FitSugar

Strike Yoga Pose: Locust

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:00:08 -0700

We've talked about some extremely challenging variations of Locust pose such as Inverted Locust where you're balancing on your shoulders and chin, and Locust Scorpion where your feet are touching your head. Now let's take it down a notch and do plain old Locust pose. It's a great way to tone the muscles in the back of your body. It may look relaxing, but you'll definitely feel this one working, and it's a great complement to ab exercises.

Sanskrit Name: Salambhasana A
English Translation: Locust Pose

To learn how to do this pose read more.

Lie down on a mat on your belly, with your legs together. Place your arms by your sides so your palms are facing up.
As you inhale, lift your legs, head, and upper body off the floor. Your hands remain on the floor for support.
As you breathe, try to relax your shoulders and the muscles in your booty. Extend the crown of your head away from your toes, lengthening as much as you can through your spine.
Stay for five breaths, and then release back to the mat.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Headstand Bow

FitSugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:00:12 -0700

If Wheel is one of your favorite poses, here's a variation that takes the weight from your hands to your head. It's similar to Bow pose, but it's upside down.

Sanskrit Name: Sirsa Dhanurasana
English Translation: Headstand Bow Pose

To learn the prep pose to get into this keep reading

Hit the Hay: Cobra

FitSugar — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:35:04 -0700

Stretching in bed relaxes your body before going to sleep, and it can also be a great way to gently wake up in the morning. This gentle stretch will lengthen the muscles in your abs, chest, and neck, and it'll also increase flexibility in your spine.

To find out how to do this stretch, hop in bed and read more.

Roll over onto your belly and extend your arms out in front of you. If you're tall, you can hang your feet over the end of the bed.
Keeping your legs and pelvis grounded, slowly begin to walk your hands toward your chest, As your your torso lifts off the bed, keep a slight bend in your elbows. Walk your hands in until you feel a nice stretch in your abs. Relax your shoulders away from your ears and lengthen your neck. If it feels OK, lower your head back between your shoulder blades, and you'll feel a nice stretch in your chest and neck.
Stay here for 30 seconds and then lower your torso back to the bed.
Follow this move with a child's pose to stretch out your back.

Strike a Yoga Pose: 1-Legged Bow

FitSugar — Mon, 04 May 2009 03:30:00 -0700

If you like backbending poses in yoga, then you probably love Bow pose. Here's a variation that focuses on bending one leg at a time, which allows you to work on stretching out your chest and shoulders more effectively. It's also a great quad-strengthening pose.

To learn my trick for getting into this pose read more.

Lie flat on your stomach, drawing your belly button toward your spine.
Interlace your hands behind you, bend your right knee, and hook your right foot in the hole your arms make. Clasp your hands around the front of your ankle. If it's too difficult to get into the pose this way, reach back with one hand at a time instead.
Actively press your left leg into the floor and push your right foot away from you. Both these actions will help give your torso a little more lift, which will increase flexibility in your back and chest.
Stay here for five deep breaths. Then keeping your hands interlaced, gently unhook your right foot, bend your left knee, and do this pose with the left leg lifted.

Strike a Pose: Locust Scorpion

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0700

If you have been working on your Locust Prep, and full Locust pose, I think you're ready to move on to Locust Scorpion. If you have a flexible back, this pose will be even easier than regular Locust.

Sanskrit Name: Ganda Bherundasana
English Translation: Formidable Face Pose
Also Called: Locust Scorpion

To learn how to do this pose read more.

Begin lying on your belly. Roll over to one of your shoulders so you can bring both arms underneath you. There are two hand positions you can try, so see which one feels the most comfortable. Either interlace your fingers, clasp your palms together, and straighten your arms. Or keep your hands apart with either your palms facing up or pressed into the mat. Then roll your body so it's resting on your extended arms. Make sure your chin is on the mat as well.
As you inhale, press into your arms with all your strength and lift both legs up as high as you can. If your upper body is strong and your back is flexible, lift your hips off the floor, so your spine is as upright as possible. Press your feet and thighs together.
Then bend your knees and lower your feet to your head. Stay like this for five deep breaths. Then lift your feet back up to the ceiling and slowly lower your body back to the floor. Release your back by coming into Child's Pose.

Partner Yoga Pose: Down Dog Scorpion

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:00:00 -0800

Backbends top my list of favorite yoga poses. It feels great to arch my spine and stretch through my abs and chest. Some backbends are more challenging than others though, like Scorpion. Since it involves balancing on your forearms as well as bending your back, you might need a little help getting into it. You can do Scorpion on a ball or in front of a couch, but if you have a friend nearby, give this partner pose a try.

To see a video showing how to get into this, read more.

Partner #1 (black shirt) comes into Downward Facing Dog.
Partner #2 (lilac shirt) stands to the left side of Partner #1 and places her hands behind Partner #1's hands. Then she lays her belly on Partner #1's back, so her feet are off the floor.
Then Partner #2 presses her belly into her partner's upper back, lifts her legs up and bends her knees. She raises her head up, too, actively arching her spine, working on lowering her feet to her head.
Then Partner #2 lowers her legs back down, and steps her left foot and then her right onto the floor and stands up. Then they switch roles and Partner #1 gets a chance to try Scorpion.

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.

Partner Yoga Pose: Grounded Backbend

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Backbends are some of my favorite yoga poses. Since our bodies rarely have the opportunity to bend this way, not only is arching the spine a treat but it stretches the front part of your body quite nicely. Not only that, but increasing flexibility in your spine is a great way to stay healthy and avoid lower back pain. Since full backbends (Wheel pose) can be intimidating and challenging, give this variation a try. In it you use your partner's body as support, and be able to gently roll back into the pose.

For detailed instructions read more.

Partner #1 (man) sits on the floor with his knees bent and his feet hips-width distance apart. Partner #2 (woman) sits on his knees facing him.
She then extends her legs out and Partner #1 presses his arms against them to hold her in place.

When she's ready, she places her hands on his shins, and gently arches back. To help her lower her torso smoothly, she walks her hands down Partner #1's shins until her head is on the ground. She can straighten her arms and press the backs of her hands into the ground for a little support.
Partner #2 stays like this in a backbend for as long as she wants, and when she's had enough, she can walk her hands back up Partner #2's shins and also uses her abs to help her sit up. Then they switch positions so Partner #1 can have a turn.

Stretch It: Standing Spinal Arch

FitSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Sitting with a rounded spine typing all day and biking hunched over takes a toll on my spine. All that rounding forward can make my back ache. I find that arching backwards, in the opposite direction of all the hunching, feels great. It stretches out the front of my body and relieves the aches in my spine. This standing spinal arch will increase the strength and flexibility in your lower back, neck, and shoulders.

To find out how to do this stretch read more

Stand with your feet hips-width distance apart. Place your hands on the back of your hips, drawing your elbows towards each other.
Tuck in your tailbone, engage your abs, and arch back. Allow your head to lower between your shoulder blades to stretch through your throat and chest.
Stay here, or to increase the intensity of the stretch, walk your hands down the backs of your legs, resting them on the inside of your knees.
Hold like this for 20 to 30 seconds. Then shift weight forward into your toes and use your abs to lift your torso back up to a standing position.
Repeat for a total of three times.

Try and see how it makes you feel.

Couch Time: Scorpion

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:30:00 -0700

Since I run a lot, my hip flexors and lower back get really tight, so I love stretches that focus on opening these areas, such as Scorpion. This is actually a yoga pose that's a balancing backbend. It feels amazing on the front of your body and your spine, but it's a really difficult pose to get into, let alone hold long enough to get a good stretch. You can do it using a ball, but here's another way using a couch.

Music: "Field of Green," by Careless

To give it a try read more.

Kneel down in front of a couch, and place your forearms on the ground, so your fingers are a few inches away from the base of the couch. You want your elbows directly underneath your shoulders. Look between your hands, not at your feet.
Shift all your weight into your arms, straighten your legs and walk your feet as close as you can towards your elbows.
Lift your right leg up into the air. Then kick off the ground with your left foot, and let your right and then left foot gently fall to rest on the couch.
Walk your feet so your heels are on the edge of the couch - focus on pressing into your hands to help lift your head up as high as you can.
Stay here for thirty seconds, feeling the stretch in your belly, hip flexors, quads, and back. Then lift your right foot off the couch, and slowly kick your feet off and release them back to the ground. Stretch out your lower back by coming into Child's Pose.
Repeat this move again, this time with your left leg in the air.