National Yoga Month Challenge Week 2

In the 2nd week these poses are focused on Strengthening the body and mind. See below for a detailed description on how to perform each move.

Plank 

• Lie face down in a push-up position. Keep your palms on the floor next to your shoulders and your feet flexed with the bottoms of your toes on the floor.
• Take a deep breath and press up into a push up. Your body should make a straight line from your heels to the top of your head.
• Draw your belly button toward your spine and tighten your buttocks. Look at the floor to keep your head in neutral position and breathe normally.
• Hold for 30-60 seconds

Warrior I

• Stand with both feet together
• Step back with your right foot, angling it to your right
• Sink your butt so that your front knee is directly over your left foot, bent almost to 90-degrees
• Rotate your upper body so that your hips and shoulders face straight ahead.
• Slightly “push” your feet apart from each other
• Slowly raise your hands up over your head
• Deepen the stretch slightly with each exhalation
• Inhale and straighten your legs to ease out of the pose
• Repeat on other side

Warrior II

• Start in standing position with your legs shoulder-width apart and arms at side. On an exhalation, place your feet three to four feet apart and raise your arms parallel to the floor with palms down.
• Turn your right foot slightly in and your left foot out 90 degrees to the left so the toes are pointing away from your body. Align your left heel with the right.
• Exhale and bend your left knee over the left ankle, causing the shin to be perpendicular to the floor. Bring your left thigh parallel to the floor, creating a 90- degree angle in your knee. Straighten your right leg and press your right heel out and down into the floor.
• Stretch your arms out, keeping them parallel to the floor. Imagine you are increasing the space between your shoulder blades as you spread your arms. Turn your head to the left as you look out over the fingers of your left hand. Keep your spine straight and perpendicular to the floor.
• Hold this pose for 30 seconds to one minute. When you are ready, inhale and come out of Warrior II Pose. Reverse your feet and repeat with the right side

Warrior III

• Start  standing position with your legs shoulder-width apart and arms at your sides. Step your left foot back about two feet and keep your weight on your right leg. Inhale and bring your arms above your head with palms facing toward each other and perpendicular to the floor.
• Exhale and bending at your hips, lift your left leg up and out as you lower your torso toward the floor. Find a spot on the floor and focus on it to help maintain your balance.
• Try to straighten your legs and arms so your body looks like the letter “T” from the side. Hold and maintain this position for as long as you can, optimally for 30 seconds to one minute.
• To release, exhale and slightly bend your left knee as you bring your right leg down to the floor. Drop your arms to your side as you stand up and end in standing position. Reverse your feet and repeat with the right side.

Chair Pose

• In standing position with the feet together or hip width apart, inhale the arms forward parallel to the floor with the palms facing down.
•  Exhale and bend the knees, squatting down. Reach the hips down and back as if you were going to sit on the edge of a chair, bringing your weight to the heels of the feet. Do not bring the hips lower than the level of the knees.  Make sure that the knees are pointing straight ahead.
•  Press the shoulders down and back trying to arch the spine. Relax the shoulders down and back and reach out through the finger tips. Stare at a point on the wall or floor in front of you for balance.
•  Breathe and hold for 3-6 breaths.
•  To release: inhale and press down into the feet straightening the legs and inhale the arms up toward the ceiling. Exhale release the arms down.

Boat Pose

•  From a seated position bend the knees, bringing the feet flat to the floor with the legs together. Slide the hands behind your hips with the fingers pointed forward and elbows bent away from you.
•  Lean back to lift the heels an inch or two off the floor. Draw the shoulder blades together to lift and open the chest.
•  Slowly begin to straighten the legs, kicking out through the heels, lifting the legs up as high as comfortable. Release the arms forward, parallel to the floor with the palms facing down. Keep the chest open and the shoulders down and back.
•  Breathe and hold for 2-6 breaths. Put as much effort into lifting the chest as you are in lifting the legs.
• To release: exhale and bend the knees, lowering the feet back to the floor.

Downward facing dog 

• From table position, tuck the toes under, press into the hands and begin to lift the hips up towards the ceiling.
• Spread the fingers wide apart with the middle finger facing forward, and the palms shoulder width apart. Press the out through the fingers and edges of the hands.
• Using straight (but not locked) arms, press the hips up and back reaching the chest towards the thighs. Lift up through the tailbone to keep the spine straight and long.
• Have the feet are hip’s width apart with the toes facing forward. Press the heels into the floor feeling a stretch in the back of the legs. The legs are straight, or you can have a small bend at the knees to keep the back flat.
• Let the head and neck hang freely from the shoulders or look up at the belly button.
• Breathe and hold for 4-8 breaths.
• To release: bend the knees and lower the hips back to table position, or come all the way down to child pose.

Information for each pose is sourced from yogabasics.com