. Rotate your arms externally so your elbow creases face your thumbs.
8. Draw your chest toward your thighs as you continue to press the mat away from you, lengthening and decompressing your spine.
9. Engage your quadriceps. Rotate your thighs inward as you continue to lift your sit bones high. Sink your heels toward the floor.
10. Align your ears with your upper arms. Relax your head, but do not let it dangle. Gaze between your legs or toward your navel.
11. Hold for 5-100 breaths.
12. To release, exhale as you gently bend your knees and come back to your hands and knees.

Link to website : Downward dog pose

How do do child's pose

1. Begin on your hands and knees. Center your breath, and begin to let your thoughts slow down. Turn your awareness inward.
2. Spread your knees wide apart while keeping your big toes touching. Rest your buttocks on your heels.
   • Those with very tight hips can keep their knees and thighs together.
3. Sit up straight and lengthen your spine up through the crown of your head.
4. On an exhalation, bow forward, draping your torso between your thighs. Your heart and chest should rest between or on top of your thighs. Allow your forehead to come to the floor.
5. Keep your arms long and extended, palms facing down. Press back slightly with your hands to keep your buttocks in contact with your heels. Lengthen from your hips to your armpits, and then extend even further through your fingertips.
   • For deeper relaxation, bring your arms back to rest alongside your thighs with your palms facing up. Completely relax your elbows.
6. Let your upper back broaden. Soften and relax your lower back. Allow all tension in your shoulders, arms, and neck to drain away.
7. Keep your gaze drawn inward with your eyes closed.
8. Hold for up to a minute or longer, breathing softly.
9. To release the pose, gently use your hands to walk your torso upright to sit back on your heels.

Link to website: Child's Pose

Warm up poses

Downward Dog pose:
This pose helps release tension in your spine
It stretches your hamstring, calves,arches, arms, shoulders
It improves mobility, of your digestive system
 it helps with back pain, headaches, insomnia, and fatigue 

child's pose:
This pose helps you stretches your legs: ankles, thighs,hips, and knees.
Relieves stress and fatigue releases back and neck tension it is also very relaxing

Peace and serenity

If you have time to breathe you have time to meditate. You breathe when you walk. You breathe when you stand. You breathe when you lie down. – Ajahn Amaro

Namaste

Reflections

Remember to always stay centered and reflect in the past, remember your intentions, your goals in life
Remember to hold onto who you are, never let that go.
Be true to your beliefs.
be you.