Weider Nutrition Group

Yoga

Basic Yoga Poses

While there are over a thousand different yoga poses of varying difficulty, don’t let that throw you off trying yoga altogether. Start by learning these basic yoga poses and you’ll be ready to get right in to your first yoga class!

Each pose’s instructions are taken from different sites (links below) that will offer additional beneficial resources, tips, advice and information on yoga

Index:

Cat Pose
Cobra Pose
Downward Facing Dog
Child's Pose
Half Lord of the Fishes Pose

If you have your own no-fail exercise you'd like to share, just drop us a line with step-by-step instructions. Your exercise may appear on our site and/or as our featured Exercise of the Month in 'The Weider Edge' Newsletter.

Cat Pose

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2468

1. Start on your hands and knees in a "tabletop" position. Make sure your knees are set directly below your hips and your wrists, elbows and shoulders are in line and perpendicular to the floor. Center your head in a neutral position, eyes looking at the floor.

2. As you exhale, round your spine toward the ceiling, making sure to keep your shoulders and knees in position. Release your head toward the floor, but don't force your chin to your chest.

3. Inhale, coming back to neutral "tabletop" position on your hands and knees.

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Cobra Pose

http://www.yogalearningcenter.com/asanas/Cobra.cfm

1. Lay face down with the palms flat on the floor next to the chest, and the elbows close to the body. The heels and toes are together. Place your forehead on the floor. If that is uncomfortable, begin with placing the nose or chin on the floor.

2. Inhale and lengthen the entire body. Continue to lengthen the crown of the head forward as you begin to lift the head up and expand the chest forward. Soften the shoulder blades down the back. Use the hands and arms as guides, while lifting mainly with the back and the neck muscles. The pelvis remains grounded on the floor.

3. Only come up as far as it is comfortable. Pay close attention to the lower back. Look upward at about 45 degrees or to your comfort level.

4. Stay with the breath remaining relaxed in the pose. Breathe evenly and deeply, lifting with the inhalation and settling with the exhalation.

5. Hold for as long as it is comfortable. To release, exhale and drop the forehead to the floor while relaxing your head to one side or push back into Child's pose.

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Downward Facing Dog

http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/info/downward-facing-dog.asp

1. Come onto the floor on your hands and knees. Stretch the elbows and relax the upper back between the shoulder blades, which gives you the feeling that the arms fall into the shoulder blades.

2. Exhale and lift your knees and draw your back backwards from the pelvis, so that your arms and back form one line.

3. Stretch your legs in such a way that you get the feeling that someone behind you is pulling your legs and hips backwards from the top of your upper legs. Let your head hang down in a relaxed sort of way.

4. When you have placed your back and your legs correctly, stretch out your arms. This results in a stretching from two sides of the back: a stretching from the pelvis and a stretching from the arms. When the back and the chest are placed correctly, you will notice that you can quietly breathe in and out through the belly. You should not let your chest hang downwards or make your back extremely sunken. In this Asana, the back should be lengthened along its entire length. Take your time to work out the stretching further and further.

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Child's Pose

http://yoga.about.com/od/yogaposes/a/childspose.htm

1. Drop the knees to the floor.

2. Spread the knees as wide as the mat, keeping the big toes touching.

3. Bring the belly to rest between the thighs and the forehead to the floor.

4. There are two possible arm variations:

Either stretch the arms in front of you with the palms toward the floor or bring the arms back alongside the thighs with the palms facing upwards. Do whichever feel more comfortable to you.

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Half Lord of the Fishes Pose

http://www.yogabasics.com/seated-twists/half-lord-of-the-fishes-version-a.html

1. Seated on your mat, extend the right leg straight out in front of you, cross the left leg over the right, placing the left foot flat on the floor close to the right knee.

2. Wrap the right arm around the left knee and pull the knee in towards your chest. Press down through the hips and up through the crown to lengthen the spine.

3. Inhale the left hand up and as you exhale reach the arm around your back placing the palm on the floor fingers facing back. Press the arm into the back to keep the back straight. Look over the left shoulder towards the back wall. For a deeper twist, place the right elbow to the inside of the left knee.

4. As you inhale press the hips down and reach the crown up to lengthen the spine. As you exhale use the arms to gently deepen the twist. Relax the shoulders down and press the chest open.

5. Breathe and hold for 4-7 breaths.

6. To release: inhale the left hand up and exhale untwisting the body, facing the front. Repeat other side.

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