Arm balances help to focus the attention on the task at hand (it’s not easy to think of your to-do list when you’re standing on your hands…), and build physical and mental strength and stability. When adding an inversion into the mix, you exercise not only your body but also your literal and figurative perspective.
In this sequence, consider the connection to the ground underneath you - whether you are pressing through the hands, feet, shins or forearms. For example, cultivate a sense of evenness in the hands (especially between pointer finger and thumb) and shins during cow/cat, or in the hands and feet for downward facing dog.
Resist the floor by pressing into it and lifting up away from it, firming the muscles around the elbows and knees to help create length in the spine.
When balancing or upside down, lift up and away from the floor - at YogaWorks they call it root and rebound. A steadiness in the limbs ultimately creates a sense of lightness in the body as you balance - as long as you remember to breathe (always).
Most importantly - enjoy the process and thank yourselves just for showing up.
Videography: Grant Henry Media
Join Lindsay in this 15 minute yoga push-up & plank challenge. This challenge will increase your mental and physical endurance and strengthen your upper body.
Twists are a wonderful way of both strengthening and mobilizing the spine, muscles, bones, and organs to boot.
Use the legs in this sequence to lengthen the torso, which will allow the belly to free and rotate.
Place the shoulder blades nicely on the upper back, as though they could move forwar...
This sequence can be practiced after your workday, before getting into bed, or even upon waking.
My intention was to keep it relatively simple and open up areas of the body that may generally feel tight after a long workday or sleeping - for example the shoulders, back, or psoas (hip-flexor) mus...
