Author: nadayogi

Sanskrit: Tittibhasana

ti-tee-BHAS-anna

Benefits

Challenges and improves balance
Tones the internal organs
Strengthens the core, arms, wrists, and legs
Opens the hips

Standard Cues

Stand with your feet hip-distance wide and lower into a squat.

Lift your hips and place your palms on the floor behind your feet, shoulder-distance apart. Point your fingers forward and spread them wide.

Lower your hips and squeeze your outer arms with your inner thighs.

Shift your bodyweight into your hands. Then inhale and lift your legs from the floor, extending them straight out to the sides.

As you balance in the pose, gaze forward. Lift your pelvis, and press your thumbs and index fingers into the ground.

Stay in Firefly pose for a few breaths. Then exhale and release your feet to the ground.

Short Cues and options

Position your inner thighs high on the backs of the upper arms.
Press your thumbs and forefingers into the ground.
Lift your pelvis.
Release any tension in your neck.

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid if Arm, wrist, shoulder, or low back injuries

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Sanskrit: Samasthiti / Tadasana

sah-mah-stee-tee / TAHD-AH-sah-nah

Benefits

Improves posture
aligns spine
Calms nervous system
Promotes awareness

Standard Cues

Stand with your feet together. Allow your arms to hang by your sides, palms facing in. Reach the crown of your head toward the sky. Point your tailbone toward the floor.

Widen across your collarbones and relax your shoulders downward. Engage your core and thighs and lift your kneecaps up.

Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.

Short Cues and Options

Soft, steady gaze
Chin parallel to floor
Point tailbone toward floor
Lift kneecaps up
Body weight centered between heels and toes
Hands to the side palms facing front.
Check your alignment by practicing with your back to a wall.

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Sanskrit: Supta Virasana

soup-tah VEER-AH-sah-nah

Benefits

Stretches thighs and abdomen
Improves digestion and respiration
Redirects energy to the mind

Standard Cues

Begin in Hero. Lean back with an exhale, resting on your elbows.

Pause here for a moment.

Slowly lower your torso to the floor with an exhale. Grasp opposite elbows above your head with an inhale.

Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.

Carefully rise back onto your elbows with an inhale.

Pause here for a moment, then sit all the way up.

Modification

Stay on your elbows. Separate your knees slightly but keep thighs parallel.

Short Cues and options

Keep thighs parallel
Feet parallel, outside of hips
Lift tailbone up toward pubic bone

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid this pose if you have knee, back or ankle injury.

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Sanskrit: Supta Baddha Konasana

soop-tah bah-dha ko-NAH-sah-nah

Benefits

Stretches groins and knees
Stimulates reproductive organs
Lowers blood pressure
Relieves stress and anxiety

Standard Cues

Lie on your back. With an exhale bring the soles of your feet to touch and draw them toward your pelvis. Release your knees toward the floor.

Bring your arms several inches away from your torso, palms facing up.

Close your eyes.

Find stillness.

Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.

Supporting your knees with your hands, straighten your legs with an exhale.

Modification

Support your knees on blocks or blankets.

Short Cues and options

Soften belly
Tuck shoulder blades under
Relax knees but do not push toward floor

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid this pose if you have groin injury

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Sanskrit: Sukhasana

soo-KHAH-sah-nah

Benefits

Calms the brain and reduces anxiety
Begins to open the hips for Yoga practice
Stretches the knees and ankles
Strengthens the back
Relieves mental and physical fatigue

Standard Cues

Sit down on your mat with your legs extended in front of you in Dandasana (Staff pose).

Bend your knees and cross your legs inward, crossing one shin in front of the other.

Relax your feet so the outer edge of each foot is resting on the ground. Maintain a slight gap between your pelvis and your feet.

Bring your right hand to your right knee, and left hand to left knee. You can rest your hands here with your palms facing down, join the palms together in prayer, or position them in Guyan Mudra.

Close your eyes. Ground your sitting bones down and reach through the crown of your head to lengthen the spine.

Uncross your legs and repeat with the opposite shin forward.

Short Cues and options

Ideally, your pelvis should be higher than your knees. If your hips are tight, sit on a blanket or block.

Lengthen your spine through the crown of your head, keeping your chin parallel to the ground.

Focus on the breath, letting go of whatever you did before practice or whatever you need to do after. Go inside.

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid if you have a knee, ankle or hip injury.

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Sanskrit: Sirsasana

SHEER-SHAH-sah-nah

Benefits

Strengthens spine, arms and legs
Stimulates pituitary and pineal glands;
brings fresh blood to brain
Revitalizes mind and senses

Standard Cues

Begin kneeling and place your elbows on the floor. Clasp the outsides of your elbows with opposite hands. Release your hands but don’t move your elbows – keep this distance throughout the pose. Interlace your fingers and place the pinky fingers on the floor.

Place the part of your head on the floor. Cup the back of your head with your hands. Curl your toes under, straighten your legs and walk your feet in toward you.
With an inhale, bring one knee into your chest, then the other. Straighten your legs toward the sky with an exhale.

Fix your gaze at one point to balance. Press your elbows and wrists into the floor.

Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths. Lower your legs to the floor one at a time with an exhale.

Rest in Extended Child’s Pose for 30 seconds.

Note: Headstand should only be learned from a Yoga teacher. Always follow headstand with shoulderstand.

Short Cues and options

Press elbows and wrists into floor
Focus at one fixed point in front of you to balance
Draw ribs in
Draw shoulder blades toward sky

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure, headache, back or neck injury, glaucoma, or a heart condition.

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Sanskrit: Savasana

shah-VAH-sah-nah

Benefits

Relaxes entire body Lowers blood pressure; releases lactic acid buildup
Relieves stress and fatigue; refreshes mind

Standard Cues

Lie on your back. Bring your feet wide and let them flop open. Bring your arms several inches away from your torso, palms up.

Make any minor adjustments needed so that you are completely comfortable.

Close your eyes. Find stillness. Hold the pose and take natural breaths. Focus your attention on your breath. Come out of the pose slowly and gently.

Note: Hold for 30-60 seconds when resting between poses and 5-15 minutes at the end of your practice.

Short Cues and Options

Relax forehead, release tension in jaw and draw chin very slightly toward chest
Bring feet wide
Keep head and spine in one line, tuck shoulder blades under

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Sanskrit: Setu Bandhasana

set-oo bahn-DHAH-sah-nah

Benefits

3 Stretches spine, strengthens glutes and hamstrings
Stimulates lungs, thyroid and abdominal organs
Calms mind

Standard Cues

Lie on your back. Bend your knees and bring your feet near your buttocks, hip-width apart.

Rest your arms by your sides, palms down. With an inhale push into your feet to lift your hips. Reach your chest toward your chin.

Clasp your hands underneath you and tuck your shoulders under. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.

Unclasp your hands, then exhale to lower.

Modification

Keep arms flat on the floor to lessen the stretch in the shoulders.

Short Cues and options

Align knees over ankles
Lengthen tailbone toward knees
Do not turn head
Bring feet hip width apart

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Sanskrit: Sasangasana

shah-sahn-GAH-sah-nah

Benefits

Improves spinal and back flexibility
GO Brings fresh blood to brain, energizes thyroid
Revitalizes mind and relieves depression

Standard Cues

Begin sitting with your legs folded underneath you. Firmly grip your heels.

Slowly fold forward with an exhale, bringing your head to the floor as close to your knees as possible.

Lift your hips with an inhale. Roll onto the top of your head.

Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.

Lower your hips with an exhale and slowly rise with an inhale.

Modification

Place a folded blanket under your knees for cushion

Short Cues and options

Lift hips toward sky
Firm grip on heels
Lift shoulders away from head
Top of head on floor
Close to knees

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid this pose if you have knee injury.

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Sanskrit: Saral Natarajasana

sah-rahl nah-tah-RAH-JAH-sah-nah

Benefits

Strengthens legs, opens shoulders and chest
Expands and strengthens lungs
Improves coordination and balance

Standard Cues

Begin in Mountain. Shift your weight to your left foot.

Bend your right knee with an exhale, drawing the foot toward your buttocks. Clasp the inside of the ankle with your right hand.

Reach your left arm forward and up with an inhale, touching the index finger and thumb together.

Slowly extend your right foot up and back with an exhale. Try to bring your thigh parallel to the floor (or even higher).

Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.

Slowly lower your leg with an exhale. Change sides.

Short Cues and Options

Leg raised directly behind body
Steady gaze
Hips squared
Avoid compressing low back
Do not lock standing knee
Brace your outstretched hand on a wall to balance.

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure or low back injury.

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