OVERVIEW

If you’ve never done it before, yoga can feel intimidating. It’s easy to worry about not being flexible enough, in shape enough, or even just looking silly.

But yoga isn’t just those crazy arm-balancing, pretzel poses that are so popular on social media. It can be easy to get started and then work your way to more advanced poses.

BIG TOE POSE(PADANGUSTHASANA)




STEPS:

  1. Stand with your feet parallel and hip-distance apart, arms relaxed at your sides.
  2. Exhale and bend forward from the hip joint, keeping your legs straight. Wrap your index and middle fingers of each hand around the corresponding big toe, and then wrap your thumb around the other two fingers to secure.
  3. On an exhale, fold further forward and aim to draw your forehead toward your shins. Keep your head and spine relaxed and remember to breathe comfortably.
  4. Move your hands underneath the soles of your feet, resting the tops of your hands on the floor. Your toes should sit in the creases of your wrists.



TIPS:

  1. Be sure to use a strap and make any other adjustments you need to ensure that you're not pushing yourself too hard in this pose. Be patient. You will gain flexibility in time.
  2. Keep the knee and foot of your standing leg facing directly forward.
  3. Focus on the stretch, not on the lift! It doesn't matter how high your leg goes if you don't have correct alignment. Work toward maintaining an equal balance of energy and effort in both legs.



CAMEL POSE (USTRASANA)




STEPS:

  1. Sit on the floor stretching your leg and keeping your spine erect keeping palms on the ground side by the buttocks.Bend your leg by the keens and sit on your heels placing the buttocks between the heels, the right big toe overlapping the left.
  2. Kneel on floor keeping your knees in line with the shoulders and sole of the feet facing the ceiling.Keep your hand on thighs.
  3. Inhale and arch your back and place your palms on the heels of the feet.Keep your arms straight. Do not strain your neck keep it neutral. Let your neck be free.
  4. Stay in this final position for couple of breaths or as much longer as you can. Breathe out and slowly come to the normal position withdrawing your hands from the feet.



TIPS:

  1. Knees and feet 6 inches apart so you have a good solid base to stand on.
  2. Keep the neck relaxed. Don’t tense up.
  3. The most important part is to continuously focus on the breath. Breathe calmly and all of the sensations you feel will normalize.



EAGLE POSE (GARUDASANA)




STEPS:

  1. Stand in Tadasana. Bend your knees slightly, lift your left foot up and, balancing on your right foot, cross your left thigh over the right. Point your left toes toward the floor, press the foot back, and then hook the top of the foot behind the lower right calf. Balance on the right foot.
  2. Stretch your arms straight forward, parallel to the floor, and spread your scapulas wide across the back of your torso. Cross the arms in front of your torso so that the right arm is above the left, then bend your elbows. Snug the right elbow into the crook of the left, and raise the forearms perpendicular to the floor. The backs of your hands should be facing each other.
  3. Press the right hand to the right and the left hand to the left, so that the palms are now facing each other. The thumb of the right hand should pass in front of the little finger of the left. Now press the palms together (as much as is possible for you), lift your elbows up, and stretch the fingers toward the ceiling.
  4. Stay for 15 to 30 seconds, then unwind the legs and arms and stand in Tadasana again. Repeat for the same length of time with the arms and legs reversed.



TIPS:

  1. If you cannot immediately cross your arms by sweeping one under the other you can begin by bring crossing your arms high in front of your chest and grabbing the back of your shoulders with your hands.
  2. Break down balancing into steps to make it easier.
  3. As you work into the posture ensure maintain steady, even breathing in and out through the nose.