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Belly Aching? Try Some Yoga

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 02:30:00 -0800

So how are you feeling after that enormous Thanksgiving meal? Not so good? If your belly is feeling less than perfect, try some of these "wind releasing" stretches (that's really what they're called).

Nothing gets things moving along like a great spinal twist. This one is called 1-Legged Seated Spinal Twist or Marichyasana.

Want to see the other stretches? Then

If you're bloated or constipated, bend both knees into your chest and give yourself a big hug. It'll help to massage your abdominal organs.
You can also do this pose by alternately hugging one knee into the chest, holding for five breaths, and then switching sides.

Fit's Tips: Does your body need a little bit more stretching? Why not bring along a gentle yoga DVD and pop it in. Get your family members to do it along with you. It'll help you relax from the stress of traveling and also help with digestion.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Balancing Lotus

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 04:00:00 -0700

If you're loving stretching out your upper back and neck doing Shoulderstand and Ear Pressure pose, you're going to love doing Balancing Lotus. This pose also works your back and core muscles, and it's fun to practice staying up.

Sanskrit Name: Urdhva Padmasana
English Translation: Upward Lotus Pose
Also Called: Balancing Lotus

Want to know the secret for staying balanced without falling? Then read more

From Ear Pressure Pose, lift your knees back up and work on folding your legs into lotus. If you can do it without using your hands, that's awesome. If not, use your left hand to pull your right foot into your left hip. Then use your right hand to pull your left foot over your right shin and into your right hip.
If lotus isn't happening for you (it requires open hips), don't force it since you can really damage your knees. You can either cross your legs at the shins (just as you would if you were sitting), or bend your knees out wide and bring the soles of your feet together (like Butterfly).
How do you stay balanced? Keep your hips over your shoulders and let the weight of your knees fall into your palms and lock your arms straight. Use your back and core muscles to keep your spine long and strong. It takes some practice, but you'll soon get the hang of it.
Stay here for five or more breaths. Then undo your lotus legs, keep your knees close to your chest and slowly roll down one vertebrae at a time until your spine is all the way on the ground. Pull your knees into the chest and wrap both arms in front of your shins. Give yourself a big hug, releasing the lower back.

That's it. Have fun working on this pose. Be sure to take your time coming out of it, since it's a pretty intense neck stretch.

Partner Yoga Pose: Seated Straddle Lounge

FitSugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:45:00 -0700

Some of my favorite activities, like running and biking, really make my hamstrings and the muscles of my lower back tight, so I love doing forward bends to stretch them out. Sometimes, I need a little help in order to get a really deep stretch.

Here is one of my favorite partner yoga poses that really provides a serious stretch for the back of my body. Partner #1 gets the hamstring and lower back stretch first, while Partner #2 gets to lounge back and open their chest - which also feels great after a long bike ride!

Want to hear how to get into this? Then read more

Both partners sit down with their backs touching.
Partner #1 brings about 3 ft between their legs, coming into a Seated Straddle position. Then they fold forward, walking their hands out in front of them.
Partner #2 slowly leans back, resting their spine and head on Partner #1's back. If it feels comfortable, Partner #2 can hold onto Partner #1's feet.
Keep talking to each other, making small adjustments if necessary.
When either partner has had enough, they both slowly lift their torsos back up and then switch roles.

Fit's Tips: This is a really relaxing pose, great to do in the early morning or right before bed.

photo from Partner Yoga by Cain Carroll and Lori Kimata, N.D.

Partner Yoga Pose: Double Sandwich

FitSugar — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 14:30:00 -0700

Seated forward bends feel amazing on your hamstrings and lower back. Doing this pose with a partner, called Double Sandwich, can add some some weight to your torso and help you elongate your spine even further. It also gives you an even deeper stretch than you could ever do on your own.

Want to see how to do it? Then read more

Sit opposite your partner with the soles of your feet together.
Now fold forward and, if you can, reach for each other's hands. If you can't reach, have each person grab onto either end of a hand towel or a strap.
It's okay if your torso isn't close to your legs. As long as you are feeling the stretch in your lower back and hamstrings, you are doing it right.
Depending on how flexible you are, you can tuck your chin in and relax your chest down to your thighs, trying to keep your legs straight to increase the stretch in your hamstrings. If it's really easy, release your forehead towards your shins.
Talk to each other throughout the entire experience. Make sure that neither of you are feeling pain or discomfort (this is supposed to feel good). When you are ready to come out, release hold of your partner, bring your hands to either side of you legs and walk them in towards your hips, slowly lifting your torso back up.

Fit's Tips: Seated forward bends are difficult poses because many of us have tight hamstrings. I recommend repeating this partner pose again to deepen the stretch and increase your flexibility. The second time you do this pose, try to fold even further and extend your arms out even longer. If you were holding onto a towel, try to walk your hands out so you're a little closer to your partner's hands. If you were already holding hands, try to hold your partner's wrists or forearms.

Photo from The Joy of Partner Yoga by Mishabae

Partner Yoga Pose: Dog Hero

FitSugar — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 17:15:00 -0700

Partner Yoga poses are all about supporting one another and helping to bring your partner into a deeper, more fulfilling pose. This is one of my favorites that I call Dog Hero.

Hero pose is all about stretching through your quads, but if this pose is easy for you, when you lie on your back, you won't really feel much of a stretch. That's where your partner can help. By adding just a little weight to your thighs, and helping you stretch through your arms, this pose becomes much more intense (in a good way). Plus the person on top doing Downward Facing Dog also gets a wonderful stretch through their upper back and the backs of their legs. By joining these poses together, both of you will feel the benefits.

Here's how to get into it.

Talk to your partner and figure out who will be Partner #1 and who will be Partner #2.
Partner #1 lies down on the ground and gets into Hero pose with their arm extended over their head.
Partner #2 stands above Partner #1's head. Partner #1 grabs onto Partner #2's ankles. Then Partner #2 bends down and places their hands on Partner #1's thighs in a Downward Facing Dog position.
Make sure you talk to your partner and say things like "Is this okay? Should I move my hands? Tell me when to stop. Press harder, etc." Stay for as long as you both decide, and then switch positions so Partner #2 starts in Hero pose.

Whatever you do with your partner should feel good, and remember that the least flexible person is in charge. If you are new to yoga this probably isn't the best partner pose to try. The most important thing is to listen to each other's needs and suggestions, have an open mind, and have fun. If you loved doing this Partner Yoga pose, give Standing Straddle, Double Dog, and Double Tree a try.

A Little Sanskrit Lesson: Animal Names

FitSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 08:45:00 -0700

When you take a yoga class (especially Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Jivamukti classes), sometimes the instructor will call out the names of the poses in their original language, Sanskrit. Here's a list of some animals in Sanskrit and the poses they're named after. Knowing these Sanskrit words really helped me to remember the names of certain yoga poses.

Baka - crow, crane or wading bird, as in Bakasana (Crow pose)
Bheka - frog, as in Bhekasana (Frog pose)
Bhujanga - snake or serpent, as in Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)
Gomukha - face resembling a cow, as in Gomukhasana (Cow Face pose)
Kapota - dove or pigeon, as in Salamba Kapotasana (Supported Pigeon pose)
Kukkuta - rooster or cock, as in Kukkutasana (Cock pose)
Kurma - tortoise, as in Kurmasana
Matsya - fish, as in Matsyasana (Fish pose)
Mayura - peacock, as in Pincha Mayurasana (Feathered Peacock pose, also called Forearm Stand)
Nakra - crocodile, as in Nakrasana (Crocodile pose)
Svana - dog, as in Adho Mukkha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog pose)
Simha lion, as in Simhasana (Lion pose)
Vatayana - horse, as in Vatayanasana (Horse pose)
Vrschika - scorpion, as in Vrschikasana (Scorpion pose)

Humans were not the first to do yoga. Way back in India, animals were observed in nature, and noted for their particular abilities and accomplishments. To imitate these qualities was considered a high sign of spiritual enlightenment, that's why so many yoga poses are named after animals. Check out this post to see animals doing yoga.

Yoga Props Explained: Blocks

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 02:30:00 -0700

When I walked into my first few yoga classes, I was intrigued by all the blocks neatly stacked against the wall next to the perfectly rolled-up mats. I soon came to realize that those different sized blocks had many useful purposes.

Blocks are often used by beginners and those with injuries to help them modify certain postures, but they are also used by experienced and flexible yogis as tools to get deeper into poses. I'm a huge fan of blocks, and here's why:

Blocks can be used when doing standing poses to bring the ground closer to your hands if you can't quite reach yet.
Blocks can also be used in restorative poses to support your bones and the weight of your body. Iyengar and Kripalu classes often use blocks to deeply open certain parts of the body, or for relaxation poses.

Want to see how else you can use yoga blocks? Then read more

Blocks can also make poses more comfortable, especially in seated poses. Sitting on a block will bring your hips above your knees, reducing pain if there is too much pressure on a certain muscle or joint.
Placing a block beyond your reach can help you stretch your muscles even further, increasing flexibility.
You can also use blocks to makes poses more challenging. I like to work on more advanced poses such as inversions, and the blocks help to keep my hands (my base) steady.

Source, Source, and Source

Partner Yoga Pose: Facing Fence

FitSugar — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 11:45:00 -0700

If the new yoga challenge, Standing Hand to Big Toe A, is too hard to do on your own, then get a friend to help.

If you face someone doing this pose, your partner can help you stay balanced and stretch out your hamstring even deeper than you could on your own.

Here's how to get into it:

Stand facing your partner, about 3 feet apart. Partner 1 lifts their right leg up and Partner 2 grabs onto it with both hands.
Then Partner 2 lifts their right leg up and Partner 1 holds onto it.
Communicate with your partner - say "Stay right there," or "Not so high," or "You can lift higher."
Try to work on standing straight, keeping your torso in line with your standing leg. Stay here for 5 breaths or more and then gently lower your partner's leg down to the ground. Now do the other side.

That's all there is to it. Feel free to share pictures of you doing this pose alone or with a partner in the YOGA CHALLENGE group. Post your pictures here. If you're not sure how, then read this explanation.

YOGA CHALLENGE: Standing Hand to Big Toe A

FitSugar — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:30:00 -0700

Here's the latest Yoga Challenge for you to try.

Sanskrit name: Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A
English translation: Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose
Also called: Standing Hand to Big Toe A

This balancing pose is great because it's a lot less scary than balancing inversions like the last challenge called Double Arm Headstand. This pose stretches out the hamstrings, shoulders, and encourages a long and extended spine. There are actually four variations to this pose, and this is the first one, hence the "A" at the end of its name.

If you are new to this pose, first work on balancing on one foot - don't worry if your knees are bent. After you've gotten the hang of that, work on straightening your left leg first, and then your right.

Don't Forget! Get a friend to snap a picture of you doing it. Then go to the YOGA CHALLENGE group. If you aren't already a member, click on the word "Subscribe" on the left-hand side under the black & white photo. If you're not sure how to post your picture to the group, check out this explanation. I'll choose my favorite and post it right here on FitSugar.

If you want to hear how to get into this pose, then read more

Stand on your mat or flat on a wood floor. Put all your weight into your left foot, and lift your right foot up. Bend the knee so you can grab onto your right big toe with the first two fingers and thumb of your right hand. Bring your left hand to your hip.
Work on straightening your standing leg first (left leg), and then you can work on straightening your right leg.
Try to lengthen through your spine, and if you want, you can work on folding forward towards your extended leg.

That's it! Can't wait to see your pics in the YOGA CHALLENGE group. Click here to see all the photos.

Partner Yoga Pose: Double Tree

FitSugar — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 04:00:00 -0700

Doing yoga with a partner (your sister, brother, friend, mother, child, or "partner") is an amazing experience, especially with balancing poses. It can be hard to stay up on your own, but when you do it with a partner, you can both support each other. Awwww....

Tree pose is what most people think of when they think of yoga, and it can be kind of tricky. Doing Double Tree allows you to stay up by holding onto your partner, keeping balanced for a while you can really feel the benefits of the pose.

Double Tree is great for working on your posture, balance (obviously) and it also opens your hips. Want to know how to get into it? Then read more

Stand beside your partner with your hips touching.
Whichever leg is on the outside, bend that knee and use your hands to pull your foot up so it's pressing against the opposite leg's inner thigh. Pressing your knee back will help your foot stay put, and it opens your hips even more.
Now take your inside arm and wrap it around your partner's lower back.
Once you feel secure, you and your partner can bring your outside hands together at the center, pressing your palms together, for what I would call the double prayer position.
For a different variation, extend your inner arms straight up and your outer arms out to the side. This variation is a bit more challenging.
Hold for as long as you want and then do the other side.

Source and Source