At Home Inside and Out

So you’re starting your yoga journey? Welcome to the yoga community!! Yoga is a fantastic way to connect to your body, your mind, and your spirit.

I believe that yoga is for everyone, regardless of age, athleticism, flexibility, or strength! Yoga has been a source of great strength, rest, renewal, and introspection for me. I hope you find these poses helpful! (I’m not a doctor or physical therapist, so if you have health concerns, please contact your wellness team before trying these poses.)

Mountain Pose

This pose is a great starting point for yoga! This teaches you how you naturally stand and helps you start to actively listen to your body. With practice, you can begin to improve your posture, body awareness, and strength. Focus on the following and continue to breath naturally:

• Equal weight distribution between your feet
• Feet are hip width distance apart
• Toes, ball of the foot, side of the foot, and heel are on the ground
• Slight bend in the knees
• Engage your core so your tailbone is facing towards the floor
• Roll your shoulders in a circle so they are relaxed and lowered
• Roll your wrists in a circle and relax your fingertips
• Roll your neck in a circle a couple times
• Stand tall with your gaze directly ahead of you

Cat/Cow Pose

This pose helps you to build body awareness around your spine, shoulders, hips, wrists, and core. Move slowly through each cat and cow and remember to sync your breath to the movements. Relax your jaw, your forehead, and the muscles in your face:

• Get on your hands and knees on a soft surface (carpet, yoga mat)
• Keep your hands flat on the ground and move your wrists and arm directly underneath your shoulders
• Slightly spread your fingers and distribute your weight equally through your fingers. Avoid putting too much pressure on your wrists (think clawing into the floor)
• Move your knees directly under your hips with your lower legs and feet directly behind your knees
• Keep the tops of your feet and toes on the mat
• Inhale slowly with the spine neutral
• Exhale and drop your belly towards the ground. Imagine a string is pulling your belly button into the earth
• Keep your shoulders relaxed and your fingers engaged
• Slowly look directly ahead of you, keep your gaze on a single point
• Then, inhale and tuck your chin into your chest
• Round your belly, now like a string is pulling your belly button to the sky
• Keep your shoulders relaxed and the tops of your feet glued to the earth.
• Tuck your chin into your chest. Stop the moment you feel a strain in your neck.
• Repeat slowly at the pace of your breath

Child’s pose

This pose is a classic resting pose in yoga. Think of this as your “me time”. A time to breath and focus only on your breath and your awareness of your body. Don’t worry if your bottom can’t touch your toes, just enjoy the stretch and being with your breath.

• From the neutral spine of cat/cow, widen your knees to a little wider than hip distance
• Touch your big toes together
• Send your hips back and down towards your heels
• Move your hands forward about 6 inches to a foot, still grounding through your fingers
• Melt your heart to the floor without arching your back
• Drop your head between your arms
• Breathe slowly and sink deeper into the pose if you can
• You have the option to rest your head on your arms/hands as well if extending your arms hurts your shoulders.

Figure 4

Figure 4 is still one of my favorite poses for my hips! It targets your outer hips and glutes to provide a stretch that counters us sitting all day.

• Start by lying on your back
• Bend your knees and bring your feet to the floor about 12-18 inches away from your bottom.
• Lift your right leg and hug your knee to your chest as best as you can. Breath a few times here.
• Grab your right foot with your left hand and guide your right ankle over the left thigh, right above the left knee
• Make sure your left foot is still fully on the ground
• Flex your right foot
• Gently push your right knee away from you. If this is too much of a stretch, skip it.
• Stay for 5 or more rounds of breath.
• Return your right foot to the ground gently.
• Repeat with your left ankle over your right thigh.

Corpse Pose

Don’t be scared of the name!! Corpse pose is a very relaxing pose. It may not even feel like a pose to you, and that’s a good thing! This is a pose, like mountain pose, that increases your awareness of your body’s natural state. Is your weight distributed evenly on each side of your body? Are your hands or neck naturally tense? Do your shoulder blades touch the floor?

• Start seated with your feet planted on the ground like in Figure Four.
• Roll your back slowly down to the floor. Feel each vertebrae coming into contact with the floor
• Lay your head gently on the floor. Untuck your chin, gaze at the ceiling
• Extend your feet out in front of you
• Relax your ankles and toes
• Drop your shoulders away from your ears
• Distribute your weight evenly in your back body (bottom, hips, back)
• Put your hands down by your side, palms facing up or down. If you’d like, you can put your hands on your stomach or heart as well
• Breathe slowly, in through your nose, out through your mouth
• Relax the muscles in your face
• Remain here for 5 or more breaths. Think of one thing you’re grateful for with each breath

Those are my top 5 yoga poses for beginners. I hope they helped you increase your body awareness and provided a deeper understanding into each pose.

Did you try these poses?

What did you become aware of in your body?

How is your yoga journey going so far?

Let me know down in the the comments!

All my love,

Ryan