Friday, February 26, 2010

Double Leg Kicks pose of Gentle Yoga

The Double leg kicks of Gentle Yoga are an easy exercise to do. This exercise also helps you to relax, and to nourish your hips and spine.

Lay down on the mat on your stomach, with your face turned to one side to facilitate breathing. Your arms are by your sides. Lift your chest up by bending your elbows from your arms. Your elbows are beneath your shoulders. Place your palms flat on the floor or clench them to give you added power when you do the next step.

Lift your head up and stiffen the muscles of your right leg. Lift your left leg off the mat, and move your left leg up in two stages, lifting it up to make your left shin vertical and then bend the leg further to bring your left foot near your left buttock. Inhale at every stage as you bend your leg. Pause and then straighten your leg, again following these two stages. Exhale at every stage as you straighten your leg.

Do not rest your foot on the floor as you kick out to straighten your leg. Continue to kick in and kick out for three to five times, and then interchange the position of your legs, and use your right leg to do the double kicks.

Sources:

Gentle Yoga for Wellness : Double Leg Kicks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orj1h9PtiXA

How to Do the Double-Leg Kick

http://www.livestrong.com/video/2898-do-doubleleg-kick/

How to do the double leg kick pilates exercise

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-do-double-leg-kick-pilates-exercise-235046/

Using Mats for Double Leg Kicks

http://www.ehow.co.uk/video_4936040_using-mats-double-leg-kicks.html


Thursday, February 25, 2010

Yoga Hero pose


The Yoga Hero pose is an ideal combination of relaxation and exercise. When you do this pose you do not have to do any acrobatic moves, but at the same time it gives your body a comprehensive stretch right from your toes, up through your ankles, calf muscles, knees, quads, inner thighs, buttocks, hips, and lower spine. This is a rather long list of different parts of your body which are subjected to a stretch without any complicated moves.

It is this feature of the Hero pose, which is also known as the Vir asana (or Virasana), that gives it an advantage over many other equally beneficial but difficult to do, yoga exercises. Before doing this exercise, go ahead and seek the mandatory medical opinion from your physician, especially if you suffer from any knee or hip related ailment. Learn to do this pose under the supervision of a yoga teacher,

Start by kneeling down on a mat. Kneeling is a difficult posture for many of us with tight hips, especially given our sedentary lifestyles. Even when walking or standing, our knees are never bent completely at a ninety degree angle.

To come into a proper kneeling position you can be on all focus as in the table pose and ensure that your knees are right under your hips, and bring your toes together, so that the big toe of your right leg touches that of your left leg.

Your toes point behind and away from you, when you sit this way. Now lean back and rest your buttocks on your heels. To make this position comfortable you can place a folded towel between your heels and buttocks to give yourself a comfortable seat. You may even place a block between your shins and sit on the block.

Those who find this pose uncomfortable for the knees, may place a folded blanket under the knees and shins, so that just your toes hang off the edge of the blanket.

If need be you can take a towel, roll it and insert it between your inner thighs and knees. Now make your spine erect and place your palms on your thighs and breathe slowly and consciously, as you inhale deeply followed by a long and sustained exhalation. You can even join your palms at the level of your chest as in the Anjali Mudra, and close your eyes for better relaxation. Another variation is to place your hands on your hips. If you do not close your eyes, you may fix your gaze at any point in front of you. Stay in this pose as long as you find it comfortable.

Sources:

How to Practice Yoga : Hero's Pose in Yoga

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wIRATGJjeE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW064YWfTVY

Vira-asana - The Hero Pose

http://www.santosha.com/vira.html

Yoga Exercise - Hero Pose (Virasana)

http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/yogapractice/heropose.asp

Yoga posture - Virasana

http://www.yogacards.com/yoga-postures-2/Virasana-Hero-Pose.html


Thursday, February 18, 2010

Yoga Exercises for Abs and Core Strength

The abdomen is made up of a set of muscles that are commonly known as six packs and eight packs. Your abdomen is one part of your body, where accumulation of excess fat is the easiest. So these muscles are generally hidden under a mass of excess fat, and are rarely visible. To get rid of excess fat around your abdomen, you need to do a series of strenuous exercises.


Yoga shows a way out through exercises where you only have to bend and stretch yourself in different directions. It would be advisable though, that you consult with your physician before you start doing this set of poses.


Sit on a mat, on your buttocks, with your legs spread down your hips. To help you to keep your spine straight, you may place a pillow or a folded blanker under your buttocks. Ground your sit bones into the floor (the blanket or pillow) and sit up nice and tall. Draw the abdominal muscles as you in and thrust your chest out as you inhale.


As you exhale, lift your arms up and bring them vertically above your head. Pause at this position, and on your out-breath lower your arms to the floor. This is a warm up step.


Now lower your back towards the mat. Bend your arms from the elbows to rest on your forearms. Bend your legs from the knees, and lift your feet off the mat. Inhale and as you exhale bring your knees as close as possible to your chest. From this position, extend your right leg forward, as if you are riding a cycle. Hold your right leg aloft for some time. Engage your abdominal muscles as you do this. Pause and then draw in your outstretched right leg, and extend your left leg. Repeat this movement for a few times depending on your comfort level.


Now keep both your feet together as you hold them aloft. Lift both your legs up by straightening them from the knees. Lift your feet above your head, and bring your feet down again slightly, by bending both your legs from the knees. Do not place your feet on the floor, but hold them aloft at the level of your face. Repeat this step for a few times. Here too you shall need to engage the muscles of your abdomen.


Now lie down on your back and spread your arms at the level of your shoulders to either side along the mat. In this position, you look like a ‘T’. Now bend both your legs from the knees and lift your legs and bend them to your right. Take the right knee as close as possible to your right, without resting your legs on the floor. Repeat this step by lowering your bent legs to the left. When you do this too, you shall need to engage the muscles of your abdomen.


This way, you give comprehensive exercise to the muscles of your abdomen and help in burning off the excess fat that accumulates around the belly.



Sources:

Yoga For Abs And Core Strength

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih0hZOeTfj4


Yoga Lesson Plan 5: Core Strength

http://www.inneridea.com/library/yoga-lesson-plans-5


Yoga for Abs Sequence

http://yoga.about.com/od/yogasequences/ss/yogaforabs.htm


Core Stability and Strength Tips

http://balance.lifetips.com/cat/63964/core-stability-and-strength/index.html


Excellent Core Strengthening Yoga

http://www.yogawiz.com/blog/yoga-benefits/core-strengthening-yoga-exercises.html