Learning ideas for June 8-12: Self-Practice Yoga

Here are some Yoga activities to try this week!

"Happiness is not readymade. It comes from your own actions."
~ Dalai Lama ~

Yoga Asanas (poses)

Give this pose a try!

Warror I and Warrior II

My favorite video this week: You can be a hero too 

Yoga Breathing

1. Here is a very effective tool for relaxation. Try these 3 breathing exercises to help relax you today (length 3:11). 

Yoga links for virtual classes

1. Are you looking for an advanced Yoga flow class? This series is from Down dog app. Enjoy this 90 minute class (length 1:35:25). 

3. Jennifer Aniston's yoga workout with Mandy Ingber. This ten minute yoga class covers all muscle groups and is great for learning some strength yoga moves (length 10:48).

3. Here is a restorative yoga and meditation session. Here is a yoga practice to hold your poses long enough to activate and tone your muscles (length 33:28). 

Other Yoga Activities

Self-Practice

Sometimes it is great to follow a yoga self practice printed out especially when you don't have access to a computer or just do not feel like listening to a video online. 

Here is our Hatha yoga sequence for you to remember and follow along. Remember you can always use a blanket or rope as a strap. 

Self-Practice

Hatha yoga sequence-part 1 and 2

Props: You need a mat and block (straps are optional as well as blanket and/or bolster).

Practice:

Start with a mindfulness practice. Sit on your mat in easy pose (legs crossed, hands on legs). Feel free to sit on your block. Take a few minutes to close your eyes, notice your surroundings and think about three things you are thankful for.

Next, practice one of your breathing exercises. You can choose the calming breathing by inhaling for 4, holding for 4 and exhaling for 4 (you can also use more counts if you can) or practice your full yogic breath by inhaling deeply to your chest, ribcage and belly and then exhaling from your belly, ribcage and chest.

Next, begin the warm up. You will run through your sun salutations that consist of 12 asanas (poses). Remember to start with the right leg back and then alternate. Do a minimum of 2 rounds (4 sides).

1.     Sun salutations

2.     Standing stretches of your choice

3.     5 cat-cows

4.     Leg raises- 10 right, 10 left, 10 both

5.     Child’s pose for 5 deep breaths

Next, after the warm up, start running through our sequence. You need to do a minimum of 5 breaths for each pose.

1.     Dolphin then rest in child’s pose for 3 breaths

2.     Shoulder stand

3.     Plough

4.     Bridge then bring your knees to your chest and deep breath 3 times

5.     Fish then bring your chin to your chest

6.     Head to knee

7.     Butterfly

8.     Wide Angle

9.     Locust/Cobra

10.  Bow

After this, you will do the cool down and rest portion of the practice. Take 5-10 minutes to do this. Stretch anything that you feel you need to. Maybe do some seated twists or lying down twists or any other folds. After this, rest in the final position of

11.  Savasana or corpse pose.

Self-Practice Printable Link