Yoga with Kassandra

The 7 Best Poses to Wake Up

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Rise and shine with this fast and fun flow!

If you're dragging your heels in the morning, it's time to properly wake up with these 7 poses.

You don't need long to get out of your comfort zone, try new poses, and also stretch the body from head to toe.

Absolutely no other props than a mat needed for this one.

1. Kneeling - Start kneeling, tucking the toes underneath (if it feels okay). Reach your arms all the way up to the sky. Open and circle the arms a few times. Cactus the arms. Inhale to squeeze the shoulder blades behind you. Exhale, rounding and contracting the forearms together. Moving through this cat/cow variation a few times. Interlace your fingers, flip the palms, and reach your hands up. Release the hands and untuck the toes.

2. Puppy Stretch - Come to table top. Leaving the hips over the knees. Walk the hands forward, and bring the forehead to rest on the mat. Melt the heart towards the mat. Relax your arms and belly as you hold for a few breaths.

3. Low Lunge - Step the right foot forward between the hands. Then lift up, interlacing the thumbs and reaching the arms overhead. Sink the hips down and forward. Press the hands back to come in to a bit of a back bend. Lower the hands back down to frame the foot. Then straighten the front leg and fold. Kick the right foot back, bending the knee, and reaching the heel up to the sky. Stay here, or reach the left hand back to clasp the foot. Push the foot in to your hand to deepen in to the back bend. Release, and counteract with a cat pose (rounding and contracting the spine). Repeat through on the other side.

4. Downward to Upward Dog - Come to downward facing dog. Paddle the feet out a few times, by bending one knee and pushing the opposite heel towards the ground. Lift the heels as high as you can go. Ripple forward in to plank. Point the toes back, drop the hips down, keep your elbows straight. Shine the heart forward in upward facing dog. As you exhale, tuck the chin to the chest and use your core to lift the hips up and back, returning to downward dog. Repeat a few times. Take child's pose for 5 deep breaths.

5. Bear Pose - Come to a seat with the knees bent. Grab the big toes with the two peace fingers. Walk your heels in, leaning back to find your balance on the sit bones and lift the heels. Keeping the left knee bent, extend the right leg out. Shining the heart forward. Bend the right knee and straighten the left leg. Bend the left knee. Next, try to straighten both legs out. Lower down. Bring the soles together to touch and drop the knees apart. Fold forward.

6. Seated Twist - Cross the right foot over the left thigh. Hug your right leg in with the left arm. Bring your right fingers back behind you. Open the chest to the right side to take the twist. Repeat on the other side.

7. Seated Meditation - Come to a comfortable or cross legged seat. Rest your hands on the legs. Take some half circles with the head. Roll the shoulders down and away from the ears. Bring your hands together at the heart. Find and set a one-word intention for your day. After thinking about your intention, set and seal it by chanting "Om" one time.

Prefer to be guided through the full 10 minute practice? Press play on the video below.

Namaste,
Kassandra

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Are you stressed out this week? Are you feeling anxious? You are not alone!

One of the greatest things you can do is get on your mat and do some Yin, and mix it with affirmations.

For these poses, have a couple of blocks or a combination of block and bolster or pillows at the ready.

Start sitting comfortably, tune in to the breath. Inhaling and exhaling through the nose. Repeat these affirmations to yourself. "I am calm. I am at peace. All is well. And I am safe." Return to these affirmations as you hold each of the following poses.

1. Half Saddle - Have your props ready, sitting down with legs extended out straight. Bring your right foot in, keeping the knees pointing forward. Try to get the top of your right foot flat on to the mat. You may need to move the flesh of the calf out to the side. You can stay seated, or even prop your hips up on a cushion. To take the stretch further, recline back on to the blocks or a combination of block and cushions. Find your edge, and don't chase sensation. As you hold here for a few minutes, begin to repeat the affirmations.

2. Forward Fold - Keep your left leg extended, bring your right foot to the inner edge of the left thigh. Start to fold forward, either unsupported or with the props moved in front of you. Make this as comfortable as you can, allowing yourself to relax and unwind. It is great for the parasympathetic nervous system.

Repeat 1 and 2 on the other side.

3. Legs Up the Wall - Slide your hips close to the wall. Bring your legs straight up the wall, or take a straddle variation by opening the legs wide. You can open the arms out to the sides as well, to release tension in the shoulders and neck. With every breath that you take, allow your body to melt and open further.

4. Reclined Pigeon (with Wall) - Bring the legs together, then cross the right ankle over your left thigh. Bend the left knee so that the foot comes flat to the wall. No need to use the arms, let them open out to the sides. Repeat on the other side.

5. Savasana - Move away from the wall. Laying down flat on your back. Take up lots of space with your limbs. Palms facing up. Release fully in to the ground. Noticing the effects that the practice has had on your mind, body, and emotions.

Prefer to not worry about timing and let a teacher guide you through the poses? Practice along with me for the full 30 minutes in the video below.

Namaste,
Kassandra

Please do subscribe to my YouTube channel

5 Yin Yoga Poses for Stress Relief

by Amy Stubbs on 08:01:00

😍 ONLINE YIN YOGA TEACHER TRAINING 😍 Get certified to teach! ❤️ http://bit.ly/yinyttinfo Are you stressed out this week? Are you feeli...

😍 ONLINE YIN YOGA TEACHER TRAINING 😍 Get certified to teach! ❤️http://bit.ly/yinyttinfo

The Crown is the most subtle of all the chakras. It is your connection to the universe, where you realize you aren't in control, and find a deeper power.

Use these 7 short sequences to connect to the wholeness of life. The first 6 are Vinyasa style, and the final is a Yin series.

1. Reclined - Start in Savasana, the best pose to connect to the crown chakra. Expand out, taking deep breaths, and thinking about your connection to the crown and all that it represents. Draw your right knee in to your belly. Use your left hand to take the right knee across the body. Extend the right arm out to the side. Keep the chest facing up. Allowing this twist to release tension from the hips and low back. Return to center. Then switch legs.

2. Kneeling - Come up to table top, starting with a few rounds of Cat/Cow. Inhale to drop the belly and lift the gaze. Exhale to round and contract the spine. Sit back on the heels, interlacing the fingers behind you. Bring the crown of the head down to the mat in front of you. Reach the knuckles up and over. Avoid putting too much weight on the top of the head. Lift the shoulders away from the ears. Release arms down to the sides, as you sink hips to the heels in Child's Pose.

3. Mountain - Start in downward dog, sending the hips up and back. Walk the hands back to meet the feet and come in to Rag Doll forward fold. Clasp opposite elbows, and sway gently side to side. Slowly roll up to standing. Shine the palms forward, reach the crown of the head up and close your eyes. Find an internal point of focus. Shift the weight forward in to the toes. Then to the right. Back in to the heels. To the left. And finally settle in the true center. Blink the eyes open.

4. Wide-Legged - Face the long edge of the mat, taking the feet wide. Turn the toes out and heels in slightly. Open the arms up and out in Star Pose. Inhale to stretch out through the limbs. Exhale to bend in to the knees and elbows. Move between Star and Goddess with the breath. After a few rounds, exhale and fold forward at the hips. Relax the neck and let the head be heavy.

5. Standing - Return to Downward Facing Dog. Kicking the right leg up, then stepping it through between the hands at the front of your mat. Keeping the hands down, kick the left foot up to the sky in Standing Splits. Bend in to the right knee to return the left toes to the mat (some distance back). Keeping the hips square to the front, fold over the right leg in Pyramid Pose. Push in to the feet to lift back up. Extend the left leg up and back, bringing the chest forward in to Warrior 3. Focus on stretching the crown of the head forward. Take a Vinyasa flow and then repeat on the other side.

6. Inversion - Lower down to kneeling. Option to take Rabbit again (from sequence 1). If headstand is a part of your practice take either tripod variation, or clasp hands together with elbows under the shoulders and forearms down. Placing the head down and lifting up the legs.

7. Reclined Leg Stretch Series - For the Yin wind down come down on to the back with a yoga strap. With one hand on either end of the strap, loop it around the ball of your left foot. Rest your upper arms on the mat, as the left leg extends up over the hip. Keeping the hips square. Hold for a couple of minutes. Next, take both sides of the strap in the left hand as you open the leg to the left side. Keeping the right side of the body grounded down. Hold for a couple of minutes. Then lift up to center, taking the strap in to the right hand, and guiding the leg across the body to the right side. The hip may lift up here, but keep the left shoulder rooted down. Release and repeat on the other side.

Prefer to be guided through with your yoga instructor? Practice along with me in the video below.

Namaste,
Kassandra

Please do subscribe to my YouTube channel