Tadasana
HOW TO DO MOUNTAIN POSE:
Stand with your feet together, heels and toes touching or your feet hip with distance apart.
Keep your back straight and both arms pressed slightly against your sides, face your palms outward or in prayer in front of you (like the photo).
Lift your toes and let them fan out and then gently drop them down to create a wide solid base.
While balancing your weight evenly on both feet, slightly contract the muscles in your knees and thighs, rotating both thighs inward to create a widening of the sit bones.
Tighten your abdominals, drawing them in slightly, maintaining a firm posture.
Widen your collarbones, making sure your shoulders are parallel to your pelvis.
Lengthen your neck, so that the crown of your head rises toward the ceiling and your shoulder blades slide down your back.
Hold for recommended breaths.
Vrksasana
HOW TO DO TREE POSE:
Stand in Mountain pose with your feet together and arms by your side.
Find your Drishti: Gaze at a point at eye level, to help you to keep your balance.
Shift your weight onto your left leg. Ground through the four corners of your left foot. Bend your right knee and reach down with your right hand to clasp your ankle.
Bring your foot to your left inner leg either above or below your knee joint.
Externally rotate your right thigh, allowing your right knee to point out to the right while keeping your hips level.
Continue to open your right hip, rotating your inner thigh clockwise as you draw your tailbone down toward your left heel to neutralize your pelvis. Press your right foot into your left inner thigh as you draw your left outer hip in for stability.
Bring your hands into prayer or lift your arms overhead.
Hold for recommended breaths. Repeat on the other side.
Utkatasana
HOW TO DO CHAIR POSE:
Stand in Mountain pose, with your feet together and arms at your side.
Inhale as you reach your arms above your head so that your arms are parallel to each other. Rotate your outer arms inward (pinky fingers pulling into each other) and reach up through your fingertips.
Exhale and bend your knees, move your hips back as if you were sitting down on a chair. Send your hips back rather than your knees forward, so that you can still see your toes. Draw your lower abdomen in and up to support your lower back.
Both Ankles, inner thighs, and knees should be touching. Bring your weight onto your heels, shift your hips back, and draw your knees right above your ankles.
Hold for recommended breaths.
Adho Mukha Shvanasana
HOW TO DO DOWN DOG POSE:
Begin on all fours, with your hands planted directly below your shoulders and your knees aligned beneath your hips.
Tuck your toes under and walk your hands forward about palm’s distance in front of your shoulders. With your hands and toes firmly planted, lift your hips up as you straighten your legs and draw your heels toward the floor, Your heels do not have to touch the floor.
Press your chest toward your thighs and bring your head between your arms. Lengthen up through your tailbone and keep your thighs slightly internally rotated, finding a neutral pelvis. Gaze between your feet or towards your navel.
Keep your knees bent at first as you find length in your spine.
Slide your shoulder blades down along the spine, collar bones spread. The base of the neck relaxed.
Hold for recommended breaths.
Virabhadrasana II
HOW TO DO WARRIOR 2 POSE:
Start in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) at the top of your mat.
Step your left foot back and come into a High Lunge.
Open your hips and point your rear foot at a 90-degree angle, parallel to the short side of your mat.
Sink deeper into your legs, align your front knee directly above your front ankle, align your spine vertically, and extend your arms horizontally.
Relax your shoulders down and press out through your fingers.
Turn your head to bring your gaze out over your front middle finger of your extended arm.
Hold for recommended breaths. Repeat on the other side.
Utthita Trikonasana
HOW TO DO TRIANGLE POSE:
Start in Warrior two Pose with your right leg forward.
Activate your left thigh and begin to straighten your right leg, pressing down into both feet.
At the same time, hinge at your hips and tilt your upper body toward your right leg, keeping your chest open and lengthening your spine.
Reach your right arm toward the ground and open your body to the left, reaching your left arm toward the sky. Activate your triceps.
Keep your right hand open. It could touch the ground on either side of your leg, grab your big toes, rest on a block, or hover above the ground.
Turn your gaze up to your left hand if it’s comfortable, or look forward or down.
Hold for recommended breaths, repeat on the other side.
Prasarita Padottanasana
HOW TO DO WIDE-LEGGED FORWARD FOLD POSE:
From Tadasana (mountain pose), step your legs and feet about shoulder- width apart, they should be parallel from each other.
Bend your knees slightly and tuck you pelvis forward. Press your shoulder blades together and downward. Place your hands on your hips. You are looking for stability and grounding.
Inhale and lengthen your spine. Lift your chest.
Exhale and hinge forward from your hips with your back flat. Reach your palms to the floor or a block, with your fingers facing forward. Bring the crown of your head toward the floor, lifting your shoulders away from your ears to make space for your neck.
If you feel you can go deeper, walk your hands in between your legs, bend your elbows and gently rest your forehead on the floor.
Hold for recommended breaths.
Baddha Konasana
HOW TO DO BOUND ANGLE POSE:
From a seated position, bring the soles of your feet together, close to your pelvis, allowing your knees to fall out to the sides.
Ground your sitting bones and lengthen your spine.
Hold onto the outsides of your feet and press the soles of your feet towards each other.
If your body allows it, fold forward from the hips, keeping your spine long and your collar bones spread or inhale as you lengthen your sternum upwards and open your collarbones
Hold for recommended breaths.
Bālāsana
HOW TO DO CHILD POSE:
Come to your hands and knees, plant your hands shoulder width apart.
Bring your big toes together then open your knees to about hip width apart or whichever width is the most comfortable for you.
Shift your hips back towards your heels as you extend your torso forward, lowering your stomach onto (or in-between) your thighs. Allowing your forehead to rest gently onto your mat. Relax the shoulders, jaw, and eyes.
There are several possible arm variations. You can stretch your arms in front of you with the palms toward the floor or bring your arms back alongside your thighs with the palms facing upwards. These are the most common variations. But you can also stretch the arms forward with palms facing up for a shoulder release or try bending the elbows so that the palms touch and rest the thumbs at the back of the neck. In this position inch the elbows forward.
Hold for recommended breaths.
Janu Sirsasana
HOW TO DO HEAD TO KNEE POSE:
Begin in Dandasana (Staff Pose). Bend your right knee and place the sole of your right foot high on your left inner thigh.
Inhale and lengthen your spine; exhale and take your right hand to the outside of your left thigh and your left hand behind your left hip.
On an exhalation, bend at your hips and lean forward over your left leg.
Reach for your left foot. If it is available to you, clasp your left wrist with your right hand.
Inhale and reach your sternum forward; exhale and revolve your right ribs toward your left knee even more.
To exit the pose, inhale and lift your chest. Straighten your right leg, returning to Staff Pose.
Hold for recommended breaths, Repeat on the other side.
Shavasana
HOW TO DO CORPSE POSE:
Lie on your back, take your feet as wide as your mat and allow your feet to fall open.
Turn your palms up and place your hands slightly off your mat to give yourself some space or place one hand on your heart and the other on your solar plexus.
Close your eyes, breathe in deeply through your nose, and exhale with a deep sigh through your mouth.
Allow your entire body to relax and be present in this moment.
Hold for recommended time or even longer if desired.
xo,
Jodi
