Tag: flow

A Flow for All Moms

Happy Mother’s Day! In honor of mothers everywhere, we created a short sequence that is accessible to women of all ages and levels of fitness. Each pose can be modified so that it is appropriate for varying levels of strength and flexibility. We encourage you to share your practice with your mother, grandmother, or other special mom in your life. Give the incredible gift of yoga today with this all-levels flow. Start with a few rounds of sun salutations, and then remember to hold each posture for five full breaths (about 30 seconds). Practice the sequence on both sides of your body, and have a beautiful Mother’s Day!

Downward Facing Dog
Although the traditional posture looks like a perfect upside down letter V, your pose may look a bit different. Depending on your level of flexibility, your knees may be bent, and your heels may be lifted from the mat. These modifications are perfectly acceptable, and are welcome, as they offer a safe, full-body stretch.

Revolved Downward Facing Dog
Shift your weight into your right hand, and place your left hand on the outside of your right thigh. If you would like a deeper stretch, slide your hand to your calf or ankle. Twist your torso to the right, and gaze up under your right armpit. Don’t forget to engage your core, as this Downward Dog variation is a balance pose!

3-Legged Downward Facing Dog
From Revolved Downward Facing Dog, untwist your body and return to Downward Facing Dog. Extend your right leg high into the air for 3-legged dog. Flex the foot on your lifted leg, and rotate your right hip so that all five toes point down toward the mat. If this requires you to lower your leg, go ahead and lower it. Your leg does not need to be particularly high to reap the benefits of this pose. Make an effort to keep your shoulders equidistant from the mat and avoid sinking into your left shoulder.

3-Legged Downward Dog Variation
Bend the knee of your lifted leg, drawing the heel of your right foot in toward your body. Open your chest toward the right by stacking your right hip over your left hip. For a deeper stretch, slowly lower your left forearm to the mat.

Lizard Pose
Lower your lifted leg, returning to Downward Facing Dog. Step your right foot to the outside of your right hand. Walk your hands forward a few inches, and then lower your forearms to the ground for Lizard pose. If this hip stretch is too intense, lower your back knee to the mat for a more comfortable variation. Feel free to experiment in this pose by rocking onto the outer edge of your foot and then back down onto the sole. Maintain length in your spine, and remember to breathe!

Side Plank Variations
From Lizard Pose, lift onto your hands, and roll onto the outer edge of your left foot for Side Plank. Choose the variation that challenges you while allowing you to maintain your form. Keep your hips lifted and your core engaged.

Forearm Plank
From Side Plank, roll into plank pose (top of a push up), and then lower onto your forearms for Forearm Plank. This pose will strengthen your shoulders and core muscles. Your body should create a straight line from head to heel, and your shoulders should be stacked above your elbows. Feel free to lower onto your knees to maintain proper form.

Dolphin/Forearmstand
From Forearm Plank, begin to walk your feet in toward your elbows for Dolphin pose. Rise onto the balls of your feet or even your tippy toes to test your strength. Keep your feet together, and challenge yourself to try to stack your hips above your shoulders. Breathe deeply as you hold this intense posture. If inversions are a regular part of your practice, move into a Forearmstand.

May 10, 2015
How to Structure a 30-Minute Yoga Practice

I have a confession to make…On most days, I don’t flow for more than 30 minutes on my mat. Yes, of course, there are those special days when I can practice for hours without interruption, but most of the time, life calls, and I have to be perfectly content with a half hour of yoga. Fortunately for me, thirty minutes happens to be the magic number. I can get through my flow without sweating like a beast, and I can continue on with my life without having to shower. (This is actually a big deal for busy moms that are constantly on the go and feel pressed to find any time to exercise at all. Having to shower can be a deal breaker.)

If you are considering an at-home practice, start with thirty minutes! It’s a minimal commitment of time, and you will feel really good at the end of it all. Your muscles will be happy, your mind will be clear, and you will get a good deal of satisfaction from knowing that you did something good for yourself.

If you need a little help getting started, here’s how I would recommend structuring your practice:

0:00 – 5:00 minutes
Close your eyes, shut out the world, and begin to focus on your breath. Set an intention for your practice. Your intention doesn’t have to be particularly profound, but you certainly can go ahead and think about your purpose in life or your purpose for getting on your mat. Instead of an intention, you can state a few positive affirmations to uplift your spirit— For example—I am strong; I am healthy; I am enough.

When you are ready, slowly open your eyes and spend a few minutes doing some light stretching. I like to reach my arms overhead and stretch the sides of my body. I also do some gentle seated twists, a few cat-cows, maybe some wrist and shoulder stretches, and a nice long downward facing dog.

5:00 – 10:00 minutes
I always include a few rounds of sun salutations at the start of my practice. During this time, I warm up my body, and I also manage to completely clear my mind by focusing on each inhale and exhale that accompanies every pose. The best thing about sun salutations is that they are so engrained into my memory that I can simply move without thinking. I’m not worried about what comes next because my body just knows. If you are not yet at the point where sun salutations flow naturally without much thought, don’t worry. You will get there. If you include the same Sun Salutation A sequence at the beginning of every flow, you will learn it very quickly.

10:00 minutes – 20:00 minutes
If you are designing your own flow, you need to be aware of how much time each pose will take to complete. This is up to you, and you can move as quickly or as slowly as you like, but my preference is to hold poses for about 30 seconds, or 5 full breaths. I am assuming that each full breath is about 6 seconds long (i.e., 3 seconds for your inhale; 3 seconds for your exhale). Following this simple math, a sequence that includes 10 poses will take you about 5 minutes to complete. And of course, if you are practicing the right and left sides of your body, your 5-minute sequence will actually be a 10-minute practice. For a quick 10-minute flow, check out our Yoga for Busy Moms sequence.

20:00 minutes – 30:00 minutes
At this point, assess how you feel. Some days, you might feel very energized and want to stay on your feet. If that’s the case, go ahead and repeat your 10-minute flow. Other days, you might want to do some floor work and stretch a specific body part. Go ahead and take a seat. Work on whatever body part is calling for attention. When your hips feel tight, sit for a few minutes in various pigeon pose variations. When your shoulders and chest feel tight, lie down across a block or practice other heart openers. Or maybe you choose to do 5 minutes of seated stretches and 5 minutes of inversions. The beauty of your at-home practice is that you can do whatever you want! Experiment, play, and enjoy yourself.

Please feel free to tell us about your own home practice in the comments section!

April 11, 2015
8 Poses to Energize Your Morning

You may be wondering how to develop a morning yoga practice if you aren’t a morning person. We’ve mentioned it in the past, and we will say it again—baby steps are the answer! Rather than setting your alarm clock 90 minutes earlier than usual, start by taking baby steps. Set yourself up for success by setting attainable goals. Perhaps a 5:30 am wake-up time will never fit your lifestyle, but a 6:30 am wake-up time may be palatable and sustainable. Even thirty minutes is enough time to set a daily intention, take a few deep breaths, stretch the body, raise the heart rate, and start each morning feeling peaceful and accomplished.

A few rounds of sun salutations, a series of core-strengthening exercises, and a number of warrior poses that fire up the leg muscles are a great way to stretch the body and break a sweat in a short period of time. Try each of the strengthening poses below, and once you are familiar with each of the poses and can hold each pose for five full breaths, repeat the sequence at a faster pace. Remember to practice the sequence on both sides of the body.

Down dog
Although it’s often called a “resting pose”, the entire body remains active in downward facing dog—Fingers grip the mat, biceps roll forward, shoulder blades move down the back, quadriceps pull up and away from the knees, and the core is engaged.

3-legged dog
For the most effective hamstring stretch, flex your top foot, and make an effort to keep all five toes of your lifted leg pointing down toward the ground. If you find your toes pointing to the side, lower your raised leg, and focus on keeping both hips equidistant from the mat.

Core Exercise
This effective exercise will strengthen the core without the need for a single sit-up or crunch. From 3-legged dog, bring the right knee to the right tricep, and round the upper back. Return to 3-legged dog. Repeat this exercise by bringing the knee to the nose, back up to 3-legged dog, and then across the body to the left tricep. Complete the core sequence by ending in 3-legged dog.

Warrior 1
From 3-legged dog, step your right foot forward between your hands. Rise up to Warrior 1. This fundamental yoga pose is accessible to yogis of all levels. Adjust the level of difficulty to suit your needs. Build up the strength to be able to hold this pose with a 90-degree angle in the front leg. And build up the flexibility so that both hip points are turned to face the front of the mat.

Warrior 2
With the hips facing the side of the yoga mat (rather than the front), most students find the alignment of Warrior 2 to be a bit easier than Warrior 1. Remember to breathe deeply, keep the core engaged, and resist the urge to lean toward the front of the mat. Keep your shoulders stacked right over the hips.

Reverse Warrior
Continue to strengthen your legs in a warrior pose, but add a side stretch to loosen up the intercostal muscles that run between the ribs.

Modified Side Angle Pose
Enjoy the benefits of a feel-good side stretch in this modified version of side angle pose. While the full expression of the pose bring the fingertips to the floor, this less intense modification allows the forearm to rest on the front thigh.

Triangle Pose
Triangle pose will feel like a welcome relief after holding so many poses that require a 90-degree angle in the front leg. Enjoy the stretch.

If you would like to practice with us and try our full 20-minute Good Morning Flow, CLICK HERE!

November 14, 2014