Child pose

The Yoga Child pose is a relaxation pose that is a great pose to be done at the end of a busy day to get rid of all your accumulated stress and fatigue. This pose helps you to not just relax physically, but it also calms your mind. It also regulates your blood pressure, stimulates the different organs in your abdomen increasing the secretion of digestive juices like bile and insulin.

It derives its name from the pose which infants and kids instinctively take to when they play, especially on their beds. You start doing this yoga pose mimicking a child, hence the name ‘Child’s pose’ for this easy and instinctive pose.

Lie down on your stomach and raise your shoulders and chest by bending your arms from the elbows. Push against the floor to raise your torso to come into a kneeling position. Sit in a way that your calf muscles are pressed against your inner thighs and your feet and toes point behind you and away from you. Your foot soles face upwards towards the ceiling.

Inhale deeply, and on your exhale, bend forward from your hips to lower your head towards the mat and place your forehead on the mat just beyond your knees. Place your arms, initially in front of you, with your palms on the mat, to regulate your movement as you rest your head on the mat.

You can now stretch your arms in front of you. Feel the stretch across your shoulders, and down your spine up to your hips. Pause at this stage and then move your arms to bring them behind you and place them beside your feet. Place your palms in an upturned position and now breathe slowly and consciously.

Close your eyes to experience better relaxation. Let your shoulders and arms sag. Your elbows should be loose and drop towards the floor. Do not engage any muscles of your body.

Breathe into your spine and feel your chest expand and your back rise up as you inhale deeply, and fall back as you exhale. If you find breathing, while resting your forehead on the mat to be difficult, you may turn your head to one side.

To make this pose more comfortable for you, you may place a pillow under your head and a folded blanket under your shins. Stay in this pose for as long as you feel like and then emerge from it.

Although an easy, instinctive and beneficial pose, do consult your physician, especially if you suffer from any spine, hip or neck related ailments.

Sources:

Yoga Child's Pose for the Lower Back

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

How to Do a Yoga Child's Pose

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-do-a-yoga-child-pose.html

Balasana (Child Pose)

http://yogapostures.com/?p=13

Child's / Balasana Asana

http://www.yoga-posture.com/child-balasana-pose.html

Locust pose

In doing the Yoga Locust pose you mimic an insect when it sits on a twig and raises its head and torso, hence the name for this pose. This is a simple exercise and also a relaxation pose, where you do not have to do any intricate moves like balancing or twisting yourself. So kids, as well as the elderly can include this pose in the suite of yoga poses they do.

The only precaution you need to take is that depending on your medical condition you should consult your physician before you proceed to do this pose. Patients of any neck, hip or lower spine related ailments would be well advised to modify this pose in consultation with their yoga tutor. You should also go about doing this pose initially, at least, under the supervision of a yoga tutor, so that you learn to do it right, the first time you do it.

This pose helps you to increase the flexibility of your spine and compress the muscles of your buttocks (glutes), inner thighs, quads, and your calf muscles. This pose also stretches your neck and ribcage.Start from a kneeling position with your feet placed such that your foot soles face upwards and your toes point away from you.

Lie down on your stomach and bend your arms from your elbows and place your palms right underneath your chest. Pause at this stage for some moments, before you rotate your arms and place them by your sides. Your palms are facing upwards.Align your legs, pelvis, spine, neck and head in one line. Do not rest your chin on the mat, but hold you head slightly off the mat. Take a deep breath and as you inhale, lift your legs off the mat. Follow this up by lifting your arms off the mat too, as you curve your spine.

Keep your head inclined downwards and do not curve your neck.Keep your head and neck aligned in a straight line as you start curving your spine. Pause at this stage and then lift your chin a bit, and move your arms behind your back. Place your hands on each other on your buttocks.Now reach back with your hands and pull your chest off the mat slightly more. Simultaneously also lift your legs further up.

Pause at this stage for between three to five breaths, or as long as you are comfortable.To exit from this pose, lower your head to the mat and rest your face on one side and simultaneously rest your legs on the floor.

Sources:

Learn Locust Pose Yoga

http://www.yogatohealth.com/Locust_Pose_Yoga_Variations_and_Classical_Posture.html

Locust Pose - Shalabha-asana

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

Locust Pose

http://www.yogawiz.com/blog/yoga-benefits/yoga-mountain-locust-gate-pose.html

Yoga Poses for Energy : Yoga Locust Pose

http://chanditalenteddog.com/yoga-poses-for-energy-yoga-locust-pose-to-downward-dog-pose-for-energy.html

.

Reclining Twist pose

The Reclining Twist yoga pose is meant to give you exercise as well as to help you to relax. The relaxation part comes from the fact that you do this pose from a supine position. But you are not inert in this position as in the Corpse pose (shavaasana), as you move your legs to give exercise to your thighs, hips and spine.

This is an easy pose where you do not have to engage your muscles though. You just have to let your posture do the job of stretching and twisting your spine, hips and shoulders. When you are in this position, your abdominal organs also are stretched and nourished improving the secretion of digestive juices and helping digestion.

Those who suffer from acute sciatica, slipped disc or spondylitis should consult their doctor before they go ahead to do this pose. Learning to do it under the guidance of a yoga teacher would make it easier for you to learn to do it the first time itself.

Sit on a yoga mat on your buttocks and bend your legs from your knees. Hold your knees with your hands, and tuck you chin towards your chest. Gradually, lower your back to rest it on the mat. Spread your arms to either side at the level of your shoulders. Alternately bend your arms from the elbows and place your forearms pointing upwards along the mat.

Place the feet at about a hip’s distance away from each other. Lift your right leg and place your right shin on your left thigh, just below your knee. Now while keeping your legs in this position, lower both your legs towards the mat. Your right foot is now resting on the floor. As you do this, ensure that you do not lift your left shoulder off the mat, although the inclination would be to do so.

To help you to hold on to this position, fix your gaze on any point on the ceiling. You may also turn your face towards your left to increase the twist to your spine, when you lower your legs towards your right.

Pause in this position for some time before you repeat these steps after interchanging the position of your legs, and now bending towards your left instead of your right.

Exit this pose by straightening your legs and turning around to push yourself up to come into a sitting position.

Sources:

Beginner Yoga Positions : Reclining Twist Yoga Poses

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2Ief_QdEao

Reclining Twist for Beginners

http://www.yogajournal.com/basics/1382

Reclining Twist Yoga Poses

http://www.yogaforbeginnersshop.com/blog/Beginner-Yoga-Positions--Reclining-Twist-Yoga-Poses

Yoga Poses: Reclining Twist

http://yoga.families.com/blog/yoga-poses-reclining-twist

.