Contents:
Dog and cat
Mountain
Forward bend
Triangle
Warrior II
Cobra
Downward facing dog
Head to knee
Pelvic tilt
Kegels
The bridge
The corpse
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Stretching is vital for healthy muscles and circulation. Do some form of yoga/stretching combination every day to limber up, for at least 5 minutes (use a timer).
FOR MY SIMPLE REFERENCE: It is better to download one with pictures, perhaps cutting the pictures up and sticking on one or two sides of a sheet. I printed these in sequence from the Yoga Journal Sequence Builder.
Dog and Cat -- Flexibility of spine. One pose flows into other. On hands and knees, hands just in front of your shoulders, legs hip width apart. As inhale, tilt tailbone and pelvis up, and let the spine curve downward, dropping the stomach low, and lift your head up. Stretch gently. As exhale, move into cat by reversing the spinal bend, tilting the pelvis down, drawing the spine up and pulling the chest and stomach in. Repeat several times, flowing smoothly from dog into cat, and cat back into dog.
Mountain - Posture, balance and self-awareness. Stand with feet together, hands at sides, eyes looking forward. Raise toes, fan them open, then place them back down on the floor. Feel your heel, outside of your foot, toes and ball of your foot all in contact with the floor. Tilt your pubic bone slightly forward. Raise your chest up and out, but gently. Raise head up and lengthen neck by lifting base of skull toward the ceiling. Stretch the pinky on each hand downward, then balance that movement by stretching index fingers. Push into the floor with feet and raise legs, first the calves and then the thighs. Breathe. Hold the posture, but try not to tense up. Breathe. As inhale, imagine breath coming up through the floor, rising through legs and torso and up into head. Reverse the process on the exhale and watch breath as it passes down from head, through chest and stomach, legs and feet. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths, relax and repeat. On next inhale, raise arms over head and hold for several breaths. Lower arms on an exhale. As a warm up, try synchronizing the raising and lowering of arms with your breath - raise, inhale; lower, exhale. 5 times.
Forward Bend or Extension - Stretches the legs and spine, rests the heart and neck, relaxes mind and body. Begin standing straight in Mountain pose or Tadasana. Inhale and raise the arms overhead. Exhale, bend at the hips, bring the arms forward and down until touch the floor. It's okay to bend your knees, especially if feeling stiff. Either grasp ankles or just leave hands on the floor and breathe several times. Repeat 3-5 times. On your last bend, hold the position for 5 or 10 breaths. To come out of the pose, curl upward as if pulling yourself up one vertebrae at a time, stacking one on top of another, and leaving the head hanging down until last.
Triangle - Stretches the spine, opens the torso, improves balance and concentration. Start with legs spread 3-4 feet apart, feet parallel. Turn left foot 90 degrees to the left and right foot about 45 degrees inward. Inhale and raise both arms so they're parallel with the floor. Exhale, turn head to the left and look down left arm toward your outstretched fingers. Check that left knee is aligned with left ankle. Take a deep breath and stretch outward to the left, tilting the left hip down and the right hip up. When you've stretched as far as can, pivot arms, letting left hand reach down and come to rest against the inside of calf, while right arms points straight up. Turn and look up at right hand. Breathe deeply for several breaths. Inhale, and straighten up. Exhale, lower arms. Put hands on hips and pivot on heels, bringing feet to face front. Repeat the posture on the other side.
Warrior I I - Strengthens legs and arms; improves balance and concentration; builds confidence.
Begin in mountain pose with feet together and hands at side. Step feet 4-5 feet apart. Turn right foot about 45 degrees to the left. Turn left foot 90 degrees to the left so that it is pointing straight out to the side. Slowly bend the left knee until the thigh is parallel with the floor, but keep the knee either behind or directly over your ankle. Raise arms over head. Then slowly lower them until left arm is pointing straight ahead and right arm is pointing back. Concentrate on a spot in front of you and breathe. Take 4 or 5 deep breaths, lower arms, bring legs together. Reverse the position.
The Cobra - Stretches the spine, strengthens the back and arms, opens the chest and heart..
Lie down on stomach. Keep legs together, arms at side, close to body, with hands by chest.
Step 1: Inhaling, slowly raise head and chest as high as it will go. Keep buttocks muscles tight to protect lower back. Keep head up and chest and heart out. Breathe several times and then come down. Repeat as necessary.
Step 2: Follow the steps above. When you've gone as high as you can, gently raise yourself on your arms, stretching the spine even more. Only go as far as you are comfortable. Your pelvis should always remain on the floor. Breathe several times and come down.
Downward Facing Dog - Builds strength, flexibility and awareness; stretches the spine and hamstrings; rests the heart. Start on hands and knees. Keep legs about hip width apart and arms shoulder width apart. Middle fingers should be parallel, pointing straight ahead. Roll elbows so that the eye or inner elbow is facing forward. Inhale and curl toes under, as if getting ready to stand on toes. Exhale and straighten legs; push upward with arms. The goal is to lengthen the spine while keeping legs straight and feet flat on the ground. However, in the beginning it's okay to bend the knees a bit and to keep heels raised. The important thing is to work on lengthening the spine. Don't let shoulders creep up by your ears -- keep them down. Weight should be evenly distributed between hands and feet. Hold the position for a few breaths. Come down on and exhale. Repeat several times, synchronizing with breath: up on the exhale and down on the inhale.
Head to Knee - Stretches and opens back and hamstrings, improves flexibility. Sit on the floor with legs extended in front. Bend one leg, bringing the heel of the foot as close to the groin as possible. May want to place a pillow under the bent knee for comfort. Make sure sitz bones are firmly grounded on the floor and that spine is straight. Turn your body slightly so you face out over the extended leg. Inhale and raise arms over head. Exhale and begin to move forward slowly. Try to keep the back as straight as possible. Instead of bending at the hips, focus on lifting the tailbone and rolling forward on sitz bones. Inhale and lengthen and straighten the spine. Exhale and roll forward, however slightly. To get a bit more forward movement, engage your quadriceps (thigh muscles) as you move forward. This releases the hamstrings, giving you a bit more flexibility. When you've moved as far forward as you can, lower the arms and grasp foot, or leg. Hold the position for a moment and breathe. Then on the next exhale gently pull yourself forward. Go slowly and remember to keep the back straight. When done, straighten up and do the other side.
Half Shoulderstand - Promotes proper thyroid function, strengthens abdomen, stretches upper back, improves blood circulation, induces relaxation. Lie on back and lift legs up into air. Place hands on lower back for support, resting elbows and lower arms on the ground. Make sure weight is on shoulders and mid to upper back -- not neck. Breathe deeply and hold for at the posture for at least 5-10 breaths, increasing the hold over time. To come down, slowly lower legs, keeping them very straight -- a little workout for abdominal muscles.
Pelvic Tilt - Lie on back with the knees bent and the soles of the feet on the floor. This is the neutral position, with the natural curve of the lumbar spine causing the low back to be slightly elevated from the floor. On an exhale, gently rock your hips towards face. Your butt will not actually leave the floor, but you will feel low back press into the floor. You are essentially taking the curve out of the low back. Think of the pelvis as a bowl of water. When you do the pelvic tilt, the water would be spilling towards your belly.
After a few seconds, inhale and return to your neutral position. Repeat this movement 5 to 10 times.
Kegels - At one time or throughout day . Use muscles use when urinate.. A kegel is done by pulling your pelvic muscles in as if you were urinating and decided to suddenly stop. You hold these muscles in for a few seconds then release or relax these muscles. Repeat this movement at least one hundred times a day.
The Bridge - Increases flexibility and suppleness; strengthens the lower back and abdominal muscles; opens the chest. Lie on back with knees up and hands at side. Feet should be near buttocks about six inches apart. To begin, gently raise and lower tail. Then, slowly, raise the tailbone and continue lifting the spine, trying to move one vertebra at a time until entire back is arched upward. Push firmly with feet. Keep knees straight and close together. Breathe deeply into chest. Clasp hands under back and push against the floor. Take five slow, deep breaths. Come down slowly and repeat.
The Corpse - Relaxes and refreshes the body and mind, relieves stress and anxiety, quiets the mind.
Possibly the most important posture, the Corpse, also known as the Sponge, is as deceptively simple as Tadasana, the Mountain pose. Usually performed at the end of a session, the goal is conscious relaxation. Many people find the "conscious" part the most difficult because it is very easy to drift off to sleep while doing Savasana. Begin by lying on your back, feet slightly apart, arms at your sides with palms facing up. Close your eyes and take several slow, deep breaths. Allow your body to sink into the ground. Try focusing on a specific part of the body and willing it to relax. For example, start with your feet, imagine the muscles and skin relaxing, letting go and slowly melting into the floor. From your feet, move on to your calves, thighs and so on up to your face and head. Then simply breathe and relax. Stay in the pose for at least 5-10 minutes.
