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Yoga and Stretching. By: Aidan Connors Danielle Washington. Equipment. Yoga Pants, Basketball Shorts, and Comfortable T-shirts Yoga Mats Water Bottles Music (ipods,Mp3’s etc.…). Safety Concerns.
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Yoga and Stretching By: Aidan Connors Danielle Washington
Equipment • Yoga Pants, Basketball Shorts, and Comfortable T-shirts • Yoga Mats • Water Bottles • Music (ipods,Mp3’s etc.…)
Safety Concerns If you feel you are unsure of certain poses that do not attempt anything you feel uncomfortable about doing. Do not push yourself to hard or overstretch yourself. If needed stop the pose and rest. Feel free to start again whenever you feel ready to.
Warm-Up (5 min) • Toe touches (1 min) • Arm over shoulder stretch (1 min each arm) • Butterfly (1 min) • 1 foot stretches (30 sec each leg)
Downward dog (10 min) • Start on hands and knees, shoulders over wrists, toes tucked. Make a tall "V" shape by lifting hips straight up, sinking upper chest and shoulders, and relaxing down the backs of legs into your heels. • Relax upper chest toward the floor until arms and body are in the same line. Inhale your belly and hips up high and relax down through your heels on the exhale
Warrior II Pose (5 min) • From a high lunge, roll your back heel to the ground, turn your shoulders parallel to your mat, and reach your arms out parallel to the ground. Keep your body vertical over your hips, and your front knee directly over your ankle. • Keep your back heel firmly grounded so the weight is shared equally with your front foot, drop your back hip so both are the same height, and reach just as strongly behind you as in front.
Downward Dog Split (5min) • Keep your arms and legs straight, and inhale to lift one leg up in the air. You can open your hip and body to the side, or keep your hips and shoulders square and your lifted toes pointing at the ground
Child’s Pose (10 min) • From hands and knees, un-tuck your toes and lower your hips back to your heels. With knees apart or together, lie your body on your thighs and rest your forehead on the ground. Arms can be straight forward on the ground, or reaching behind you for an extra shoulder release. • Before relaxing completely, press your palms into the ground with arms straight and elbows lifted, pushing your hips firmly back toward your heels. For an extra back release, breathe deeply into your whole back. Use this pose to rest between challenging poses.
Plank (5 min) • Start on your hands and knees, shoulders directly over your wrists. Tuck your toes, extend your legs, and walk your feet back until your shoulders, hips, and ankles form a straight line. • Keep your belly and lower back from sagging by using your inhales to pull your belly in and puff up your lower back. You can check for your straight line by looking down the underside of your body.
Boat Pose (5 min) • Sit down with knees close to your chest, feet on the floor. Keeping your body close to vertical, hold behind your knees and lift your feet to bring shins parallel to the ground. Release your hands and stretch arms straight forward. Lean back slightly as you stretch your legs toward straight. • Keep your chest open and shoulders back rather than rounded forward. Practice keeping your body and thighs closer to vertical by keeping knees bent. If your tailbone gets in the way when straightening legs, sit on a towel or blanket.
Tree Pose (5 min for each foot) • While standing, shift your weight onto one foot, then lift your other heel up to your inner thigh. Reach arms straight up, or press your palms together at your chest or behind your upper spine. • Balance by keeping an active standing leg, and stacking your skeleton vertical from heel to knee to hip rather than relying on your foot muscles. If you want to open your upper chest, press the edges of your hands in prayer position to your chest and breath strongly into your hands. If you want to open your upper back, press the edges of your hands firmly along your upper spine and lift with your breath.
Cool down (5 min) • Corpse Pose • Lie down flat on your back. Feet can be about mat width apart, arms straight, palms up • Relax. Follow your breath without trying to control it. Notice what’s going on in your body. Catch your thoughts as they come along and let them go