MIND & BODY
PIGEON (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana) • Begin in Downward facing Dog Pose, bend your left knee and bring it forward in between your hands. Place your left leg on the floor with your knee still bent, lowering your shin and thigh to the floor. Your left heel should point toward your pubis. • Extend your right leg behind you. Your hips should be squared forward and your right knee should point down toward the floor.
• Lift your chest, using your fingertips to bring your torso to an upright position. Press down into the floor with your hips and pubis, and lift up with your chest. • AVOID compensating for tight shoulders and chest by compressing your lower back and rolling your back knee to either side
BENEFITS • Stretches the hips, thighs, spine, chest, shoulders, neck and abdominals • Strengthens the spine
DANCER POSE 5
• Standing in mountain pose, bend your right knee and draw your right heel towards your buttock. Contract the muscles in your left thigh. Keep both hips open.
• Turn your right palm outward, reach behind your back and grasp the inside of your right foot with your hand. Lift through your spine from your tailbone to the top of your neck.
• Raise your right foot toward the ceiling and push back against your right hand. Lift you left arm up to- ward the ceiling simultaneously. It is natural to tilt your torso forward while raising your back leg. Lifting your chest and arm will help you stand upright and increase your flexibility. • Hold for 20 seconds to 1 minute. Release and repeat on the other side
• Keep your standing leg straight and your muscles contracted
• If you have trouble maintaining your balance, practice with your free hand against a wall for support • AVOID: looking down at the floor, you will lose your balance.
• Compressing your spine- keep your pelvic floor engaged
BENEFITS
• Stretches thighs, groin, abdominals, shoulders and chest. • Strengthens spine, thighs, hips and ankles, improves bal- ance, opens airways
CONTRAINDICATIONS • Back injury, low blood pressure
CONTRAINDICATIONS • Hip injury • Back injure • Knee injury
TRIANGLE (Trikonasana) • Stand in Mountain pose with your pelvis, head and chest aligned • Separate your feet 3.5 to 4 feet apart • Inhale and raise both arms straight out to the side, keeping them parallel to the floor with our palms facing down.
• Exhale slowly and without bending your knees. Pivot on your heels to turn your right foot all the way to the right and your left foot slightly toward the right, keeping your heels in line with each other
• Drop your torso as far as is comfortable to the right side, keeping your arms parallel to the floor.
• Once the torso is fully extended to the right, drop your right arm so that your right hand rests on your shin or on the front of your ankle. At the same time, extend your left arm straight up toward the ceiling. Gently twist your spine and torso counter- clockwise, using your extended arms as a lever while your spinal axis remains parallel to the ground. Extend your arms apart from each other in opposite directions.
• Turn your head to gaze at your left thumb, slightly intensifying the twist in your spine. Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Inhale and return to a stand- ing position with the arms outstretched, strongly press- ing the back heel to the floor. Reverse the feet and repeat on the other side.
BENEFITS • Stretches thighs, knees, ankles, hips, groins, ham- strings, calves, shoulders, chest and spine
• Relieves stress • Stimulates digestion, relieves symptoms of menopause and relieves backache
CONTRAINDICATIONS • HIGH Blood pressure • Neck issues
FALL 2012 CLUBLIFE 15 7 6
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