Yoga

Cat Pose

From hands and knees, round your back so your spine curves upward, and relax your head toward the ground, releasing your neck. 

 To maximize the release in your back muscles, fill your back and ribs with strong inhales as you firmly press into the ground and round your back upward. 

Good to practice in succession with cow pose. This will release your tight back and neck muscles.

Cow Pose 

From hands and knees, arch your back so your belly drops toward the floor and chest opens in front of you. To maximize the release in your lower back muscles, exhale as you let your back curve downward, and release any holding in your abdomen. 

To maximize the opening in your chest and upper spine, inhale and pull your shoulders gently back as you arch.   Practice this in succession with cat pose.   

This pose will release all the muscles along the spine.

Dolphin Pose

From hands and knees, bring your forearms to the ground, elbows right under your shoulders, hands directly forward of your elbows. Tuck the toes, lift the hips and belly straight up to form a high V-shape.  

To build arm and shoulder strength, particularly for forearm stands, walk your feet toward your elbows, bringing your hips closer to vertical over your shoulders. 

Rock your shoulders forward of your elbows while keeping your belly lifted, and then back behind your elbows while sinking your upper chest toward the ground. Repeat several times.  

This pose builds arm and muscle strength.

Downward Facing Dog Pose

Start on hands and knees, shoulders over wrists, toes tucked. 

Make a tall "V" shape by lifting hips straight up, sinking upper chest and shoulders, and relaxing down the backs of legs into your heels.  

Relax upper chest toward the floor until arms and body are in the same line. Inhale your belly and hips up high and relax down through your heels on the exhale.   

This calming pose will open up the backs of the legs and the upper spine.

Bound Half Moon Pose

From a low lunge, rest your opposite forearm on your front thigh and reach your other arm behind your back. 

Wrap your arms around the middle of your front thigh, holding either fingers or a wrist. 

Keeping your front knee bent, slowly shift forward until your weight is entirely on your front foot and your back foot lifts easily off the ground. Gently extend out through both legs.  

For better balance, keep your standing leg slightly bent while you lengthen out through your body and lifted leg.  This pose helps develop balance, focus, and circulation.

Bridge Pose

Lie flat on your back. Bend your knees straight up, bringing heels just behind your hips.  Lift hips up to knee height, and interlace fingers underneath you with arms straight. 

Squeeze shoulder blades together and breathe middle and upper just open over your chin.  To open more deeply in the upper fronts of thighs, hold your ankles, gently lift hips, and rock from side. 

Rise onto alternating toes to open one hip and then the other. To open in the upper spine, move your middle and upper chest toward vertical with strong inhales.   

This pose opens the upper chest and spine

Crow Pose

Come into a squat with your feet about as wide as your mat. Plant your palms on the ground under your shoulders, bend your arms slightly, and squeeze your knees firmly around your elbows or upper arms. 

Rock your weight forward into your hands, coming up high on your toes. Lift your feet off the ground.  

Your feet will lift easily off the ground when your weight is more in front of your hands than behind them. 

Bend your elbows a bit more and lean your shoulders out past your wrists to shift your weight forward.  

This pose will build focus and strength in your arms, inner thighs, and abdomen.

Dolphin Plank Pose

From hands and knees, bring your forearms to the ground, elbows right under your shoulders.  Clasp your fingers lightly together. Tuck toes and walk your feet out until body is in a plank.  

To build arm and shoulder strength, particularly for forearm stands, rock your shoulders forward of your elbows, and then back behind your elbows. 

Keep your belly lifted and lower back puffed up with your breath.   This pose builds arm, shoulder, and abdomen strength.

Downward Dog Split Pose

Keep your arms and legs straight, and inhale to lift one leg up in the air.  

Open your hip and body to the side, or keep your hips and shoulders square and your lifted toes pointing at the ground.  

Keep your standing leg strong, and upper chest sinking toward the ground. 

This pose opens the hips and ribs and tones the backs of the thighs and butt.

Eagle Pose

From standing, shift your weight onto one foot, bend your knee slightly, then lift your other leg and wrap it over and around your standing leg. Hook the top of your foot behind your standing calf if possible. 

If your left leg is on top, you can also double-wrap your arms so your right arm is on top. Sink your hips square to the front as you lift your elbows. 

Balance is easier if you squeeze the back of your top thigh into the top of your standing thigh and keep your weight firmly on your standing heel.   

Eagle pose strengthens your thighs, opens the hips, and builds focus.

Extended Hand-To-Big-Pose

While balancing on one leg, hold the big toe of your lifted foot, open your hip, and gradually extend your leg out to the side. 

There’s no need to completely straighten your lifted leg.  

Just keep your standing leg straight and strong and your body vertical.  

This move opens the hips and develops balance.

Forearm Stand Pose

From your hands and knees, lower your forearms to the ground, elbows right under your shoulders, hands straight forward from your elbows. Tuck your toes and lift your hips up high. 

With your hip slightly open, lift one leg high in the air, rolling your weight forward off your grounded foot. Bring both legs together straight up in the air, gently squeezing your knees and ankles together.  

Your grounded foot will lift easily off the ground when your lifted leg is reaching high enough and your weight is shifted forward enough over your elbows. 

Be patient and work on a good foundation: there is no need to jump into this pose.  This pose builds arm and shoulder strength, opens the hips and thighs, builds balance and patience, and is good for circulation.

Half Crow Pose

From a downward dog, lift one leg and bend your knee, pressing your calf into the back of your thigh. Roll your shoulders forward over your wrists, and bring your knee to the outside of your upper arm. 

Bend your elbows slightly and shift your shoulders forward of your wrists to bring your back foot off the ground.  

It’s much easier to drop into this with your hips up high than it is just to bring your knee straight forward.  

Your back foot will lift off the ground easily when there is no longer weight in that foot, so focus more on pulling your weight forward than on trying to jump off the ground.  

This will build balance, while building arm, inner thigh, and abdomen strength

Half Moon Pose

From a low lunge, shift your weight into your front foot, and lift your back leg parallel to the ground. Bring your body parallel, arms straight under your shoulders, fingers tented on the ground. 

Roll your hip, then belly, then shoulders, open to the side. Reach your top arm straight up.  

Balance by stacking your weight vertical from hip to knee to standing heel, reach strongly out through your lifted heel, and forward through the top of your head.  

This opens the hips and helps to build focus.

Lifted Half Crow Pose

From a half crow, open in the front of your back hip and abdomen to lift your back leg higher and free your front knee from your arm. Gently extend your arms.  

If your muscles tighten in anticipation, this gets more difficult, so keep breathing easily.  For balance, pick a point on the ground and keep your eyes focused there. 

This is not a pose you want to jump into, so stick with your breath. Your inhales can take you all the way up into a handstand here.  

This pose builds both arm and abdomen strength and opens the tops of the thighs.  It is also good for concentration and patience.

Lizard Pose

From a low lunge, lower your back knee to the ground, then bring your forearms to the ground just inside your front foot. 

Lift your back knee if easy.  

If your forearms don’t come easily to the ground, it's fine to keep your arms straight or slightly bent, and just sink your hips toward the ground.  

This will help to open your hips.

Lord of the Dance Pose

While standing, shift your weight onto one foot. Bend your other knee, lifting your foot up behind your thigh with the knee pointing down. Hold the inside of that ankle with your hand. 

Gently press your ankle into your hand, reaching your knee back and up.  Lean your body forward as you extend your lifted leg, and reach your other arm up in line with your body. 

To make balance easier, keep your lifted ankle firmly pressed into your hand, and keep your standing leg strong and straight.  

This move is good for balance, and helps to open the chest, spine and fronts of the upper thighs.

Peacock Pose

From hands and knees, turn your hands out and around so fingers are facing backward. Have your hands about 6 inches apart, bend your elbows, and lower your body onto your upper arms. 

Your elbows will be at your lower abdomen. Bring your upper arms parallel to the ground and lean your weight forward to extend your legs and lift them off the ground.  

Your hands and elbows can be together or apart, depending on balance or how it feels in your abdomen, so try both. 

For an easier way to lift your legs off the ground, bring the bottoms of your feet together, knees out to the sides, and lift from there.  You will build arm strength, balance, and concentration, and the pose is good for circulation.

Plank Pose

Start on your hands and knees, shoulders directly over your wrists. Tuck your toes, extend your legs, and walk your feet back until your shoulders, hips, and ankles form a straight line.  

Keep your belly and lower back from sagging by using your inhales to pull your belly in and puff up your lower back.  You can check for your straight line by looking down the underside of your body.  

You will build arm and abdomen strength while also developing patience with this move.

Revolved Half Moon Pose

From a low lunge, shift your weight onto your front foot, and lift your back leg parallel to the ground. Bring your body parallel, arms straight under your shoulders, fingers tented on the ground. 

Keep your fingers opposite your standing leg on the ground and reach your other arm back then straight open in the air, rolling your middle and upper just open to the side. 

Keep lifting strongly through the back of your lifted thigh and hip, and extend straight through both legs. 

Use your exhales to twist your middle and upper chest open to the side until your shoulders are stacked vertical.   This pose tones the backs of the thighs, and is great for balance and circulation.

Tree Pose

While standing, shift your weight onto one foot, then lift your other heel up to your inner thigh. Reach the arms straight up, or press your palms together at your chest or behind your upper spine.  

Balance by keeping an active standing leg, and stacking your skeleton vertical from heel to knee to hip rather than relying on your foot muscles. 

If you want to open your upper chest, press the edges of your hands in prayer position to your chest and breathe strongly into your hands. 

If you want to open your upper back, press the edges of your hands firmly along your upper spine and lift with your breath.   This is great for balance and focus.

Warrior 1 Pose

Start on hands and knees, shoulders over wrists, toes tucked. Make a tall "V" shape by lifting hips straight up, sinking the upper chest and shoulders, and relaxing down the backs of legs into your heels.  

Two tricks for getting your hips parallel with the front of your mat:  first, from your low lunge, widen your stance by moving your front foot to the side, bring your back foot in a bit, and then lift up.  

Second: once you’re up, straighten your front leg, turn your hips square to the front, then gradually sink your hips back down. Keep your back heel firmly grounded, equal weight in front and back foot. 

This helps develop patience, and opens the upper thigh.

Warrior 2 Pose

From a high lunge, roll your back heel to the ground, turn your shoulders parallel to your mat, and reach your arms out parallel to the ground. 

Keep your body vertical over your hips, and your front knee directly over your ankle.  

Keep your back heel firmly grounded so the weight is shared equally with your front foot; drop your back hip so both are the same height, and reach just as strongly behind you as in front. 

This builds leg strength and opens the hips.

Warrior 3 Pose

From a high lunge, reach your arms straight forward, shift your weight forward to balance on your front foot, and bring your arms, body and back leg all in one line parallel to the ground.  

By shifting your body gradually forward until there is no weight on your back foot, you’ll be able to lift rather than jump into this pose. 

To save your lower back, you can also keep your arms reaching back by your sides, or take a prayer under your chest. 

This provides strength, balance, and focus.

Reverse Warrior Pose

From a Warrior 2, lean back over your back leg, keeping your body directly open to the side. 

Rest your back hand lightly on your calf, and reach your front arm either straight up or past your ear to the back.  

Begin your lean back with your back ribs, keeping them as long as possible before coming all the way back. 

Breathe strongly into your ribs to get a great side-opener.  This pose also strengthens the thighs.

Boat Pose

Sit down with knees close to your chest and feet on the floor. Keeping your body close to vertical, hold behind your knees and lift your feet to bring shins parallel to the ground. 

Release your hands and stretch arms straight forward. Lean back slightly as you stretch your legs straight. Keep your chest open and shoulders back rather than rounded forward. 

Practice keeping your body and thighs closer to vertical by keeping knees bent. If your tailbone gets in the way when straightening legs, sit on a towel or blanket. 

This pose benefits the body by building strength in the abdominal area and in the tops of upper thighs.

Butterfly Pose

Sit with your knees close to your chest. Relax your knees out to either side and gently press the bottoms of your feet together, holding your feet or your ankles.  

If you lean slightly forward, you can feel your sit bones  on the ground. You can either round over your feet to open up your back and relax your neck, or stay more upright.  

Breathe from the chest.  This calming pose helps to open the hips.

Firefly Pose

Come into a squat, feet about mat-width apart. Straighten legs about half-way, and then tuck shoulders behind your knees. Bring palms to the ground, fingers facing forward, just behind your heels.  

Sink your hips and bend your arms, bringing the backs of your thighs to rest on the back of your upper arms. Shift weight back to lift feet and extend legs straight.  

Spend some time with your shoulders tucked behind your knees, with legs bent and then straightened, to first open up your back and shoulders. 

Once you lift up, open up the front of your chest long with your breath.   This builds balance, while opening up the shoulders and back.

Full Pigeon Pose

Set your legs up for a pigeon, and walk your hands back near your hips. Keep your body vertical over your hips, and hips square to the front of your mat.  

Bend your back knee, and hold your foot or ankle with your hand on the same side.  Press your foot gently back into your hand, or gently pull your heel toward your body. 

Position your other hand on the ground to secure your balance, and let your exhales sink your hips closer to the ground.  

This pose opens the hips and fronts of the upper thighs while also opening the upper spine and chest.

Lotus Pose

Sit in a cross-legged position. Ease your right foot on top of your left thigh, gently pulling your heel toward the top of your inner thigh. Repeat with your left foot.  

To protect your knees, keep your feet flexed, reaching out through your heels.  In the beginning your feet may rest in the crease between your calf and thigh. 

When your heels are next to your belly, lean out over your heels for a good abdominal massage.  

This opens up the hips while also lining up the spine for sitting meditation.

Seated One Leg Forward Bend Pose

Sit with the knees close to your chest, and straighten one leg out. Let the other knee fall to the side, connecting the bottom of your foot with the thigh of your straight leg. 

Keep hips square to the front, and gently lean forward over your extended leg.  Don’t rush to lean over your extended leg. 

Use your breath to come forward, lead with your belly and lower ribs, keeping the front of your body long and open. 

For a good twist, try rolling your ribs and shoulder on the same side as your extended leg slightly higher than your ribs and shoulder on the opposite side.  This pose opens up the backs of the legs.

Seated Straddle Pose

Sit with knees close to your chest. Using your hands on the floor behind you for balance, lengthen your legs evenly apart to both sides. 

Keep your toes pointing up. Roll your hips and body gently forward, and widen your legs enough to feel some resistance. Walk your hands slowly forward between your legs, keeping the front of your body long and open.  

Drop your shoulders and head at the end for a nice back and neck release, but try several breaths with your sit bones grounded and the front of your body open. Lean forward enough that you feel some resistance in the backs of your thighs, but don’t force it. 

Your hands can also stay behind you for support, and your knees can be slightly bent.  This opens the hips, inner thighs, and backs of legs.

Seated Two Leg Forward Bend Pose

Sit with your legs out straight and together. 

Bend your knees as much as needed to make a forward lean, then lean forward until you feel some resistance in the backs of your legs, gently holding your hands around your calves, ankles or feet.  With knees either bent or straight, keep your chest long and open as you come forward.  

Lead with your belly and lower ribs rather than your shoulders. Take several breaths to come forward in this way, relaxing on your exhales. 

Round over your legs at the end to release your back and neck.  This pose opens the backs of your legs and teaches patience.

 

Chair Pose

Stand with your feet together, sinking your hips as your reach your arms up alongside your ears. 

Keep your weight on your heels, and knees far enough back that you can see your toes.  

Keep your back from arching by tucking your tailbone and pulling in your middle ribs. 

Keep sinking in your hips and lifting your body and arms closer to vertical.  This pose strengthens the thighs and builds patience.

Extended Side Angle Pose

From a low lunge, roll your back heel to the ground, bring your fingers to the ground inside your front heel, and reach your other arm straight past your ear. 

Bring your shoulders, body, and legs all in one line.  

Keeping your lower ribs long rather than collapsing over your front leg, is easier if you start by resting your front forearm on your thigh.  

This pose helps to strengthen the thighs and opens up the hips.

Handstand Pose

From standing, shift your weight to one foot, bring your palms to the ground, and lift your other leg up behind you. Straighten your arms. Open your hip, lift your leg higher, and lean your shoulders forward of your wrists. 

Slowly lift your grounded leg up, bringing your legs into a wide scissor position, then gradually draw your legs together straight up. Press your ankles and knees gently together.  There is no need to jump into this pose. 

Your grounded foot will lift easily when your weight is more forward of your wrists than behind them. Use your inhales to rock your weight forward; pull your belly in and hips up, and lift onto the ends of your standing toes until they lift themselves up. 

Once you’re up, keep your balance by picking a point on the ground and keeping your eyes focused there.  The handstand pose builds strength in your arms and abdomen, opens the hips, builds balance and concentration, and is good for circulation.

Headstand Pose

From your hands and knees, lower your forearms to the ground, elbows right under your shoulders. Clasp your fingers lightly together, and bring the top of your head to the ground just behind the heels of your hands. 

Tuck your toes, straighten your legs, and walk your feet in until your hips are over your head. Lift one leg and then the other, or both legs at once, until your legs are straight up in the air.  

Your feet will lift easily off the ground when your base is strong, your feet are close to your body, and your hips up vertical over your head. 

Practice by walking your feet as close to your body as possible, and then lift just one foot by bending your knee and bringing your calf into the back of your thigh. If you go too far, you’ll just roll forward onto your back.

Make sure the space in front of you is clear, and practice keeping your knees bent and legs low until your base is steady.  

This is a calming pose that improves balance and circulation.

High Lunge Pose

From a low lunge, lift your body up vertical over your hips, then reach your arms straight up. 

Keep your hips square to the front, with the front thigh parallel to the ground, and equal weight in both feet.  

For easier balance, position your feet at least as wide as your hips, and reach out strongly through your back leg and heel. 

The benefit of this pose is that it opens up the top of your thigh while building leg strength.

Low Lunge Pose 

Set your front knee right over your ankle, fingertips on either side of your foot. 

Reach your other foot far enough back that your front thigh comes parallel to the ground. 

Set your feet up so you’re not on a "tightrope" so at least hip-width from side to side.

Keep your front hip open so your knee doesn’t lean to the inside of your ankle.  This pose opens and strengthens the thighs.

Shoulder Stand Pose

Lie down on your back with arms alongside your body, and bring knees into your chest. With legs either bent or straight, lift your hips and reach your feet toward the floor behind your head. 

Interlace your fingers with arms straight on the ground, and squeeze your shoulder blades and elbows close together. Bend your elbows and support your middle back with your palms, fingers facing up. 

Either one at a time or together, lift your legs up vertical, gently pressing your knees and ankles together. To lift your body more vertical, squeeze your ribs between your thumbs and forefingers, and gently lift your body up and forward. 

Use deep breaths to expand your chest and increase the distance between your shoulders and hips.  This pose is good for circulation, and opens the neck and back.

Side Plank Pose

From a plank, lift your hips up slightly, then shift your weight into one hand as you roll your whole body open to the side. Stack your hips, knees, and ankles vertically on top of each other.  

Your shoulders, hips and ankles should be in one straight line. Reach your top arm straight up, forming a line from your planted wrist through your top fingers. 

To make balance easier, rather than stacking your feet on top of each other, simply leave your feet where they were in your plank as your roll open to the side. 

The foot of your top leg will end up in front of your other foot, giving you a more solid base. You can also rest your lower knee on the ground to make it easier to hold this pose.  

This will build arm and shoulder strength, and is great for developing patience.

Standing Split Pose

From standing, shift your weight to one foot, bring your fingers to the ground and lift your other leg up behind you. 

You can keep your hips square, or lift the leg a bit higher by opening your hip and pressing your hands into the ground.  

If your hands don’t reach the ground, you can use blocks or just bend a bit in your standing knee. 

You can also soften your lifted knee to get more of an opening in your hip and the front of your thigh. This pose opens the thighs and hips.

Triangle Pose

From a Warrior II, straighten your front leg, and follow your front hand forward, then down to your shin or the floor. 

Reach your top arm straight up, and bring your body and legs in the same line.  

Keeping both sides of your ribs equally long is easier if you start with your hand up on your shin, and gradually lower from there.  

This pose opens up the hips and thighs.

Upward Facing Dog Pose

From a plank, gently lower knees to the ground and un-tuck toes. Keeping arms straight or only slightly bent, slowly lower belly down and forward. 

Hands are under shoulders. Drop shoulders down away from ears, bring shoulder blades together behind you, and bring your body forward through your arms.  

Try relaxing everything in your body other than what you need in your arms to hold you. To protect your lower back, pull your hands gently back toward you rather than pushing forward. 

Open your chest more forward than up:  by doing so, you will open up the chest, spine and abdomen.

Bow Pose

Lie down on your stomach with arms extended back along your sides. Bend your knees and reach your hands back to hold the outsides of your ankles. 

Press your knees and ankles behind you, and reach your chest and head forward, gently lifting your knees and chest evenly off the ground.  

Protect your lower back by opening your middle and upper chest forward with your breath, lifting slightly as you inhale and relaxing as you exhale. 

For more of an opening in the fronts of your upper thighs, widen your knees apart and gently lift your knees straight up.  This pose will open up the chest and spine as well as the fronts of your upper thighs.

Camel Pose

Stand on your knees with toes tucked, knees hip-width apart. Reach your hands, one at a time, to your heels. Move your hips forward to vertical over your knees, tuck your tailbone to release your lower back, and lift your middle and upper chest open with your breath. 

You can keep your head up looking forward, or release your head to hang behind you. For a more gradual release, bring your hands to your lower back rather than heels, and arch back gently, focusing mostly on lifting your chest up with your breath. 

For more of an opening, bring the tops of your feet to the ground, and walk your hands back along your calves, keeping your hips reaching forward. 

This pose opens the spine and the chest up.

Cobra Pose

Lie face down with legs extended about 6 inches apart, tops of feet on the ground. Bring palms under shoulders, and gently press down, slowly lifting your upper then middle chest off the ground. 

Your belly stays on the ground and your arms remain bent. Drop your shoulders away from ears, and squeeze shoulder blades together behind you. 

Keep your tailbone tucked and lower back relaxed.  Keep the back of your neck long and relaxed. 

Gently pull your hands back toward you as you open your chest forward with your inhales, relax on your exhales.  The cobra will open up the chest and spine, and builds arm strength.

Pigeon Pose

From a low lunge, lift or walk your front foot over so the ankle is behind your opposite wrist.  Lower your back knee to the ground, and using your hands for support at the front of your mat, lower your front knee behind your wrist. 

Front shin can be parallel to the front of your mat, or angled slightly back. Walk your hands forward and come on to your forearms, or extend your arms and body out on the floor in front of you.  

Before coming forward, walk your hands back so your body is vertical over your hips, breathe and press into your hands to take some weight out of your hips and roll them square to the front of your mat. 

Take your time coming forward, and keep the front of your body long and open.  This pose opens the hips and fronts of the upper thighs.

Plow Pose

Lie down on your back with arms alongside your body, and bring knees into your chest. With legs either bent or straight, lift your hips and reach your feet toward the floor behind your head. 

Interlace your fingers with arms straight on the ground, and squeeze your shoulder blades and elbows close together. Bend your elbows and support your middle back with your palms, fingers facing up. 

Take your time with this pose, pausing and breathing deeply as soon as you feel some resistance in your neck and upper back. Knees can remain slightly or deeply bent. 

When your feet find the ground, use your hands and breath to lift your spine more vertically and open the front of your body longer, bringing your shoulders, chest and hips into a vertical line.  

This calming pose will release the neck and back and is good for circulation.

Wheel Pose

Lie flat on your back. Bend your knees straight up, bringing heels just behind your hips. Bring hands on either side of your head, fingers pointing back toward your body. 

Press into your feet and hands, and lift your hips straight up.  Avoid pressing up as far as your muscles can take you right away. Instead, lift slowly, breathe deeply, rock forward and back as well as side to side. 

Relax into back bends with your breath, and your muscles will release much more easily.  This pose will open up the chest and spine as well as the hips and tops of the thighs.