What Does “Heart Opening” Mean in a Yoga Class? (And Why It Matters to Your Health)
The most magical thing that yoga teaches is the connection between the body and mind. When you hear a yoga instructor cue you to breath into the heart center, here’s why she/he does it. Opening the space around the heart physically supports us to be more emotionally receptive, compassionate, giving, loving, and, yes, healthier when we move off the mat into our lives. How, you ask?
Most people walk around with a constricted rib cage. A constricted rib cage presses down on the heart and lungs, which constricts blood flow, lymphatic circulation, and breath, and prevents the heart and lungs from functioning optimally.
A constricted rib cage happens when we breathe only into the chest due to unconscious breathing, stress response, and poor posture. This constriction of the heart and lungs triggers the body’s sympathetic nervous system and leaves us in a stress-response state. Stress is a huge factor in disease in our country, including heart disease.
When we consciously breathe into the rib cage on the front, side and back of the body, we create more space inside the body, and, in turn, more space for the heart and lungs.
When the intercostal muscles between each rib are stretched and the rib cage is able to move in a healthy way, the rib cage protects the heart and lungs but also acts as a massage mechanism, squeezing when we exhale and expanding when we inhale, which assists optimal blood flow, lymphatic circulation, and the healthy exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide — all ways the body detoxifies and nourishes itself. As such, through simply breathing properly we can support heart health.
Other heart opening exercises include stretching the side body, shoulders, and chest and spinal extension (back bends) to make space inside the body and improve posture. All yoga postures that fit into one of these categories, such as peaceful warrior, standing backward bend, and camel, to name a few (and shown above), can be “heart opening.”
Open Your Heart Workshops & Classes
Valentine’s Heart Opening Workshop with Caroline
Monday, February 19, 10am-noon
Love yourself! Especially in the winter months and in combination with daily habits, the shoulders can become rounded and the chest closed in an effort to conserve body heat and protect against the elements. This negatively impacts posture, shoulder mobility, respiratory health, and over all openness to love and joy. Through mindful sequencing we will warm the body, explore shapes to balance the spine, open shoulders and chest, increase breath capacity and heart openness. Following this flowing practice, guided meditation, and deep relaxation you will leave feeling receptive, restored, and breathing easily. $30 per person | Members receive 15% off
Valentine’s Day Flow with Debora
Wednesday, February 14th, 6:30pm
Yoga makes the heart happy! Join Debora for a flow celebrating all forms of love and our ability to express it. Bring just yourself, a partner, or someone you care about!
Valentine’s Barre Boot Camp with Natalie
Wednesday, February 14th, 8pm
Join Natalie Berkeley for the first Barre Boot Camp this Valentines Day…we’ll bring the BARRE, you bring your DATE! From Cardio, to Barre, to Core. Every part of your body will get a workout including your heart!
Valentine’s Thai Partner Massage & Essential Oils Workshop with Sara
Saturday, February 17, 2-5pm
Give this workshop as a gift to your Valentine and you, with your partner, will learn how to massage and stretch each other using techniques borrowed from Traditional Thai Yoga Massage. The relaxing, candlelit ambiance and soft music will allow for deep relaxation. You and your partner will learn about the healing properties of the essential oils used. All techniques can be tried at home. Come in comfortable clothing, bring a bottle of water, and be ready to be massaged. Partners do not have to be couples. Bring your friend, sister, mom, dad, or neighbor! Instructor, Sara VanderGoot is co-owner of Mind the mat, a Certified Massage Therapist, Traditional Thai Yoga Massage Practitioner, and Yoga Instructor. No experience necessary! $50 per couple. Members receive 15% off. Only one person per couple needs to register for the workshop.
- About the studio
Mind the Mat Pilates & Yoga was founded in 2008 by Megan Brown, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Polestar Certified Practitioner of Pilates for Rehabilitation and Sara VanderGoot, Nationally Certified Massage Therapist and Registered Yoga Teacher (e-RYT 200, RYT 500). In their private practices as physical therapist and massage therapist respectively Megan and Sara observed that many of their clients were coming in with similar needs: relief for neck and shoulder tension and low back pain as well as a desire for more flexibility in hips and legs, stability in joints, and core strength.
Together Megan and Sara carefully crafted a curriculum of Pilates and yoga classes to address needs for clients who are pregnant, postpartum, have injuries or limitations, who are new to Pilates and yoga, and for those who are advanced students and are looking for an extra challenge.
2214 Mount Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301
703.683.2228
