Are you ready to start your day on a positive note? Set aside a few moments for time on your mat first thing.
The following 7 poses come from Day 1 of my new week-long Yoga and Meditation challenge.
1. Savasana – Lay down onto your back, extending the legs out. Reach the arms up overhead to stretch into shoulders. Close your eyes. Take several rounds of deep mindful breaths here.
2. Reclined Pigeon – Bend your knees, bringing feet flat to the floor. Cross the right ankle over the left thigh. Flex the right foot, push thigh away. Stay here, or reach through with the arms to hug left thigh in. Relax the upper back, neck, and head. Use just a little arm strength. Repeat on other side.
3. Bridge – Bring both feet back to mat, hip width apart. Push into the feet and squeeze glutes as you lift the hips up. Hug into the inner thighs. Push into the shoulder blades and big toes. Taking a few deep breaths here.
4. Sphinx – Roll over onto the belly. Bring the forearms to the mat, elbows under shoulders. Extend the legs back, pressing gently into the tops of the feet. Elevate your heart. Roll and shrug your shoulders back. Push the pubic bone into the floor, lengthening the tail towards the heels. Shine your heart forward.
5. Child’s Pose – Press up. Bring the big toes together and take knees as wide as you like. Sink the hips back towards the heels. Walk your hands out in front of you, lowering the head down. To deepen into the shoulders and arms, bring the palms together, bend the elbows and bring thumbs to back of the neck.
6. Downward Dog – Come to hands and knees, with hands a bit ahead of your shoulders. Tuck your toes, and then lift hips up and back. Alternate bending one knee and then the other. Press the shoulders back and chest towards the thighs. Relax the neck and let head be heavy. Curl and lift tailbone up towards the sky.
7. Butterfly Fold – Come to a seat, Bring the soles together and let the knees drop out to the side. Melt forward and down. Stretching into the inner thighs. Make the fold passive, rounding int it and letting gravity do the work.
Namaste,
Kassandra
