Wake-up gently to prepare for your day with poolside, sunrise yoga. Yoga can be a complex and often intimidating word for those who have never practiced. Whether you are experienced or a novice, yoga practice can lend many benefits to your mental, emotional and physical well being. Most of our participants are surprised by the way yoga can provide both and intense physical and peaceful mental workout. Gaining these benefits requires the assistance of a devoted teacher during your time with us. As always, our goal is for you to capture the knowledge and take it with you into your yoga practice at home.
A basic pose review will help beginners and remind experienced yogi's of proper form:
Downward facing dog, or "down dog":
Down dog is an essential posture to master as it serves as the basis for a number of variations of yoga practice. The pose can be both a challenge and a stance to regain your breath and relax between other poses.
Instructions:
- Come to your hands and knees on all fours. Assure your wrists are in direct alignment with your shoulders and your knees are in direct alignment with your hips.
- Roll your toes under to allow you to push back with your legs, raising your hips and straightening both legs. You will be slightly inverted with your rear above the elevation of your head.
- Spread your fingers wide and push the ground with your hands. Straighten your arms and tighten your forearms.
- Allow your head to hang freely, assuring there is no tension in your neck.
- Utilize your leg muscles to take some pressure off of your arms, engage your quadriceps.
- Sink your heels toward the floor so you can flatten your feet.
Beginners: Try to open the areas in your chest and hips. Do this by pulling your shoulder blades back while you straighten your arms and engaging your core and leg muscles in the stance.
Advanced: Draw your ribs in and maintain a flat back. Hold the pose for up to five minutes. Utilize a block or blanket for head support if necessary.
Warrior One
The warrior poses are about building strength and balance by maintaining a simple stance for a long period of time.
Instructions:
- Start standing in a straddle with your feet approximately 2-3 feet apart.
- Turn your front foot to point to the outside, and turn your back foot to a 45 degree angle in the same direction. You will now be facing forward, and the heel of your right foot should be in alignment with the heel of your back foot.
- Rotate your hips and shoulders toward the front of your stance, twisting slightly at the hips.
- Bend your front knee until the thigh is parallel to the ground, about a 90 degree angle.
- Push both feet firmly toward the ground to maintain balance and strength. Allow your lower body to fall deeper into the lunge as your upper body lengthens upward.
- When you are balanced, slowly extend your arms straight up above your head. Rotate your palms inward so you can interlock your hands. Align your arms at your ears, dropping your shoulders slightly while stretching the arms high.
- Lower your tailbone to assure your back is not over-arched.
Beginner: Focus on the moment, breath deeply and maintain your balance. Focus on the feeling of your lower body pushing down toward the floor while your upper body rises up and lengthens.
Advanced: Hold the pose for upwards of 5 minutes, looking up toward your finger tips to challenge your balance.
Warrior Two
Warrior Two is similar to Warrior One but opens the hips more and challenges you to twist your body, an essential move to eliminate toxins.
Instructions:
- Start standing in a straddle position with your feet approximately 2-3 feet apart.
- Turn your front foot forward, and turn your back foot to a 45 degree angle in the same direction. For Warrior Two, line up the front heel with the arch of the back foot.
- Leave your hips and shoulders open to the inside of your stance as you turn your head to the front.
- Bend your front knee until the thigh is parallel to the ground, about a 90 degree angle.
- Push both feet firmly toward the ground and fall deeper into your lunge as your upper body lengthens and balances.
- Lift your arms out to your side, about shoulder height, palms toward the ground, as you gaze over your front hand.
- Pull your navel toward your spine, lower your tailbone, and focus on strength and balance.
Beginners: Start this move from the standing straddle position and concentrate on creating the proper lines with your feet and arms.
Advanced: Transition to the pose from Warrior One, focusing on realigning yourself as your transition.
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