Sometimes slower really is better! Take a chance to slow down with these 7 poses. A few are dynamic movement where you will switch from one pose to the other. A few are deep stretches you can hold for 5-10 breaths a piece.
1. Forward Fold to Wild Thing – Start in a seat, extending the right leg and keeping left foot inside thigh. Walk the hands out, folding towards the extended leg. Inhale lifting up bringing the left hand back, right arm up and over. Push into legs and lift the hips. Exhale to lower and fold. Do 5 times through, moving slowly.
Repeat on the other side.
2. Low Lunge to Half Split – From down dog, step the right foot between the hands. Keep the fingers down and lower left knee down. Inhale to sink hips in low lunge. Exhale, push into the heel to shift hips back and straighten the right leg and fold down in half splits. Do 5 rounds. Repeat on the other leg.
3. Sphinx Quad Stretch – Slide forward onto belly, with the legs extended back and forearms down. Lift the heart up. Bring the left hand over to the top corner. Bend your right knee and reach back to pull it in. Push into the pubic bone, not pinching low back.
4. Warrior Bind – From down, step the right foot through between the hands. Bring the back foot parallel to shorter edge of the mat. Lift up. Bring right forearm to right thigh, or hand to ground. Reach the left arm up and over. Spin right shoulder back. Push into the back heel. Stay here in long line or take the bind. Bringing left hand to low back, reach right arm underneath and maybe clasp hands.
5. Lizard Pose with Quad Stretch – Lower the hands to the floor, inside the right foot. Roll to the outer edge of the right foot, opening the knee to the side. Maybe lowering to the forearms. Take 5 deep breaths here.
Repeat 4 and 5 on the other side.
6. Wide Legged Forward Fold – Turn to the long edge of the mat. Take the legs wide, turning the toes in and heels out. Lift and length, hinge forward from the pelvis. Let the hands come down, or hold big toes with two peace fingers. Bend the elbows away from one another. Decompressing the spine.
7. Pigeon Pose Mermaid Variation – Walk both hands to the right, turning to face the short edge of the mat. Bring the right knee behind the right wrist, stretching left leg back. If you like to add the quad stretch, bend the right knee and clasp the foot with the left elbow and clasp hands over head.
These poses come for a 40 minute Intermediate Slow Flow class on my YouTube channel.
Namaste,
Kassandra
