FitSugar

Strike a Yoga Pose: Three-Legged Dog

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:00:00 -0800

Downward Facing Dog pose is a total body pose that's great for stretching out your shoulders, lower back, hamstrings, and calves. It can be really difficult at first, but since it's a pose that's done the most often during a class, you can build your upper body strength fast, so it becomes more of a relaxing pose. To make it more challenging, try this fun variation called Three-Legged Dog. It will open your hips and hamstrings, and work on your balancing abilities. Not to mention it's also a great strength-training move for your upper arms and shoulders.

Sanskrit Name: Tri Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana
English Translation: Three-Legged Downward Facing Dog Pose
Also Called: One-Legged Dog

To find out how to get into it, read more.

Begin on your hands and feet in Downward Facing Dog. Then step both feet together so your big toes are touching.
Shift weight into your hands and your left foot equally. Then raise your right leg up to the ceiling. Try to keep your shoulders parallel with the ground and gaze at your left thigh or up toward your belly to help you stay balanced. To feel the stretch in your left hamstring, keep pressing your left heel down toward the ground.
Stay here for five breaths, then lower your right leg down and switch sides.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Three-Legged Dog

FitSugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 04:00:00 -0800

Downward Facing Dog pose is a total body pose that's great for stretching out your shoulders, lower back, hamstrings, and calves. It can be really difficult at first, but since it's a pose that's done the most often during a class, you can build your upper body strength fast, so it becomes more of a relaxing pose. To make it more challenging, try this fun variation called Three-Legged Dog. It will open your hips and work on your balancing abilities.

Sanskrit Name: Tri Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana
English Translation: Three-Legged Downward Facing Dog Pose
Also Called: One-Legged Dog

To find out how to get into it read more

Begin in Down Dog. Step both feet together so your big toes are touching.
Shift weight into your hands and your left foot equally. Then raise your right leg up to the ceiling. Try to keep your shoulders parallel with the ground and gaze at your left thigh or up towards your belly to help you stay balanced. To feel the stretch in your left hamstring, try to keep pressing your left heel down towards the ground.
Stay here for five or more breaths, then lower your right leg down and switch sides.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Handstand Scorpion

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:00:57 -0700

There are so many variations of scorpion pose like Locust Scorpion and Forearm Stand Scorpion, but Handstand Scorpion is my favorite. It's one of the most challenging poses you can try because it requires the three zingers - balance, strength, and flexibility.

Sanskrit Name: Vrschikasana B
English Translation: Scorpion B Pose
Also Called: Handstand Scorpion

To learn how to do this pose read more.

I know this pose is insanely difficult, so if handstand isn't happening for you quite yet, practice this pose in front of a wall.
Begin in Downward Facing Dog. If you're in front of a wall, place your fingertips 15 inches away from the wall.
Walk your feet as far as you can toward your hands. Lift your right leg in the air, coming into Three-Legged Dog.
Bend your left knee slightly and jump off the ball of your left foot, coming into handstand. Find your balance and slowly bend your knees, arching your back and lowering your toes toward the top of your head. If you're in front of a wall, lean the tops of your feet into the wall and inch them down toward your head.
Hold this pose for five breaths, then straighten your legs up to the ceiling and lower them back into Down Dog.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Extended Tabletop

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:30:00 -0700

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

To find out how to get into this pose read more.

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.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Crescent Moon

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:00:00 -0800

I love yoga not only because it strengthens and stretches my muscles, but also because of the feelings I get in certain poses. Sometimes I feel bold and grounded, like in Hummingbird, and sometimes I feel calm and content, as in Pigeon Twist. Then there are poses, like Crescent Moon, that make me feel beautiful and energized. Arching your back helps open your heart both physically and emotionally.

Sanskrit Name: Tri Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana
English Translation: Three-Legged Downward Facing Dog Pose
Also Called: One-Legged Dog

If you're ready to give this pose a try, then read more.

Begin in Downward Facing Dog, with both hands and feet pressed firmly into the floor.
Step your right foot forward between your hands, coming into Warrior 1. Then open hips, arms, and chest, coming into Warrior 2.
From here, gently arch back and lower your left hand down, resting it on the back of your left leg. Raise your right arm overhead, feeling the stretch through the right side of the body. Make sure you continue to lower your hips, and press your front knee forward so it's directly over your right ankle.
Remain here for five complete breaths. Then lift your torso up, place your hands on the floor and move back into Down Dog. Then step your left foot forward and do this pose on the other side.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Open Triangle

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:30:00 -0800

One element of yoga that I Iove is all the variations. You learn a basic pose and then switch the leg or arm positions to make a basic pose more challenging. This also helps you stretch and strengthen different parts of your body. Take Downward Facing Dog, for instance. It's a great foundation pose that stretches your calves and hamstrings, but when you lift one leg up and turn it into Three-Legged Dog, you'll stretch your hamstrings even further and challenge your core. This pose, called Open Triangle, is a variation of basic Triangle pose. When your feet are wider apart, you'll feel a deeper stretch on your hips and legs and will also be able to lengthen your spine more.

Sanskrit Name: Utthita Trikonasana
English Translation: Extended Triangle Pose
Also Called: Open Triangle

To learn how to get into this pose, read more.

Stand on your hands and feet in Downward Facing Dog. Step your right foot forward between your hands, and rise up into Warrior 1. Now open your hips, arms, and chest into Warrior 2 pose.
Straighten your right leg and turn your right toes out to the right 90°, and your left toes slightly to the right, making a 45° angle. Keep both legs straight as you reach your right hand straight out over your right leg, making your spine as long as you can. Then depending on how flexible your hamstrings are, lower your right hand down and rest it on your right shin, on a block in front of your leg, or place your palm flat on the floor if you can. Extend your left arm straight up, and gaze at your left fingertips. You are working on stretching your right hamstring here, so be sure to keep that leg straight and don't worry if you can't touch the floor yet. As you do this pose more, you'll increase your flexibility, and someday touching the floor will be a cinch.
You want your shoulders to be stacked one on top of the other with your left hip drawing back, and engage your core by pulling your belly button in towards your spine. Work on pulling your right shoulder away from your right hip crease and lengthen through both sides of the ribs equally.
Stay here for five deep breaths. Then engage your legs, press firmly into the ground with your feet and use your lower body to lift your torso up. Rotate your feet to the left and then do this pose on the other side.

Home Work: Wall Handstand

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:00:00 -0700

Inspired by the Two-Minute Headstand video, Sugar user ditorres was curious about doing a handstand. While standing on your hands in the middle of the room takes an incredible amount of balance, you shouldn't skip handstands altogether – using a wall can help. Handstands not only build upper-body strength, they work your core as well. After sitting at a desk all day, putting the world upside down can be rather uplifting.

Music: "Lahore Connection" by Prem Joshua

I know you're dying to try it so read more.

Stand in front of a wall. Place your hands on the ground, so your fingers are about six inches away, and come in Down Dog. Be sure that your fingers are spread wide, and that you're pressing into your fingertips to protect your wrists. Bring your feet together and take a step closer to your hands. Lift your right leg up coming into Three-Legged Dog.
Now bend your left knee slightly, and kick up by springing off the ball of your left foot, and place both feet on the wall.
This part is key - place the crown (top) of your head on the wall, so you're looking in between your hands. Now move one foot off the wall and then the other. Pressing your head into the wall will help you stay balanced, so that you can focus on drawing in your belly to keep your spine straight. Try to keep your feet off the wall and you'll really feel this in your upper back and arms.
Stay for as long as you can, but shoot for 30 seconds, and gradually build up to two minutes.
When your arms are tired, place your feet back on the wall and then lower your legs to the ground, coming into Down Dog. Now try it again, but this time do it with your left legs lifted.

Fit's Tip: If you can't kick up into handstand on your own, no problem. Just ask a friend to help you and try this.

Partner Yoga Pose: Handstand Help

FitSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:00:00 -0700

Doing a handstand against a wall is a great way to work on your upper body strength without having to concentrate on your balance. If you have a hard time kicking your feet up into it, though, grab a friend and give this a try.

Music: "Devabandha" by Bill Laswell

I know it seems like the person helping is just flinging her partner into a handstand, but there's more to it then that. Want to know the trick? Then read more

Partner #1 (red shirt) gets into Downward Facing Dog with her fingertips about six inches away from the wall. Then she lifts her left leg up and comes into Three-Legged Dog.
Then Partner #2 stands next to Partner #1's left leg and places her hands under Partner #1's left foot.
It's very important that Partner #2 keep her hands stable and exactly where they are, trying not to let them lower down towards the floor. Then Partner #1 puts all the weight of her left foot into Partner #2's hands, and this miraculously lets her lift her right leg up into the air.
Partner #1 puts her right foot on the wall and then her left. She can stay here for as long as she wants and then she can lower her feet down to the floor. Then Partner #2 can help her try it with the other leg.
After Partner #1 gets to try this handstand with both feet, then they switch roles and Partner #2 gives handstand a try.