Posts Tagged ‘yoga pose of the week’
Yoga Pose of the Week: Gate Pose
(par-ee-GOSS-anna) parigha = an iron bar or beam used for locking or shutting a gate (The pose described immediately below is a simplified variation of the full pose. Then the full pose is described afterward.) GATE POSE: STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS Kneel on the floor. Stretch your right leg out to the right and press the foot to…
Read MoreYoga Pose of the Week: Tree Pose
(vrik-SHAHS-anna) vrksa = tree TREE POSE: STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS 1 – Stand in Tadasana. Shift your weight slightly onto the left foot, keeping the inner foot firm to the floor, and bend your right knee. Reach down with your right hand and clasp your right ankle. See also The Truth of Tree Pose 2 – Draw your right foot up…
Read MoreYoga Pose of the Week: Bridge Pose
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (SET-too BAHN-dah) setu = dam, dike, or bridge bandha = lock RIDGE POSE: STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS 1 – Lie supine on the floor, and if necessary, place a thickly folded blanket under your shoulders to protect your neck. Bend your knees and set your feet on the floor, heels as close to the sitting bones as…
Read MoreYoga Pose of the Week: Chair Pose
(OOT-kah-TAHS-anna) utkata = powerful, fierce CHAIR POSE: STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS 1 – Stand in Tadasana. Inhale and raise your arms perpendicular to the floor. Either keep the arms parallel, palms facing inward, or join the palms. 2 – Exhale and bend your knees, trying to take the thighs as nearly parallel to the floor as possible. The knees will…
Read MoreYoga Pose of the Week: Wild Thing Pose
Camatkarasana (cah-maht-kah-RAHS-anna) camatkara = miracle or surprise asana = pose Also called “Flipped Dog Pose”, this pose is lots of fun, but should be practiced safely! (see Yoga Journal’s article here) Some of the benefits of this pose include: Opens up chest, lung, and shoulder areas Opens the front of the legs and hip flexors Builds strength in shoulders…
Read MoreYoga Pose of the Week: Extended Side Angle Pose
(oo-TEE-tah parsh-vah-cone-AHS-anna) utthita = extended parsva = side, flank kona = angle Some of the benefits of this pose include: Strengthens and stretches the legs, knees, and ankles Stretches the groins, spine, waist, chest and lungs, and shoulders Stimulates abdominal organs Increases stamina Extended Side Angle Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions 1 – Stand in Tadasana. On an exhalation, step or lightly jump…
Read MoreYoga Pose of the Week: Locust Pose
(sha-la-BAHS-anna) salabha = grasshopper, locust Grouped among the so-called baby backbends, which includes Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) and Sea Monster Pose (described in the Variations section below), it is an unassuming pose that, like other seemingly simple poses, is actually a lot more interesting and challenging than it appears at first glance! The benefits of Locust Pose…
Read MoreYoga Pose of the Week: Half Moon Pose
(are-dah chan-DRAHS-anna) ardha = half candra = glittering, shining, having the brilliancy or hue of light; usually translated as “moon” Some of the benefits of Half Moon Pose include: Strengthens the abdomen, ankles, thighs, buttocks, and spine Stretches the groins, hamstrings and calves, shoulders, chest, and spine Improves coordination and sense of balance Helps relieve stress Improves…
Read MoreYoga Pose of the Week: Bow Pose
(don-your-AHS-anna) dhanu = bow This pose is so called because it looks like an archer’s bow, the torso and legs representing the body of the bow, and the arms the string. The benefits of Bow Pose are that it: Stretches the entire front of the body, ankles, thighs and groins, abdomen and chest, and throat, and deep…
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