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©2006-2011 Deborah Wiig
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Try these poses to revive, energize and relax the body, improve your mood and reduce tension.

Choose any sequence.

• Full body Warm - Up with Moon Flowers
• 1st part of pose: Start standing with feet three to four feet apart- extending arms to sky.
  
• 2nd part of pose: Bend knees and bring elbows towards ribs with fingers pointing towards the sky.
• Repeat 10- 20 times. This gets the heart rate up and warms up the body, tones legs and glutes. Works lower body muscles and shoulders. Strengthens core center muscles.
  3 Minutes.

Warm - Up:
Chair Flow
Core & Upper Body.

• 1st part of pose: Come to top of yoga mat, standing with feet hips-width apart.
• Extend arms out from shoulders, bend knees and sit back as if you are sitting in a chair.
• 2nd part of pose: Straighten legs and extend arms to sky. This works the legs, quads and glutes.
  Repeat 10-15 times. 3 Minutes.

Boat Angles

• From a seated position with knees bent and soles of feet on floor, sit up very tall , pull navel center in.
• Lean back to a 45-degree angle, hold for 2-5 breaths, pull forward chest to legs.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Boat Lifts
From seated position.

• Knees bent, soles of feet on floor, lift and extend right leg, release and lift left leg.
• Repeat 5 -10 times on each side.
• Cool down.

Happy Baby Pose

• Bring knees to chest , grab feet and gently pull knees to floor on either side of body. Keep lower back glued to floor.
• This stretches the hip flexors and lower back.

Lying Down Spinal Twist

• Lying on back, bring right knee to chest and then pull to left side of body.
• Hold for 5-10 deep breathes - breath into lower back.
• Repeat on left side.

Cat/Cow Flow
From hands and knees:

• Cat: Round midback to the sky, bring heart center towards tailbone. Pull navel center in.
  
• Cow : From Cat - Lift heart center towards sky, pull tailbone towards sky. Let belly hang - contract back muscles.
  Repeat Cat to Cow flow 10-15 times.

Downward-Facing Dog

• From hands and knees, press into palms and lift hips to the sky, straightening legs.
• Hold for 10-15 deep breaths.
• Strengthens upper body, stretches back of body.

Modified or Dancing Warrior One

• From Downward-Facing Dog - step right foot forward, drop left knee.
• Extend arms to sky - arms should be stacked over the shoulders, finger tips reaching towards the sky. More advanced: do not drop knee.
• Swing arms down and step back into Downward-Facing Dog.
• Move to plank pose - do a plank push-up. Come back to Down Dog.
• Repeat, stepping left foot forward.
• Repeat sequence on both sides 5-10 times.
  This sequence works the whole body.
  Core Work: 5 Minutes.

Plank Push-ups

• From hands and knees, drop chest toward the floor.
  Then push back to plank.
• Keep hands right underneath shoulders or closer together.
• Repeat 10- 15 times.
  Work: 5 Minutes.

Modified Corpse Pose
( Savasana Modified)

• Lying down, bend knees, with soles of feet on floor, hands at midsection, take 10-15 deep breaths.
• Feel the breath enter and exit your body.
• Rest and relax .

Enjoy!

Benefits of yoga >>

Reprinted with permission
Beth Shaw, Founder/President, YogaFit Training Systems Worldwide, Inc.

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Page updated November 1, 2010