Category: Yoga Poses

Sanskrit: Matsyendrasana

maht-sven-DRAH-Sah-nah

Benefits

Stretches upper neck and back
Stimulates internal organs
Increases vitality

Standard Cues

Lie on your back with your feet together. Place your hands underneath your buttocks, palms down.

Push your elbows into the floor with an inhale and lift your chest toward the sky.

Bring the crown or top of your head to the floor. Keep most of your weight in your elbows.

Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.

Lift your head an inch off the floor with an exhale, then release all the way down.

Short Cues and options

Lift chest up
Keep mouth closed
Relax toes
Keep most of the weight in the elbows

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid this pose if you have a neck or back injury.

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Sanskrit: Marjariasana

mar-jar-ee-AH-sah-nah

Benefits

Stretches neck, shoulders and spine
Massages abdominal and reproductive organs
Relieves stress and balances emotions

Standard Cues

Begin on all fours. Bring your wrists directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Bring your head to a neutral position.

With an inhale, arch your spine, reaching your head and tailbone toward the sky. Let your belly drop toward the floor.

With an exhale, round your spine, releasing your head and tailbone toward the floor.

Repeat this movement.

Modification

Place a folded blanket under your knees for cushion

Short Cues and options

Broaden shoulders
Align knees hip-width apart
Align wrists under shoulders

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Sanskrit: Marichyasana

mar-ee-chee-AHS-anna

Benefits

Tones the abdominal organs
Stretches the spine, shoulders, hips, and hamstrings
Calms the mind
Stimulates digestion

Standard Cues

Begin sitting in Dandasana (Staff pose). Bend your left knee and place your foot flat on the ground, close to the groin and against the right leg.

Reach your left arm and shoulder forward on the inside of your left leg. Face your palm outward, thumb facing down. Inhale and lengthen your torso. Then exhale and sweep your left arm around your left shin, resting the palm on your thigh.

Reach forward through the crown of your head and sweep your right arm behind your back. Clasp your right wrist with your left hand.

Inhale and lengthen your torso. As you exhale, fold forward over your left thigh. Open your chest by drawing your shoulder blades away from your ears.

Hold this pose for 30 seconds to a minute. Then release the arms and return to Staff pose. Repeat on the opposite side.

Short Cues and options

Draw your shoulders away from your ears.
Press your extended leg firmly into the floor.
Flex the foot of the extended leg.

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid if you have Asthma

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Sanskrit: Malasana

MAH-LAH-sah-nah

Benefits

Stretches groins, hips and low back
GO Improves colon function; stimulates pelvic organs
Improves balance and focus

Standard Cues

Begin standing with your feet wide. Lower into a squat with an exhale. Bring your feet close together, but open your knees wider than your torso.

Bring your upper arms to the insides of your thighs and press your hands together in front of your chest. Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.

Rise with an inhale.

Short Cues and Options

Press upper arms against inner thighs
Lift and lengthen torso
Relax shoulders
Modification: Place a folded mat under your heels if they don’t touch the floor.

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Sanskrit: Laghu Vajrasana

lah-guu vahj-RAHS-anna

Benefits

Strengthens the legs
Increases spinal flexibility
Tones the spinal nerves
Stretches the abdominal muscles

Standard Cues

Kneel on the floor with your knees hip-distance wide and thighs perpendicular to the ground. Place your hands on your thighs.

Slowly lean back while pushing your hips and thighs forward. Come into a deep backbend and rest the crown of your head on the soles of your feet.

Slide your hands down to hold onto your knees.

Stay in the pose for several breaths. To come out of Little Thunderbolt pose, strongly press the tops of your feet into the floor, and activate your core and legs. Push your pelvis forward and rise up, letting the head be the last to rise.

Short Cues and options

Push your thighs and buttocks forward.
Keep your head back as you come out of the pose.

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid if you have back, shoulder, or neck injuries.

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Sanskrit: Krounchasana

crown-CHAHS-anah

Benefits

Increases strength and flexibility in the leg joints and muscles
Tones the core
Stimulates the digestive system
Stretches the front of the ankles and hamstrings

Standard Cues

Kneel down on your left leg, and extend your right leg in front of you.

Inhale, lift out of the torso while firming the abdominals, and lengthen the spine.
Exhale and sit back toward your left heel, settling onto your sitting bones. Make sure your left foot is on the outside of your left hip.

Bend the right knee and draw the heel in toward your sitting bones. Clasp your hands under the right foot. Inhale and begin to extend the knee, lifting the foot toward the sky.

As you exhale, work toward keeping firm abdominals and draw the leg closer to the torso.

To exit, inhale and draw the abdominals in for support. Exhale and slowly lower the lifted leg. Placing your hands on the floor, roll slightly to your right sitting bone and sweep your left leg around to meet the right.

Short Cues and options

Keep the upper and lower spine lifted through the torso and firm your abdominals.
Draw the entire leg toward the torso, hollowing out the belly, on every exhale.
If you feel knee pain or strain at any time, immediately release from the posture.
Be cautious of your low spine and avoid rounding.

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid if you have Knee, hip, or ankle injuries

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Sanskrit: Hanumanasana

ha-new-mahn-AHS-anah

Benefits

Strengthens the abdominals and low spine
Opens hamstrings and hip flexors
Improves overall core strength
Strengthens the quadriceps and glutes
Stimulates the abdominal organs

Standard Cues

Start in Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge) with your right foot forward, back knee on the ground, and hands to the floor for support.

Inhale and extend your right knee in front of you with your heel on the floor. Rotate your thigh inwardly so your right knee faces upward, toward the sky.

Begin to slide your back knee behind you as you exhale. Slowly extend both legs into a full split by pressing through your right heel and the top of your left foot.
Inhale to keep the chest lifted, and draw the hands overhead.

Work toward keeping firm abdominals, maintaining length in your spine to reduce hyperextension, and squaring your hips toward the front of your mat.

To exit, inhale and reach length into the spine. Exhale, place the hands on the floor, and lean forward. Then swing your back leg around to meet the front leg.

Short Cues and options

Keep the spine lengthened through the torso and firm your abdominals.
Squeeze your knees and reach through your toes to extend your legs.
Draw the hands overhead and take your gaze to your fingertips.
Be cautious of your low spine and hyperextension.

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid if you have Groin, hamstring, or knee injuries

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Sanskrit: Halasana

hah-LAHS-anna

Benefits

Increases spinal flexibility
Stretches the shoulders
Stimulates the thyroid gland
Massages the internal organs
Boosts immunity
Relieves stress and fatigue

Standard Cues

Lie on your back with your arms alongside your body, palms facing down. Inhale and use momentum to reach your feet toward the sky.

Support your lower back with your hands. Press your palms into the back of your torso to straighten the spine, and press your upper arms into the ground.

Exhale and slowly lower your toes toward the floor, beyond your head.

Release your hands from your lower back and interlace your fingers on the floor.

Squeeze your shoulders together and tuck them underneath you.

Stay in Plow pose for up to five minutes. To release, unclasp your hands and place the palms flat on the floor. Keeping your chin tucked into your chest, exhale and slowly roll all the way down to the floor.

Short Cues and options

Breathe shallow breaths into the throat.
Try to straighten the legs.

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid if you have back injury

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Sanskrit: Gomukhasana

go-moo-KHAH-sah-nah

Benefits

Stretches shoulders, triceps and chest
Stimulates reproductive organs
Relieves tiredness, anxiety and tension

Standard Cues

Sit on your heels with your knees together. Lengthen your spine.

Bend your left arm behind your back and bring the hand in between your shoulder blades, palm facing away.

Reach your right arm up with an inhale. Bend your elbow with an exhale and clasp your fingers behind your back.

Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths. Release your arms and change sides.

Short Cues and Options

Keep neck neutral and relaxed
Lengthen spine
Gently stretch elbows vertically away from each other and toward midline
Hold opposite elbows behind your back to lessen the shoulder stretch.

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Sanskrit: Garudasana

gah-rue-DAHS-anah

Benefits

Opens hip external rotators and thoracic spine musculature
Strengthens the quadriceps and gluteals of the balancing leg
Improves balance and stability
Challenges the breath and focuses the mind

Standard Cues

Start in Tadasana (Mountain pose).

Inhale and cross your right leg over your left thigh. Wrap the top of your right foot around your left calf.

Exhale, raise your left arm in front of you, and bend your elbow to 90 degrees. Draw your right arm under your elbow, press the forearms together, and wrap the right hand around your left wrist to bind.

Inhale, allowing your spine to lengthen and chest to expand.

Exhale and draw the abdominals inward. Begin to sink the hips backward, bending the supporting leg. Slowly hinge the torso forward to deepen the pose, or feel free to stay where you are.

To exit, inhale and press through your supporting leg to rise to standing. Exhale and release your limbs.

Short Cues and options

Keep the upper and lower spine extended.

Cross your (right/left) leg over the opposite thigh, engage your inner thighs, and press your hips backward.

Place your (right/left) elbow on top of the opposite elbow crease, and press your forearms together.

On each inhale, feel your chest expand and spine lengthen. On each exhale, sink deeper and bend forward to deepen the posture.

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid if you have Ankle, knee, hip, or shoulder injury

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