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Up-dog: remember to press firmly into your full hand not just your wrists, relax your shoulders down, and if you are tight do a few up-dog pumps before holding this pose. This is a great pose to do after a long day of arching over the computer. This pose opens the chest and heart increasing vitality and life-force. |
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Star Gazer: press into all four corners of your grounding foot and grab your ankle. Find a point to focus your gaze then push your foot away as you pull your leg to you and you will open into star gazer. Remember to flex your foot and keep your hip down and stack ankle over the knee. This is wonderful for improving balance, opening the chest and hips, and stilling the mind. |
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Crazy Dog: sit on the ground with the wall to your back in extended legs and reach to where your feet are. Put your hands where your feet were and press into then while climbing the wall with your feet until your feet are in-line with your hips, when you feel balanced lift one leg. Remember to press into the full hand and not put all the pressure into your wrists. This is wonderful for balance and arm strength, this pose will also shift your thinking and help you gain confidence. Chest Opener: Interlace your fingers and reach your arms above your head. Press you fingers towards the sky, relax your shoulders, look up, and take five deep breaths. This pose is excellent for all of us who work on computers, drive, cook, or who round our shoulders and look slightly down during the day. This will help you stay happy, confident, and full of life.
Wide Leg Balance: start by tucking your knee into your chest and then grab your big toe with your fingers. Slowly extend your leg straight, then slowly bring your leg to the side. If you wobble or fall that is part of the fun! Try to take five to ten deep breaths here. This is excellent for increasing confidence, balance, and is a nice hip and leg opener. Pigeon with Quad Stretch: find a nice bench, haha, no.. use your mat (don't be like me). Start in down dog and come into pigeon pose by sliding your knee in between your hands. Make sure your hips are even and relax onto your forehead for ten breaths to enjoy a nice hip stretch in pigeon. When your hip feels nice and open then grab your back ankle and press both hips to the floor. you can rise your arm and do the peace mudra or you can use your hand to balance. Take about 5-10 deep breaths here then repeat on the other side. This is wonderful for releasing old grief, decreasing back pain, increase range of motion in the hips, and wonderful for relieving sciatica.
Seated Twist: I love this pose! You can do it sitting in a chair, on the floor with one leg straight or with both legs bent. Start by bending the left leg and bringing your left heel by your right bun. Cross your right leg over the left with the right foot flat on the floor. Imagine you have a string at the top of your head pulling your spine straight and from this twist to the right. Use your left elbow on your knee to deepen the stretch. Look as far to the right as you can so that you get a neck and eye stretch as well. Hold for 5-10 breaths, then switch sides. This pose is amazing for relieving back pain, constipation, and stuck energy.
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