The Splits-Yoga

fitnessloveaffair:Yoga for the SplitsPrint this out and...

fitnessloveaffair:Yoga for the SplitsPrint this out and practice these poses everyday to gain flexibility for the splits. Start by holding each pose for 30 seconds on each side. Work your way up to 1-3 minutes as your muscles start to open up. When you’re ready to try the splits use a block or pillow under your front leg for support until you feel ready to go without.Need more help? Check out my favorite stretching videos. read more..

Belly Button

resistemptations:Morning Yoga!! I do this every morning and...

resistemptations:Morning Yoga!! I do this every morning and sometimes before or after a workout. It’s easy, but in the morning it’s a great pick me up and boosts your metabolism!!1: Mountain Pose - Stand straight with your feet turned in slightly, big toes nearly touching, and your inner thighs pressed together. to work the core, squeeze your belly button toward your spine. Roll your shoulders up and back. Then bring your hands together in front of your sternum. Slightly lower your chin.2. Warrior 3 - From a standing position, find a spot in front of you to focus on. As you bend forward at the waist, pressing your chest out, lift your right leg behind you. To balance, press down through the heel of your left leg. Work toward lifting your leg high enough to create a 90-degree angle.3. Half-Plank Pose - After putting your right leg on the ground, lower your body down slowly into a pushup position with your elbows bent. Make sure to align your shoulders directly over your hands and keep your feet hip width apart. To work the core (and get your body bikini ready!), focus on keeping your hips at the same level as your shoulders by pulling your belly button in toward your spine.4. Downward Facing Dog - From half plank, straighten your elbows and lift hips until your body forms a triangle. Keep a slight bend in elbows to avoid hyperextension. Lower your heels to stretch out the muscles in the back of your legs. ** My own tip: to get proper form make sure your ears are aligned with your biceps, your tail bone is reaching to the sky, and your pulling your chest towrds your toes. **5. Warrior 1 - While in downward dog, walk your feet toward your hands to return to standing. Step your left foot back so your toes point slightly forward. Bend your right knee, keeping it even with your ankle. Keep your hips and torso squared forward and raise your arms at a 45-degree angle in front of you.6. Warrior 2 - Transition from Warrior 1 by bringing both arms down without bending your elbows. Extend one directly in front of you and another directly behind you so your arms are about parallel to the floor. Rotate your hips to the left. To work your core, pull belly button in toward your spine, making a slight scoop with your pelvis. Do not bend knees more than 90-degrees or past your toes to prevent knee injury.7. Triangle - From Warrior 2, straighten your right leg while reaching your right arm as far toward the floor as you can, tilting your hips left. At the same time, bring your left arm directly above your head. Look up toward your raised arm. It should be almost as if your body could fit in between two panes of glass.8. Extended Side Angle - After triangle, straighten up into Warrior 2 by bending the knee of your right leg, keeping it in line with your ankle. Then, bend the elbow od your right arm and place on your thigh. Reach your left arm over your head, creating one long line with that side of your body.9. Revolved Extended Side Angle - Move from Extended Side Angle position into a forward lunge, placing your left knee on the floor. With your right leg forward, bring your left arm in front of your right leg - pushing your tricep back against the knee. Bend the elbow of your right arm and press hands together in front of you. As you twist your torso toward your right thigh, pull your belly button in and up to engage your core. Then look over your right shoulder. You should feel a stretch along your back. 10. Wide-Legged Forward Bend - Come into a standing position with your feet parallel, wider than hip-distance apart. Bring your hands behind you and interlace the fingers. Slowly bend forward at the waist. To achieve proper alignment, try to keep as little weight in the heels as possibleHold each move for 10 to 15 breaths (about 30 seconds) then repeat again on the other side. Good luck, and happy yoga :) read more..

Chaturanga Dandasana-Surya Namaskara-Sun Salutation

lifeyogakingston:We often practice Surya Namaskara (Sun...

lifeyogakingston:We often practice Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation) in a yoga class; however, Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose) - one of the positions in the Sun Salutation sequence - is often misunderstood by students. Some don’t even see it as an asana itself, but flow through it in transition from Plank Pose to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog). Others perform some version of a push-up. This challenging pose can take time to master as you build strength in the arms, wrists, and abdomen. Keeping the integrity of the pose from the start to the end of our yoga practice is important to avoid injury and benefit from the work it takes to master Chaturanga Dandasana. Here’s how it’s done:  

1. Beginning in Plank Pose, and on an exhalation, slowly lower your torso and legs to a few inches above and parallel to the floor. There’s a tendency in this pose for the lower back to sway toward the floor and the tailbone to poke up toward the ceiling (as in Figure One). 
2. Throughout your stay in this position, keep the tailbone firmly in place and the legs very active and turned slightly inward. Draw the pubis toward the navel.
3. Keep the space between the shoulder blades broad. Don’t let the elbows splay out to the sides (as in Figure Two); hold them in by the sides of the torso and push them back toward the heels. 
4. Press the bases of the index fingers firmly to the floor. Lift the top of the sternum and your head to look forward.

The completed form of Chaturanga Dandasana (as in Figure Three) is quite difficult to perform at first, until your arms, back, and legs are strong enough to support you. You can get a feel for this challenging position by practicing it standing upright. Stand and face a wall, a few inches away from the wall. Press your hands against the wall, slightly lower than the level of your shoulders. Imagine that you are trying to push yourself away from the wall, but the firmness of your shoulder blades against the back prevents any movement. Lengthen your tailbone into your heels and lift the top of your sternum toward the ceiling.You can also modify this pose by lowering your knees to the floor from Plank Pose and then, with an exhalation, lower your sternum to within an inch or two from the floor. To make this pose more challenging, if possible, slowly roll over the balls of your feet onto the tops of your feet and shift the torso slightly forward. This will bring the hands back beside your waist and increase the challenge of the position. Practice with pose for anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds. Release with an exhalation. Either lay yourself lightly down onto the floor or push strongly back to Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog), lifting through the top thighs and the tailbone.I enjoy this pose. I hated it when I couldn’t do it but when I discovered that I could some months later (hadn’t done it at all in between that time), I liked it. read more..

Good Morning World

livelovemanja:Good Morning World :) P.S. to purchase a...

livelovemanja:Good Morning World :) P.S. to purchase a YogaSanaRug click here. Manja +I want one of those rugs. Also, love yoga photography. read more..