Yoga Alone Blog

Bump up your energy by bending back into Camel Pose. Camel Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions Step 1 Kneel on the floor with your knees hip width and thighs perpendicular to the floor. Rotate your thighs inward slightly, narrow your hip points, and firm but don't harden your buttocks. Imagine that you're drawing your sitting bones up, into your torso. Keep your outer hips as soft as possible. Press your shins and the tops of your feet firmly into floor. Step 2 Rest your hands on the back of your pelvis, bases of the palms on the tops of the buttocks, fingers pointing down. Use your hands to spread the back pelvis and lengthen it down through your tail bone. Then lightly firm the tail forward, toward the pubis. Make sure though that your front groins don't "puff" forward. To prevent this, press your front thighs back, countering the forward action of your tail. Inhale and lift your heart by pressing the shoulder blades against your back ribs....

It is said that if you perform the fish pose in water, you will be able to float like a fish. Fish Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions Step 1 Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent, feet on the floor. Inhale, lift your pelvis slightly off the floor, and slide your hands, palms down, below your buttocks. Then rest your buttocks on the backs of your hands (and don’t lift them off your hands as you perform this pose). Be sure to tuck your forearms and elbows up close to the sides of your torso. Step 2 Inhale and press your forearms and elbows firmly against the floor. Next press your scapulas into your back and, with an inhale, lift your upper torso and head away from the floor. Then release your head back onto the floor. Depending on how high you arch your back and lift your chest, either the back of your head or its crown will rest on the floor. There should be a minimal amount of weight on your head to avoid crunching your neck. (For more about this, ...

 It stretches the hamstrings and hips. Side Lunge (Skandasana) in Yoga Search When you're looking for a great hip-opening pose, turn to the Side Lunge ( Skandasana ). This is a common yoga pose that stretches your hips and hamstrings and helps build your core strength. It's a relatively simple lunge, making it perfect for beginners and regular practice. This version of  Skandasana  was popularized by Shiva Rea in her trance-dance flow sequences. It is sometimes used as a transitional pose. Advanced students will also enjoy some challenging variations. Step-by-Step Instructions 1.  Begin in Wide-Legged Forward Bend ( Prasarita Padottanasana) . 2.  Bend your left knee into a half-squat. Keep your right leg straight and flex your foot so that your toes leave the floor so you are resting on the right heel. 3. There are a lot of options for arm variations. Keep your hands on the floor if you need them for balance. Otherwise, try bending ...

Releases the hips and knees. yoga squat pose Watch little children playing and you will often see them in a natural squatting position as they reach for toys and move about. Yoga Squat pose, or Malasana, is a squat that elongates the spine and strengthens the core. It works to open the hips, stretch the leg muscles and feet, and helps the yogi find balance. This pose is highly recommended for those who sit for long periods of time as it is the opposing position. If your heels come off the floor, that’s a sign of tight Achilles tendons, which is very common. Try rolling your mat or a towel and placing it under your heels for support. This allows the body to relax into the pose and you gain benefits. Step-By-Step Instruction Start from a standing position on your mat with your feet parallel and slightly wider than your hips. Bend your knees and gently lower your seat toward the earth until your hips are lower than your knees. Keep the spine vertical and the head reachi...

Mandukasana: Frog Pose   Mandukasana (man-doo-KAHS-uh-nuh), also known as frog pose, is a simple yet intensive pose that brings length to the spine and deep bends to the lower joints. Before attempting this pose, ensure your knees are warm and are able to bend completely. Step-By-Step: 1. Begin in a table top shape facing the long edge of your mat. 2. Walk your knees out wider than your hips. Flex your feet so your toes face outward and your heels are directly behind your knees. 3. Option to place additional padding (e.g. blanket) under your knees or walk your knees closer together. 4. Walk your hands forward a little or a lot. If you have room, place your forearms on a block or on the ground. 5. Reach the crown of your head forward and your tailbone back. Keep your hips in the same plane as your knees (if you saw yourself from the side, knees would look like they’re under you hips). 6. t your belly away from the ground. 7. Hold ...

A classic restorative posture, Supta Baddha Konasana or Reclining Bound Angle Pose can be modified for any level of hip and groin resistance. Reclining Bound Angle Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions Step 1 Perform Baddha Konasana. Exhale and lower your back torso toward the floor, first leaning on your hands. Once you are leaning back on your forearms, use your hands to spread the back of your pelvis and release your lower back and upper buttocks through your tailbone. Bring your torso all the way to the floor, supporting your head and neck on a blanket roll or bolster if needed. Step 2 With your hands grip your topmost thighs and rotate your inner thighs externally, pressing your outer thighs away from the sides of your torso. Next slide your hands along your outer thighs from the hips toward the knees and widen your outer knees away from your hips. Then slide your hands down along your inner thighs, from the knees to the groins. Imagine that your inner gr...

Opens The Hips. Lizard Pose If you feel the need or desire to open and challenge your hips, then you may love Lizard Pose! However, keep in mind that this pose can test your hip flexibility in a major way. In other words, Lizard also known as Utthan Pristhasana is no joking matter. You will likely need plenty of patience as you begin the journey of adding this yoga pose to your daily practice. As a result, many yoga students have a love and hate relationship with this posture. I suppose this pose does look somewhat like a lizard, but there's no doubt that the pose has become a popular posture that you're likely to experience in most yoga classes. Since the pose focuses on the hips, most men usually struggle with the posture. It's likely safe to say that Lizard is a little more popular with female students. Step-By-Step Instructions There are a number of poses that offer a nice transition to Lizard, but for our purposes we will start in D...