Yoga Posture Pictures
By 90 Degree by Reflex | Posted in | |
Like drinking your morning coffee, rolling out the yoga mat and doing yoga becomes one of the most satisfying habits you could ever develop. Yoga gives you the self-confidence, mindfulness, and energy to make your day the best it could be!
While completing a full yoga series is ideal, we might not have that hour to spare most mornings. Don’t worry; here are five essential poses that have gotten me through some crazy days. They will give you the benefits of flexibility, strength, and a calm state of mind!
Before you begin, press your palms together at your heart in prayer pose (Anjali Mudra). Fix your gaze at a low point in front of you or close your eyes.
Take three deep breaths and pick a morning intention. Say this silently or out loud. Here are just some examples:
I flow through the day with ease.
I am one with mind, body, and spirit.
Mantra: “OM”. Pronounced A-U-M, chanting this mantra connects you to the universe.
Take a moment to check in by scanning the body. Are you tired, excited, happy, sad, cold, warm ect.? Reflecting helps you adjust each pose accordingly
1. Chair Pose (Sanskrit: Utkatasana)
Morning benefits: quickly warms up body, engages abdominals, thighs, back and arm muscles
- Standing with your toes touching, reach arms parallel to each other overhead (inhale).
- Bend your knees aiming (exhale).
- Breathe deep and slow.
- Hold posture for up to a minute.
2. Downward Dog Sanskrit: Adho mukha śvānāsana)
Morning benefits: whole-body stretch, facilitates deep breathing, stretches shoulders, hand, hamstring, calf, and the arches of the foot
Tip: hold for 5 deep breaths. Keep your gaze on your navel or between your knees.
- Start on your hands and knees (inhale). Press into you hands, tuck your toes and straighten both legs (exhale).
- Afterwards, you can walk your feet forward, jump forward (advanced) or reach one leg out in front to enter into a lunge. You are now ready for the next Crescent Lunge Pose!
3. Crescent Lunge Pose (Sanskrit: Anjaneyasana)
Morning benefits: warms-up body, stretches muscles, heart opener, develops balance.
- (Inhale) Bring your torso upright
- Raise your arms overhead, palms facing each other.
- Look up, in between your hands
- Hold for up to a minute
4. Stretch Pose (Sanskrit: Siri Om)
Benefits: warms up body, activates your “power center” located in the navel area(third chakra), boosts your nervous and digestive systems and strengthens the organs and glands.
Taken from Kundalini Yoga, stay in this pose for up to three minutes performing “Breath of Fire”: breathe two to three times per second, pushing area from your navel area. Chant silently “Sat Nam” repeatedly, which means “True Name”.
5. Warrior II Pose (Sanskrit: Virabhadrasana II)
Morning benefits: develop a calm and purposeful concentration and sense of balance.
- Hold up to 1 minute
- Gaze at one point in front of you
- Front heel should line up perpendicular to the center of the back foot.
