How to Bring the Principles of Yoga onto Your Bike

5 Ways to Improve Your Posture while Cycling on an Upright Bike.

1. Lengthen Your Spine: 

Imagine there's a peice of string pulling the crown of your head towards the sky as you cycle along. Really feel the space opening out between the vertebrae in your spine. Try and elongate your spine and imagine yourself two inches taller.  

2. Engage Your Stomach Muscles

Understand that in order to protect your spine, you must make your stomach muscles work. Try tilting your pelvis forward slightly, as if you zipping up some trousers.

3. Bring Your Shoulders Down

Make sure there is a space between your shoulders and your ears. Bring your shoulders all the way up to your ears and then allow them to drop down. That's where they should be.

4. Awareness

As you cycle along, observe the abundance of the world. Notice the leaves or branches of the trees, notice the patterns in nature and the patterns made by

man. Feel the breeze on your face.

5. Smile

It's OK. Cycling is fun! Put a little yogic smile on your face as you whizz along.

For some yoga poses to help stretch you out after a big cycle, please click here.

5 Ways to Fit Yoga Into Your Day

1. Practice with your baby or child

By practicing yoga with your baby or child, you will be giving your child the most wonderful gift of an introduction to yoga. Not sure how? See Baby Yoga or practice some simple yoga breathing or mantras with your child. Try, 'I am peace'.

2. Breathe

When you feel like you are stressed or upset, try counting to 10 and inhaling and counting to 10 and exhaling three times. Allow yourself to relax into the breath. You always have a choice in how your react and when you slow your breathing down, your body will make a choice from a better place.

3. Meditate

Try meditating, even if it's just for one moment each day.

4. Bring Yoga Postures off the Yoga Mat

Whether you're pushing your buggy or walking to the shops, be aware of your posture. Tuck in your tailbone, elongate your spine, feel like there is a piece of string lifting the crown of your head to the sky. Walk proud.

5. Use online Yoga Videos to Practice at Home

Born to Move

I have been searching the internet to find some research to evidence why babies love movement so much. There is lots of information on baby wearing, which does involve movement, but nothing specifically on movement.  Perhaps the answer to why babies love movement is very simple?  

When I was pregnant, I noticed that while I was busy during the day, the baby was quite still, but once I got into bed, the baby kicked. A lot. So maybe this is the origin of why babies love the sensation of being carried and held. 

An unsettled baby loves to be held and a great way of holding a baby is in a sling or baby carrier. It makes life so much easier for the caregiver, as it enables you to have both your hands free and still provide comfort for your baby.  Many newborn babies spend a lot of time sleeping.  I found my babies slept for only short bursts in a moses basket, but would sleep for much longer periods in a sling. 

Once a baby starts to be awake for longer periods, you may wish to look for ways to play with your baby.  And this is what makes baby yoga so unique.  Baby yoga involves movement for your baby, while combining exercise for you in the process. As your baby's caregiver, you are the centre of their world and by interacting with your baby through touch and with movement, you will find a whole new way of playing with your baby. There are different holds to help relieve colic and calm them, different ways to give your baby some much loved feeling of movement and ways to hold your baby to protect your back.  I have held many babies in 'Tiger in the Tree' pose at the end of the class and it never fails to settle a tired baby. Unless of course, they are hungry.

Knowing a few baby yoga tricks can make life with a small baby so much easier and even more fun. Teeny Tiny baby yoga classes are also a personal journey as babies change so rapidly, you'll notice the developmental differences between movements your baby did at the beginning of the course and at the end.  While toys and external stimulation have a place in your babies life, I strongly believe that you are all your baby needs and baby yoga is a beautiful way of giving you more resources to play with, and comfort your baby.