Sun Salutes
Works: Total body, but especially arms, abs and legs.
Begin in Mountain Pose, with your feet together. Place your palms together. Close the eyes. Get centered. As you inhale, sweep the arms above the head, as you exhale, hinge at the hips forward fold. Again, inhale, keep the palms on the floor, or bring your hands up to the knees, raise your chest halfway forward, flatten your spine.
Exhale, step back to Plank, top of a push up. Look straight ahead.
Inhale. exhale, lower down, hugging the elbows in close to your body.
Inhale, lift the heart up, shoulders roll back away from the ears into a Cobra or Up Dog. Exhale, press back to Downward Facing Dog.
Take five deep breaths. At the end of the last exhale, look up to the hands. Step the feet to the hands. Inhale, look up. Exhale, fold down.
Inhale, press the feet into the mat and firm the thighs to rise up to mountain pose. Exhale, press the palms together at the heart.
Repeat five times.
Tree Pose
Works: Inner thighs, core and mental focus.
Place most of your weight on your right leg and draw your left heel to the inner thigh of the right leg. Steady your gaze and connect with your breath. Keep the left knee turning out, and gently tuck your tailbone, as you extend out throughout the crown of the head.
With the hands in prayer position, press the palms together, at the same time press the inner thigh and the sole of the foot together.
Temple Pose to Plié Squats
Works: Outer-thighs, glutes, inner-thighs.
Complete three sets, 30 seconds plus eight reps and eight mini reps.
Temple Pose:
1. Bring your feet about three feet apart, planted on the floor with the toes turned out. Bring your palms together in prayer position, and bend both knees.
2. Sink down with the lower body as you stay lifted through the upper body.
3. Try not to sway your lower back or lean forward; tuck your tailbone under slightly. Engage your quads and your glutes.
4. Take five deep breaths.
Plié Squats (x8) -> Back To Temple (x2) -> Then Pulse:
1. Press into both heels, using your glutes to rise up. Immediately lower back down, squatting the hips eight times. Make sure to keep your knees pressing
open and your spine straight.
2. After eight, hold the hips down in Temple Pose for five breaths. Repeat eight more squats.
3. Hold the last squat, and pulse the hips down eight times.
Chair Pose to Squats
Works: Legs and glutes
Complete three sets that are 30 seconds each, plus eight reps and eight mini reps.
Chair Pose:
1. Start with your feet together. Sink down into an imaginary chair, so it is as if you were seated. Your butt and sit bones are sinking down
towards your heels. Your arms are extended up towards the sky. Palms face each other or touch together.
2. Firm your triceps and send energy out through the arms, as you continue to ground down into the earth. Five breaths here, in and out of the nose. Press your feet into the floor, lead with your sternum, and rise up to standing.
Add Squats (x8) -> Back To Chair (x2) -> Then Pulse:
1. Step the feet apart slightly, about hips width distance, and bring your palms together at your chest. Sink the hips back into a seated
position, and immediately press back up. Continue to breathe.
2. Do this eight times, then step the feet together. Back to Chair Pose.
Boat Pose to V-Ups
Works: Abs
Complete eight reps, breaths, three sets
1. Come into Boat Pose by balancing on your sit bones. Extend your arms straight out in front of you, parallel to the floor, and lift your chest and sternum upward as you gaze up.
2. Extend your legs so that your toes are at eye level. Cross your arms over your chest, and using your lower abdominal muscles, slowly lower yourself down so that your shoulders and heels are hovering a few inches off the floor.
3. Then raise back up into Boat Pose, again using your abs.
One-Arm Balance
Works: Core, abs and arms.
1. Begin in plank position, and bring the feet together.
2. Move the right hand directly below the face.
3. Shift your body to the side, so that you are balancing on the right hand, and the outside edge of your right foot. Make sure that your feet are flexed and the underside of the waist is lifting up, so your top hip is lifting up towards the ceiling.
4. Press the bottom hand into the floor, so that you are not dumping into that right shoulder. Keep the right arm straight (but not locked). If you are super flexible to the point of hyper extension, make sure you don't lock your elbow. Slowly bring your body back to the center and balance it out. Repeat on the left side. Take Five breaths.
