Yoga: Seated Postures - Part 2
This is the second of our pair of films on yoga seated postures. Improve your flexibility and suppleness with these series of yoga postures which promote all of the benefits that yoga has to offer.
-
You will need:
-
Step 1:
-
Head to knee pose
-
Begin in the staff pose. Bend your knee and pull the knee up and out towards your right side. Place the foot to the inside of the opposite thigh. Keep your left leg extended and firm and the foot flexed pressing the ball of the foot forward. Rotate your upper body towards your left leg. Now take hold of your left foot or use your yoga belt and place it around your left foot. Inhale lengthen your torso up and forward into a pose called upward head to knee pose. Stay in this preparation pose for 3-5 breaths to feel that your spine is lengthening and the chest is open and your shoulders back. On an exhale extend your torso forward and down over your left leg and foot if you can. Hold for 5-8 breaths. Inhale look up and lengthen, exhale release. Repeat on the other leg. Sit on a blanket if you have difficulty in this pose and if your knee is lifted off the floor, place a blanket under your knee for support.
-
Step 2:
-
Bound angle pose
-
Sit on a blanket or on the floor. Bend both your knees and pull your feet towards you allowing the knees to open out to the side and join the soles of your feet together. Take hold of your ankles and bring your heels and feet close to the perineum. Place your fingertips on the floor behind your buttocks and raise your hips up to lengthen your spine. Now take hold of your feet again and lift up your upper body and chest and press you thighs back and towards the floor. Hold for 5 breaths. Now bend forward and at the same time press the thighs to the floor with your elbows. Come forward as far as you can with your upper body extended and with buttocks firmly grounded to the floor. Hold for 5 breaths. Now inhale lift your upper body, and exhale to release the pose.
-
Step 3:
-
Straddle forward bend
-
Directly from the bound angle pose, stretch and spread your legs wide apart. Flex your feet and keep your front thighs, knees and toes facing straight up towards the ceiling. Place your fingertips behind your buttocks to help lift your sacrum and extend your spine, your arms should be straight. Press your thighs towards the floor and extend your calf muscles towards your heels keeping your feet flexed toes pointed upwards. Draw your trunk up with the chest open and lifted. Stay in this position for 5 breaths. Place your hands in front of you between your legs on the floor and try to extend the trunk of your body forward keeping your buttocks firmly grounded on the floor and your knees and toes always pointed upward. Lower down as much as you can without hunching or rounding your upper back. If you are very flexible then take hold of your big toe with your index, middle finger and your thumb, inhale look up and lengthen exhale lower the trunk towards the floor. Hold for 5 breaths. Inhale extend the trunk of your body, exhale come out of the pose.