International Day of Yoga

1.Mountain Pose

How to do: Stand with your heels slightly apart and hang your arms besides the torso. Gently lift and spread your toes and the balls of your feet, then lay them softly down on the floor. Balance your body weight on your feet. Lift your ankles and firm your thigh muscles while rotating them inwards. As you inhale, elongate your torso and when you exhale release your shoulder blades away from your head. Broaden your collarbone and elongate your neck. Your ears, shoulders, hips and ankles should all be in one line. You can check your alignment by standing against the wall initially. You can even raise your hands and stretch them. Breathe easy.

Benefit: This pose teaches one to stand with majestic steadiness like a mountain. It involves the major groups of muscles and improves focus and concentration. It is the starting position for all the other poses.

2.Tree Pose

How to do: Start with your feet together and place your right foot on your inner left upper thigh. Press your hands in prayer and find a spot in front of you that you can hold in a steady gaze.

Hold and breathe for 8-10 breaths then switch sides. Make sure you don’t lean in to the standing leg and keep your abdominal engaged and shoulders relaxed.

Benefit: This pose gives you a sense of grounding. It improves your balance and strengthens your legs and back.

3.Downward Facing Dog Pose

How to do: Come on to all fours with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Tuck under your toes and lift your hips up off the floor as you draw them up at back towards your heels.

Keep your knees slightly bent if your hamstrings are tight, otherwise try and straighten out your legs while keeping your hips back. Walk your hands forward to give yourself more length if you need to.

Press firmly through your palms and rotate the inner elbows towards each other. Hollow out the abdominal and keep engaging your legs to keep the torso moving back towards the thighs. Hold for 5-8 breaths before dropping back to hands and knees to rest.

Benefit: This pose stretches hamstrings, chest and lengthens the spine, providing additional blood flow to the head. It is will leave you feeling energized.

4.Plank

How to do: get into pushup on the floor. Place your forearms on the ground with your elbows aligned below your shoulders and your arms parallel to your body, at about shoulder-width distance apart.

Make sure your body is lifted and parallel to the floor for the duration of your plank.

During plank make sure your breathing is normal.

Time duration: if you are new then start with 20 seconds for each set, take rest and complete the exercise with 3 set. Make sure after completion of every week you increase your count

Benefits: Leg raises are a great way to target your lower abdominal muscles and also increase the strength and flexibility in your hips and lower back

Strength and endurance in your abs, back, and core. The plank is one of the best exercises for core conditioning but it also works your gluts, hamstrings and tones your body

5.Triangle Pose

How to do: Stand with your feet wide apart. Stretch your right foot out (90 degrees) while keeping the leg closer to the torso. Keep your feet pressed against the ground and balance your weight equally on both feet. Inhale and as you exhale bend your right arm and make it touch the ground while your left arm goes up. Keep your waist straight. Ensure that your body is bent sideways and not forward or backwards. Stretch as much as you can while taking long, deep breaths for 5-8 breath. Repeat on the other side.

Benefit: It stretches the legs and torso, mobilizes the hips and promotes deep breathing, leaving one with enlivening effects.

6.Warrior 1 pose

How to do:  For warrior one, you can take a giant step back with your left foot coming towards a lunge, then turn your left heel down and angle your left toes forward 75 degrees. Lift your chest and press your palms up overhead. Step forward and repeat on the opposite leg.

Benefit: Warrior poses are essential for building strength and stamina in a yoga practice. They give us confidence and stretch the hips and thighs while building strength in the entire lower body and core.

7.Warrior 2

Stand with your feet one leg’s-length apart. Turn your right toes out 90 degrees and your left toes in 45 degrees. Bend your right knee until it is directly over your right ankle while keeping the torso even between the hips.

Stretch your arms out to your sides and gaze over your right hand. Hold for 8-10 breaths before straightening the right leg and turning your feet to the other side to repeat on left side.

Benefit: Warrior II will help open the hips and strengthen the quadriceps

8.Half Spinal Twist

How to do: Both knees should be bent, with your right knee bent above the left leg.  Reach behind you with your right arm, and use your left elbow to steady yourself on your right knee.

Gently twist until it feels right on your body.  Don’t push yourself too far.  Hold for 5-6 breaths, and make sure to repeat on the other side

Benefit: This is especially important if you do a lot of work on your back in yoga, are on your feet all day, or if you sit

9.Bridge Pose

How to do: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and hands by your side.

Tighten your abs and butt to lift your hips off the ground. Try to create a straight line from knees to shoulders and hold this position for 10 sec with normal breathing for each set. Lower back down to start position and repeat

Benefit: Bridge Pose opens the chest, heart, and shoulders. It stretches the spine, the back of the neck, the thighs, and the hip flexors. This pose helps to relief from back pain

10.Child Pose

How to do: Start on all fours then bring your knees and feet together as you sit your butt back to your heels and stretch your arms forward. Lower your forehead to the floor (or block or pillow or blanket) and let your entire body release. Hold for as long as you wish

Benefit: This pose can be about resting or meditation. The point is to let the body completely relax. It gives you mental peace and stress/tension relief.