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Type of Pose: Supine
Benefits: Stretches and relaxes the spine. Can help relieve back pain, though should be approached with caution by those with degenerative disk disease.
Instructions:
1. Come to lie on your back.
2. Bend your knees and put the soles of your feet on the floor.
3. Lift your hips slightly off the floor and shift them about an inch to your right.
4. Draw your right knee into your chest and extend the left leg on the floor.
5. Drop your right knee over to the left side of your body.
6. Open your right arm to the right side in line with your shoulder. Rest your left hand on your right knee.
7. Turn your head to the right, bringing your gaze over the right shoulder. 7. Work on releasing your left knee and your right shoulder to the floor.
8. Hold 5 to 10 breaths before drawing your right knee back into your chest and doing the other side.
Variations: Before twisting, take your legs into the air and wrap your right leg around your left, coming into Eagle legs. Then twist, bringing the right knee over to the left side of the body.
Type of Pose: Supine - Reclined Big Toe Pose
Benefits: Gently stretches the hamstrings and calves. Can help reduce back pain by addressing Flat Low Back Posture.
Instructions:
1. Come to lie on your back with the legs outstretched.
2. Bend the right knee and hug it into your chest.
3. Place a yoga strap around the ball of the right foot. Hold the ends of the strap with each hand.
4. Straighten the right leg up toward the ceiling while holding tightly to the strap.
5. Stretch the right leg upwards with the foot flexed, but keep the ball of the hip joint resting in the socket and both sides of your butt equally pressing into the floor.
6. Keep the left foot flexed and the left leg pressing towards the floor.
7. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths.
8. To come out, bend the right knee back into your chest, bring the left knee to join it, and then do the left side.
Beginners: You may bend the left knee and bring the sole of the left foot to the floor if this is more comfortable.
Advanced: Instead of using the strap, take the right big toe in a yogi toe lock and then straighten the leg.
Type of Pose: Restorative, mild inversion - Legs Up The Wall Pose
Benefits: Achieves many of the benefits of inversions in a supported, gentle pose.
Instructions:
1. Sit next to a wall with the side of your body on the wall and your knees bent into the chest.
2. Bring the lower back onto the floor while bringing the legs up the wall. Keep the upper body supported with the elbows on the floor.
3. Slowly release the elbows and lower the whole back down to the floor.
4. If you are comfortable, stay here several minutes.
5. To come out, bring the knees into your chest and roll to your side.
You may wish to support the low back with a bolster or several folded blankets placed right at and parallel to the wall. This also increases the angle of inversion.
You may try different positions with your legs, such as with knees bent and the soles of the feet touching (as in Cobbler's Pose - Baddha Konasana), taking the legs in a wide straddle, or even Lotus Pose.
