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Practice yoga to reduce stress
Here's how to get started

 

Have you read these?

Try these poses to revive, energize and relax the body, improve your mood and relax tension.


Choose any sequence.

  • Yoga moon flowers poseFull 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 body, tones legs and glutes. Works lower body muscles and shoulders. Strengthens core center muscles.
    3 Minutes

Yoga chair flow poseWarm - 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: straight 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 the 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 low back glued to floor.
  • This stretches the hip flexors and low 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 low 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.
    Yoga cow pose
  • 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.
  • Sstrengthens 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.

Yoga plank pose"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, Beth Shaw, Founder/President, YogaFit Training Systems Worldwide, Inc.

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Page updated August 1, 2009