A Few Yoga Flows to Get Your Daily Practice Started

by Clarissa Adkins | More from this Blogger

16 Jan 2007 09:00 PM

There is no better time than the beginning of the year to incorporate a yoga practice into your routine. You don't need to worry about spending an hour or even twenty minutes to enjoy the benefits. A few minutes of stretching in the morning can help you start your day off right. Starting out with short sessions will help you build your yoga practice.

The Sun Salutations just happen to be a great way to start the day. The coordination of breath with each movement asks the mind to focus and the poses stretch and awaken the body. The following is a piece of the traditional Sun Salutation flow which will help you get your day started:

1. (Starting in a standing position) inhaling as you take up the arms overhead

2. exhaling as you fold the body so that the fingers are reaching toward the toes

3. inhaling as you flatten the back, lifting the torso so it's level with the hips (hands can rest above knees or reach out in front of the toes on the floor)

4. exhaling back to your fold

5. inhaling as you bend the knees, taking arms out to your sides, coming to a standing position with arms overhead; and

6. exhaling as you take your arms back down to your sides.

Try several rounds of this flow to get the blood flowing. End with a few moments of Downward Facing Dog Pose or Child's Pose. For variety, try holding your forward fold (step 2) or flat back (step 3) for several rounds of inhales and exhales. You can bend your knees in your forward fold until the hamstrings are ready for your legs to be straighter. This will also encourage the torso to relax. Look for more steps to add to your growing practice in future articles!

Also try reading:

Exercise for Diabetics

10 Tips to Finding Time to Exercise

New Year - New Fitness Campaigns

Learn more about Clarissa Adkins

Clarissa is a wife and mother, a yoga instructor and a freelance writer. She most recently has moved back to her home state of Virginia.

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