Journey Into Yoga

This pose incorporates an element of balance, as well as strength and is also seen as a full body stretch posture. The nature of the pose is often thought to be energyzing and also rejuvenating to the nervous system.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Sometimes referred as the half chair pose or “funky chair pose,” this posture is also wonderful for providing a hip opener as well. Sometimes it feels like the hip opener is incidental because so much of our focus tends to turn to the balancing portion as we literally bring attention to staying upright and steady. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice a...

When we worked with pose supta bhadda konasana, we saw a nice gentle posture that addressed the groins, and today, we will also work with a posture that helps to bring a nice stretch to this area, albeit a bit deeper. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Today’s posture, figure 4 lying down pose also works into these areas but is typically seen as a bit of a lighter variation as compared to pigeon pose. If you have very tight hips and struggled with pigeon, don’t worry you are not alone. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Balance in yoga is a practice that goes well beyond the physical body. Yes, the pose is done physically, but if the mind wanders the balance is very hard to maintain. Staying present with your mind, body and breath are crucial to help stay steady in a balance pose. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

There are many reasons why we tend to have tight hips, one of them being that we spend way too much time in chairs. When we sit in such a way, the hips end up being compressed and tightening up. This sitting behaviour is also hard on the posts muscles which trend to be tight in many of us. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/...

Today we are going to work into a posture that will really help to open up the shoulders, although I must confess, this posture does not have a formal name per se… See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

A deep twisting pose, revolved triangle strengthens and stretches the legs, opens the chest to improve breathing, relieves mild back pain, and improves your sense of balance. This pose especially opens the hamstrings and hips and as a result, it is often helpful to have a yoga prop available in order to help be in this pose, such as a yoga block. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privac...

Sometimes if you have tight hips and groins, uppavista konasana can be more difficult so I will give you some options to create more ease in the posture if this applies to you. One of the wonderful things in this pose is the delicious stretch to the spine so it’s important to be able to adjust the positioning of the hips so this stretch can happen.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pr...

Today I discuss the different variations of Bridge Pose, a heart-opening yoga posture. I'll explain proper alignment and breathing techniques for the unsupported version and demonstrates the supported variation using a prop underneath the sacrum. Both variations offer benefits, including opening the chest area and stretching the shoulders, legs, back, and neck. See Privacy Policy at https://art19....

Utthita Parsvakonasana is our pose of the day, in english we refer to it as extended side angle. When I first did this pose I was very challenged by it. Similar in some ways to warrior 2 as it strengthens and works strongly into the legs, knees, and ankles, it also provides a deep stretch into the legs. Often just referred to as parsvakonasana, It also works the upper body stre...

Sitting on the floor takes us back to our roots - there was a time when we didn’t even think twice about doing so and the body could do this easily. Habits through the years creates differences in the body that can make this kind of sitting not as easy as we age. So for today’s posture, I want us to sit on the floor but also to find ease. We are going to do both variations - c...

The quadriceps are a group of muscles present on the front of the thigh. They consist of four distinct muscles: the rectus femoris, the vastus lateralis, the vastus intermedius, and the vastus medialis. To me, the important thing to remember is that these muscles tend to be tight…very tight in many of us. These muscles work a lot and because of this, they need to be stretched. See P...

Although in the warrior family, it does have some differences from warrior 1 and 2, particularly in the positioning of the feet and legs, but we will get to that in a bit. Before I do, I want to discuss some of the benefits this pose has to offer. Active warrior brings both strength and energy to the body and mind; the legs are strengthened and also stretched. There is a beauti...

Fire log - whether you love this pose or hate it, there is no question it provides a deep stretch to the outer hips {sound effect DEEEEEEP}. I have always liked the name firedog because this pose will, without a doubt, bring some heat into the body particularly into the hips. In addition to bringing heat to the body, it is also beneficial to do this pose after the body has been warm...

I have often referred to this pose as a front body backbend which may seem odd but that is exactly what it is - we do the pose on our front bodies but the shape of the pose is a back bending shape. As a heart opener, it opens the chest and the shoulders and can also bring heat and energy to the body. It is a wonderful counter-action to all of the forward folding postures we find ourselve...

Warrior 3 or Vhirabadrasana 3 is a pose with a lot to offer the body we well as the mind. As a balancing pose it helps to create stability and steadiness in the body. It helps to strengthen the muscles of the legs including ankles, abdomen and arms. It provides the hamstrings and the hips a nice stretch as well as the low back. As a pose that challenges our balance, it can also...

As a forward folding pose, head to knee pose encourage cooling and calming in the body and mind. This pose has several benefits - it helps to stretch and lengthen the entire spine. It is also a wonderful pose for the back body and can help ease any low back pain including sciatica. Janu shirshasana can also help to stretch the abdominal muscles. The hamstrings also receive this...

Balance and Strength. Two very powerful words that can bring a lot to our lives. When we look at balance, many different things come to mind…for one, it is important to balance how we spend our days; we must find a balance between work and play for example. Bringing balance into our lives requires focus and attention; when we don’t pay attention to what’s going on, that’s...

Paschimottanasana is sometimes seen as a continuation of dandasana or better put a posture that you can move into from dandasana, even though it is a stand alone pose in its own right. As a seated forward bend, in this pose the entire back of the body from head to heels, including the spinal column, is deeply stretched. As a result of this deeply stretching pose, the overall mobility and...

Today we are going to find your way into bent knee balance pose. This posture which challenges our stability encourages us to use the abdominal muscles for stability. It also helps with focus as we are asked to keep our mind present and fix the gaze to assist with stability. our spines are also encouraged to lengthen and lift, and we also find strength in the legs to find stability...

Although a relatively simple pose, dandasana or staff pose helps to strengthen the muscles deep within the lower back, abdomen and inside the pelvis. When we strengthen these muscle groups we help to improve our overall posture and also build a solid foundation for the rest of the spine. In addition to improving spinal awareness, staff pose also stretches the hamstrings and calves.  Also...

Supta bhadda konasana or reclining bound angle pose is a wonderful posture that I personally have in my favourite yoga pose category. First and foremost, this pose encourages relaxation in the body. As we relax and rest the posture helps to open and stretch the entire body. As it gives a boost to the heart it can also help tackle the blues. Also! Avery has a Substack called Declutter U . It i...

Triangle pose, with its numerous benefits for the body and the mind, is a posture that allows us to multi-task but in a positive and productive way. This yoga pose incorporates strengthening, stretching, opening the heart, balancing and twisting enables us to receive multiple benefits at the same time - that's one amazing pose. Also! Avery has a Substack called Declutter U . It is full of great id...

Sukasana or cross-legged pose is often referred to as easy pose. This yoga posture has many potential benefits for the body and the mind. For the body, it helps encourage good posture in addition to lengthening the spine and back muscles. It also helps to open and stretch the ankles, knees, and hips. Sukasana is also considered a meditative pose with a relaxing effect that may help...