Get ready. Today consider noticing how much muscle tone you are using during these exercises.

And finished!

If you want, journal briefly on what you notice about your muscle tone.

Enjoy your day,

rubén

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Hi there,

Now you probably remember most of the routine. Today try to use the least amount of effort to do all the exercises.

Finished :)

If you’d like, take a minute to journal, is it getting easier to do these exercises and to fit them in your routine?

I hope your day is filled with beauty.

rubén

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I hope that your day is flowing nicely.

Gradually starting to build a habit. Same exercises, same number of repetitions. Today, pay attention to how you are breathing and try not to hold your breath.

That’s done. If you’d like, take a minute to journal,how was your breathing during the exercises?

Get ready for the rest of your day and enjoy.

See you…

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I hope that your day started well.

We repeat the same 7 exercises, 5 times each. Today, consider making your movements as smooth as possible.

You did it!

If you’d like, take a minute to journal:Is it easy to move smoothly?

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Namaste!

We will do the same exercises as yesterday. As you move try to notice the sensations you are feeling and make sure that you are breathing comfortably.

Done!

If you’d like, take a minute to journal: How did you feel during and after the exercise?

…

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Some suggestions on how to do this practice:
-The first time, watch the video to become familiar with the movements before doing them and check that these exercises are suitable for you, given any health conditions you may have. Our aim is to enhance your health, not compromise it.
-Do only what you can do comfortably
-Do only as many repetitions as you can do comfortably
-Breathe naturally and avoid holding your breath
-Don’t strain
-Don’t struggle
-Don’t self-judge
-Make all movements smooth
-Smile

Notice that we take a brief moment before we start and after we finish just to feel.

Trust that by practicing the same routine for several days you start conditioning your body, muscles and joints at a gradual pace that you can sustain, and hopefully enjoy.

Wear comfortable clothes. We are practicing 7 exercises. We will repeat each exercise five times.

That’s it!

Please return to this email until you receive the updated routine.

After you finish. Thank yourself for doing something good for yourself.

Peace and health,

rubén

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I hope you have been doing very well. I would like to encourage you to include more movement in your daily routine. Some people love exercise, while others hate it. However, a sedentary lifestyle can result in low energy, weight gain, muscle weakness, reduced mobility, poor posture, and joint pain. A lack of physical activity can also lead to health risks and diseases.

The goal of Present is to offer simple, easy ways to feel good at all levels, so you can actively uplift your life and the lives around you. I have learned from my students that a simple, at-home routine can lead to excellent results, such as feeling better, having more energy, and improving posture and overall mobility.

To help you get started, I created this short 5-minute routine of seven exercises to practice at home. No equipment is necessary, just enough room to move.

The challenge starts this Saturday, August 29th, so that you can fit it into your day.

So is this yoga?

Remember, we are defining yoga as You Organically Growing Aware. Even though it may seem like just exercise, I consider this practice a form of yoga because our intention is to gain greater body and movement awareness, to minimize pain and obstacles so that we can consciously participate in our lives. Additionally, we perform the movements consciously and deliberately, attending to our breathing and sensations.

How it works:

As a subscriber, you will receive an email containing the week’s exercises. Use the video in the email message until you receive a new email notifying you of a change to the exercise routine.

Paid subscribers will receive an email every day for the next 30 days. Each email will offer a suggestion on what to focus on during your five-minute session to enhance concentration, performance and awareness.

Do the exercises with the video.

You are done.

If you’d like to strengthen your commitment, you can keep a brief daily journal to gain insight into how this process is working and reinforce habit building at the same time.

My goal with this challenge is to assist you in moving a little more each day to enhance function in your joints and muscles. The whole routine will not take more than five minutes.We will try the same routine for several days so that body and mind start to create a habit. Do this sequence when you have time. Ideally, try to do it around the same time each day so that you use our tendency to generate habits to your favor.

Suggestions for developing this routine into a healthy habit

-Do only what you can do comfortably. This way it is easier to keep doing it and enjoy it, instead of dreading it.

-Consistency is key. It doesn’t matter if you miss a day. What matters is that you keep trying. Consistency conditions your body and mind. (Remember there is an article on cultivating the skill of returning to presence again and again https://simple-yoga.org/distractions/)

-Find a good spot where you can do these exercises, maybe get your exercise clothes ready so that it is easy to get started every day.

-If there are things that you do daily, try to link this exercise routine to an existing routine, like doing the practice while you wait for your tea or coffee to brew/steep.

-Notice if you are feeling any progress, no matter how small.

See you Saturday!

rubén

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I hope you are well and having a harmonious day.

Many people struggle with achy lower backs for a variety of reasons. In addition to relaxation techniques, such as the 20-minute Relaxing Lumbar Spine session (https://simpleyoga.substack.com/p/relaxing-the-lumbar-spine) and the 12-minute Sequence of Spinal Flexion and Extension (https://simpleyog…

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I hope you are enjoying your day!

We often talk about meditation. One simple definition of meditation is being with what is, as it is, and with yourself, as you are. (Relax more practice 26 minutes). One approach we have tried is training our minds to concentrate on one thing for a while (concentration exercises: https://simpleyoga.substack.com/…

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I hope that you have been well and enjoying all your activities at home, at work, and out in the world.

Many of us experience regular neck tension and pain. In addition to the Neck Massage Sequence (18 minutes), you may also use the Neck Range of Action sequence (9 minutes). However, if you have tension in the upper back region of your neck, you may benefit from a focused massage of this area. This is where this practice can be helpful.

I hope you enjoy it. Notice if it helps you to move your neck with greater freedom. Also, see if it helps you sleep better.

Remember that relaxing your shoulders will affect the tension and mobility in your neck. You may therefore find it useful to try this practice after completing the 15-minute Relaxing Shoulders sequence or the 21-minute Movements for Healthy Shoulders sequence.

As always, thank you for practicing with me.

I hope this practice supports you in living an active, meaningful, and happy life.

rubén

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I hope you have been healthy and happy!

There are a variety of reasons why our lower backs may become weak. We already have several practices in our repertoire to relax the lower back. For example, there is a sequence for relaxing the lower back, a sequence that alternates spinal flexion and extension, and the Better Sleep sequence.

Once we rele…

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I hope you have been well. It’s no secret that our attention spans are shrinking, and our devices are training us to constantly search for the latest notification or status update. Could taking a brief pause help us reset our minds, invite presence, and gradually improve our ability to focus?

As you know, one of yoga’s fundamental characteristics…

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The practice today is simple and enjoyable. Sometimes, when we’re busy, we forget to take time to appreciate the beauty around us.

Recently, while walking in the forest, I saw the beautiful way light filtered through the leaves as they swayed in the breeze. It’s something many of us have seen before. Can you take a brief pause to enjoy the chang…

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I hope you are healthy and that your yoga practice is providing you with physical, mental, and emotional benefits.

Today, we will continue to explore more options with the Dance of Shiva. After trying the previous practice, which combined leg pattern 1 and the horizontal arm pattern with different initial positions, today’s practice combines leg pattern 1 and the vertical arm pattern with different initial positions.

I hope you enjoy the practice and find it useful for improving your concentration, coordination, and balance.

As always, enjoy the practice, and let go of strain, struggle, and self-judgment.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thank you for practicing with me!

Remember that you have many Dance of Shiva sessions available: https://simpleyoga.substack.com/p/dance-of-shiva-exercises

Peace and health,

rubén

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I hope you have been healthy, happy, and enjoying the benefits of your yoga practice.

One wonderful thing about the Dance of Shiva is that we can create greater complexity by combining a few elements in different ways. In this practice, we combine the horizontal arm pattern with leg pattern #1. We try several initial positions to expand our concentration and processing capacity. Please remember that the main goal is to keep our minds as focused as possible on the movements.

If it feels like the movement is too fast, remember that you can always adjust the playback speed.

As always, I hope you are enjoying your practice and not struggling.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments, and thank you for practicing with me!

Please remember that you have many Dance of Shiva sessions available: https://simpleyoga.substack.com/p/dance-of-shiva-exercises

Peace and health,

rubén

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I hope you’ve had a wonderful week.

Today’s practice offers tips to ensure your bridge pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) benefits your back without causing pain. This posture is a great way to release tension from the front of your body while strengthening your back, buttocks, and hamstrings. It can be very good for your back, provided you follow the suggested tips.

As always, I hope you find this practice useful, enjoyable, and helpful in creating a stable lower back.

Please share your discoveries and questions about this practice with me.

Thank you as always for practicing with me.

Peace and an enjoyable practice!

rubén

I hope that you have been well and happy.

It seems that, no matter how hard we try to be present, we find ourselves getting distracted. As I suggested in the previous post about observing our thinking process, it makes sense to become familiar with the ways our mind works. It is also helpful to strengthen our ability to focus with concentration …

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I hope you are feeling great, enjoying good health, and experiencing peace of mind.

One of my goals with Present is to offer a wide range of practices that help us be present by releasing tension, enhancing movement, refining our breathing, and strengthening our concentration. Most, if not all, of us face the challenge of distractibility. When we notice the activities of our mind and how it works, we can recognize some of our conscious and unconscious thinking patterns.

I want to remind you of a past episode with a guided practice on observing our thoughts:

Simple Yoga - Present

Weaving the Yoga Sutra: What are you thinking?

Weaving the Yoga Sutra: What are you thinking…

Listen now

3 years ago · Ruben Vasquez

I hope you enjoy becoming more familiar with how your mind works so you can invite it to stay present and enjoy the richness of each moment as often as you like. As always, please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or insights.

Thank you for practicing with me.

Peace and health,

rubén

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I hope you have been well and enjoying the benefits of your practice.

Today, we are adding the Ujjayi (Victorious) breath to our list of breathing techniques. Some say the sound of this breath reminds them of the relaxing movement of ocean waves.

As with any breathing exercise, remember not to force it and not to tense your jaw, neck, or shoulde…

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I hope you are healthy and happy and enjoying the benefits of your yoga practice. We recently explored a Gratitude practice as an accessible way to feel presence and cultivate a positive attitude.

This forgiveness practice is complementary. While cultivating gratitude can help us develop an attitude of appreciation and positivity, it can also be …

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