Cobra pose is common to just about any yoga class. Often people focus on using their arms to press their chest away from the floor and fold backwards. But there are so many more muscles involved as you can see
The muscles of cobra pose and backbends
Folding forward
The forward fold (or uttanasana) is another common posture. We often don’t pay much attention to it, but we use this pose all the time to transition. On it’s own, it can be a good stretch for your hamstrings and
Mini sun salutation sequence to move the spine
For the last few weeks we’ve be going through a simple sequence that feels almost like a sun salutation to warmup the shoulders, spine, chest and back. It starts with an extended form of child’s pose. I’ve detailed this pose
Spinal twist combined with cat and cow pose
Yoga has been evolving since it was first conceptualised, and western practitioners are often introducing new poses or ways to move, including this pose often called ‘thread the needle.’ It’s a gentle and accessible way to start your yoga practice
Standing poses to stretch the hips, glutes and hamstrings
Parsvottanasana is often translated into English as the ‘intense side stretch pose.’ It is an intense and excellent stretch, often for the hip and glutes as well as the hamstring, but the alignment is a bit specific. You’ll know when
Warrior III one leg balance pose
We’ve often done warrior I and warrior II in class, but did you know there is a warrior III? Get ready for a new adventure in balancing! There are many ways to get in to this pose, but these steps
Stepping forward from down dog to a lunge
Many people find it challenging to step from down dog forward to the lunge. This action requires both flexibility and strength. This video, from Baxter Bell Yoga, goes through some tips that will help you step forward to a lunge
Shoulder strength through dolpin pose (modified down dog)
Last week we looked at ways to strengthen the shoulders. This week I feature another pose strengthening pose that also incorporates active stretching for the shoulders. To get in to dolphin pose, start on your hands and knees. Bring your
Variations in down dog for upper body strength
There are many ways to build upper body strength that put less strain on your shoulders than press ups. We’ll look at two in this week’s tip. The first option is simply to stay in down dog for 30 seconds,
Half moon – advanced one leg balance
I don’t usually feature more advanced poses, because the focus is on what you can do easily at home. But over the last few weeks, we’ve worked towards half moon and our tipping balance is a lead up to this