Yoga Stretches Page 2

Yoga

4.) Garland Pose (Malasana)

Move your feet out to the edges of your mat and bend your knees, coming into a squat. The toes may turn out if necessary. If your heels do not reach the floor, you can sit on two stacked blocks. This modification makes the pose more accessible for many people.

This is a position that is quite natural for children, but we lose the knack for it as adults. It's great for the hips and to counteract the effects of too much sitting in chairs and riding in cars. It's also a very useful pose if you like to garden.

5.) Lunge

From malasana, come back into a forward fold with legs gently bent and feet underneath your hips. When you are ready, step your left leg to the back of your mat and bend your right knee for a deep lunge. Try to bring your bent knee directly over your ankle so your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Feel free to place hands on blocks to bring the floor to you.

Keep the left leg straight and strong with your heel reaching back. If this is too intense, you can drop your left knee to the mat instead. Stay five breaths before returning the left foot to the front of your mat next to the right one. Then repeat the lunge with the left foot forward and the right leg back.