THE ESSENTIAL YOGA POSES
- Stand at the front of your
mat. Take a big step back
with your left foot. Line up
the heel of your right foot
with the inside edge of your
left foot. Turn your left toes
slightly forward toward the
left-front corner of your
mat. Make sure your right
toes point straight ahead.
- Bend your right knee,
working toward getting
your thigh parallel to the
mat. At the same time,
press the pinky-side edge
of your left foot into the
mat and keep straightening
through your left leg. Spin
your left inner thigh toward
the back of the room.
- Extend your arms over-
head. If elbows are straight,
you can touch your palms
together; otherwise, keep
the arms apart. Spin your
left ribs forward to square
off your chest with the front
of the room. Repeat on the
other side.
GAZE: If palms are touching, gaze
up toward your hands. If not, keep
a soft gaze looking forward.
PRECEDING POSES: Low
Lunge, Crescent
COUNTERPOSES: Down Dog,
Standing Forward Fold
PRECAUTIONS: To protect your
knees, always keep your front bent
knee directly over your ankle.
TIP: It is more imp or tant to
keep the back le g straight than
to get the front thigh parallel
to the mat. Keep rooting down
through the pink y side of the
back foot and straightening the
back le g. If you can keep that
le g straight , then you can bend
deeper into the front thigh.
