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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.
Type of pose: Supine - Happy Baby Pose
Benefits: Releases the low back, stretches the hamstrings
Instructions:
1. Come to lie on the back.
2. Bend the knees into the chest.
3. Open the knees, bringing them towards the armpits.
4. Stack each ankle directly over the knee, so that the shins are perpendicular to the floor.
5. Flex the feet.
6. Hold the outer edges of the feet at you draw the knees towards the floor.
This pose is appropriate for both beginners and advanced students.
Type of Pose: Supine, Restorative - Reclined Bound Angle Pose
Benefits: Opens the groin
Instructions:
1. From Cobbler's Pose - Baddha Konasana, lean backward, bringing your elbows to the floor.
2. Lower the back all the way to the floor.
3. Stay here several minutes. To come out, roll over to your side and sit up, using your hands to support you.
Beginners: If you are not comfortable reclining on the floor, you may use a bolster or several folded blankets to support the spine. You may also want to place a block under each knee for support.
Advanced: Try the variations
Also known as: Final Relaxation - Corpse Pose
Type of pose: Resting
Benefits: Allows the body time to process information at the end of a class.
No yoga session is complete without the final pose – Savasana. The body needs this time to understand the new information it has received through practicing yoga. Even though Savasana is a resting pose, it’s not the same a sleeping! You should stay present and aware during the five to ten minute duration of final relaxation.
Instructions:
1. Come to lie down on the back.
2. Let the feet fall out to either side.
3. Bring the arms alongside the body, but slightly separated from the body, and turn the palms to face upwards.
4. Relax the whole body, including the face. Let the body feel heavy.
5. Let the breath occur naturally.
6. To come out, first begin to the deepen the breath. Then move the fingers and toes, awakening the body.
7. Bring the knees into the chest and roll over to one side, keep the eyes closed.
8. Slowly bring yourself back up into a sitting position.
Type of pose: Resting
Benefits: Gentle stretch for the hips, thighs and ankles. Can help relieve back pain.
Instructions:
1. From Downward Facing Dog, drop the knees to the floor.
2. Spread the knees as wide as the mat, keeping the big toes touching.
3. Bring the belly to rest between the thighs and the forehead to the floor.
4. There are two possible arm variations:
Either stretch the arms in front of you with the palms toward the floor or bring the arms back alongside the thighs with the palms facing upwards. Do whichever feel more comfortable to you.
Beginners: Rest in Child’s Pose at any time if you get tired or out of breath. Rejoin the class when you are ready.
Type of pose: Seated - Staff Pose
Benefits: Strengthens legs; improves alignment Dandasana is the basic seated pose from which all the others originate. Think of it as a seated version of Mountain Pose or Tadasana. Instructions:
1. Sit with the legs outstretched straight in front.
2. Engage the thigh muscles and flex the feet. The heels may come up off the floor.
3. Make your spine long.
4. Stack the shoulders directly on top of the hips.
Beginners: Put padding under your sit bones, if necessary.
Advanced: This pose looks easy, but if you are really working the thighs, you can break a sweat.
Type of pose: Seated - Seated Wide Legged Straddle
Benefits: Stretches the hamstrings and calves, elongates the spine.
Instructions:
1. From Staff Pose – Dandasana, open the legs out as wide as is comfortable.
2. Keep the thigh muscles engaged and the feet flexed.
3. Make sure the toes are pointing straight up to the ceiling.
4. Press the legs down into the floor.
Beginners: Put padding under the sit bones if necessary.
Type of pose: Seated - Seated Forward Bend Pose
Benefits: Stretches the hamstrings and spine Instructions:
1. From Staff Pose - Dandasana bring the arms straight out to the sides and up over your head.
2. Inhale and draw the spine up long.
3. As you exhale, begin to come forward, hinging at the hips.
4. On each inhale, extend the spine, and on each exhale, come a bit farther into the forward bend.
5. Keep the neck at the natural extension of the spine.
6. Do not round the back.
7. Take hold of the ankles or shins, whichever you can reach.
Beginners: Put padding under the sit bones if necessary. Imagine the belly coming to rest on your thighs, rather than the nose coming to the knees -- this will help you keep the spine long instead of curving over.
Advanced: If you can easily grab the soles of your feet, try taking a block in front of the feet and holding that instead.
Type of Pose: Forward Bend - Head To Knee
Benefits: Stretches the hamstrings
Instructions:
1. From Staff Pose - Dandasana, bend your knee and bring the sole of the left foot to your inner-right thigh.
2. Square your torso over the extended right leg, and begin to forward bend over that leg.
3. Keep the right foot flexed while pressing the back of the right thigh down toward the floor.
4. In order to not collapse your back, keep the heart center lifted as long as possible as you come forward. When you reach your limit, bring the heart and head down toward the extended leg.
5. On each inhale, extend the spine long, and on each exhale, deepen the forward bend.
6. You may hold on to the extended leg or place the hands on the floor wherever they reach.
7. Repeat the pose on the other side.
Beginners: You may sit up on a blanket if the hips are tight.
If you like, place a strap around the extended foot. Hold an end of the strap in each hand as you forward bend.
Advanced: Clasp your hands under the sole of the extended foot.
Try the pose with the bent leg in a Half-Lotus position.
Also Known As: Seated Spinal Twist - Half Lord of The Fishes Pose
Type of pose: Seated Twist
Benefits: Opens the shoulders, neck and hips while stretching the spine. Cleanses the internal organs
Instructions:
1. From Staff Pose - Dandasana, bring the sole of your right foot to the floor on the outside of the left thigh.
2. Bend the left knee, and tuck the left foot in near the right buttock.
3. Inhale and bring the left arm up near your left ear.
4. Exhale and twist the right arm, bringing the left elbow to the outside the of right knee and the right palm to the floor, just behind your sit bones.
5. Look out over the right shoulder, but don’t overturn the neck -- the twist originates in the belly, not the neck.
6. On each inhale, draw the spine long, and on each exhale, twist a little deeper.
7. Be sure to keep the sole of your right foot flat on the floor.
8. When you release the pose, take a slight counter twist to the opposite direction.
9. Release the legs and switch their position as you prepare to twist to the other side.
Beginners: You may want to sit on some padding if you are uncomfortable. If you cannot bend it into the ideal position, you may also keep the left leg extended.
Advanced: Come into a bind with the arms. Thread the left arm back underneath the right knee. Reach the right arm behind your back, and clasp the right wrist with your left hand. Click the photo to see this variation.
Type of pose: Seated
Sukasana is really any comfortable, cross-legged, seated position. It is a good pose for meditation or pranayama practice.
Instructions:
1. Arrange padding under your sit bones so that your hips come above your knees.
2. Come to sit in a comfortable, cross-legged position.
3. Bring one heel in towards your groin. The other foot may rest on the floor in front of you or you may bring it into your lap.
4. Root your seat down as your spine grows long. Stack the shoulders over the hips and slide the shoulder blades down your back. The crown of your head rises towards the ceiling.
Also known as: Bound Angle Pose
Type of pose: Seated
Benefits: Opens the hips and groin
Instructions:
1. From Staff Pose – Dandasana, bend the knees bringing the soles of the feet together and letting the knees fall out to either side.
2. Keep the spine long.
3. Press the outer edges of the feet together strongly.
Beginners: Take padding under the sit bones if necessary. Position a block under each knee for support if necessary.
Advanced: Keeping the spine long, come into a forward bend.
Variations: Supta Baddha Konasana – a reclined version of the pose.
Type of pose: Standing, slight backbend
Benefits: Strengthens the legs, opens the chest and shoulders
Instructions:
1. From Downward Facing Dog, bring the right foot forward next to the right hand.
2. Pivot on the ball of the left foot and drop the left heel on to the floor with the toes turned out about 45 degrees from the heel.
3. Bend the right knee directly over the right ankle, so that a right angle is formed by the calf and thigh.
4. Draw the right hip back and the left hip forward, so that the hips are squared to the front.
5. Bring the arms out to the side and up.
6. Make your palms touch, and gaze up toward the thumbs, making a slight backbend.
7. Slide the shoulder blades down the back.
Repeat on the left side.
Beginners: Step the left foot out toward the left side of the mat a bit to allow more room for the hips to square. Place your hands on your hip bones, so you can feel whether they are squared forward. Draw the right hip back and the left hip forward. When you bring your arms up, keep them shoulder’s distance apart -- that is more comfortable.
Advanced: Make sure the right knee stays directly over the right ankle. Line up the right heel with the center of the left arch. Ground down the outer edge of the left foot while lifting the inner arch of that foot. Really engage the quadriceps. Hold the pose for ten breaths.
Also known as: Trikonasana
Type of pose: Standing
Benefits: Strengthen the legs, stretches the groins, hamstrings, hips, opens the chest and shoulders. Can help relieve back pain.
Instructions:
1. From Warrior II, straighten your front leg (the left leg in this case).
2. Begin the reach the left arm forward, drawing the left thigh upwards and tucking the hip at you come forward.
3. Drop the left hand down onto your shin or ankle, or if you are more open, onto the floor inside or outside the left foot. Do whichever one feels most comfortable.
4. The right shoulder stacks on top of the left one as you open the chest reaching the right fingertips upwards while keeping the right shoulder rooted in the socket.
5. Take your gaze up toward the right fingertips.
6. Draw the left thigh muscle upwards, deepening the left hip crease.
7. Stack the right hip on top of the left.
8. Repeat on the right side
Beginners: Bring the right hand higher up on your leg or use a block on the floor to rest your hand on. It is more important to keep the right leg straight than to bring the right hand to the floor. Do not rest the hand directly on the knee, though, as this creates too much pressure on the knee.
Advanced: Line up the right heel with the arch of the left foot. For a variation, try dropping the left arm over the left ear so it comes parallel to the floor, while keeping the shoulder rooting into the socket.
Type of Pose: Standing
Standing Straddle Forward Bend
Benefits: Stretches the hamstrings and opens the hips Instructions:
1. Step the feet apart into a wide straddle. The feet should be slightly pigeon-toed so that the outside edges of the feet stay parallel.
2. Deepen the hip creases as you come into a forward bend.
3. Bring the hands directly underneath your shoulders. Then begin to walk the hands back, bringing your wrists in line with your ankles, if possible.
4. Bend the elbows as if in Chaturanga.
5. Try bringing your body weight forward into the balls of your feet to keep the hips in the same plane as the ankles.
6. Engage the quadriceps and draw them upwards.
7. Stay here for 5 to 10 breaths, lengthening the spine on the inhales and deepening the forward bend on the exhales.
8. To come out, bring your hands onto your hips and keep your back flat as you come up to stand.
Beginners: Take blocks under your hands if they don't reach the floor.
Advanced: If your head easily touches the floor, trying narrowing your stance.
If the head is on the floor, you may come up into a tripod headstand.
Type of pose: Forward bend
Benefits: Stretches and lengthens the hamstrings Instructions:
1. From Urdhva Hastasana, swan dive the arms out to the side while folding forward.
2. Make sure the fold come from the hips, deepening the hip creases, and not from the back.
3. Bring the fingertips in line with the toes and press the palms flat.
4. Engage the quadriceps muscles of the thighs. The more you use your quads, the more the hamstrings (the muscles on the back of the thighs) will open up.
5. Bring your weight a little bit forward into the balls of your feet so that your hips stay over the ankles.
6. Let your head hang.
Beginners: Bend the knees if you need to in order to bring the palms flat. Then work on straightening the legs.
Advanced: If you are very open in the hamstrings, bend the elbows out to the sides.
If you are holding the pose for a long time, bring the palm flat underneath your feet.
Type of pose: Standing
Benefits: Improves posture, strengthens thighs, opens shoulders Instructions:
1. From Tadasana, bring your arms out to the side and up.
2. Press the palms together, keep the arms straight and take the gaze up toward your thumbs.
3. Slide the shoulder blades down the back.
4. Maintain your alignment.
Beginners: Practice the pose with your back to the wall so you can feel the alignment. Place a block between the thighs, squeeze it and roll it slightly backward to feel the engagement and rotation of the thighs.
Type of pose: Standing
Benefits: Improves posture, strengthens thighs, can help relieve back pain
Instructions:
1. Come to stand with the big toes touching.
2. Lift up all your toes and let them fan out, then drop them down creating a wide solid base. You can separate your heels slightly if your ankles are knocking together uncomfortably.
3. Bring your weight evenly onto all four corners of both feet.
4. Let the feet and the calves root down into the floor.
5. Engage the quadriceps and draw them upward, causing your knee caps to rise.
6. Rotate both thighs inward, creating a widening of the sit bones, and tuck your tailbone in between the sit bones.
7. Tone the belly, drawing it in slightly.
8. Widen the collar bones and make sure the shoulders are parallel to the pelvis.
9. The neck is long, the crown of the head rises toward the ceiling, and the shoulder blades slide down the back.
It may seem like you are just standing there, but bringing the body into alignment is hard work. The alignment for Tadasana carries in to many of the standing and inverted poses.
Beginners: Practice the pose with your back to the wall so you can feel the alignment. Take a block between the thighs. Squeeze the block and roll it slightly backward to feel the engagement and rotation of the thighs.
Also known as: Squat
Type of pose: Hip opener
Benefits: Opens the hips and groin
Instructions:
1. Come to stand with the feet about mat's width apart.
2. Bend the knees, coming into a squat.
3. Keep the feet as close to parallel as possible.
4. Take the upper arms inside your knees and bend the elbows. Bring the palms together into anjali mudra (prayer position).
5. Try to bring the hands to your heart center with the forearms parallel to the floor to open the knees slightly.
6. Keep the spine straight and shoulders relaxed.
7. Stay here for five breaths, then straighten the legs to come out.
Beginners: Bring a folded blanket under your heels for support if your heels come up when you squat. This is better than trying to balance on the balls of your feet.
Advanced: If your feet are parallel, work on bringing them closer together.
Extended Side Angle Pose
Type of pose: Standing
Benefits: Strengthens and stretches the legs, groins, hamstrings. Opens the chest and shoulders.
1. From Downward Facing Dog, bring the right foot forward next to the right hand.
2. Drop the left heel down to the floor.
3. Bend the right knee so the calf and thigh are at a right angle with the thigh parallel to the floor.
4. Bring the right hand inside or outside the right foot and the left arm up toward the ceiling, opening the chest and stacking the left shoulder on top of the right.
5. Bring the gaze up to the right hand. To keep the body in balance, repeat on the left side.
Beginners: If the right hand does not comfortably reach the floor, take a block under the hand so that you can still open the chest.
Downward facing dog is done many times during most yoga classes. It is a transitional pose, a resting pose and a great strengthener in its own right. It may be the first yoga pose you encounter as you begin a yoga practice.
Downward dog is so prevalent, even people who have never done yoga have probably heard of it. Instructions:
1. Come to your hands and knees with the wrists underneath the shoulders and the knees underneath the hips.
2. Curl the toes under and push back raising the hips and straightening the legs.
3. Spread the fingers and ground down from the forearms into the fingertips.
4. Outwardly rotate the upper arms broadening the collarbones.
5. Let the head hang, move the shoulder blades away from the ears towards the hips.
6. Engage the quadriceps strongly to take the weight off the arms, making this a resting pose.
7. Rotate the thighs inward, keep the tail high and sink your heels to the floor.
8. Check that the distance between your hands and feet is correct by coming forward to a plank position.
The distance between the hands and feet should be the same in these two poses. Do not step the feet toward the hands in Down Dog in order the get the heels to the floor. This will happen eventually as the muscles lengthen.
Beginners: Try bending your knees, coming up onto the balls of your feet, bringing the belly to rest on the thighs and the sit bones up high. Then sink your heels, straightening the legs keeping the high upward rotation of the sit bones. Also try bending the arms slightly out to the side, drawing the chest towards the thighs. Then restraighten the arms.
Advanced: If you are very flexible, try not to let the rib cage sink towards the floor creating a sinking spine. Draw the ribs in to maintain a flat back. Try holding the pose for five minutes, placing a block under your head for support
O Sun, your golden body covers the door to truth in the manner a lid covers the mouth of a vessel. Please open this door and lead me to the truth
Surya, the sun, is venerated because it is the central source of energy in our solar system. Its warmth, brilliance and purity take the form on Earth of vital life energy. Since the beginning of history, man has looked towards this radiant star in awe, and longed to imbue himself with its energy and its radiance.
Yoga believes that just as we are all a part of this unfathomable universe, we too have a universe within us. It is for us to explore this universe within and find its sun, the central source of energy and wisdom, which governs us. Surya Namaskar, or Salutation to the Sun, is a sequence of 12 asanas, to draw in peace, harmony and strength in the body.
Each step flows into the next in a graceful and continuous movement and is performed facing the rising sun, in the spirit of devotion. This series of exercises activates the endocrine glands and the chakras (vortexes through which the vital life energy or prana is channeled into us) energizing the entire body in a balanced way. Surya Namaskar accords overall strength and flexibility to the body, which is why it is generally performed before other asanas. The simple exercises fight aging and rejuvenate the entire body.
They nurture the higher emotions of love, peace, and compassion, bringing about a sense of harmony and well-being. While performing the steps, breath coordination and awareness of the chakras is required. There are 12 mantras or alternatively 12 seed (beej) mantras, which may also be mentally repeated with each step. In the initial stages, try to coordinate the steps with breathing. Proper breath control is essential for the flow and control of prana. Once you are comfortable with the flow of the asanas, awareness of the chakras and mantra recitation can be incorporated at each step. Often, we are hard-pressed for time on weekdays for a complete yoga session. On such days seven or more rounds of Surya Namaskar followed by savasana will suffice.
A complete yoga session can be done on the weekend. This way you build flexibility, strength and balance without investing too much time. Ideally, these exercises should be performed early in the morning, exposing your body to the sun's rays. But if, for some reason, it cannot be performed in the morning you may do so in the evening on an empty stomach, in a well ventilated room. Initially, you may start with three rounds and gradually build up the stamina for 10 to 12 rounds. Practice the exercises at the pace you feel comfortable with. If you feel tired after a few rounds, rest by lying down with eyes closed for a few minutes.
Avoid jerks and never push your body into a state of discomfort. Unlike Jane Fonda's much touted phrase "Go for the bum", in yoga pushing your body beyond its limit is not recommended, and you yourself are the most qualified to define your limit. But be honest in discriminating between a lack of will power and bodily discomfort to ensure that you pull through the exercise plan. It is advisable, therefore, to keep it regular, at a fixed time and location, else you will find your laziness getting the better of you. Gradually your system will gain strength and you will be able to perform these exercises almost effortlessly, and the days you skip the routine, you will feel as if you have missed out on your daily dose of energy. Remember, Surya Namaskar is more than an exercise plan, it is a form of devotion to the Central source of life on Earth, and more importantly, the source of light within us.
Exhale and told your hands in front of your chest in the gesture of a prayer, bringing your awareness to the heart center. Om Mitraya Namah.
Inhale deeply and raise your hands up and stretch backwards with your eyes open. Bring your awareness to the throat center. You may not be able to bend back very far initially, so go as far as you can without discomfort. To avoid feeling giddy keep your eyes open and focused at a fixed point. Hold for a few seconds and gently move into the next step. Om Ravaye Namah.
Exhale and bend down completely to touch the floor with the palms of our hands. If you are not able to bend completely, bend as far as possible and then bend your knees to rest your palms on the ground. Slowly your body will gain flexibility to accomplish this step properly. Bring your awareness to the root of the spine. Om Suryaaya Namah.
Inhale and bend the left leg while stretching the right leg backward with your toes and knees touching the ground. Lift your gaze towards the sky, bringing your awareness on the forehead center. Do not release your breath. Om Bhanave Namah.
Retain the breach, move the other leg back and lift both knees off the ground. The heels, hips, head moves in one line, in a push up position. Bring your awareness to the neck center. Om Khagaya Namah.
Exhale and bring our body to the ground. In this position, known as ashtanga namaskar, or eight curved positions, only eight parts of the body touch the ground two feet two knees, two hands, chest and forehead. The abdominal region is raised and if possible the nose is also kept off the ground, with only the forehead touching it. Bring your awareness to the navel. Om Pushne Namah.
Inhale while slowly raising your trunk, straighten the arms and bend your head backwards. Bring your awareness to the root of the spine. Om Hiranyagarbhaya Namah.
Exhale and form an inverted 'V' as done in step five, bring your awareness to the neck center. Om Marichaye Namah.
Inhale and come down in to the posture at step four, folding the left leg and stretching the right leg. Bring your awareness to the forehead. Om Adityaya Namah.
Exhale and raise your body into the bending position as in step three, bringing your awareness to the root of spinal column. Om Saavitre Namah.
Inhale and raise yourself completely stretching backwards as in step three, and bring your awareness to the neck center. Om Arkaya Namah
Exhale and bring your hands in the same position as in step one. bringing your awareness to the heart center. Om Bhaskaraya Namah.
This concludes one round of Surya Namaskar. Bring your hands down to the side after each round. Relax and observe your body with your eyes closed. Begin the next round only after you feel prepared. Notice that the position of hands on the floor remains at the same spot throughout one round.
