Eight years into her yoga-journey, Lindsay Barts has found philosophical guidance not in the
words of ancient gurus, but in the sage words of Mufasa, the noble father from the story of The Lion King: “We are all connected, as one.” As a practicing yogi, Lindsay’s teaching is based on the premise that the more we focus on oneness, the more we will experience the wholeness.
“I started to realize the concept of mind-body connection when I started practicing at Speakeasy Studio in Dayton, Ohio,” she explains. “The whole practice focused on the fact that the intention behind any posture should be to generate an effect in the body, rather than to simply perform the posture, or to look good doing so.”
With this goal to guide her, Lindsay has dedicated her practice and teaching to focusing on “getting the pose into the body, not the other way around.” She seeks to achieve this by doing and instructing poses until the intended sensation is experienced by the practitioner. Ultimately, the means of practice, along with a loving yogic community help to dispel the negatives that inevitably weigh people down, and promotes an ideal state of mind and a healthy body. To the uninitiated, this may sound like a challenging objective to accomplish, but Lindsay recalls the words of Nelson Mandela to dispel that notion: “It’s only impossible until it's done.”
With her perfectionist tendencies as a teacher, Lindsay focuses on designing ‘functional alignment dances’ that offer a SAFE yoga practice that engages every sense, energy, and emotion. “My students and I feel and see the oneness that exists between our minds, bodies and souls together,” she says. “The body speaks; all we have to do is listen.
Our bodies want to move!. So, how can we not afford to Take 5 minutes to bring breath and blood flowing back to your muscles & extremities. Here’s a 5-minute, meditative full-body
stretch/strengthening pose sequence to balance you before, during, and after the inevitable
hecticity of our daily lives. Take care of yourself.
What you’ll need:
Your Mind | Body | Quiet
5 minutes (~2.5 min/sideside)
Humble Warrior Part I:
Keeping a strong base by continuing to grip the floor and draw your button into your
spine, lower your hands behind your back and clasp them together, or cross opposite
hands to opposite elbows.
Shoulder blades down your back | Using your muscles work with gravity to pull your hands/elbows down to the ground behind you
Puff out your chest | Check-in with belly-to-spine, draw it in
Breath-In & Out for 5 breaths (with each inhale stand taller, with each exhale sink deeper)
Strengthening: torso, back leg, arms, front leg, core
Stretching: core, front of leg of back leg, chest/shoulders
Solar Plexus Chakra
Physical Attribute-Stomach, Liver, Digestion, Blood Sugar
Emotional Attributes-Energy, Self vs Local Self, Perfection
Sacral Chakra
Physical Attribute-Uterus, Blood Sugar, Urinary Tract, Adrenals
Emotional Attributes-Intimacy, Emotions, Boundaries, Addiction, Trust
Root Chakra
Physical Attribute-Reproductive System, Tailbone, Legs
Emotional Attributes-Security, Grounding, Sexuality, Survival
Humble Warrior Part II:
On your out breath, lower your shoulder to your knee, keeping your belly drawn into
your spine, squeezing your pelvic floor muscles to stabilize you so you don’t dump into
your front leg. Once in the pose try to press the outsides of your feet to the floor, and for a challenge try lift your toes off the ground.
Breath-In & Out for 5 breaths (check-in with your body, and feel it’s strength)
Strengthening: torso, back leg, arms, front leg, core
Stretching: groin, lower back, front of leg of back leg, chest/shoulders
Throat Chakra:
Physical Attribute-Thyroid, Neck, Ears, Respiratory System, Sinus
Emotional Attributes-Communication, Creativity, Hearing
Solar Plexus
Physical Attribute-Stomach, Liver, Digestion, Blood Sugar
Emotional Attributes-Energy, Self vs Local Self, Perfection
Sacral Chakra
Physical Attribute-Uterus, Blood Sugar, Urinary Tract, Adrenals
Emotional Attributes-Intimacy, Emotions, Boundaries, Addiction, Trust
Root Chakra
Physical Attribute-Reproductive System, Tailbone, Legs
Emotional Attributes-Security, Grounding, Sexuality, Survival
Warrior 1:
Step your right foot to the back and place it at a 45 degree angle as you extend your
leg behind you | Bend your front knee keeping it behind your toes
Grip the floor with your feet, as you draw the belly button up into your spine
With strong, straight arms raise your elbows to your ears and lower your shoulder
blades down your back | Extend your fingers to the sky
Press your chest out | Stretch the top, or the crown of your head up
Breath-In & Out and hold for 5 breaths (with each inhale stand taller, with each
exhale sink deeper)
Solar Plexus Chakra
Physical Attribute-Stomach, Liver, Digestion, Blood Sugar
Emotional Attributes-Energy, Self vs Local Self, Perfection
Sacral Chakra
Physical Attribute-Uterus, Blood Sugar, Urinary Tract, Adrenals
Emotional Attributes-Intimacy, Emotions, Boundaries, Addiction, Trust
Root Chakra
Physical Attribute-Reproductive System, Tailbone, Legs
Emotional Attributes-Security, Grounding, Sexuality, Survival