A strong energizing flow that can be practiced anytime of the day but not before bedtime. Hold each pose for 5 breaths or more.
1. MOUNTAIN POSE – (TADASANA), WITH HANDS IN PRAYER POSITION.
Stand with your feet together or apart and your arms at your sides. Stand strong with both feet/legs in balance. Draw down through your heels and straighten your legs, relax your shoulders, and stretch your spine/ neck upwards till the whole body is steadily balanced. Breathe in and bring hands together in prayer. Calmly close your eyes and let your breath become relaxed. If you feel unsteady, then keep your eyes open while focusing on a fixed point.
2. CHAIR POSE – (UTKATASANA)
Begin by getting balanced in Mountain Pose (Tadasana). Inhale, raising your arms above your head, shoulder width apart. Exhale, bending your knees downwards, and hold at a 45-degree angle. Bring your weight onto your heels. Keep your shoulders relaxed. Extend the stretch up your spine, neck, arms and gaze upwards.
3. CHAIR TWIST POSE – (PARIVRTTA UTKATASANA)
Begin with the chair pose. Exhale and slowly swing your left elbow or tricep to the right and lay it on your right thigh. Press your palms together, pointing your right elbow up toward the ceiling. Keep your hips even and rotate your chest and open the pose by pulling your right shoulder towards the neck. Keep your knees even, and feet strongly together. Repeat on the opposite side.
4. STANDING FORWARD BEND – (UTTANASANA)
Start in Mountain pose. Exhale and gently soften your knees and bend forward, folding from your hips. Feel the intense stretch on the back of your knees and hamstrings. Release the knees, find some softness in the hip joints, and allow the spine to release, dropping your head and the arms, so the neck is relaxed. After the spine has released, extend the legs to experience a deeper lengthening along the entire back line of the body. Check that your hips are over your ankles and feel your weight evenly pressing into your feet. Place the palms of your hands flat on the floor or at the back of your ankles. With each exhalation relax spine, shoulders, and neck. Breathe steadily.
5. DOWNWARD FACING DOG– (ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA)
Begin on all fours with your knees hip-width apart and your hands shoulder-width apart. Extend your hips over your knees and your shoulders over your wrists. Walk your hands a few inches in front of your shoulders. Curl your toes under, lift your hips, and straighten your legs. Push into your palms to draw more energy into your lower body to help elevate your pelvis. Press down evenly with all your 10 fingers. Keep your arms straight and rotate your outer upper arms inwards to broaden your upper back. Draw the front of your rib cage in and press your legs back. Extend your heels away from your toes and pull them towards the floor.
6. LOW CRESCENT LUNGE – (ANJANEYASANA)
START WITH THE DOWNWARD-FACING DOG POSE.
On an exhalation, step forward on your left foot and place it beside your left thumb, lining up your left knee over your left ankle. Lower your right knee to the floor, and place it behind your hips. Inhale, raise your torso and sweep your arms above your head with your palms facing one another. On your next exhale, allow your hips to settle forward and down until you feel a stretch in the front of your left leg. Draw your tailbone down towards the earth, lengthening your lower back and engaging your core muscles. Begin to draw your thumbs into the back plane of your body as you reach up with your heart, and shift your gaze up for a mild backbend. Stay in this position, or raise your back knee off the mat for a full Crescent Lunge. Finish by placing your hands down onto the mat and step back to Downward Facing Dog Pose. Repeat with the right leg forward.
7. EXTENDED SIDE ANGLE – (PARSVAKONASANA)
Begin with the Warrior 2 pose. Extend your entire left side over your forward leg as your left hand rests on the block on the floor to the outside of your front leg. Place minimal weight on the block.Reach up with your right arm, rotate your palm forward. Extend your arm overhead to form a straight line with your back leg, rolling the outside of your arm in toward your body to relax your arm muscles. Keep your chest open. Repeat on the opposite side.
