More Level One Poses

Continue your yoga practice by experimenting with some more of the most popular poses that practitioners at all levels embrace.

Let’s continue with more “basic” poses that practitioners at all levels love.

Bridge Pose

Stretches your chest and thighs and extends the spine.  Here’s how to do it:

Bridge pose

  • Lie on the floor and raise your knees to a height level in which they are bent directly over heels.
  • Place your arms at your sides with your palms down.
  • Then press  your feet into floor as you lift hips and exhale. Ahhhh.
  • If you can, clasp your hands under your lower back and press your arms downward, lifting hips until your thighs are parallel to floor, like a table, and bring your chest toward chin.
  • Hold for 30-60 seconds.
  • If that’s uncomfortable, or “not available” to you, make it easier by placing a stack of pillows underneath your tailbone.

Seated Twist

Seated twistHere’s how it helps: Stretches shoulders, back, hips, while increasing circulation.  And, it  tones your tummy!

Seated twist

  • Sit on the floor with your legs extended and cross your right foot over the outside of your left thigh.
  • Then, bend your left knee while trying to keep your right knee pointed toward the ceiling.
  • Position your left elbow to the outside of your right knee and right hand on the floor behind you.
  • Twist right as far as you comfortably can, while keeping your bottom on the floor.
  • Hold for 30-60 seconds and then switch sides to repeat.  You can make it more comfortable if you keep your bottom leg straight and place both hands on your raised knee.

Cobra

Cobra pose
Cobra Pose
  • Lie facing down on your mat with your thumbs under shoulders and legs fulled extended with the top of your feet on the floor.
  • Press your shoulders down and away from your ears.
  • Then push through your thumbs and index fingers as you lift your chest upwards…like a cobra!
  • Now try it again!

 

Never Stop