.jpg)
This week we are going to take a look at a short standing sequence, using postures that should all be familiar to you. Standing practices are great for developing strength in our legs and stability for the whole body. When we work in standing balances we are specifically practicing our ability to concentrate and focus the mind, so our practice will be all round beneficial to us.
To start the practice, come to sitting in Easy pose. Take 5 gentle 2-part breaths, breathing in and out of the nose. As you inhale, inflating the abdomen and then the chest and then as you exhale allow the rib cage to drop back into place and deflate the tummy, gently squeezing the abdominal muscles in to clear the lungs.
Next, come over onto all fours for cat and cow. Inhale into cow, exhale rounding the spine upwards for cat. Repeat 5 times.
Inhale and lift your knees and exhale as you come into baby dog (this is down facing dog wit your knees bent).
Inhale up to tip toes and exhale back into your full down dog.
Inhale up to tip toes and exhale back into the baby dog – repeat this practice three or four more times, until the backs of the legs feel nice and lengthened.
Walk the hands back towards the feet and come to rest in standing forward bend for 5 breaths.
Bend the knees and roll up to Tadasana.
Take a long step back with the left leg and settle in Warrior 1 with the arms over head and the shoulders down for 2 breaths.
Bring the arms down front and back into Warrior 2 for 2 breaths.
and then step the back foot forwards into Tadasana.
Take a moment here and then step the right foot back and repeat the Warrior sequence on the other side – using the same number of breaths to measure how long you will hold the posture.
Step back to Tadasana and the stretch the thigh muscles out take the weight into the left leg and bring the right heel up to your right buttock.
Take a moment to balance and then holding the right foot with the right hand reach the leg back and up in to Natarajasana (Dancer pose). Find your focus and hold for a few breaths and then come down with control before you get too tired.
Repeat on the other side.
Turn now so that you are sideways on your mat and step your feet about 3 feet apart. Turn your right foot out to face sideways (towards the short side of your mat).
Inhale bring the arms up to shoulder height, exhale and move into triangle pose trying to hold you nice flat alignment, without the hips and shoulders twisting.
Inhale as you come back up the standing and repeat on the other side, being sure to change the direction the feet are pointing in.
Walk the feet back to centre and roll down into your standing forward bend nice and active in the backs of the legs without forcing the fingers to the floor.
Roll up and finish your practice with 10 breaths in Tadasana.
Serena is a yoga teacher and the founder of The OM Space . She is a passionate believer in yoga as a life enhancing practice and runs several classes in Colombo including the very popular Yoga for Children and Yoga for Pregnancy. Serena trained in the UK with the British Wheel of Yoga and is a UK Yoga Alliance registered Senior Teacher.
.jpg)
0 Comments