Yoga_Journal_-_February_2016_USA_

45

february 2016

yogajournal.com

Box on the Wall

Benefits

Stretches your arms; opens your shoulders

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)

Benefits

Lengthens your neck; stretches your spine; opens your chest

Instruction

Lie on your back and bend your knees. Place your feet hip-width

apart, close to your buttocks. Inhale to slowly raise your hips. Lift

your heels and come up onto your toes. Interlace your fingers,

stretch your arms toward your feet, and walk your shoulders

under you. Then unclasp your fingers and place your hands

under your hips with your fingers pointing out—this helps you

elevate your hips. If you can, lower your heels. Press your feet

into the floor, bringing even more weight into the shoulders and

expansion through your chest. Hold for 5 breaths.

Adho Mukha

Svanasana prep

Adho Mukha

Svanasana,

pages 46–47

Instruction

Place your hands on a wall shoulder-width
apart, with your wrists at least at hip height.
Check that the inner triads of both hands are
firm against the wall and that your index-finger
knuckles are heavy. Straighten your arms and
walk your feet back until your heels are under
your sitting bones. Lower your head between
your upper arms and keep pressing your hands
into the wall. Lift your sitting bones and en-
gage your quadriceps. Breathe freely through
your nose for 10–15 breaths.

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