Below are postures you’ll find in your classes at OlyYoga. To avoid risk of injury, receive proper instruction on alignment and to benefit from postures (asana), we advise new students to practice with a certified teacher before practicing on their own. Students with medical conditions should consult their doctor before practicing yoga.
The following are visual instructions to assist you during your Yoga class. Here are a few precautionary tips before you begin your practice:
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Before class, let your teacher know of any medical history or recent surgery that may limit you in class.
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Listen to your body and carefully listen to instructions from you teacher.
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Learn to distinguish between discomfort and pain.
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Move slowly into postures; work at the edge of a stretch, back off slowly if there is any pain.
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Ask your teacher for modifications to lighten the posture or deepen the stretch.
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If you are nursing an injury, have high blood pressure, are pregnant or have chronic back pain, consult with your doctor before taking a Yoga class.
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Remember to relax and breathe.
Sun Salutation Surya Namaskar
(This is a series of poses. Click the green arrow to step through the sequence.)
Standing Postures
Mountain Pose Tadasana
Benefits:
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Improves posture
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Balances the body
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Focusses the mind
Tree Pose Vrksasana
Benefits:
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Improves memory and concentration
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Stretches entire body
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Tones leg muscles
Triangle Pose Trikonasana
Benefits:
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Tones & strengthens legs, hip and back muscles
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Improves circulation
Standing Forward Bend Pose Uttanasana
Benefits:
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Stretches entire back of body
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Calms the nervous system
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Stimulates digestion
Warrior I Virabhadrasana I
Benefits:
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Reduces stiffness in back and shoulders
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Strengthens legs
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Trims the hips
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Tones the abdomen
Sitting Postures
Easy Pose Sukhasana
Benefits:
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Focusses the mind
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Opens the hips
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Lengthens the spine
Easy Pose forward fold Sukhasana forward fold
Benefits:
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Focusses the mind
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Opens the hips
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Lengthens the spine
Lotus Pose Padmasana
Benefits:
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Opens up your chest and stimulates the heart
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Mostly used for meditation and pranayama
Spinal Twist Ardha Matsyendrasana
Benefits:
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Lengthens and realigns the spine
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Aids digestion
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Improves the nervous system
Forward Bends
Child’s Pose Mudhasana
Benefits:
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Relaxing Pose
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Calms the mind, body and spirit
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Excellent relief for lower back pain
Backbends
Cobra Bhujangasana
Benefits:
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Opens the chest
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Provides good backward spinal stretch
Bow Dhanurasana
Benefits:
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Tones abdominal organs
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Increases vitality
Cat Pose I Bidalasana I
Benefits:
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Stretches the middle to upper back and shoulders
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Alleviates backaches
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Excellent for pregnant women
Cat Pose II Bidalasana II
Benefits:
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Lengthens the spine while stimulating the kidneys and adrenal glands
This posture is a reminder that, in Yoga, every pose has a counter pose in order to maintain balance.
Fish Matsyasana
Benefits:
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Corrects rounded shoulders
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increases lung capacity
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relieves stress and regulates moods
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Energizes the parathyroid glands and tones the pituitary
Counter pose to shoulderstand and headstand.
Inverted Postures
Downward Facing Dog Asho Mukha Svanasana
Benefits:
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Lifts you pelvis
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Lengthens the spine
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Strengthens and stretches upper body while stimulating the brain and nervous system
Shoulderstand Sarvangasana
Benefits:
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Rejuvenates the body by sending fresh blood to the heart and brain
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Stretches the neck and upper spine
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Stimulates the thyroid and parathyroid glands
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Can relieve a headache
Caution: Girls below the age of 19 should not do this posture.
Plow Pose Halasana
Benefits:
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Stimulates the spine
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Strengthens the nervous system
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Improves circulation
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Releases neck tension
Reclining postures
Lying Down Spinal Twist Jathara Parivartanasana
Benefits:
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Strengthens abdominal muscles and legs
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Tones the spine
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Eases back pain
Wind Relieving Pose
Apanasana
Benefits:
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Massages abdominal organs and releases gas from the intestines
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Releases stress and promotes flexibility
Corpse Pose Savasana
It is important to end every yoga session with at least 10 minutes of relaxation in the corpse pose. Learning how to relax both the body and the mind deepens the benefits of the performed asanas.
Resources: B.K.S. Iyengar; Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health; Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, H. David Coulter; Yoga Journal; Elwin Street Limited, London
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OlyYoga 1009 4th
Avenue East, Olympia, WA 98506 Tel: 360-753-0772