Benefits:
Opens hips, puriformis, gluteus maximus, and groins.
Can also be useful for relieving sciatic pain.
Great for relieving menstrual discomfort, constipation, and prostate disorders.
Foundation & General Alignment:
Feet are active.
Pelvis is in a neutral position.
Torso lengthens evenly.
Neck and head should reflect the natural curves of the spine.
Benefits:
Improves balance and coordination.
Strengthens knees and legs.
Tones lower spine. Good for sciatic pain.
Challenging but stimulating.
Foundation & General Alignment:
One foot and one hand, bearing weight equally.
Standing foot is at a 90 degree angle, four corners weighted.
Legs are fully engaged, knees lifted.
Lifted foot is flexed encourages lengthening of the low back, keep foot fluid.
Benefits:
Good pose for learning how to properly align (especially the shoulders and pelvis).
Great variation pose for people with carpal tunnel, shoulder, and low back issues.
Stretches the hamstrings.
Helps lengthen the back and spine.
Foundation & General Alignment:
Facing wall, align heels of the hands at ribs, forearms are parallel to the floor.
Hands are shoulder width apart.
Benefits:
Strengthens core and upper body.
Teaches how to engage all parts of the body.
Learning to extend out in all directions evenly.
Foundation & General Alignment:
Two hands and two feet, balance weight evenly.
Feet are hip width apart.
Hands are shoulder width apart.
Elbows are above wrists, forearms are perpendicular to the floor.
Benefits:
Strengthens the abs and hip flexor muscles.
Stimulates and tones the abdominal organs.
Foundation & General Alignment:
Balanced on the pelvis, slightly above the sitting bones.
Knees/legs straight if hamstrings allow it.
Feet are active and in “floint” (pointing but flexed).
Pelvis is in a neutral position.
90 degree angle between thighs and pelvis.
Chest is lifted and shoulders are back.
Benefits:
Strengthens the entire back.
Helps stretches the hamstrings.
Can be a very calming pose to some people but for other it can make them feel claustrophobic and stress if they are tight in the shoulders/back.
Foundation & General Alignment:
The base is formed by the upper arms from elbow to shoulder, top of the shoulders back of the head and feet on the floor.
Benefits:
Opens the hips.
Great calming pose.
Perfect for meditating.
Foundation & General Alignment:
Sitting bones are weighted into the floor.
Outer edge of feet can be under knees or under hips.
Pelvis is in a neutral position.
Chin is parallel to the floor.
All sides or torso equally extended.
Shoulders are back and away from ears.
Head is resting halfway between knees and hips so elbows are under the shoulders.
Benefits:
Strengthening, especially in the abs, back, and leg muscles.
Challenging but improves balance and coordination.
Foundation & General Alignment:
Weight evenly distributed over the standing foot.
Muscles are engaged in standing leg.
Muscles are engaged and lifted in standing leg. Foot is flexed and kneecap is pointing down towards the floor.
Both legs are fully extended.
Lower belly is toned and lifted.
Benefits:
Strength in core.
Stretches outer hip on front leg and quad on back leg.
Foundation & General Alignment:
10 fingertips and 2 feet on ground.
The feet are active. Front foot is in tadasana. Back foot, toes are curled under, push out through back heel.
Fingertips are on the floor in line with the front foot. If you can keep you upper back from rounding you can put your hands flat on the ground.
Keep back leg straight.
Benefits:
Increases flexibility in the spine.
“Massages” internal organs.
Helps with sciatica.
Foundation & General Alignment:
Both sitting bones are weighted on the floor.
One leg is folded under, while the other is bent up with foot on floor outside opposite thigh.
One hand is placed behind back lined up with spine. The other hand hold the knee of the bent knee.
Pelvis is in a neutral position. Do not twist from the pelvis.