This is such a gentle easy pose to do at anytime during the day- on the mat or not. Yet it offers such a wide variety of benefits to the body and mind. Benefits of this Pose:
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1) Opens those HIP + GROIN Muscles... for all sorts of other playful activity ;)
2) Opens Hip Rotator Muscles; great for people you tend to sit at work all day. 3) Helps ease chronic low back pain (which I can personally attest to) 4) Helps balance your core and open chest in advanced variations (as shown) 5) Calms the mind- thank GOD! Bonus reason: It's a DAMN good release. Physically and Emotionally. Pigeon gets you into that perfect place of hurting so GOOD. So Pigeon up + Feel Good. I LOVE this pose even though it can cause me MUCH discomfort.
Even as a yoga instructor I have my own personal challenges and my hips are quite tight. Relentlessly so that even after a wicked hip opener workshop with Nicki Doane of Maya Yoga (she is phenomenal) that left me so open I was walking different for a week, yet my tight ass hips they still managed to tighten back up! Awesome benefits of this Pose:
Challenge: Try this pose everyday for the month of August! Child's Pose is such a Wicked Pose.
I used to love it as a "resting" pose in between a hectic strength challenging flow, but now I just straight up love it to hang out in whenever, wherever. It chills me out, clears my mind, slows down my breath and does gently stretching for most all areas I need it. #1. Gently Stretches Hips, Ankles + Thighs. #2. Stretches Back ; Can Relieve Neck and Back Pain when properly supported in this pose. #3. Clears and Calms the Mind; Grounding Effect. #4. Relieve Stress #5. Fight Fatigue Had an amazing class come out of me tonight so I thought I would share it with you all.
It's a pretty standard flow but it just felt so good! Starting in Savasana: 5 minutes to settle in your savasana, relax, let go of the days stresses Do a mental scan of the physical body- a check in to see how you are feeling. Are there any aches, pain or discomfort? Taking this time to connect with the body and see what's up. Begin now to connect with the breath: Starting with gentle inhales and exhales through the nose, feeling the belly rise and fall, making each next breath a little deeper, a little longer than the last. Once you have set a flow to your breath, continue for 10 deep breaths at your own pace. Warming up the Body Transition: Gently begin to bring awareness back into the body- wiggling the toes, fingers, gently rolling the head from side to side. Whenever you feel ready, on a inhale bring a bend to the knees, soles of feet on the mat. On your exhale begin to open the knees away from each other, push the soles of feet together as the legs drop to the sides settling into reclined butterfly. Arms can come out to sides or even rest on the floor over head to begin to open the chest and shoulders. Continue to breath here. When you feel ready, on an inhale begin to bring the knees back together, soles of feet on mat, and on your exhale begin to bring the knees into the chest, wrapping the arms around the legs giving yourself a big hug. Rock or roll out any tension here; massage the back. Eventually rolling up onto your sit bones and transitioning into table top: completing a few cats/cows at your own pace, warming up the spine, preparing for practice. Here comes the Flow: On your exhale begin to tuck the toes in under, lift the hips and push back into your down dog. AHHHH, walk it out, stretch it out, feel that oh so awesome down dawg feelin. Inhale to plank, exhale chaturanga, inhale up dog, exhale down dog. Step or jump your feet to the top of the mat, inhale to a flat back, exhale into a forward fold, and inhale all the way to stand arms stretch over head, palms come together in prayer and exhale to the heart. Continue to flow ~ adding in: 1st flow: Step back with low lunge- Hold for 5 breaths. 2nd flow: Step back with low lunge , then using core, inhale arms and torso up into a high lunge 3rd Flow: Low lunge, High Lunge, then on an inhale bring palms together in prayer and exhale the opposite elbow to the front bent knee- into prayer twist 4th Flow: Low lunge, high lunge, prayer twist, inhale release the twist lengthening arms over head clasping palms together and exhale push the bent knee forward, lifting chest to the sky settling into cresent lunge. 5th Flow: Low Lunge, High Lunge, Lunge with Prayer Twist, Cresent Lunge, release the opposite arm to the bent knee bringing the hand to the mat (reaching the other arm to the sky), begin to lift the lengthened leg off the mat into a lunge- settling into revolved intense side angle pose. After you've completed the 5th flow sequence on both sides and have landed in down dog, rest here. Return your focus to your breath. Inhale the left leg to the sky- hips squared, toes facing down. Bring the gaze forward to your hands and with caution begin to move the left hand to the right side, so the thumbs of both hands are touching. Exhale bend the knee of the lifted leg, sweep forward across chest and plant the left foot on the mat next to the hands. Settle into Lizard pose. Inhale begin to lengthen the torso and arms lifting over head come to stand. Simultaneously lengthening the front leg. Adjust so hips are square to the front and begin to transition into pyramid pose. Bring a bend back to the front knee, lower torso down, step back into down dog. Repeat on other side. Finishing with pigeon and king pigeon, one armed camel on each side, seated forward fold and breathing meditation. Confusing to do from written instructions? lol- probably very much so. Video to follow once I muster up the courage to go on camera ;) Lots of Yoga Love, AAxo Photo Credit: yatrayoga.co 1) Sit in a comfortable position on your bed and take a few moments to MEDITATE: clear the mind, focus on the breath.
2) Take 10 deep BREATHs in and out through the nose-counting to 5 as you inhale and counting to 7 as you exhale, making the exhale a little longer than the inhale. 3) Recline onto your back and HUG KNEES into the chest, rock and roll clockwise counter clockwise massaging the back. 4) Keeping knees into the chest, allow arms to come out into T position, on an exhale drop knees to the right side coming into a RECLINED SPINAL TWIST. Return your focus to your breath, stay here for 10 breaths. Repeat on other side. 5) Inhale knees back to centre of chest, raise feet to sky. Bring hands in between feet and grab a foot with each hand- coming into HAPPY BABY POSE. Holding for 10 breaths. 6) Begin to release arms to side in comfortable position and on your next inhale lengthen the LEGS UP THE WALL, exhale allowing them to relax on the wall, resting in this position. Hold for 10-20 breaths. 7) Let legs come off the wall and slowly and gently swivel around to a seated position, lengthening one leg at a time out in front of you. Take an inhale to lengthen spine, lift chest and on your exhale begin to fold forward coming in a SEATED FORWARD FOLD. Hold for 10 breaths. 8) After your 10th exhale, take an inhale to tuck the chin to the chest and as you exhale slowly roll up vertebrae by vertebrae letting the head surface last and slowly begin to roll all the way down onto your back. 9) Settle into SAVASANA. Taking your deepest most flowing breaths yet- take as many as you want or need. 10) Relax into a restful sleep Night Night Yogi's For more yoga routines visit: Your Urban Yo gi
I love this pose and integrate it into my flows on the regular. It feels like the perfect pose in the morning to just stretch, wake up and ahhh.
Benefits of this Pose:
Contraindications:
AAxo |