Have you been wanting to start your yoga practice but don’t know where to begin?
Here are 5 simple poses to get you ready to hit the mat!
- Breath
The most important piece of yoga is the breath. Sit tall on your sits bones in a seated position. Lengthen your spine, tucking your chin ever so slightly. Breath into your nose, filling your lungs omni-directionally. Filling up the front the sides, the back. Exhale through your nose, letting your chest fall, imagining your belly dropping to the front of your spine, squeezing all of the air out.
Mindful breathing decreases stress, increases calm, relieves pain, stimulates the lymphatic system (detoxifies the body), improves immunity, increases energy, lowers blood pressure and improves digestion.
2. Childs pose
From a table top position sink your hips back towards your heels, knees open wide, big toes to touch. Lengthen your arms along side your head, reaching towards the front of the mat, let your elbows and forearms be loose. Letting your forehead between your eyes gently rest on the mat. You may close your eyes here. This is a home base pose if you need to rest and recharge.
Child’s Pose helps to stretch the hips, thighs, and ankles while reducing stress and fatigue. It gently relaxes the muscles on the front of the body while softly and passively stretching the muscles of the back torso.
3. Downward facing dog
From table top position, place hands shoulder width apart, knees and feet hip width distance apart. Roll over your toes, lift hips high, reach heels towards the floor (they don’t need to touch the ground). Put a slight bend in your knees, reaching your chest towards your thighs, relax your head and neck. Relax your shoulders from your ears, rolling your shoulder blades towards your back pockets. Feeling the length of your spine. Inhale heals high on the balls of your feet. Exhale heals back towards the mat. Peddle out your feet left and right if you like. Feel the lengthening of your whole back side body. Inhale and exhale through your nose.
Downward facing dog calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression. The benefits of downward facing dog are, calms the mind, energizes the body, stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches, and hands, strengthens the arms and legs, helps relieve the symptoms of menopause, relieves menstrual discomfort when done with head supported and helps prevent osteoporosis.
- Cobra pose
Lay on your abdomen, with your chin up. Place your hands on your mat below your shoulders, next to your rib cage, with your elbows up like grasshopper legs. Zip your legs, engaging quadriceps, and inner thighs. Press into the tops of your feet, as you engage your lower back muscles, lifting your chest and chin up off of the mat. You should have little or no weight in your hands. Lifting your chest up shining up, opening your chest and heart center. Strengthening your low back and as well as firming your glutes. Cobra pose is a great alternative to up-ward facing dog.
Stretches muscles in the shoulders, chest and abdominals, decreases stiffness of the lower back, strengthens the arms and shoulders, increases flexibility, improves menstrual irregularities, elevates mood, firms and tones the buttocks and invigorates the heart.
- Warrior Two Pose
Step your right foot to the top of your mat, and your left foot 3-4 feet behind you. Point your right toes straight forward, and your left foot about parallel to the back of your mat. Draw an imaginary line from your right toes, to right heel, to left arch. Bend your right knee so it stacks right over your right ankle. Press equally into your feet. Square your shoulders to the left side of your mat and extend your arms out wide, parallel to the ground, palms face down. Keep your torso upright, shoulders stacked on your hips. Keep your gaze straight ahead, or turn your gaze to the fingertips of your right hand. Keep your breath even as you hold for up to 60 seconds. Inhale to straighten your front leg and release the posture. Repeat on the other side.
A powerful stretch for the legs, groins, and chest, Warrior II also increases stamina. It helps to relieve backaches, and stimulates healthy digestion. This is a deep hip-opening pose that strengthens the muscles in the thighs and buttocks.
I hope that was helpful! We will go over more in the weeks to come! This is a good beginning as they are some of the foundational poses. Sometimes it can be difficult to hold some of the poses. Not to worry, over time with dedication, practice, they will become easier and easier. Focus on your breath, let it guide you and let your mind be calm and at ease.
If you have any questions, would like private sessions, or join in on a Zoom class, please feel free to call/text or message me anytime!
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