SHAPE BODY

Yoga Flow

For the past 5,000 years, people have been practicing yoga as exercise to relieve stress, tone muscles, and unite the mind and body. The very name itself — yoga — means “to yoke, to connect.” It combines breathing, exercise, and meditation into one discipline that offers a plethora of benefits. Many who practice yoga on a regular basis are more flexible and have a deeper sense of peace and calmness. You do not have to be a yoga master to incorporate these basic moves into your weekly workout regimen. Feel the power within!

Warrior Pose

1. Start position: With feet together, take a deep breath and exhale, relaxing the shoulders.

2. Move it: Take a giant step to the left, turning the left foot out, and look left. Arms reach out away from the center of your body. The right foot remains facing forward.

3. Finish position: Breathe deeply three times while contracting core muscles. On the final exhale, push hard off the left foot and return to start position. Repeat on the right side.

TRAINER’S TIPS

• Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth in a slow, controlled manner.

• Work your way up to doing five to eight repetitions per side.

• Be sure to give your glutes a big squeeze as you hold this position.

MUSCLE GROUPS TARGETED: core, quads, glutes

DID YOU KNOW?

There are more than 100 different types of yoga.

In the West, the spiritual aspect of yoga is not emphasized, but the mind and body element is strong.

There are five yoga postures: standing, seated, twisting, inverted, and prone/ supine lying.

Final position

Desk Jockey

Stuck in a cubicle for eight hours a day? Take a short walk to a stairwell and get in a few crescent moons or warrior poses if you can dress for it. A modification to the downward facing dog is the following:

• Stand behind a chair, holding onto the back of it.

• Bend at the hips and step backward, keeping legs straight with weight on heels. Keep arms straight.

• Drop the chin toward the collarbone, fully extending the arms.

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Fun Food Tip

• Take in three deep breaths and stand straight up on third exhale, squeezing glutes.

Try some nuts, applesauce, whey, spinach, or even a sweet potato an hour before practicing yoga, as they are known to have a calming effect on the nervous system.

some nuts, T sweet an hou o r before pr p acticing yoga, as are kn k owwn to o a effect on o nervo v us s systtem m

Source: naturalnews. com/038747_nervous_system_ calming_foods.html

So S urcee: na n turalnews. coom/038747_nner e vouss_sys y tem_ m calming_foodds. s ht h ml

Crescent Moon

1. Start position: Stand with feet together and arms by sides.

2. Move it: Inhale deeply as arms raise overhead. Gently clasp hands and lean, reaching toward the left. Hips go slightly to the right to maintain balance. Hold with glutes, quads, and abs contracted.

3. Finish position: Exhale and find a focal point. Inhale and exhale slowly three times. Return to start position on the final exhale. Repeat on the other side.

TRAINER’S TIPS

• Do this three times per side.

• Remember to breathe evenly and deeply; do not hold your breath.

• Reach the arms as far away from your center as possible; no part of your body is fully relaxed.

MUSCLE GROUPS

TARGETED: core, obliques

First position

Second position osition

Final position

Downward Facing Dog

1. START POSITION: Kneel on all fours with abs drawn in and toes turned under.

2. MOVE IT: Inhale and straighten legs, pushing hips up. Try to get your heels on the ground. Keep abs pulled in toward the navel and exhale.

3. FINISH POSITION: With straight legs, shoulders fully extended and hips high in the air, keep abs drawn in and head neutral. Inhale three more times and return to start position on the final exhale.

TRAINER’S TIPS

• If you are unable to keep your heels on the ground, keep working on it. With time, you will.

• Be sure to keep the arms by your ears and head in a neutral position.

• Flex knees slightly if too intense.

MUSCLE GROUPS

TARGETED: abdomen, hamstrings, calves, trapezius, triceps, gluteus maximus

Wrap Up

By incorporating a little flexibility and breathing techniques into your day, you will find that the little stressors in life can be melted away. Stress tightens our muscles (in a negative way) and by stretching them gently, you will literally feel stress making its way out of your body. Try it! You might like it… that is, unless you live a stress-free life. Source: americanyogaassociation.org

First position

Second position