Why Gentle Yoga is Important – Part 2

Last week, I posted an article about the importance of gentle yoga and extolled its virtue – Click here for Part 1

As wonderful as words are, pictures quite often are helpful in multiple ways so here are some really nice gentle yoga poses. The pictures are laid out in an almost sequence-like fashion and therefore you can attempt them in order. Hope you like and enjoy!

Balasana  – Child’s pose – Knees wider than your chest (if not possible, modify the pose to have the knees closer), big toes touching, hips towards heels, forehead on the mat. Just breathe and begin to arrive on your mat letting go of whatever happened before you got here.

 

Virabhadrasana 1 – Warrior 1 – Firm feet on the mat, tuck your ribs in and activate your core, breathe and relax your shoulders. An energizing pose that makes us feel like the fierce warriors we all are 🙂

5) Reverse Sun salute -Make sure to firm your feet on to the mat and again – bbbreeaaathhhheeeee and enjoy the really nice side stretch.

Trikonasana – Triangle Pose with multiple blocks! Trikonasana is more about being able to open your chest and heart and not so much about touching the ground with your hand. This pose is a great one for building core, leg, strength and increasing flexibility in the hips, shoulders and upper back area.

Parsvottonasana – Pyramid Pose – An excellent pose for stretching the hamstrings. I find this pose deceptively challenging because it looks easy – but it definitely tests your balance. Having your feet point the same direction, folding forward and squaring your hips are all good challenges. I like this pose because it shows us that things aren’t always what they seem to be.

Anjaneyasana – Low lunge – Ahh an essential yoga pose for all of us with tight hips! I really like having a blanket under my knee to help provide some comfort so I can stay in this pose longer. Also – please ensure to engage your core as you gently sink into your hips.

 

Parvritta Anjaneyasana – Revolved Low lunge – Adding a twist to the low lunge to help open up your shoulders and strengthen the core

 

Lizard Pose – A lot of us have hips that are quite tight. Using a block helps you slowly ease into this pose. Depending on how your hips feel on a certain day – you can try either of the variations shown below while having both your hands on the inside of the foot.

Ardha Hanumanasana – Half Splits – Can you tell I like blocks a lot? My students really enjoy getting into this posture and staying there for a good 10 breaths at least.

Paschimottonasana – Seated Forward Fold pose – I love to use straps in this posture. An excellent hamstring stretch!

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana – Bridge Pose – Having a block at your low back allows for your hips, and low back to just rest heavy and completely relax. Furthermore, your heart is just open and relaxed and breathing is so easy in this pose.

 

Modified Sarvangasana – Shoulder stand with a bolster underneath the low back – This pose is SO good for your blood circulation and a great release for your low back. A great cool down pose

 Supta Baddha Konasana – Supine Bound Angle Pose – This pose is great for opening your hips but I especially like it for my shoulders and upper back. I like the mini back-bend that I get when using a bolster.

Savasana – Corpse Pose – Savasana is our time to relax, let go and just let gravity do the work. It’s a great time to give your body gratitude for all that it’s able to do.

So my dear readers, as you can tell – gentle yoga does sustain an energetic level of activity albeit in a more methodical and assisted fashion. These poses are good for beginners to help them ease into what yoga is all about but also just as beneficial for those of who practice regularly.

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading!

Namaste

 

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