a. Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

May look like standing but this is an active pose that helps improve posture, balance, and calm focus. It is the foundational pose for all standing yoga postures and full inversions. Once you understand the proper form of Mountain Pose, it will be easier to gain and maintain the alignment for all other standing poses and inversions.

Benefits of Mountain Pose: Mountain pose improves body posture and can help reduce back pain. It strengthens the thighs, knees, ankles, abdomen, and buttocks.

Cautions

Avoid Mountain Pose if you are experiencing headaches, insomnia, low blood pressure, or if you are lightheaded and/or dizzy. Always work within your own range of limits and abilities. If you have any medical concerns, talk with your doctor before practicing yoga.

Instructions:

1. Stand with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Press your weight evenly across the balls and arches of your feet. Breathe steadily and rhythmically. Draw your awareness inward. Focus on the present moment, letting all worries and concerns fade away.

2. Press your big toes together (separate your heels if you need to). Lift your toes and spread them apart. Then, place them back down on the mat, one at a time.

3. If you have trouble balancing, stand with your feet six inches apart (or wider).

4. Draw down through your heels and straighten your legs. Ground your feet firmly into the earth, pressing evenly across all four corners of both feet.

5. Then, lift your ankles and the arches of your feet. Squeeze your outer shins toward each other.

6. Draw the top of your thighs up and back, engaging the quadriceps. Rotate your thighs slightly inward, widening your sit bones.

7. Tuck in your tailbone slightly, but don’t round your lower back. Lift the back of your thighs, but release your buttocks. Keep your hips even with the center line of your body.

8. Bring your pelvis to its neutral position. Do not let your front hip bones point down or up; instead, point them straight forward. Draw your belly in slightly.

9. As you inhale, elongate through your torso. Exhale and release your shoulder blades away from your head, toward the back of your waist.

10. Broaden across your collarbones, keeping your shoulders in line with the sides of your body.

11. Press your shoulder blades toward the back ribs, but don’t squeeze them together. Keep your arms straight, fingers extended, and triceps firm. Allow your inner arms to rotate slightly outward.

12. Elongate your neck. Your ears, shoulders, hips, and ankles should all be in one line.

13. Keep your breathing smooth and even. With each exhalation, feel your spine elongating. Softly gaze forward toward the horizon line. Hold the pose for up to one minute.

When practiced correctly, this pose is an intense stretch, particularly for the hamstrings and back. However, it should also be relaxing and comfortable — be careful not to push too hard, seeking an "intense" experience! The more you relax in this pose, the deeper your stretch will be.

Benefits of Standing Forward Fold

Dropping your head below your heart calms your brain. This helps to relieve stress, headaches, anxiety, fatigue, mild depression, and insomnia. It also stretches and lengthens your hamstrings and calves. It opens the hips and can relieve tension in the neck and shoulders.

Doing this pose stimulates the liver and kidneys, while improving digestion. It is also known to be therapeutic for stress, asthma, sinusitis, high blood pressure, infertility, and osteoporosis.

Cautions

It requires patience and practice to be performed at its fullest expression. It can take years or even decades to reach the deepest variation of the pose, and it is very easy to injure yourself if you push your body to attain it too soon. If you do not have the flexibility to do the pose in proper alignment, practice with a block or with your knees bent until you can straighten your legs without over-rounding your back.

Those with back injuries should practice this pose with bent knees. Always work within your own range of limits and abilities. If you have any medical concerns, talk with your doctor before practicing yoga.

Instructions:

1. Begin in Mountain pose, with your hands on your hips.

2. Exhale as you bend forward at the hips, lengthening the front of your torso.

3. Bend your elbows and hold on to each elbow with the opposite hand. Let the crown of your head hang down. Press your heels into the floor as you lift your sit bones toward the ceiling. Turn the tops of your thighs slightly inward. Do not lock your knees.

4. If you can keep the front of your torso long and your knees straight, place your palms or fingertips on the floor beside your feet. Bring your fingertips in line with your toes and press your palms on the mat. Those with more flexibility can place their palms on the backs of their ankles.

5. Engage your quadriceps (the front thigh muscles) and draw them up toward the ceiling. The more you engage your quadriceps, the more your hamstrings (the rear thigh muscles) will release.

6. Bring your weight to the balls of your feet. Keep your hips aligned over your ankles.

7. Slightly lift and lengthen your torso with each inhalation. Release deeper into the pose with each exhalation. Let your head hang.

8. Hold the pose for up to one minute. To release, place your hands on your hips. Draw down through your tailbone and keep your back flat as you inhale and return to Mountain pose. Repeat 5-10 times.

c. Warrior I

• Warrior I is a standing yoga pose that builds focus, power, and stability.

Benefits of Warrior I Pose

It stretches the whole front side of the body while strengthening the thighs, ankles, and back. A powerful standing pose that develops stamina, balance, and coordination. It tones the abdomen, ankles, and arches of the feet. This pose also stretches the chest and lungs, improving breathing capacity and invigorating the body. It can be therapeutic for back pain. It also encourages greater flexibility, strength, and range of motion in the feet, increasing circulation as it warms all of the muscles.

Beyond the physical posture, Warrior I creates deep concentration. Focusing on your foundation and building the pose from the ground up reduces distractions and hones your energy. Your mind becomes focused, calm, and clear.

Cautions

Do not practice the full version of the pose if you are experiencing high blood pressure or heart problems. Those with neck injuries should keep their heads in a neutral position (in step 8) — do not look up at the hands. Those with shoulder injuries should keep their raised arms parallel to each other or even wider (in step 7). Always work within your own range of limits and abilities. If you have any medical concerns, talk with your doctor before practicing yoga.

Instructions

1. Begin with Mountain pose, standing with your feet hip-distance apart and your arms at your sides. Let your thoughts settle. Focus on the present moment. Breathe deeply and evenly, calming your mind. Draw your awareness inward. Turn to the left.

2. Exhale as you step your feet wide apart, about 4 to 5 feet.

3. Turn your right foot out 90 degrees, so your toes are pointing to the top of the mat.

4. Pivot your left foot inwards at a 45-degree angle.

5. Align your front heel with the arch of your back foot. Keep your pelvis turned toward the front of your mat.

6. Press your weight through your left heel. Then, exhale as you bend your right knee over your right ankle. Your shin should be perpendicular to the floor. Lift through the arches of your feet, while rooting down through your ankles.

7. Reach up strongly through your arms. Broaden across your belly, lengthen the sides of your waist, and lift through your chest. Keep your palms and fingers active and reaching. You can keep your arms parallel, or press your palms together.

8. Gently tilt your head back and gaze up at your thumbs. Keep your shoulders dropped away from your ears. Feel your shoulder blades pressing firmly inward.

9. Press down through the outer edge of your back foot, keeping your back leg straight.

10. Hold for up to one minute.

11. To release the pose, press your weight through your back heel and straighten your front leg. Lower your arms. Turn to the left, reversing the position of your feet, and repeat for the same length of time on the opposite side.

d. Warrior II

- A standing yoga pose that enhances strength, stability, and concentration.

Benefits of Warrior II Pose

A good stretch for the legs, groins, and chest, and it also increases stamina. It helps to relieve backaches, and stimulates healthy digestion.

This is a deep hip-opening pose that strengthens the muscles in the thighs and buttocks. It tones the abdomen, ankles, and arches of the feet. This pose also opens the chest and shoulders, improving breathing capacity and increasing circulation throughout the body. It is also known to be therapeutic for flat feet, sciatica (back pain), infertility, and osteoporosis.

More than just a physical posture, Warrior II increases your ability to concentrate. As you hone your gaze, you direct your mind clearly and with intention. Distractions disappear and your energy becomes powerful and focused.

Cautions

Do not practice Warrior II if you have a recent hip, knee, or shoulder injury, or if you are experiencing diarrhea or high blood pressure. Those with neck injuries should not turn their head to face the front hand (in step 10). Always work within your own range of limits and abilities. If you have any medical concerns, talk with your doctor before practicing yoga.

e. Seated Forward Fold

A calming yoga pose that helps to relieve stress. This pose is often practiced later in a sequence, when the body is warm.

The pose can indeed feel “intense,” but it’s important to remember never to force it or push too hard. The more you can learn to relax in this pose, the deeper your stretch will be.

Benefits of Seated Forward Fold

It stretches the spine, shoulders, pelvis, and hamstrings. It also stimulates and balances the liver, kidneys, adrenal glands, ovaries, and uterus. Modern-day yoga teachers agree to its many other benefits, which include:

• Relief from stress

• Improved digestion and appetite

• Relief from menstrual pain and symptoms of menopause

• A calmer mind

• Reduced anxiety and fatigue

• Improved sleep and relief from insomnia

This pose is also believed to be therapeutic for high blood pressure, infertility, and sinusitis. It is reputed to be beneficial for overcoming obesity, as well.

Cautions

It takes patience and a dedicated practice to perform this at its fullest expression. It can take years, or even decades, to reach the deepest variation of the pose, making it very easy to injure yourself if you push your body to attain the full pose too soon. If you don’t have the flexibility to do the pose in correct alignment, be sure to practice with a strap or with a bolster under your knees until you can fold without over-rounding your spine.

Also avoid practicing this pose if you are currently suffering from asthma or diarrhea. Students with back injuries should only practice this pose with the guidance of an experienced and knowledgeable teacher. Always work within your own range of limits and abilities. If you have any medical concerns, talk with your doctor before practicing yoga.

Instructions

1. Sit on the edge of a firm blanket or in your yoga mat, with your legs extended in front of you Reach actively through your heels. Beginners should bend their knees throughout the pose, eventually straightening the legs as flexibility increases.

2. Inhale as you reach your arms out to the side, and then up overhead, lengthening your spine.

3. Exhaling, bend forward from the hip joints. Do not bend at the waist. Lengthen the front of your torso. Imagine your torso coming to rest on your thighs, instead of tipping your nose toward your knees.

4. Hold onto your shins, ankles, or feet — wherever your flexibility permits. You can also wrap a yoga strap or towel around the soles of your feet, holding it firmly with both hands.

5. Keep the front of your torso long; do not round your back. Let your belly touch your legs first, and then your chest. Your head and nose should touch your legs last.

6. With each inhalation, lengthen the front torso. With each exhalation, fold a bit deeper.

7. Hold for up to one minute. To release the pose, draw your tailbone towards the floor as you inhale and lift your torso.

Assessment Task

Instruction: Below are the flows of yoga routine. Perform the yoga poses (from previous and today’s lessons) of the 3 flows. If possible, invite a family member or anyone in your neighborhood to join you in performing the yoga routine. Play some background music when doing the routine. Hold each pose from 20 seconds or more, depending on your breathing. Record your performance and send a copy to your respective Google Classroom. For Category 1, save it on a flash drive and send to your teacher.

Remember the precautions in performing the poses.

Suggested music:

Relaxing Yoga Music ● Jungle Song ● Morning Relax Meditation, Indian Flute Music for Yoga, Healing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BD1y0TOk3o