Bring in the New Year with a bang! Here are two Yoga asanas (postures) that will strengthen, firm and tone your body for a happier, healthier New Year!
Chaturanga (high plank pose)
This asana is a power-packed full body strengthener that is especially
effective in toning the tummy and trimming the waist as it addresses
core strength. An added bonus: the triceps, shoulders, back and glutes
are also toned! Be sure to hold your belly in, "drawing in at the core"
from the belly button down, as if there were a string attached to your
bellybutton, pulling back through the spine. Also important, keep the
hands directly under the shoulders ... not too far ahead and not too
far behind. This will help stabilize your balance. Finally, set a goal.
Try the plank pose once, and see how long it takes for you to reach a
point where you feel muscle fatigue. This is indicated by a slight
quivering of the muscles. If, for example, you reach muscle fatigue at
30 seconds, set a goal of doing three or four plank poses for 30
seconds. This is a great asana to do daily!
Virabhadrasana (warrior pose)
The warrior pose strengthens the lower body, working almost every major
muscle group below the waist! Try this one while looking in the mirror.
Place one foot forward and one behind in a soft lunge. Slowly lower
into a deeper lunge with the stance low and wide with the legs as far
apart as you can tolerate for maximum benefits. The front foot has the
toes facing directly forward. The back foot is almost parallel to the
front and back of your mat, or 90 degrees from the direction the front
foot is facing. To protect the knee joint, make sure that if you look
down to the front foot you can see it. If you cannot, you need to
either come up a little higher or make the legs stand apart
wider. Begin to observe the breath as it flows across the area between
the nose and the upper lip. Count five exhales. Slowly come out of the
pose. Repeat three times on each side.
Laura
Brookover teaches a limited number of classes in San Antonio, including
Prenatal & Mommy-Baby Yoga at Destination Maternity and Bikini
Bootcamp at Anytime Fitness, (210)497-0000. For more information, log
onto the Web site at www.laurabrookover.com, or E-mail info@laurabrookover.com.
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