One of my favorite yoga sequences of all time is the simple yet mindful movement through the joints in the body. The stretches are unusually simple - focusing on one joint at a time versus the complexity of working multiple joints at once in a standard yoga pose. This simplicty gives the practitioner a wonderful opportunity to focus more clearly on a deeper experience of their own being - mind, body and breath. And there are many benefits of the 'joint flow'...

The benefits of this 'yoga for joints' sequence - available in the recording 'Gentle Yoga: Blade of Grass' - stem mainly from the 'dusting off' of joints such as coating the joints in natural synovial lubricant and gently exploring the range of motion. And as practitioners of this yoga sequence we are able to magnify the benefits of yoga because our focus is so specific. And literally when one is done it feels as though the 'spring' has returned into the step.

Starting somewhere around 18-25 years of age the bones in a human body are no longer expanding - and so the body starts to settle. Much of the psychological experiences we endure in early adult hood - such as setting down - may be viewed as resting on or at least relating to 'settling' of the bones. Perhaps you can recall a moment in your twenties when it was actually quite an effort to either move out of bed in the morning, climb a set of stairs or step out of a car. These are typical signs of aging - the stiffening of the tissue surrounding and supporting the joints in our body - and we can reduce these symptoms naturally.

The interesting issue is that joints in our body evolved in order to allow us organisms to move about - so where there is stiffness there is less mobility. Now consider the mental or emotional implications of stiff joints and reduced mobility in the body. Whenever I've taught this 'yoga for joints' flow it has been amazing to watch the expressions on the faces and in the stances of practitioners - it is an experience of being more youthful and vibrant.

On a subtler level the benefit of practicing 'yoga for the joints' involves awakening the life force. In eastern modalities of healing a measurte of 'wellness' is in the level of flow of life force, one might even express this flow as 'a quality of breath moving int he body'. So when one is unwell the breath is shallow and stagnant and conversely when one is well the breath is deep and flowing - one might visualize this concept as the difference between the quality of a stagnant pool versus a flowing spring. One way to awaken the flow of life force associated with wellness is to maintain the joints. In fact as we age the joints show us first that life is slowing down by stiffening. So as we lubricate the joints then the life flows and we feel more vibrant as a whole.

In creating a recording of the sequnce 'yoga for joints' I made significant efforts to generate clear, simple instructions set at a relaxing, spacious pace. We are also fortunate to have a beautiful and relaxing soundtrack created by master violinist Daniel Kobialka.

Following registration users may access an eight minute guided relaxation is available for free download on this site.

If you are interested you may also purchase the compact disc with this 'yoga for joints' sequence by selecting the 'buy now' button near the top of the leftt hand column.