Open you heart for a new day

Summer days are perfect addition for some great heart openers.
My choice for now and ever - Upward Facing Dog.
Strong and intelligent posture, in my experience - everybody likes it.

But still, there are some underwater stones while building.

Upward Facing Dog (sanskrit Urdva Mukha Svanasana)

Position
Lay down on your mat, keep your big toes together. Keep your palms aligned with your chest. Lift your chest slightly off the mat, 90 degrees in your elbows (Baby cobra position).
Push through your palms and tops of your feet, lift whole body off the floor.
Only palms and top of the feet are on the floor. Move shoulders back and down, move tailbone down.
Try to avoid lower back compression. Engage your abdominal area.
Strong legs, keep knee cups lifted.
Open your chest by engaging upper part of your back.
Move your chin and your gaze slightly up.

You can fing perfect transition for Upward Dog in Sun Salutation (sanskrit Surya Namaskara).
Plank Pose - Chaturanga Dandasana - Upward Facing Dog - Downward Facing Dog

Props
Use a block between your thighs to keep your legs strong and engaged.
If this posture costs you some pain in your feet, take a blanket under it.
This posture is an advanced back bend, so please be carefull with yourlowerback, if you feel pain stick with baby-cobra position.

Benefits
Strengthens the spine
Chest stretching and opener for heart chakra
Sciatica relieve
Helps to fight with depression
Helps to fight with overweight

Contraindications
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Lower back injury
Pregnancy (Careful during the period)
Strong headache




 

How about a little challenge?

Extended Side Angle (Sanskrit Utthita Parsvakonasana)

Extended Side Angle is one of my favorite postures in practice. Great heart opener and really strong energy line are provided along with hips and hamstrings workout.

Position

Start in Tadasana (Mountain Pose), take a step back for approximately 1-1,5 meters, bend your front knee for 90 degrees angle, be sure that your heel is right under your knee, ground your back foot and keep it strong. Open your hips as for Warrior  II and slowly start to move your upper body forward and down until your front hand will reach the floor. Place your back hand on the hip and use it as a lever to open and lift your chest. After that extend your back arm up and then move it forward to create one strong energetic line between your back heel and upper hand. Take your shoulders down to release your neck, pay attention on the spine extending. The final step is to turn your head slightly up and look on your triceps.

Props

Try this posture with back foot near the wall, by pushing your foot into the wall it’s easier to keep your back leg extended and strong. If you have a problem with chest opening, take your front hand higher (on a block for example, three levels are available for students). If you have difficulties with your hand on the highest level of block, place your elbow on your front tigh.

Benefits

Strengthen hamstrings and calves

Chest opener

Deep hips opener

Waist workout and weight loss

Coordination of your movement

Helps to fight with arthritis

Helps with period misbalance

Contraindications

Discomfort with internals

Knee injury

Neck injury (don’t turn your head up)

Yoga Practice to avoid cellulite

Cellulite is a very common problem for a lot of women all over the world. Reasons for this illness could be very different, starting with nutrition problems, hormones misbalance, passive life and etc..

Here are some postures, which will HELP to fight and avoid cellulite.

Warrior I, II (sanskrit Virabhadrasana I, II)

Will fill your blood with an oxigen, will tone up thighs and buttocks.

Starting in Downward Facing Dog. Lift your right leg up to the sky and place it between your hands on the mat. Keep 90 degrees angle between your thigh and calve, ground your back foot under 45 degrees angle and extend back leg. For Warrior I keep your hips square and lift your torso up. On inhale raise your hands up to the ceiling, but keep shoulders in your shoulders sockets. For Warrior II lift your torso up and open hips, lift and extend your arms on shoulder level. And of course don’t forget to breathe.

Eagle pose (sanskrit Garudasana)

This posture is great to refresh blood in thighs and hamstrings area.

Starting in Mountain Pose. Spread toes widely. Lift one leg and catch the balance with your base leg. Bend your knees and twist your base led with upper one like a hug. Be sure that front part of foot is on the calve of base leg. Bend your elbows and twist arms, keep palms together and lift your hands up a little bit. You can always keep your hands in prayer in this posture.

Locust Pose (sanskrit Salabhasana)

Stimulates blood circulation.

Lay down on stomach, extend your arms back, on inhale lift head, chest and arms, but keep your floating ribs on the mat. Extend and lift your legs, hold for 30 seconds and release. Repeat three times.

Shoulders stand (sanskrit Salamba Sarvangasana)

Improve lymph flow and blood circulation. Lay down on your back, bend your knees and lift them up towards your head slowly lifting your spine up, bend your elbows and place palms on the back as high as you can. Keep your elbows close to your body. Ideal position literally stand on your shoulders.