French Yoga Community

Who doesn't dream of having a flat stomach, even sometimes a few well-defined abs, especially as summer approaches. Know that no one escapes this desire. So, we go on diets, we start exercising or at least we make lots of good resolutions. But we quickly realize that it's more complicated than that. Especially if we are a woman and even more so as we get older. That's why today, we offer you a little anatomy, yoga postures to do at home on your yoga mat to deeply strengthen your muscles, rebalance and strengthen your body and your abdominal belt. Practicing yoga will allow you to stand up straighter and therefore reduce your back pain, have a flatter stomach, and eliminate your tension in the neck and shoulders .

Here are the 5 muscles that make it up.

And you will notice that when reading this article, a yoga session works all of these abdominal muscles.

1. The straight muscle or rectus abdominis

This muscle runs down from the middle of the rib cage to the pubis.

It is divided into two equal halves and into 7 or 8 horizontal sections. It is this muscle that gives the "chocolate bars" much appreciated by these gentlemen.

This is the muscle that we work when we do “abs”.

In yoga, this muscle is very used during postures such as the boat (Navasana), the crane (Bakasana), the plank (Chaturanga Dandasana)

2. The oblique muscles

The internal and external oblique muscles support the body and allow the rotation of the spine. They can be worked with rotation exercises; and we see that one side tenses and the other relaxes.

In yoga there are the postures : Triangle (trikonasana), wide angle (utthita Parsvakonasana), half moon (Ardha Chandrasana)

3. The transverse muscles

It is a deep horizontal muscle that extends from the rib cage to the belly. It supports the organs and holds the body up. It exerts gentle pressure on the intestines and tenses in balance positions.

Recommended postures are : Tree Pose (Vrksasana), Warrior II (Virabhandrasana II) and Handstand (Adho Mukka Vrkasana)

4. The square muscles of the loins

The quadratus lumborum muscle is located in the back. It plays an important role in twisting, standing postures and bending.

Head to Knee Reversal (Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana) Reversal Chair (Parivrtta Utkatasana)

5. The Psoas major

The muscle extends from the rib cage and lower back to the top of the thighs.

It is used a lot especially when you lift a leg, raise your buttocks, or when you turn a leg outwards or turn your spine to the side.

The Tree (Vrkasana) and the Bridge (Bandha Sarvangasana)

There you go, all you have to do now is practice on a good eco-friendly yoga mat. Enjoy your session.

Let me introduce you to Roxane, whom I had the chance to meet during our Satiam Yoga Teatcher Training given by Katy Misson. I liked her right away. Her attentive side, her presence, her smile on her lips make her a beautiful person. Behind this great nature girl hides a business woman who has given meaning to her life. After 8 years in Paris and many hours spent on planes running between the different capitals of the world for her work, she arrived in the Northern Alps region 2 years ago. And as the saying goes, she is alive again. Back to nature, to the green, to simple things ... she savors every moment of it. And I understand her so well because I followed the same path!

It was only natural that I asked him a few personal questions about his yoga practice, which I am sharing with you today.

How did you get into taking care of yourself?

In Paris, I had the feeling that life was passing by without really taking the time to look at it and savor it. Everything was going fast, the days went by one after the other, and I felt tired from so many demands on me on a daily basis. I had never gotten into the habit of doing sports, of getting some fresh air, a city girl who was always told that you had to work hard to be independent and stand out in this brutal world. Except that the years went by, and I gradually became aware that I was at risk of missing out on a lot of simple things, and above all me!

What practice for your well-being?

I entered a yoga studio 3 years ago, and thanks to a caring and smiling teacher, I discovered the well-being of connecting to your body. I persevered in the practice, I tried several styles, I traveled to Bali and India where I had the chance to practice in magical places. I wanted to go further in my practice so I searched in the region when I settled, and on the net I came across Satiam Academy. I came to practice a class and I got hooked; because the fact of anchoring your bases, of seeking alignment in your body, and finding an expansion through your heart spoke to me ... I went for it, I believed in Katy, and I followed her training ... which turned out to be super enriching.

What is the ritual of your practice?

I practice daily today, I need it.

What do you get out of it?

Yoga has been part of my life for 3 years and has helped me a lot to reconnect with myself, with others, with what surrounds me.

I apply it every day, in a broad dimension: full awareness of the things around me, kindness towards others, no judgment, taking everything that happens to me on the bright side: I smile at life despite the setbacks that arise.

What do you carry in your yoga bag?

A towel to dry myself, a dry t-shirt, my Manduka Prolite yoga mat and lavender lotion to clean my mat. I love that smell!

What is your favorite object/accessory?

Honestly, I don't have one, and I don't want to have one. I don't want to be tied to an object to do things, because if one day I don't have it anymore, I don't want to be lost.

What would be your advice for Tayrona Yoginis?

Practice without expecting anything, just for you. The path is tasty and the rest follows. Stay focused on your sensations and your breathing while you are on your mat. The daily benefit is obvious and subtle.

I want to make you want to travel inside yourself... it's magical. Come join me on Saturday mornings to share this well-being with me!

Where/how do you practice?

Satiam Academy in Annecy le Vieux on Saturday morning

What is your mantra/favourite phrase?

Let me introduce you to Emilie Leduc. Emilie is a Hatha and Vinyasa yoga teacher in Paris and creator of the blog MyhappyYoga. An offbeat blog that shares her experiences as a yogi. She defines herself, above all, as a curious and adventurous yogini. What she likes most is meeting people, discovering and exchanging. Yoga has taken a big place in her life and to share this passion with her students, she organizes, in addition to her classes, yoga retreats in Tunisia.

It was only natural that I asked him a few personal questions about his yoga practice, which I am sharing with you today .

How did you get into taking care of yourself?

At a point in my life when I didn't really have a choice. I had fallen so low that I could only go back up! I stopped working, I left aside all the faults and addictions that were hurting me and I discovered yoga. With it, I met people who seemed ordinary but whose advice and presence were extraordinary for me.

What practice for your well-being?

Yoga, obviously!

What is the ritual of your practice?

My yoga ritual is every day, all the time! Yoga is a way of life that has been part of my daily life for several years now. Of course, it doesn't only involve physical practice. Being present in everything I do, whether I'm working, peeling carrots or brushing my teeth, that's the key.

What do you get out of it?

A deep balance and true serenity.

What do you carry in your yoga bag?

I don't have a yoga bag per se. I already spend my days lugging around my yoga mat, that's enough :)

What is your favorite object/accessory?

Haha, I'm picky but I'll be honest.. I don't have one and actually prefer not to have one. Imagine if I had one and lost it? Catastrophe! :) I prefer not to get too attached to the material :)

What would be your advice for Tayrona Yoginis?

Don't try to be anyone other than yourself.

Where/how do you practice?

Everywhere, with or without carpet.

What is your mantra/favourite phrase?

“I'm too busy working on my own grass to see if yours is greener. »

For more information on Emilie and her retreats: My-happy-Yoga or on her FB page