Eric Perez Yoga

Yin Meridian: Kidney
Yang Meridian Bladder

In acupressure we use myofascial release balls or tennis balls to target certain points or meridians. When using asana the focus is more on lengthening, stretching, or twisting certain muscle / connective tissue to target specific meridians.

The kidney meridian comes up the inner hamstrings, goes through the pelvic floor, and emerges just above the p***c bone. The kidney meridian is said to be just ½ cun (½ of your thumbs width) away from the body’s midline, in an asana it will feel very similar to a stretch right down the center of the abdomen.

The bladder meridian runs down the backside of the body, down the ropy muscles running alongside the spine (erector spinae of neck and back), traveling all the way down and over the sacrum, from there it’s going to go down through the center of the hamstrings, along with the middle and outer muscles of the calf.

These two meridians together cover all of the hamstrings and calf muscles.

Seeing as the kidney meridian runs up the inner hamstrings, wide legged forward folds are great. As this meridian also runs up the center of the abdomen gentle backbends can be incredibly nourishing.

With the bladder meridian running down the backside of the body, to stimulate this meridian you could choose to use any posture involving a forward fold.

Kidney meridian: gentle backbend and inner hamstring postures
- Matsyasana (supported fish pose)
- Ananda Balasana (happy baby pose)

Bladder meridian: any forward fold postures
- Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend pose)
- Halasana (plow pose)
- Salamba Sarvangasana (supported shoulderstand pose)

Posture to target both kidney and bladder meridians
- Upavistha Konasana (wide angled seated forward bend pose)

Water Element

Yin Meridian: Kidney
Yang Meridian: Bladder

Applying acupressure.

Kidney 3
- Located between the inner ankle and achilles tendon.
- Helps with fatigue if there is a yin or yang deficiency.
- Helps with headaches if yin deficient.
- Helps with low back pain if there is a kidney deficiency.
- To stimulate this point massage the area with your thumb, you could do this sitting comfortably or in baddha konasana.

Bladder 58
- Located about halfway down the calf and just slightly to the outside (lateral side of calf).
- This point is said to be useful if you have low back pain.
- If your neck is stiff or tight.
- Also useful if you have pain down the leg.
- To stimulate this point, place a myofascial release ball (tennis ball) on top of a yoga block, and rest your calf on the ball.
- Hold 60 seconds.

Earth Element

Yin Meridian: Spleen
Yang Meridian: Stomach

How does one use asana to target certain meridians?

This is done using compression, stretching, or twisting.

Both the spleen and stomach meridians run over the front thigh, so here we’re targeting the quadriceps.

Postures to target the quads.
- Virasana (hero pose)
- Supta Virasana (reclined hero pose)
- Prone Bhekasana Variations (hero pose done from your belly)
- Balasana (child's pose)

Both the spleen and stomach meridians also travel across the front of the abdomen.

Postures to target the abdomen.
- Salamba Bhujangasana (sphinx pose)
- Bhujangasana (cobra pose)
- Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (upward facing dog pose)
- Ustrasana (camel pose)
🙏🏽💛

Earth Element

Yin Meridian: Spleen
Yang Meridian: Stomach

Applying Acupressure

Spleen 6
- Located four fingers (3 cun) above the inner ankle bone, located just behind the shin bone on its medial edge.
- It’s said that this is a point where all three leg meridians converge.
- This is a very nourishing point for the yin of the spleen, liver, and the kidneys.
- To stimulate this point on the spleen meridian try pressing and holding this point with your thumb either seated comfortably or in baddha konasana.

Stomach 36
- To locate this point go just below the bony structure of the knee and into the muscular structure of the tibialis anterior, which is located just off the shin on its lateral (outer) edge.
- This is a very important and nourishing point. Stomach 36 helps with digestion, fatigue, depression, stress, along with aiding in the support of our immune system.
- You can stimulate this point on the stomach meridian by sitting in janu sirsasana and placing a myofascial release ball (or tennis ball) in that location on your bent leg side. To apply more pressure, rest your arms on the leg with the therapy ball, lean forward and apply more of your body weight.
🙏🏽🧡

Yoga Wellness Plan

A few weeks ago a dear friend asked if I’d be open to creating custom online yoga that would be designed specifically for each individual. Providing an opportunity for those who follow me online to have a similar experience to those working with me in person. I took some time and sat with this question, what would the program look like, how would I set this all up?

I was in the middle of a one on one session with a client I’ve been seeing for just over a year and it hit me… the online program wasn’t going to be just one yoga session, rather five. Each video would highlight one of the five elements that I bring to my in person clientele; yin yoga, hatha / vinyasa yoga, myofascial release, yoga conditioning, and traditional chinese medicine.

I came home that night and shared this idea with my partner. Her words; I love it, this can be your yoga wellness plan. The moment she said that I was hit with this instant YES!!! That was going to be the name of this offering, the “Yoga Wellness Plan”.

I’m so excited to finally share with each of you what will be included in your Yoga Wellness Plan.

- Yoga wellness questionnaire.
- 60 minute consultation phone call.
- Follow up email describing your personal yoga wellness plan.
- Five 60 minute customized videos, that will be downloadable, and yours to keep.
- One month free access to my online yoga library (currently includes 27 videos, and adding more each week).
- Unlimited emails.

If interested you can DM or email me at [email protected]

Looking forward to co-creating your Yoga Wellness Plan.🙏🏽🩵🪷

Fire Element (this is the only element with four organs connected to it).

The emotion linked to this element is Joy.

Yin organs: Heart & Pericardium
Yang organs: Small Intestine & Triple Burner (Triple Heater, San Jiao)

Characteristics
Excess: impatient, hypersensitive, anxious, lack depth in interactions
Deficient: depression, lost, inability to be social or effectively communicate and connect with people in social setting

Depending if one is excess or deficient in this element.
- A heated yoga class might be fantastic to support someone who’s deficient.
- If excess, try adding some cooling yin yoga into your weekly routine.
- Another option if excess; try slow moving yoga with soft music, and mindful breathing.

Working with the meridians.

In your yoga practice focus on backbends & heart openers.

Arms overhead in a backbend
- This helps to target the heart meridian which is located in the armpit.
- Backbends and heart openers can be more stimulating, if one is deficient in the fire element these postures can have a balancing / regulating effect.

Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel pose)
- A great posture to target all four meridians of the fire element.

Gomukhasana (cow face pose) arms
- Another fantastic way to target the meridians of this element.
- The meridians will run right through the rotator cuff.
- Gomukhasana arms are great because it works both aspects of the rotator cuff with some external rotation on the top arm and internal rotation on the bottom arm.

Parsva Balasana (thread the needle pose)
- One more posture for the rotator cuff / shoulder.

Uttana Shishosana (puppy pose)
- Works into the armpit area (heart meridian).

Pincha Mayurasana (forearm balance)
- A great pose to help turn up the heat.

When working with asana and the meridians please remember it’s not just about the stretch / lengthening of the muscles, you want to select postures that you can stay in.

It’s hard to separate the meridians in the arm so any work you can do where you’re feeling some sensation in the wrist, forearm, or upper arm area is going to have some impact on the fire meridians.
- If you’re familiar with myofascial release; targeting the forearm area, along with the biceps, triceps, pecs, and deltoid are another great way to work with these meridians.
🙏🏽❤️

Metal Element

A great example of this element in reference to yoga would be an Iyengar class.
- Very structured; clear, precise, and articulate instruction.

Characteristics
Excess: perfectionistic, strict, dogmatic, materialistic, vain.
Deficient: sloppy, numb, self-deprecating, lack of self worth and inner value.

A need for structure and routine.
- If excess, having clear guidelines can offer the necessary structure in order to allow one to really embrace, step into, and potentially ease into their practice.

Restorative practices can be great for this element.
- Being aware here if one is more deficient or excess, and what their needs are.
- A more active practice can be supportive if there is a deficiency for this element
- However if there is an excess, incorporating some restorative yoga can help provide some much needed balance.

Props would be a wonderful aid in an Iyengar restorative practice.
- If excess, props can often be a great way to soften some of that rigidity, helping one to let go of their boundaries and really melt into the postures.

What to do if deficient in this element?
- Having clear precise instruction, articulate cues, and structure within the practice can help to start building some of this element back up.
- Demos are wonderful, this allows one the chance to see what’s coming, to get a sense of it first so there’s that sense of clarity.
- Having a progression can also be helpful, a clear progression from one thing to the next, introducing what’s to come, and bringing some structure into the practice.

Pranayama
- With the lung as the yin organ, mindful breathing can be a great way to help nurture and support this element.
- Also slow deep breathing; does not need to be anything fancy.

Yin organ: Lung
Yang organ: Large Intestine

Working with the meridians:

Chest Openers
- Target both the lung and large intestine meridians.
- Ustrasana (camel pose)
- Natarajasana (dancer pose)
- Dhanurasana (bow pose)
- Parsva Balasana (thread the needle pose)
🙏🏽🩶

Wood Element

Certain components of a yoga practice can be very supportive for this element.
- Having a clear focus or purpose for your practice.
-Selecting specific postures to target certain meridians.
- Selecting postures that you really enjoy to help move the liver qi (target liver meridian)
- Visualizing a free flow of qi or easefulness.

Movement in general is great for this element.
- Could be as simple as a sun salutation.
- Feeling that sense of ease and freedom within your joints.
- Feeling the spaciousness in the joints.
- Translating into that free and easy movement of the limbs.
- Watching how the mind & body respond are key for this element.

Flowing exercises are great for the wood element.
- No need to be complex or fancy.
- Sometimes that complexity and fanciness can make the practice more frustrating and can irritate the liver.
- Finding ways to move that draw us in but also provide us with an opportunity to linger, to be still, and find this sense of ease within the movements.
- There is a little bit of water quality within the wood element to help nourish it.

Yin organ: liver
Yang organ: gallbladder

Working with the meridians:

Inner thighs
- Targeting the liver meridian
- Upavistha Konasana (wide legged seated forward fold)
- This posture could also be used to access kidney meridian (hamstrings)

Any side body work, which include twists
- Targeting the gallbladder meridian
- Here the target area is key, you want to be able to feel the stretch or compression somewhere in that side body (the gallbladder meridian runs from foot to shoulder, all along the side of the body)

Groin
- The liver meridian runs right through the groin
- Baddha Konasana (cobbler’s pose)

Piriformis
- Part of the gallbladder meridian
- Supta Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (supine figure four)
- Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (one legged king pigeon)
🙏🏽💚

Water Element

In terms of yoga, this element responds best to simple.

Examples would be restorative / yin yoga, and meditation.

In terms of yin, think simplistic and nourishing.
- This practice may have a very few number of postures.
- The postures would be the least complex and perhaps the most familiar.
- Focus on less cues, more silence, more stillness, longer time in the pose.
- Leaving room for the introspective shift to happen.

Restorative can also be a great practice, even more so than yin.
- In yin we still have some stimulus of the stretch which can be beneficial if the person is restless, giving them something to feel into, and explore.
- In restorative we’re not really looking for the stretch, more so we’re supporting our body in different positions and relaxing there, this leads to more stillness, and more space for introspection.

In meditation, we’re offered even more stillness and space than restorative and yin yoga.
- In meditation we sit, breathe, and listen.
- Try a meditation practice that is less guided, offering even more of a nourishing quality.
- But remember we first have to learn in order to get to this place of quiet reflection, so some guidance at first might help.

For the water element the yin organ is the kidney and the yang is the bladder.

Poses that help stimulate the bladder meridian.
- Forward folds
- Shoulderstand

Kidney Meridian.
- Wide legged forward fold
- Child's pose

Unstructured down time; meditation, time in nature, or a hike are really nourishing for this element. Mindful moments when we tune into our breath, and discover what calms us is very important.

It’s easy to self sabotage here, that belief that you don’t deserve rest.
- Getting over the fear that you’re being lazy.
- The fear of missing out.
- That constant need for stimulation.
🙏🏽🩵

Traditional Chinese Medicine: 5 Element Theory

We begin our five part journey with the earth element. In TCM it is believed that each element has a yin and a yang organ. For the earth element the spleen is the yin, and the stomach is the yang. Each of these organs has a meridian line associated with it.

The three main areas for the spleen and stomach meridians:
- Quads, abdomen, and groin.
- You could use asana to target these meridians (compression, stretching, twisting)
- You want to be able to feel something within that target tissue, if you feel nothing I’d recommend trying some myofascial release techniques (MFR).
- You could also choose to use MFR as a form of acupressure.

What are some yoga practices for the Earth Element?

As one could probably guess this element is linked in yoga asana to grounding / standing postures.

One way to help create this would be to have a regular time that you practice, this can be very grounding and stabilizing for this element.

Another way to support this element is viewing your practice as a source of nourishment.

How can I find nourishment within my practice?

While in a posture this could mean choosing different modifications, or deciding to add different props as a form of support. All this can help to shift your relationship to each posture, and begin to see them all as a source of nourishment within your practice.

Becoming aware of how you’re breathing within the practice can be one more form of nourishment.
🙏🏽🧡

5 Elements Theory

This has been my most recent area of study in my Traditional Chinese Medicine course at Yoga Medicine. I’m finding the timing rather interesting as it coincides beautifully with what I’m learning in Liana Shanti’s Lemurian Mystery School.

My main takeaway is that it’s all connected, literally everything and every one, we’re all connected.

Here’s my understanding of the 5 Elements Theory so far: the Earth element is what houses the Metal, the Metal is able to hold onto and pool the Water, the Water nourishes the Wood element, the Wood element is able to burn as Fire, the Fire eventually turns to ash and returns to the Earth once again.

So to reiterate… IT’S ALL CONNECTED!

How does this link to what I’m learning in Lemurian Mystery School? This week I began module three, along with having my mind blown, here’s what Liana shared; we’re all interconnected, what we’re interacting with in our individual experience of life is interconnected with everyone sharing the planet at the same time, and the closer in that gets meaning the people who are closest to you, the more of a profound effect that those specific energy fields have on you.

This was the starting point for what she would share next surrounding Ho’oponopono, which is information I’ll save for a future post.

Circling back to the 5 Elements Theory and how it relates to yoga. Each element is connected to different styles of yoga, specific postures, and can offer unique benefits. I’ll be showcasing each element individually over the next five posts.

I loved learning that the 5 Elements along with nourishing one another, also help to give rise to the next, and are responsible for promoting the one after it. The elements not only nourish but they also control one another; water controls fire by dousing it, fire controls metal by melting it, metal controls wood by cutting through it, wood controls earth by breaking through it, and earth controls water by drying it up.

It’s all interconnected; the 5 elements, each of us with one another, and each of us with our beautiful animal teachers. Something to remember the next time you vote with your dollar at the grocery store.
🙏🏽🩵🐮🐷🐔💚

I’ve recently begun studying Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In this post I’ll share a little about the 8 Principles Theory, in relation to yoga.

The 8 principles in TCM are; internal / external, cold / heat, yin / yang, & excess / deficiency.

What I’ll be learning will deal primarily with the internal, so that’s where we’ll begin.

I’ll use myself as my example client.

So when working with someone I’d first assess whether the issue is internal or external, as mentioned earlier I’ll be focusing primarily on the internal.

Next, heat or cold.

I would tend to fall more into the cold category. Studying my day to day habits; I move a little slower, I’m better with warmth, and in total honesty I tend to be a little more introverted and withdrawn.

The next is yin or yang.

No question, I lean heavily into yin energy. Still, quiet, introspective, passive, slow, soft, calm, inward, and lately I’ve been feeling tired.

Finally, excess or deficiency.

For me it’s clear that I have a yang deficiency. Cold, tired, lack of fire/energy, withdrawn, aversion to cold, dull pain in my low back, and some days I just feel depleted.

My recommendation to myself; because this is a deficiency, yin and restorative practices are going to help. This is because these practices are nourishing and remembering that yin gives rise to yang. Yin provides important substance to help create the yang. But also some short movement practices are necessary to help spark yang, nothing long and intense that would end up depleting me, simply quick short little bouts.

TCM will be one more tool I can use to better serve your yoga journey. So excited for all that is to come at Lemurian Yogi.🙏🏽🩵

It begins with mindset; focus and still the mind.

I accomplish this by breathing in deeply, and exhaling slow.

By lengthening my out breath I begin to calm and quiet my mind.

Next I ask the question; Jesus, how can I best serve you?

How can I best serve all those who choose to do this practice?

Once again I breathe, and this time I listen.

Whatever comes through is where I begin.

I used to believe art was only accomplished through colors, paints, and canvas.

The artist's graceful hand sketching on pad or paper.

I’ve only recently begun to see what I co-create on the mat as art.

The movements of the human body, the grace found within a single breath.

Nothing I create has ever been done alone, that is the grand illusion.

Everything; every shape and breath cue, I’m co-creating with God.

Thank you Jesus for this gift.

Thank you Jesus for this opportunity to listen, and to share.

Yoga and Jesus this is what I’ve been shown, this is how I’m best able to serve.

This is the art I’m choosing to co-create with God.

I see the fear, I hear the lies of satan; teach this and you will fail.

Jesus please grant me strength, I need you, I cannot do this alone.

I feel his hand on my shoulder, I stand beside you always.

It’s time.

Yin Yoga

It has become a favorite part of my night time ritual.

I light a candle and turn off the lights.

I grab my mat, yoga blocks, belt, and blanket… I’m ready.

It’s turned into this magical part of my evening.

Some nights I’ll set aside 10 minutes, others 20 or 60.

Within the stillness of the practice I breathe deep, and slow my mind.

The postures provide more than simply flexibility, they ground me.

Instead of ending your night in front of a screen, try yin yoga.

Allow your body to reset… breathe in deep, and exhale slowly.

The effects of the practice are instantly felt.

Currently I have 15 videos recorded for Lemurian Yogi. Half of them are yin yoga videos. I’m so excited for the opportunity to share this magical practice with each of you🙏🏽🩵

•

Benefits of Yin Yoga

✨Helps balance the nervous system

✨Helps internal organ function (spleen, liver, heart, lungs, kidney)

✨Helps with chronic pain (allow you to slow down, look inward, and ask what am I repressing?)

✨Helps with stress relief (stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system; responsible for rest, digestion, & restoration)

✨Helps those with low energy (qi deficiency)

I hear the stories of what a real man should be.

I’ve worn many of those disguises over the years.

The hunter; I’ve killed animals, blind to the blood on my hands.

The athlete; throw ball, catch ball, earn dads love.

Gym rat; biceps, pecs, abs, the more I workout the more I’ll be loved.

The player; woman to woman, bed to bed, chasing a fathers conditional love.

At 28 I broke down, I tried to run, but how does one outrun themself?

My first true act of surrender included a shaman and my lifepath.

She spoke of my life being in A Saturn Return.

A significant time of transition and personal growth.

Eight years of study, what has life revealed?

The disguise of “The Hunter”.

Today vegan; I hear the screams of the slaughterhouses, no blood need be spilled.

The disguise of “The Athlete”.

Now yogi; love is never externally gained rather it is internally found.

The disguise of “The Gym Rat”.

I’ve laid down the weights, in exchange for a mat, and the stillness of yin yoga.

The disguise of “The Player”.

One woman, the mother of my son, the more I heal the more of her I’m able to see.

What is a real man?

It is not my words, rather my actions.

No more disguises, no more hiding from the dark.

I am one soul, and I am here to change the world.

By modeling the change that I wish to see🙏🏽🩵

Yoga & Detox

Recording begins tomorrow!!

This is a brand new custom designed yoga program, and will only be offered alongside the detox protocols being led by HMI Health Coach Roberta Rinzel.

This program will include; hatha, yin, & restorative yoga sessions, myofascial release techniques, and breath work. Supporting the body's endocrine, lymphatic, central nervous, digestive, and detoxification systems. Every session will be beginner friendly and focused on gentle movement. These classes are not designed to stress the body. Quite the opposite they are intended to be a loving assist as you journey through this detoxifying period in your life.

I’ve been vegan for thirteen years, and extremely grateful to have had Berta’s knowledgeable guidance on many of my cleanses. I feel so blessed and excited to be designing this program… it’s time to detox some parasites y’all!!😜

If you’d like a custom designed yoga program for your business feel free to DM me.🙏🏽💜

For almost thirty years I believed we were separate
Found only amongst the stars and the clouds
This pain that I carry it only grows, I can’t take this anymore, please God help me
I sit by the shoreline, watching the waves in this endless poetic dance
Within the silence I feel you
This calm rushes over me, allowing me to finally breathe
The sand feels cool against my skin, I watch as the sun slowly fades behind me
I’m afraid to stand, leaving this place would mean surrendering this feeling
God please come with me, please don’t leave me
I drive home, my mind delivers the pain to the doorstep of my heart once again
I’ve had every identity stripped, I stand before you naked, God please save me
I hear nothing, only silence
Morning comes, as it always does, I can’t live this way any longer
Fine, if God won’t save me than I’ll just have to save myself
I find a teacher, a shaman, unknowing to me at the time I found my guru
She told me that God is within me, always has been and always will be
This pain she says is my teacher, revealing just how far from my center I’ve wandered
I ask how do I journey back to center, she speaks only one word “heal”
Heal childhood trauma, abuse, journey within and meet your inner children
They need you, and until you heal none of what you see will change
Again I sit by the shoreline
I see the waves, they’ve changed they’ve somehow become one with the lake
I’ve been seeing them separate for so long, but they’ve always been one
As I heal, as I journey closer to my center, everything I see is changing
I’m changing, she was right, the world will change as I do
Days turn to weeks, weeks to months, months to years
I’ve now been walking this path for eight years
The pain has been replaced by joy
The search for salvation, replaced with the feeling of empowerment
The noise of the mind, has turned to finding God within the silence of my heart
I now speak the name of Jesus
I hear his words, I’ve left my home and all that I’ve owned
I choose to follow him
The path of the True Yogi, aligning with the teachings of the True Jesus
For I now have little eyes always watching
What I model is always being studied
Only one question is needed, what am I modeling for him
Days to weeks, weeks to months, months to now years, what am I modeling
I share what has been shared with me
The work is daily, and the journey is inward
Ask Jesus each day how you can serve
Slow your mind, breathe, and within the silence of the heart you’ll find it
Your answer, now do you have the strength to listen and take action🙏🏽🩵