#wellnesswednesday

Supported Shoulder Stand/Sarvangasana

Benefits:

Tones legs.

Stretches shoulders and neck.

Can help improve digestion.

Calms brain and helps reveal stress and depression.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Start in bridge pose, place hands on low back.

Slowly lift feet off ground and bring them over head.

Foundation is backs of arms, upper back, and head.

Entire body is engaged.

Legs are not straight up into air, feet are either pointed or flexed.

Half Boat Pose / Ardha Navasana 

Benefits:

Strengthens core.

Improves posture.

Can strengthen arms, legs, and back.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Start sitting up with knees bent and towards chest.

Lean back and at the same time raise feet up, keep knees bent.

Balance body solely on butt bones.

Keep entire body engaged.

Back is as straight as possible.

Hands are extended out in front of body or can also be at sides.

Wellness Wednesday 67: Table Pose / Ardha Purvottanasana

Benefits:

Great core strengthener.

Engages entire body.

Great starter pose for backbends.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Feet are hip width apart and pointing away from body.

Legs are bent at the knees.

Body is raised up with weight supported on hands and feet.

Hands are pointing towards feet, shoulder width apart.

Body is straight, whole body is engaged.

Wellness Wednesday 66: Buddhist Stupa Pose / Utkatasana 

Benefits:

Strengthens the legs.

Can help posture.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Start with legs wide.

Feet are pointing outward, away from body.

Legs are bent at the knees.

Thighs are parallel to the ground.

Keep pelvis in a natural position.

Back is straight.

Neck is natural, shoulders are back and away from ears.

Common Problems:

Legs aren’t wide enough.

Wellness Wednesday 65: Cow Face Pose

Benefits:

Great stretch for outer hips.

Helps improve posture.

Stretches arms and back.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Sit with legs in front of body, bend one leg at knee and bring foot to opposite hip. Do same with other leg but put it on top of first leg.

Legs are engaged and feet are flexed.

Tummy is tucked in.

Arms are crossed over each other in front of body. 

Back is straight.

Wellness Wednesday 64: King Pigeon

Benefits:

Great hip opener.

Opens chest.

Stretches thighs, hips, and shoulders.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Start in pigeon prep pose, bring back leg up bent at knee -- and if able, bend arm back and grab hold of foot.

Feet are flexed and font bent foot is parallel to top of mat.

Keep hips squared.

Back is slightly bent so hand can grab foot.

Chest is open, head is looking forwards.

Wellness Wednesday 63: Warrior 3 Pose

Benefits:

Strengthens legs.

Helps improve balance.

Stretches hamstrings.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Start standing, put all weight into one foot. Slowly raise non weight foot, while raising foot bring upper body downwards.

Keep all parts of the body engaged.

Toes of lifted foot are pointed outward.

Arms are raised up by ears.

Legs are straight.

Back is straight.

Shoulders are back and away from ears.

Wellness Wednesday 62: Horse Face Pose

Benefits:

Helps improves balance.

Strengthens legs and core.

Improves posture.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Start on all fours. While on all fours, bend one leg towards arms and rest foot on opposite thigh. Bend knee like you would in figure four pose. Slowly pull body into an upright position.

Wellness Wednesday 61 Simple Peacock Pose / Sahaja Mayurasana

Benefits:

Heart opener.

Stretches shoulders and arms.

Helps stretch out the backs of legs.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Start with feet slightly wider than hip distance. Next, interlace hands behind back. Bend forward raising hands up behind back.

Keep back straight for as long as possible.

Arms can be slightly bent for comfort.

Shoulders are not up by ears. Keep them relaxed.

Wellness Wednesday 60: One Legged Down Dog / Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana

Benefits:

Calms and clears the mind.

Helps strengthen arms and shoulders.

Helps with balance.

Foundation and general alignment:

Start in normal Downward Facing Dog, put weight on both hands and one foot, raise other foot up into air and line it up with back and arms.

Weight is evenly distributed through hands and foot.

Arms are straight but not hyperextended.