Strike a Yoga Pose

There are many poses that are staples of yoga class, like the standing pose Triangle. It's such a dynamic pose and stretches your hamstrings while lengthening your spine, which makes it perfect for after a run. While Triangle is one of my favorite poses, the twisted variation, Rotated Triangle, was once my nemesis. The variation involves rotating your chest to the opposite side, increasing the hamstring stretch while twisting your spine. This pose is challenging but definitely worth the struggle.

Sanskrit Name: Parivrtta Trikonasana English Translation: Revolved Triangle Also Called: Rotated Triangle

To give it a try, read more

I love hip opening poses and Double Pigeon might just top my list of faves. This pose allows the hips to open like Pigeon pose, but also simultaneously stretches both glute muscles and the lower back. This pose is great for yoga beginners, runners, bikers, and expectant mothers preparing for labor.

• Start seated in butterfly, then move your right foot slightly away from you (essentially to get it out of the way for a moment).
• Bring your left knee in front of your left hip with you left shin parallel to your pelvis and your knee bent to 90 degrees.
• Using your hand, place your right ankle on your left knee. You want your shins stacked on top of each other. Try to bring them so they're parallel with each other — use the edge of my mat as a guide. You'll know you're doing it right when you gaze down, and see that your legs make a little triangle.
• You may find your top knee to be way high up towards the ceiling — that's OK; it just means that your hips are tight, so just stay where you are and breathe. Working on this pose will help to open those tight hips, so try not to get frustrated. Wherever you are in poses is where you should be.

Learn how to go deeper into the pose when you read more

If you're looking for a pose that will strengthen your shoulders and core, and increase flexibility in your spine then give Extended Tabletop a try. I like to move into this pose from a variation of Three-Legged Dog with your knee bent (see the photo after the break). This is a pose I've only seen in Vinyasa Yoga classes, so it's a newer pose that will help prepare you for doing Wheel.

Sanskrit Name: None Found English Translation: Extended Tabletop

• Begin in Down Dog. Lift your right leg straight up, coming into Three-Legged Dog. Try to keep both shoulders parallel with the ground. Then bend your right knee, lifting it as high as you can. Raise your head up and look over your left shoulder. Work on lowering your toes and lifting your head so someday they can touch. Stay like this for five breaths.
• Now lower your right foot all the way to the ground below your foot, and simultaneously lift your right arm off the mat. Once your right foot touches the ground, adjust your toes so they're both pointing away from you. Either point your right arm straight up or extend it over your right ear, bringing your gaze to follow.
• Remain here for another five deep breaths, actively lifting your hips as high as you can, engaging your abs, and trying not to clench your butt. When you're ready to come out of it, lift your right leg off the ground, and rotate your torso so you plant your right palm and come back into Down Dog. Repeat this sequence with the left leg.

We're finally up to the last wide-legged forward bend pose in Ashtanga Yoga, Wide-Legged Forward Bend D. If you do all four in a row, A, B, C, and D, your hamstrings, hips, and lower back will feel amazingly stretched and open. It's a great series of stretches to do after a run if your lower body gets really tight.

Sanskrit Name: Prasarita Padottanasana D English Translation: Feet Spread Intense Stretch Pose D Also Called: Wide-Legged Forward Bend D

If you love stretching your hamstrings and lower back in Wide-Legged Forward Bend A, then you're going to love this pose. You can do A for five breaths, come to stand up, and then go right into five breaths of this pose. It's great to do as a warm-up before a run or bike ride.

Sanskrit Name: Prasarita Padottanasana B English Translation: Feet Spread Intense Stretch Pose B Also Called: Wide-Legged Forward Bend B

Want to know how to do it? Then read more

Wide Squat is a great pose that opens your hips, but if you want to open your shoulders, chest, and increase flexibility in your spine as well, then you're going to love doing Bound Wide Squat. The prep for this pose makes you feel an incredible sense of openness in your heart and lungs. Since you put weight in your bottom hand, it also gives you a great wrist stretch which allows you to shift weight into your heels so you can stretch your calf muscles.

Sanskrit Name: (Prep pose for) Bada Malasana English Translation: (Prep pose for) Bound Garland Pose Also Called: (Prep pose for) Bound Wide Squat

Want to know how to do this pose? Then read more

If you've been to a few yoga classes, I'm sure you've discovered that there are poses you absolutely love to do. They're usually the ones we're more familiar with, or the ones we're really good at. Then of course there are the poses that you secretly hope the instructor won't do during class, the ones that maybe you're scared of (for fear of falling or making a fool of yourself), or the ones that look way too hard.

This pose called Triangle, was one of those poses for me. I just wasn't sure what I was supposed to be doing with my body at first, and I had a hard time balancing (I always ended up falling back on my booty). Then an amazing teacher corrected my alignment and talked about the purpose of the Triangle pose, and suddenly it became my favorite.

To learn how to get into this pose, read more

Since I'm a runner, I love yoga poses that stretch out my tight hamstrings, quads, and lower back. This pose stretches them all at the same time. If you love Hero pose and Seated Forward Bend, you're going to love this one.

Sanskrit Name: Trianga Mukha Eka Pada Paschimottanasana English Translation: 3 Limbs Facing 1 Foot Western Intense Stretch Posture Also Called: Half Hero Forward Bend

Want to know how to get into it? Then read more