By Claire Diab and Dennis Boyle
You can reverse the signs of aging and keep your skin looking youthful through the practice of yoga. Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It reflects your age and how you are feeling. Since as firefighters you are around smoke and other air pollutants, it is important for you to take care of this amazing organ. By practicing Mountain Pose a few minutes a day, you can give your skin a healthy and youthful appearance. Mountain Pose (also called Downward Facing Dog) is an inversion. An inversion is when your head is below your heart. This allows all of the blood and oxygen to flow toward your brain, eyes, and all the muscles in your faces–nourishing all of these areas.
Inversions are a great way to increase the circulation to the skin and rejuvenate your tired cells. While in an inversion, the heart pumps our blood carrying oxygen and vital nutrients to the face, creating a natural rosy glow. Inversions also help us to protect the skin from free radicals that can be harmful and potentially damaging. Inversions are important because they reverse the flow of gravity. Reversing gravity increases the flow of blood to the brain and face, helping to improve cognition, anxiety, stress, as well as reverse the signs of aging.
Below are the instructions to practice Mountain Pose. Remember to go at your own pace! Enjoy!
Instructions:
|
|
|
| Table Top | Mountain Pose | Child Pose |
Come into Table Top Pose. Make sure your wrists are in line with your shoulders and your knees are in line with your hips. Breathe in and out 3-5 times.
- Curl your toes under; inhale; and then, while exhaling, lift your hips up toward the sky. Breathe in and out through your nostrils.
- Breathing deep full breaths. Feel your strength. As you inhale, lift both heels up, keeping your toes on the ground. Exhaling, press both heels toward the earth. Repeat this movement 6-9 times.
- Come into Table Top pose.
- Exhale and lower down into Child’s Pose. Relax all the muscles in your face, rest, and enjoy.
- Repeat Table Top and Mountain Pose 3-5 times. Then rest in Child’s Pose for 5 minutes.
Benefits:
- Strengthens the arms and legs.
- Lengthens the muscles in the back of the legs.
- Nourishes the brain and skin.
- Strengthens the shoulders and chest.
- Increases blood flow to the head.
Safety Tips:
- If you have shoulder or neck tension, avoid Mountain Pose and rest in Child’s Pose.
- If your knees are uncomfortable in Child’s Pose, roll onto your back and bring your knees toward your chest.
- Notice how your body feels, and choose the most nourishing choice.
Claire Diab is an internationally recognized Yoga therapist. She is the director of the Yoga Program for the Chopra Center founded by Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. David Simon. She is an adjunct professor of Asian Studies at Seton Hall University. She is the author of several books and DVDs on Yoga including “Yoga For Firefighters.”
Dennis Boyle is a retired fire director and acting chief with the West Orange (NJ) Fire Department. He was the recipient of the 1999 New Jersey Deputy Fire Chiefs “Fire Officer of the Year” award.
