Good Health With Yoga

HERO POSE VIRASANA BENEFITS Hero Pose is a relaxing and meditative posture with many benefits:... Stretches the thighs, knees and ankles Strengthens the ankles and arches of the feet Improves digestion Soothes the mind Reduces swelling of the legs and feet during pregnancy STEP-BY-STEP Virasana (veer-AHS-anna) Vira: Hero 1. Start in a kneeling position with your thighs parallel and your knees hip width apart. 2. Bring your forehead to the floor and press your hands into your calve muscles. Gently slide your hands down the length of your calves toward your ankles flattening your calves as you sit your buttocks down between your legs. If your hips don’t reach the ground, or you feel pressure in your knees, place a block or cushion under your hips. 3. Place your hands on your thighs and lengthen your spine. Press your toenails into the ground to continually activate your legs. Stay here for up to one minute, or move into Reclining Hero pose.

FOUR-LIMBED STAFF POSE CHATURANGA DANDASANA BENEFITS Also known as the half push up, chaturanga dandasana is a strong, warming posture with many benefits:... Increases strength and flexibility in your wrists. Builds muscle on your arms, shoulders, and back. Lengthens and tones your core muscles. A good preparation for any arm balances or work with inversions. Start in plank position with the outer edges of your shoulders aligned above your middle fingers on the ground. Keep your fingers spread wide and slightly curled. Grip the floor with all four corners of your hands so that there is a small pocket of air between the center of your palm and the mat. Inhale and lengthen from your heels to the crown of your head. Exhale and slowly lower your body into your half push-up so that your upper arms are parallel with the floor. Allow your elbows to lightly brush against the sides of your ribs as you come down and maintain a solid ninety-degree angle in the crook of your elbows as you arrive in the pose. Hold the pose, continue to lengthen from heel to crown, and keep your shoulders drawn together and plugged in to the back of your rib cage. To exit, inhale to upward facing dog or back to plank.

FOREARM BALANCE PINCHA MAYURASANA BENEFITS Forearm Balance is a challenging inversion with many benefits: Strengthens the shoulders, arms and back... Stretches the shoulders and chest Decompresses the spine Improves sense of balance Relieves mild depression STEP-BY-STEP Pincha Mayurasana: (pin-cha my-your-AHS-anna) Pincha = feather Mayura = peacock Although this pose is traditionally practiced in the center of the room, the fear of falling can make it impossibly challenging for those new to this pose. As an alternative, we offer steps to learn this pose using an open wall space. You may also need a spotter for this pose. 1. Start in Dolphin Pose, with your finger tips a few inches from the wall and your gaze in between your forearms. With your hands firm and shoulder blades drawing together, begin to walk your feet towards your elbows. Walk your feet as close as your hamstrings will comfortably allow. Ideally you want your hips to be directly over your shoulders. 2. Firm your abdominal muscles and strengthen your back body by drawing your shoulders tightly together and hugging your elbows toward your midline. Now raise your right leg up in the air. Be sure your leg is not rotating out to the side, but is firm and straight. Take 3 breaths here. 3. You can stay here, or take a few hops. Keeping your right leg straight and strong, bend your left knee to get some power. Jump away from the floor,extending your right leg strongly towards the sky. Your right leg may come to the wall behind you. 4. Bring your left leg up to meet your right leg. Hug your legs towards one another and extend the balls of your feet skywards. Push down strongly through your arms, draw your navel inwards and lengthen your tailbone towards your heels. 5. Breathe here for as long as you can, slowly building up to holding this pose for 1 minute or more. Lower your feet and take child’s pose, then repeat onthe other side. See more

Improves your flexibility Improved flexibility is one of the first and most obvious benefits of yoga. During your first class, you probably won’t be able to touch your toes, never mind do a backbend. But if you stick with it, you’ll notice a gradual loosening, and eventually, seemingly impossible poses will become possible. You’ll also probably notice that aches and pains start to disappear. That’s no coincidence. Tight hips can strain the knee joint due to improper alignment of the thigh and shinbones. Tight hamstrings can lead to a flattening of the lumbar spine, which can cause back pain. And inflexibility in muscles and connective tissue, such as fascia and ligaments, can cause poor posture.

EYE OF THE NEEDLE SUCIRANDRASANA BENEFITS A simple, gentle pose with many benefits:... Stretches your outer hips. Gently lengthens your low back. Tones the hamstrings and quadriceps of the clasped leg. Opens up your pelvic area. STEP-BY-STEP Begin on your back in corpse pose. Align your back so that your sacrum, ribcage, and the back of your head sit with equal weight on your mat or floor. Avoid flattening your low back, or lumbar spine, against the ground. Cross your right foot over your left leg. Bend into your left knee with your left foot flat on the floor so it gently lifts your right leg off the ground. Press the outer edge of your right shin (just above your right ankle) into your left quadriceps (just above your left knee). Keep your feet flexed. Slowly draw your legs in towards your chest with the strength of your left leg. Clasp your hands under your left knee for a deeper stretch. Continue to draw the legs in to your chest without forcing anything. Breathe into any discomfort and back off in the case of any electrical, fiery, numbing, or sharp sensations. Let go with your hands and release your legs as you came in to exit.

Bhujangasana (The Cobra Pose): Lay on your stomach, placing your palms down just under your shoulders. Without letting your elbows drop away from your body, have them point straight back behind you. Push gently on your hands to slowly lift your upper body and head and inhale.... Do it slowly, and don’t come up too high, your elbow should not become straight. Slowly let your body come down and with your forehead touch the floor, while doing this, exhale. Do this 3- 5 times. Benefits: It helps relieve Back Pain and strengthens spin See more

EXTENDED PUPPY DOG POSE UTTANA SHISHOSANA BENEFITS Also known in Yin Yoga as anahatasana or heart-melting pose, this cooling posture has numerous benefits:... Releases tension in you upper arms, shoulders, and neck. Expands the whole front of your chest. Stretches out your abdominal muscles. Gently stimulates your back muscles in preparation for further backbends. Opens up your hips and stretches your hamstrings. STEP-BY-STEP Begin on all fours in a neutral tabletop position. Align your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Draw your shoulder blades together and down your spine. Tuck your toes. Keep your legs as they are. Slowly walk forward on the palms of your hands. Allow your chest to lower toward the ground. Tilt your pelvis back through the fronts of your legs. Keep walking out your hands until your chest hovers half an inch above the ground. Fix your gaze forward on the floor half a foot ahead. Press evenly into your hands and your tucked toes. Hold and breathe. Slowly walk your hands back up to a neutral tabletop to exit.

EXTENDED HAND TO TOE POSE UTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA BENEFITS Hand to Toe Pose is a challenging and invigorating balance posture with many benefits:... Stretches hamstrings and hips Stretches adductors Strengthens back and arm muscles Improves sense of balance Calms the mind and improves focus STEP-BY-STEP Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (oo-TEET-uh-HAWS-tuh POD-ung-goos-THAWS-un-nuh) Utthita: Extended Hasta: Hand Pada: Foot Angustha: Big Toe Start in Mountain Pose with your hands on your hips. Draw your left knee in towards your belly and interlace your fingertips in front of your shin. Engage the bandhas and square the pelvis. Pause here for a breath, enjoying the stretch. Reach your left hand on the inside of your left knee and take hold of your big toe with your first and second fingers. Pause here finding balance, then extend your foot forward. Straighten your knee fully if you can. Keeping your leg straight, extend your foot towards the left. Keep your right hand on your right hip, or extend your hand out towards the right. Keep the shoulders level and relaxed away from the ears. For the full expression of the pose, send your gaze over your right shoulder, keeping your chin parallel to the ground. Stay here for 15-30 seconds, then return to Mountain Pose. Repeat on the other side.

EXTENDED FIERCE SIDE ANGLE POSE UTTHITA UTKATA PARSVAKONASANA BENEFITS This standing hip opener has many benefits:... Strengthens and lengthens the pelvic floor. Builds stability through the inner thighs. Stretches the outer hips. Tones the side abdominals. Increases grounding. STEP-BY-STEP Start in Tadasana, or Mountain pose. Take a 2-3 foot wide legged stance. Pivot your feet out 30 degrees. These measurements depend on your bone structure. You will know where is best as you bend your knees. Here, align your knees over your ankle joints and ensure that the knees point in the same direction as your second toe. Adjust your feet as needed, either place them further together or apart. Pivot your feet in or out to increase or decrease the angle if necessary. Place both hands on either thigh. Sink your hips lower behind you. Place your right forearm on your right thigh. Sweep your left arm straight up toward the ceiling. Turn left your palm to your right. Bend your left arm further so the bicep lines up just above your left ear. Hold and breathe here. Press your feet into the floor to hold your torso up. Place minimal weight through your lower forearm. Exit on an inhalation by coming back to a neutral spine. Repeat on the opposite side.

ELEPHANT'S TRUNK POSE EKA HASTA BHUJASANA BENEFITS This unique arm balance has many benefits: Strengthens the arms and shoulders.... Opens your hips. Stabilizes your pelvic girdle. Improves balance and coordination. STEP-BY-STEP Start seated in Dandasana, Staff Pose. Draw your right knee into your chest. Place your right foot on the ground. Tip-toe your right foot out to your right. Thread your right arm underneath your right knee and place your hand on the ground with the fingers pointing forward. Place your left hand on the ground outside your left hip on an equal plane with your right. Walk your right leg up your right arm until the crease of your knee comes to rest on your right triceps. Hug your leg into your arm and your arm into your leg. Keep the right knee bent and the right foot pointed. Press into your hands to lift your hips and left leg off the ground. Point both feet. Hold. To exit, sit down on an exhalation. Repeat on the opposite side. See more

EASY POSE SUKHASANA BENEFITS Open your hips. Lengthens your spine.... Promotes groundedness and inner calm. Amplifies the state of serenity, tranquility, and eliminates anxiety. Relieves physical and mental exhaustion and tiredness. STEP-BY-STEP Sukhasana (suk-AHS-anna) sukh = joy, happiness, and comfort Begin sitting with the sit-bones on the front edge of a firm cushion or folded blanket. The hips should be elevated four to six inches. Cross your legs inwards starting with your left leg in first and then your right leg. Allow the knees to separate, crossing your shins and sliding your feet under your opposite knee. Maintain a comfortable gap between your feet and your pelvis. Rest your palms on your knees. Begin to find balance over your pelvis. Come lightly forward onto your sit-bones preventing the body from leaning back and rounding the spine. Keep the bottom front ribs slightly pulled down as your sit-bones begin to reach down into the cushion. Discover the feeling of neither arching forward or leaning back, but simply balancing the spine over your pelvis. Feel your thighs roll outwards and your knees move down towards the ground. Then, inhale and lift up through your spine through the top of your head. Exhale and relax your shoulders. Broaden the chest and collar bones without becoming hard between the shoulder blades. Relax and close the eyes. Very slightly, you can lower the chin without excessively tilting your head forward. Relax your facial muscles, your jaw, and the nostrils. Allow the tip of your tongue to touch the roof of your mouth at the back of the front teeth. Breath slowly through your nostrils for as long as it is comfortable watching the rhythm of the breath. Maintain the sensation of grounding through the sitbones and hips as the spine lifts lighter. To exit, straighten your legs forward and give them a shake. Repeat crossing the legs the opposite way.

Eight Angle Pose is a challenging arm balance with several benefits: Strengthens the wrists, arms and shoulders Tones the abdominals Tones the inner thighs... Improves sense of balance See more