In order to reap the benefits of Plank, follow these instructions.

Set It Up:

• Begin on all fours.
• Align your shoulders directly over your hands and your knees under your hips.

Work in the Pose:

• Press your outer arms inward and firm the bases of your index fingers into the floor.
• Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then spread them away from the spine. Spread your collarbones away from the breastbone.
• Press your front thighs up toward the ceiling, lengthen the tailbone toward the wall behind you.
• Lift the base of the skull away from the back of the neck and look straight down at the floor, keeping the throat and eyes soft.
• Hold for 5 seconds building up to 1 minute.

Namaste,

How does yoga build strength? Different types of yoga poses build muscle tone in different ways. Holding standing poses strengthen the legs. Inverted poses are effective for building core and upper body strength because they flex groups of smaller muscles — not just the major muscles you work with weights— to support the body’s weight during the pose.

There are several reasons to include yoga in your workouts. Integrating yoga into your weight training regime can break up the monotony so you don’t feel like a slave to weight machines, dumbbells or resistance bands. Additionally, including yoga in your workouts will continue to test and push your body in different ways, and you’ll keep growing as a fitness enthusiast. You can also practice yoga with a partner which can infuse your workouts with fresh energy and fun!

A word of caution: because you are lifting your own body weight in yoga, it may take a lot more skill, time and determination to build muscle than it would with lifting weights. Don’t rush into advanced poses thinking you’re fast-tracking to “cut” arms. If you have questions about the poses below, check with a registered yoga teacher in your area.

Warrior III

Benefits: Strengthens the ankles, legs, shoulders and back; improves balance and posture; tones the abdomen

Instructions:

From a standing position, bend forward and step your right foot back into a lunge, fingertips perched on the floor on both sides of your left foot. With your chest on your left thigh, raise your
arms forward, parallel to the floor and parallel to each other, palms facing each other. Simultaneously, (1) bring the hips and body weight forward onto the left leg, (2) straighten the left leg, (c) step the right leg in and raise it to the level of the right hip. As best as you can, keep the right hip down. Stay in this position for 5-10 seconds. Bend the left knee and release the right leg back to the lunge as you bring your hands to the floor on either side of your left foot. Step your right foot forward. Repeat on the other side.

Handstand Preparation

Benefits: Strengthens the core, shoulders, arms, and wrists; improves balance

Instructions:

Kneel down on the floor on all fours with your back to a wall, facing away from the wall. Crawl backwards toward the wall until your toe tips touch the base board. Flip your toes and press the balls of your feet into the baseboard. If your shoulders are tight, turn your index fingers out slightly. Firm your shoulder blades against your back torso and pull them toward your tailbone. Then rotate your upper arms outward, to keep the shoulder blades broad, and hug your outer arms inward. Finally spread your palms and press the bases of the index fingers firmly against the floor.

On an exhale, lift your knees away from the floor and the sitting bones toward the ceiling. Push your top thighs back and stretch your heels  downward onto the baseboard, straightening your knees. Firm the outer thighs and roll the upper thighs inward slightly.

If this 90 degree angle feels too intense, spend a few weeks practicing it.

Next bend one knee and step first one foot and then the other on the wall so that your legs are parallel to the floor and in line with your buttock bones. Press your heels strongly into the wall. Lift one leg into the air in line with its sitting bone as you continue to press the opposite heel into the wall. Stay for 5 seconds, breathing deeply. Switch sides.

Slowly walk down the wall and rest in Child’s Pose.

Namaste,

The transition between poses may seem irrelevant. The temptation is to hurry through these periods of time. However, transitions are a hidden treasure in your yoga practice. By honoring them and giving them the attention they deserve, you can advance your practice to the next level of awareness and strength.

To mine these gems, resist moving from asana to asana using momentum. Cultivate a graceful slowness of movement when transitioning to and from poses. Consciously moving in and out of poses can help you to maintain focus and avoid injury.

If moving slowly through the yoga asana proves to be difficult, the core needs some attention.  Click here to read more about our February Core Workshop.

Namaste,

significantly reduce people’s tendency to exaggerate how much they actually know about it. This destructive form of overconfidence is called “home bias” or the habit of sticking to what is already familiar* .

Think about your yoga practice. The longer you’ve practiced, the more you know, the less likely you are to probe your body and postures for habits or weaknesses.

Stated differently, familiarity can breed complacency. On the TV news, isn’t it always the neighbor, best friend or the parent of the criminal who says in a shocked voice, “He seemed like such a nice guy?” That’s because whenever we are too close to someone or something, we take our beliefs for granted, instead of questioning them as we do when we confront something new. The more familiar a yoga pose is, the better your chance of being lax, thinking there’s no need to investigate.

In our practice, we are seeking to reach a place where we can act directly in the present moment. Direct action stems from direct perception, the ability to see reality in the present. The next time you practice investigate whether a pose seems too familiar. Ask yourself, “What’s overworking here? What’s underworking in my body?” See what you discover.

Namaste,

_______________________
* Sarah Lichtenstein and Baruch Fischhoff, “Do Those Who Know More Also Know More about How Much They Know?” Organizational Behavior and Hum Performance, vol. 20, no. 2, December 1977, pp. 159-183.

When it comes to sooting the occasional strain from yoga, should you reach for ice or heat?

Answer:

It all depends on the injury. Ice is better for injuries that happen fast since it minimizes swelling and reduces the inflammation that’s triggering your pain. For back pain, tennis elbow and other chronic injuries or those that tend to develop over time, apply warmth.

Namaste,

I have a question about Legs-up-the-Wall Pose. I have heard different instructions ranging from “press up through heels” to ”punch up through the balls of feet” to “relax the legs.”  The latest I heard was “engage your legs lightly.” What are we supposed to do with our legs and feet in this pose?

Answer:

Legs-up-the-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani) is a student favorite! Did you know that this pose can actually be done instead of Savasana? It’s called the “inverted lake” for the way the blood pools into the pelvic and abdominal regions . . . but I digress!

In this pose, keep the legs just firm enough to hold them vertically in place. Release the heads of the thigh bones and the weight of the belly deeply into your torso. Soften your eyes and turn them down to look into your heart. As you practice these actions, notice what happens to your feet. . . Mine relax.

You might enjoy experimenting with this modification: Once in the pose, bend your knees and slide your feet down the wall, but keep your ankles flexed, soles parallel to the ceiling. As best you can, lay a sandbag across your soles and then re-straighten the knees, pushing the sandbag toward the ceiling. The weight on the legs helps to ground in the sacrum and release tension in the lower back. Notice how your legs and feet feel with the weight of the sandbag.

Namaste,

Practicing in the morning invigorates the body and mind for the day ahead and  eliminates the risk of having something get in the way of practicing later on the day. Starting your day with yoga fills you with energy and strength of mind (and body) and allows you to begin your day centered and present. It also gives a jolt to your metabolism. You may find yourself eating better throughout the day. Even on days when calm feels miles away a little yoga in the morning can help improve your outlook.

So, with these benefits, why practice at night?

Body temperature reaches its peak in late afternoon and gradually cools off, reaching a low point a few hours before you wake up. The result? The body tends to be stiff in the mornings. If you practice yoga later in the day when your muscles are already warm, you may see progress and feel be better able to put forth more effort. The studio and streets tend to be less crowded in the evening. Additionally, an evening practice helps you transition from day to night and recuperate from a stress-filled day. It will enable you to revive your energy and bring more vitality back into your body.

No matter what time of day you practice, make yoga a habit and practice often.

Namaste,

Breathing affects every system in your body (cardiovascular, nervous, endocrine, lymph, immune, digestive, and of course, respiratory). The way you breathe has a lot to do with your quality of life.

Breathing properly can decrease stress and muscle tension, calm your nerves, sharpen your focus, minimize negative and distracting thoughts, reduce fatigue, and promote stamina. Unfortunately, proper breathing is often an overlooked component of daily living.

If you watch a baby breathe, you will see the infant’s belly rise and fall with each breath. Unfortunately, most of us long ago stopped breathing the way we did when we were babies. Our cultural upbringing (“suck in that gut”) and the development of bad habits (like slouching) have resulted in shallow (or chest) breathing.

Compared to diaphragmatic breathing or belly breathing, chest-breathing results in increased heart and breathing rates. Shallow breathing can make your neck and shoulder muscles tense and activate your body’s stress response.

The good news is that with a little training, you can learn – or relearn – a simple way of breathing that can transform your health.

To practice diaphragmatic breathing:

1. Sit upright in a chair or lie down on the floor with your knees bent. Close your eyes and visualize your shoulders melting away from your ears.
2. Place the hand that you write with beneath your navel and the other hand just above your navel.

1. Breathe in deeply through your nose into the hand just below the navel. Allow this area to fill like a balloon. Next, feel the rib cage, where your other hand is, expand as the middle portion of the lungs are filled. Finally, fill the upper third of the lungs.
2. Exhale slowly, contracting your belly as you breathe out.
3. Keep the focus on breathing – “being with” each inhalation for its full duration and with each exhalation for its full duration.
4. Repeat for five to 10 minutes and then go about your daily activities. Slow, rhythmic diaphragmatic breathing gives you a feeling of relaxed energy.

During times of stress, notice your shoulders, neck, and jaw. Try to relax these areas and visualize your breath flowing into and out of the deepest part of your lungs.

Anytime you would like to reduce tension and stress and enter into a calmer state of mind and body, shift into slow, abdominal breathing for a minute or two. You’ll feel the results almost immediately.

Namaste,

 1. Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Distribute your weight evenly over both feet. Breathe slowly. Find your center.

2. From grounded legs, inhale and raise your arms out to the side and up until they are parallel to your ears in Urdhva Hastasana (Volcano Pose). Keep your legs strong and your head between your arms, as you gently arch backward.

3. Exhale, hollow your belly, and dive toward the floor into Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend). If your lower back is tight, bend your knees. Lower your arms and place your hands on blocks, on your thighs, or if you are flexible enough, place your fingertips on the floor shoulder width apart and in line with your feet. Keep your legs firmly engaged. Keep the weight of your body evenly distributed between the front, back, and sides of your feet.

4. Exhale, bend your legs and step  the left leg back into a  lunge. If reaching the floor is difficult or if your back leg does not extend easily, place your hands on blocks.

5. Step the right leg back to meet the left in Plank Pose. Your wrists should be flat on the floor, shoulder-distance apart and your feet should be hip distance apart. Take a full breath in as you lengthen through your spine.

6. Exhale, lower your knees to the ground, followed by your chest, keeping only your hips elevated. (Take care to place your chest directly between your hands so that the hips can be lowered into the proper position without shifting other parts of your body). Keep your elbows close to your body. Next, lower your hips and stretch your feet back so that your body is resting flat on the ground.

7. Inhale and draw your legs and feet together, toes pointing back in Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose). Raise the chest as you roll your shoulders down your back. Gaze upward but do not force. Instead, adjust your spine until it feels even and balanced. As you extend your legs strongly away from your hips, slide your pelvis forward into your lifting chest.

8. Exhale and without interrupting the flow of movemen, lift your hips and bring your body into a pike position then straighten your legs into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward- Facing Dog). Shift your weight from the toes to the heels as you try to press the heels toward the floor. Feel the stretch in the back of your legs. Relax your neck.

9. Inhale and step the right leg under the torso placing the foot between the hands in a lunge.

10. Exhale and bring the left food up to meet the right as you straighten your legs back to Uttanasana. Bend your knees as necessary to protect your lower back. Check to see that the weight of your body is evenly distributed between the front, back and sides of your feet. Allow your head, neck and shoulders to relax forward, your knees, surrendering into the fold.

11. Finally, reaching your arms out wide to your sides,  inhale and slowly raise your torso. Upon reaching an upright position, bend back gently without straining, remembering to keep your arms in line with your ears and your legs straight and come to Urdhva Hastasana.

12. Exhale and slowly lower your arms returning to Tadasana. Remain here for a few breaths feeling the movement of energy through your body.

Repeat the sequence, this time stepping back with the right foot instead of the left in position 4, and continue to alternate with each repetition.

Namaste,