Yoga_Journal_-_December_2014_USA

HOME PRACTICE

practice well

Virabhadrasana II Warrior Pose II

From Downward Dog, step your right foot forward

to your right thumb, plant your back foot on the

ground, and rise up to Warrior Pose II. Stretch your

arms away from each other. Draw the tips of

your shoulder blades together and broaden your

chest. Look forward over your front hand. As you

inhale, radiate out in all directions.

Three-Legged Dog, variation

Bring your hands to the mat and step back into

Downward Dog. Inhale as you reach your right

leg high behind you, lifting from your inner

right thigh. Bend your right knee, bring your

heel toward your glute, and open your right hip

and side body. Keep your hands firmly planted

and arms parallel.

Plank Pose

From Flip Dog, with your core engaged, spin your

torso back toward the floor and place both hands

on the mat. Root your palms to the earth and stack

your shoulders over your wrists. Reach your heels

back and your crown forward, lengthen your spine,

and engage the low belly and legs.

Instructions: Do 4 rounds of this sequence. In round 1,

hold each pose for 5–6 breaths, or 30 seconds. In rounds 2–4,

hold each pose for 1 breath, or 5–6 seconds.

Wild Thing

From Side Plank, lift your left leg up a foot or two.

Bend your left knee and float that foot to the floor,

landing on the ball of the foot, as you soar your

hips high. Press into the outer edge of the right foot

and engage the right leg. Draw the head of your

right humerus in and open your heart. Extend your

top arm. Expand and celebrate! Return to Down-

ward Dog and practice sequence on the left.

End here with Savasana, 3 minutes

OR, HAVE 10 MORE MINUTES? TURN TO PAGE 50 TO EXTEND YOUR SEQUENCE.

Flip Dog

Press onto your left tiptoes and into your left

hand as you spin your torso and hips open to

the ceiling and lower your right foot to the floor.

Lift your hips high. Keep your feet grounded

and hip-distance apart. Squeeze the tips of your

shoulders together to expand your chest, and

reach your right arm behind you. Let your

head drop, and take deep, expansive breaths.

Vasisthasana, variation

Side Plank Pose, variation

Shift weight into your right hand and stack your

left foot on top of your right, flexing both feet.

Stretch your left arm high. To express joy in the

pose, lift your hips as high as you can and open

your chest. Reach strongly through your heels

and stretch your arms away from each other.

20

min

If you have 20 minutes, add

these poses to your sequence.

48

december 2014

yogajournal.com