Spring Poses to complement your sense of renewal and promote movement based detoxification.(Consult with your physician before beginning any exercise program, including the poses listed below)
Childs Pose
Forehead can also rest on clasped hands.
Cat-Cow
Starting on all Fours on your mat, Stack your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees, Inhale and lift your chin and tailbone as you fill your belly with your breath. Exhale as you start to draw your naval toward your spine, tucking your chin & tailbone as you round your back. Keep wide spread fingers (starfish hands). Also maintain your head and neck in line with your spine by keeping the space of a medium size apple between your chin and throat, Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Kneeling Lunge (both sides)
Keeping shoulders stacked over hips, front knee stacked over ankle. Sweep arms out to the side above head palms together. (If protecting your shoulder, keep the arms bent and make smaller sweeps in front of your chest. Perform on both sides.
Lunging Prayer Twist
From all Fours bring your right foot forward stacking your knee over your ankle. Keep your back leg extended, top of of foot on floor. With your hands in prayer position & elbows our to the sides, inhale while lengthening the spine, then exhale as you rotate from your naval, ribs, and shoulders to the right Never force a twist. Rotate your neck within a comfortable range of motion. Repeat on both sides.
Revolved Triangle Pose in Standing or Kneeling
Standing Left foot is forward and right back heel is aligned in a little wider stance and shorter than arm length apart from left foot. Place right hand on a the floor or a block. If you feel any discomfort in your hips or spine, use a block in a position that eliminates the discomfort. As you start to twist your torso to the left, create the rotation first from your naval, then your ribs, followed by your shoulders. Your arm can be extended as shown above or with the elbow bend and hand on your waist. Go slowly into and out of your twist using breath and mindfulness. At first flow your twist by coming into and out of it. After a few reps, then hold the pose for 3 to 5 breaths. Come out of the pose if any discomfort.
Plank Pose Modified or Full
Full plank from Downward Facing Dog: Inhale Flow forward to stack shoulders over wrists, maintaining a neutral spine curled onto your toes. Exhale back to Downward Facing Dog. Modified Plank from Child’s Pose: Inhale, keeping knees bent, flow the shoulders to stack over your wrists and hips ahead of your knees.
Half Bow Pose
The key with this pose is to avoid strain in any part of your spine by use props as necessary. Start on your belly reaching with both hands or with a strap with both hands. Lengthening the front of the body while pressing the front of your pelvis towards the floor. Lifting your front body off the floor from the naval upward, keeping the belly relaxed. This is pose best done at the cool down part of your yoga session, where you hold your longer stretches for 5 to 8 breaths.
Seated Twist
Starting from Seated Staff Position: draw your right leg into towards your torso, Push down evenly through your sit bones, lift up through your ribs and the crown of your head while your shoulder blades drawn back and down toward your hips. Bring your left elbow to the outside of your knee. Inhale lengthening your spine from your tail bone through the crown of your head, Exhale as you first rotate from your naval using your oblique muscles, then rotate from your ribs, then your shoulders, If your neck can turn further without discomfort past your sternum, feel free to rotate to your available neck range of motion. Otherwise keep your nose over your sternum or in a position that is comfortable while you maintain your head and neck alignment with your spine. Hold for 5 to 8 breaths. This Pose is best done during the cool down of your yoga session,
Seated Forward Fold
Starting from Seated Staff Position. Inhale lengthening from your sit bones through the crown of your head, then exhale as you hinge from your hips maintaining a neutral spine , including your head and neck. Continue inhaling as your lengthen your spine with hinged hips and then exhaling either being more comfortable where you started or moving your naval closer to your upper thighs as keep your heart lifted. You can flow several times by inhaling while rounding your spine back up to seated staff position, and exhaling while hinging back into forward fold. On your final rep hold the seated forward fold for 5 to 8 breaths in the cool down phase of your yoga session.
Supported Shoulder Stand (legs up the wall)
Can be modified with props , as in the picture above . Start near a wall lying on your side. Bring your hips as close as possible to the wall. Then come onto your back. You may have to wiggle forward toward to wall if your buttocks are not touching the wall. Palms can be on your belly, or out to the side with your palms up. Hold for 5 to 10 minutes as you mindfully observe your breath and any sensations you feel in your body. This should feeling very relaxing. If it is uncomfortable, as with any pose, come out of the pose and try again.
Seated Easy Pose or Final Relaxation Pose (Savasana)
End your session with Seated Easy Pose or Final relaxation Pose (Savasana) For final relaxation choose a comfortable position maintaining good alignment of the entire spine, as well as supporting joints comfortably (eg. roll under neck, bolster under knees, eye pillow, rolls under arms). Close your eyes, slow your breathing and take a few minutes to integrate the benefits of your practice from today.
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