YOGA FOR WOMEN
For Radiant Health and Ageless Beauty
By Shakta Kaur Khalsa from her book, Yoga for Women.

Staying young for a long, long time is a wonderful, blessed way to live. As women, we have so much to give as we mature; so much wisdom born of hard earned experience, and so much loving kindness to share. So let's keep our good health and vitality so we can reap the profit of a life well-lived.

One of the very best ways I've found to stay young is to practice yoga. The yoga in these exercises belongs to an ancient system called Kundalini Yoga. It revitalizes your physical health and helps you awaken to your authentic self, so you can live to your greatness.

Just for the fun of it, and because we women love to look and feel beautiful, below you'll find some yoga exercises for enchanting beauty from my book, Yoga for Women. Enjoy, and feel like the beautiful soul that you are!

FACIAL TENSION RELEASER:

For a deep release of facial tension, press firmly and hold each position for 3 breaths.
Using your thumbs, find the indentation directly under your cheekbones. Begin to press all along that ridge, massaging the muscle under the cheekbones from the inside area close to your nose, to the outer edge where it meets your jaws.

LION FLEX:

This exercise brings flexibility to the spine, which is the true measure of youthfulness.
1. Sit on your heels with your spine straight. Place your palms on the ground just in front of the knees. Bring your neck vertebrae in line with your spine by lifting head while tucking the chin slightly in toward the neck. You will resemble one of those statues of a Buddhist temple lion.
2. Begin flexing your spine to its maximum capacity, keeping the elbows straight as you flex. Inhale and arch your spine, lifting your chest while keeping your head level.
3. Exhale as you round your spine so that your chest curves inward. Keep a constant rhythm. You may begin to sweat lightly on the forehead and spine. Continue for 2-3 minutes.

MEDITATION TO MAKE YOUR FACE INNOCENTLY CHARMING:

This is a very beautiful meditation. It is said to have the ability to make a woman feel happy and extend her life. The mudra (hand position) and breath affect the brain chemistry in ways that allow you feel cozy, relaxed, and your face reflects an innocent charm.
1. Sit comfortably in a meditative pose with your spine straight. Place the heels of the hands together in front of you. Curl the fingers of your left hand, and then wrap the fingers of your right hand around the left. When you look down at your hands, your left index finger should be closest to you. Bring your two thumbs together so the sides are touching, then rest them on the index finger of the left hand. They should not touch the right index finger at all. An air space is naturally created between the hands.
2. With the hands positioned about 8-10 inches from the face at the level of the mouth, begin inhaling deeply through the nose and exhaling through the mouth, directing the air through the opening created between your thumbs. Exhale very completely. Close your eyes and continue the breath meditation for whatever amount of time you wish. The original instructions say to practice until you fall asleep.
This is a very relaxing meditation, perfect to do before bed, or to feel refreshed after work. Do not practice if you have work to do. You may like to practice for 11 minutes, as that is a complete meditation cycle of time.

Excerpt from Yoga for Women, by Shakta Kaur Khalsa, published by Dorling Kindersley, 2002.