FitSugar

Strike a Yoga Pose: Three-Legged Dog

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:00:00 PST

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,

Strike a Yoga Pose: Three-Legged Dog

FitSugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 04:00:00 PST

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

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: Open Triangle

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:30:00 PST

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,