Basic Yoga Postures and their Variations

Here are a couple of common yoga postures you may encounter, and the correct way to do them. (Please be sure to consult your trainer or healthcare practitioner before beginning a new exercise routine, especially if your fitness level is currently low.)

1. THE COBRA Image by myyogaonline via Flickr
Do this in easy stages. Lie down, face prone, legs tightly together and stretched back, forehead on the floor. Put your hands, palm down, just under your shoulders. Image by iwillnotsuccumb via FlickrInhale and raise your head, pressing your neck back, now use your hands to push your trunk up until you are bending in a beautiful arc from your lower spine to the back of your neck. You need go no further than this. However, if you are supple enough, you can now straighten your arms completely, bend the legs at the knees and drop your head back to touch your feet. Even if your head goes nowhere near your feet, drop it back as far as possible and hold the posture with deep breathing. Come out of the posture very slowly, returning to the face prone posture. Relax with your head to one side. Repeat.


2. THE BOW
Image by myyogaonline via FlickrThis is also an extreme version of the simple bow. It is surprising how many children can do it immediately. Take it, once again, in easy stages. Lie face prone on your mat. If you are very slim have a nice thick, padded mat for this one. Inhale and bend your knees up. Stretch back with your arms and catch hold of your ankles, keeping fingers and thumbs all together on the outside. Inhale and at the same time raise your head and chest, pulling at your ankles and lifting knees and thighs off the floor. Breathe normally, trying to kick up your legs higher and lifting your head up. You are now bent like a bow, balancing the weight of your body on your abdomen. You can stop right here but if you can still stretch further, then slide your hands down your legs, lift them higher, keep the knees together and pull back as much as you can. Hold for a few normal deep breaths, then relax back to the face-prone position, head to one side.


Image by myyogaonline via Flickr3. THE UPWARD BOAT (or just BOAT)
This strengthens your abs, improves your balancing ability, and also helps in digestion. First: Sit down on the floor. Bend your knees and place feet flat on the floor. Second: breathe in, bend back and raise heels off the ground, straightening your legs as possible as you can. Expand your arms with palms facing downward. If you find it difficult to perform, you can rest your hands beneath your knees for support. This may be a difficult yoga posture to perform but after a few practices, you will never have that difficulty again. Third:  while you hold the pose for thirty seconds, you should keep your back in a straight line, and make sure your abs are doing the work. Practice this yoga posture all over again when you have time and you will find it easy to execute after you have continuously repeated it.

For more yoga information and resources, check out our blog posts from earlier in the week, or visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/exercise.html.