Category: Balancing Poses

BACK BEND POSE

(Back Bend Pose)
(Back Bend Pose)

Benefits:

For your body:

  • Stretches intercostal muscles and increases flexibility
  • It opens up lung capacity.
  • Strengthens latissimus dorsi and upper/mid-back muscles

For your mind:

  • It builds trust in oneself, and you can keep your balance.
  • It brings more awareness to the bottom of your feet and stabilizes you.
  • It teaches you to release stress, and everything will be okay.

For your spirit:

  • Have less fear and more courage
  • It opens your heart to what is really in front of you.
  • Centers you to cultivate greater balance within

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(DISCLAIMER: DO THESE POSES TO YOUR OWN ABILITY; YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN BODY AND WHAT YOU DO. BE SAFE, AND YOU CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.)

Modifications:

  • Place your palms on your lower back or upper glute for support.
  • Bring your thumbs to your sternum with palms together, “prayer hands” on your chest, easy for your shoulders.
  • Reach your arms overhead with palms together or with a steeple grip, advanced level to grow strength and flexibility.
(Hands in a heart mudra position on your chest and lean back.)

Pose Description:

  1. Stand up.
  2. Plant the soles of your feet down onto your mat.
  3. Open your palms externally and reach your arms over your head.
  4. Draw your shoulders down your back and lift your chest.
  5. Taught and engage your core throughout this posture.
  6. Bend your elbows starting with an obtuse angle like a diamond.
  7. Cactus your arms at your elbows at 90 degrees if comfortable.
  8. Raise your gaze about a 33 to 45-degree angle forward and up and face your palms in the same direction.
  9. Slowly fall backward as you root down only to the edge of your comfort.
  10. Gently engage your transverse abdominals to support your spine.
  11. Exit through Moutain Pose.

Relax, Rest, and Practice Again. You Can Do This! You Are A Yogi!

Categories: Balancing Poses Yoga Poses

MOUNTAIN POSE

(Mountain Pose w/ Extended Arms Overhead)

Benefits:

For your body:

  • Stimulates balance in the center of your body to relax your mind.
  • Strengthens your spine by standing tall and breathing for a few cycles.
  • It opens blood flow to your muscles to firm and tones them and helps you engage with your whole body.

For your mind:

  • It improves concentration so you can let go of moving or having to be anywhere.
  • Encourages patience to be here and now and open to the vulnerability of the present moment.
  • Builds awareness of the substance of the ground beneath your feet by thinking about how your muscle carry themselves in the posture when they can settle to the bone; there seems to be no effort here.

For your spirit:

  • It fires up your confidence in how you breathe and the recognition of your breath at any second.
  • When you feel taller and lighter, you feel happier, more confident, and can speak and resonate with more self-esteem.
  • Your breath becomes the forefront of your awareness and gives you a deeper view of what a mountain may feel.

(DISCLAIMER: DO THESE POSES TO YOUR OWN ABILITY; YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN BODY AND WHAT YOU DO. BE SAFE, AND YOU CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.)

Modifications:

  • Separate your feet to a comfortable distance for you and your low back, and parallel your feet {Your second toe and heel line up parallel in both feet}(maximum to hip-width distance).
  • Keep your arms to your sides with your palms facing in.
  • Keep your arms to your sides with your palms facing forwards.
  • Stand on a mat that is padded for your comfort in your joints.
(Mountain Pose w/ Palms facing forward)
(Mountain Pose w/ Palms facing in)

Pose Description:

  1. Stand up.
  2. Bring your big toes to touch the center of your mat.
  3. Separate your heels a finger-width distance. (If Needed, feel comfortable modifying.)
  4. Parallel your feet with the line of your second toe and heel.
  5. Press all four corners of your soles down into your mat evenly.
  6. Lengthen your toes softly.
  7. Engage your quads and glutes.
  8. Settle your pelvis level to the floor.
  9. Hug your transverse abdominous 2 inches below your navel.
  10. Stick your hands into imaginary pockets by your sides and extend your fingers to open your shoulders. (You can breathe here to get all the benefits of this pose.)
  11. Open your palms to stretch your shoulders wider.
  12. Soften your shoulders.
  13. Find stillness. ( Option to remain here and breathe. )
  14. (Continue to extend arms overhead mountain pose.)
  15. Rotate your palms out away from your body.
  16. Reach your arms overhead and face your palms toward one another.
  17. Rotate your pinky a little toward one another.
  18. Draw your shoulders down and stabilize your breath.
  19. Lengthen your fingers together to the sky.
  20. Relax your jaw, eyes, and tongue.
  21. Breathe here for up to 2, 4, 8, 13, or 21 cycles, evenly paced in and out.

Relax, Rest, and Practice Again. You Can Do This! You Are A Yogi!

Categories: Balancing Poses Yoga Poses

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