Yoga Thursday

After all of yesterday’s leg exercises, you might be feeling like you need a good stretch. Lucky for you it’s yoga Thursday! A note about breathing. I’m not a yoga teacher, so I can’t tell you the proper times to breathe. Make sure you don’t hold your breath. Notice your breathing and make an effort to breathe and expand your rib cage.

The first half of our routine is the same as Tuesday’s. Please see Tuesday’s post for instructions for doing the following poses:

• Mountain pose
• Side bend
• Torso twist
• Tree

After completing the standing poses, it’s time to get on the floor.

Cobra

Lie down on your stomach with your legs together. Place your hands, palm down, on the floor beneath your shoulders. Push yourself up, so that only the bottom half of your body is still on the floor. Hold the pose for several seconds.

Superman

Lie down on your stomach. Extend your arms over your head. They should be straight and resting on the floor. Lift your arms and your feet off the ground, like you’re flying. Look straight ahead or at the floor. Hold the pose for a few seconds. Return your arms and feet to the floor. Repeat a couple of times.

Locust

This pose is similar to the superman, except your arms are in a different position. Lie down on your stomach. Let your hands rest at your side. Raise your head and look forward. Keeping your arms straight and palms down, lift them off the floor. Lift your legs off the floor. Hold the position for a few seconds, then return your arms and legs to the floor. Repeat a couple of times.

Cats and cows

Move onto your hands and knees. Your hands should be underneath your shoulders, and your back should be like a tabletop. For the cow pose, raise your head and put your tailbone in the air while making your back concave (like a cow in the pasture). Hold the pose for a few seconds. I usually like to inhale during the cow pose and exhale during the cat. For the cat pose, drop your head and tailbone and arch your back (like an angry cat). Hold the pose for a few seconds. Alternate between the two poses several times.

Downward facing dog

I know this is a copout, but I can barely do a downward dog, and describing it is even more difficult. If you’ve ever seen a dog stretch, that’s what it looks like. I haven’t really felt like I should link to online demos of poses, but I don’t think I can avoid it for this one. Here are instructions from Yoga Journal https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/downward-facing-dog

Some pose that is definitely not Monkey

Based on my online search, the pose we’ve been calling monkey, is not a monkey. If probably just some sort of forward bend. Stand up. Bend at your hip flexors. Do not bend your legs. Keep your back straight like a table top. Rest your palms on your shins. You should feel the stretch in the back of your legs. Hold the pose for a few seconds.

Drop like a ragdoll

This is really just a forward fold. No need to stand up from the previous pose. Fold over at your hip flexors and let your arms dangle toward the floor. Your back is no longer like a table top. Your limp like a ragdoll. If it’s more comfortable for you, fold your arms so that the opposite hand is holding each elbow. Hold the pose for a few seconds.

Return to downward dog and repeat the sequence of three poses.

Moon flowers and sun flowers

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your hands above your head. I usually do this with my arms slightly curved and my hands meeting at the top. While you do a basic squat, bend your arms and pull them down. You will look kind of like a “W” and you should feel your shoulder blades push together. Return to the starting position. This is a moon flower.

For the sunflower, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your hands above your head. I usually do this with my arms slightly curved and my hands meeting at the top. While you do a basic squat, swing your arms down (sort of like you would when you make a snow angel) so that your hands cross at the bottom. Keep your back straight. Return to the starting position.

Alternate between moon flowers and sunflowers for several repetitions.

Finish up with legs up a wall. See Tuesday’s post for instructions.

Tomorrow is bands day. We’ll see if I can figure out how to describe those moves. Have fun doing yoga!