quickie how to do headstand/modified scorpion w/ the wall for uber beginners
MOTIVATION: headstand!
(via lululemon athletica
the five steps to headstand
1. Use a sticky mat (doubled over, if you want extra cushion). On your hands and knees, bring the crown of your head to the ground. With your palms flat and near your head, bring your hands away from your face – this creates the ‘tripod’ between the head and hands. Your forearms should now be perpendicular to the ground. Lift your knees up and walk your feet in. Stay here for 5-20 breaths.
2. When your feet are in as close as possible (essentially your bum is aligned on top of the head and the shoulders), try bringing each knee, one at a time, to rest on top of your triceps (teddy bear headstand). Stay here for 5-20 breaths.
3. In teddy bear headstand, engage your abdominals and float the knees off your triceps, bring your knees to touch and keep your legs bent, with your heels near your bum. Stay here for 5-20 breaths.
4. With your knees and big toes touching, roll your bent legs slowly upwards, until your knees are pointing up to the ceiling. Going through all theses motions slowly requires engaging core strength. Stay 5-20 breaths.
5. Finally, extend your legs straight up into the air. Seal the inner legs together. Hold for as long as you desire, then come down slowly, the exact same way you rolled up!These five steps break down the posture so that you can push yourself only as far as you feel comfortable. If you only get to step one the first time, that’s okay! Any other postures you’d like broken down by our experts?
* Those with high blood pressure or acute neck pain, women on their moon/menstrual cycle and women who are pregnant should consult a physician before attempting Sirsasana.
Read full article here: 5 steps to headstand|
Child’s Pose, Balasana
How-To:
1. Kneel on the floor. Touch your big toes together and sit on your heels, then separate your knees about as wide as your hips.2. Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs. Broaden your sacrum across the back of your pelvis and narrow your hip points toward the navel, so that they nestle down onto the inner thighs. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of the pelvis while you lift the base of your skull away from the back of your neck.
3. Fold over your upper body and bring your forehead to the ground. Stretch your arms over your head and place your palms on the floor for active child’s pose. For passive child’s pose, rest your hands on the floor along your body with your palms up. Now your torso and legs are balanced on the backs of your upper arms.4. Balasana is a resting pose. Stay anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes. Beginners can also use Balasana to get a taste of a deep forward bend, where the torso rests on the thighs. Stay in the pose from 1 to 3 minutes. To come up, first lengthen the front torso, and then with an inhalation lift from the tailbone as it presses down and into the pelvis.
Benefits:
This is a restful pose that is kind and gentle to your body. It gently stretches the thighs, hips, & ankles. It also calms the brain and can relieve stress and fatigue. Women can use this pose to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps - I can tell you from personal experience that it works!!
(see previous “healing through yoga” entries here!)
(via getyouryogaon)
Crow, Bakasana
How-To:
1. Squat down from Tadasana with your inner feet a few inches apart. If it isn’t possible to keep your heels on the floor, support them on a thickly folded blanket. Separate your knees wider than your hips and lean the torso forward, between the inner thighs. Stretch your arms forward, then bend your elbows, place your hands on the floor and the backs of the upper arms against the shins.2. Snuggle your inner thighs against the sides of your torso, and your shins into your armpits, and slide the upper arms down as low onto the shins as possible. Lift up onto the balls of your feet and lean forward even more, taking the weight of your torso onto the backs of the upper arms. In Bakasana you consciously attempt to contract your front torso and round your back completely. To help yourself do this, keep your tailbone as close to your heels as possible.
3. With an exhalation, lean forward even more onto the backs of your upper arms, to the point where the balls of your feet leave the floor. Now your torso and legs are balanced on the backs of your upper arms. As a beginner at this pose, you might want to stop here, perched securely on the bent arms.4. But if you are ready to go further, squeeze the legs against the arms, press the inner hands firmly to the floor and (with an inhalation) straighten the elbows. Seen from the side the arms are angled slightly forward relative to the floor. The inner knees should be glued to the outer arms, high up near the armpits. Keep the head in a neutral position with your eyes looking at the floor, or lift the head slightly, without compressing the back of the neck, and look forward.
5. Stay in the pose anywhere from 20 seconds to 1 minute. To release, exhale and slowly lower your feet to the floor, back into a squat.
Benefits:
This pose is a bit of a challenge but has many benefits! It strengthens your arms, wrists, upper back, & your abs, and stimulates the digestive, respiratory, & nervous systems It will also help you develop focus & concentration, and the feeling of satisfaction you get after doing your very first crow is amazing!
(see previous “healing through yoga” entries here!)
Form is the most important part of your arm balance. Your hand should be flat on the floor, fingers spread out wide so each individual finger is digging in to moderate your balance, elbows bent at exactly 90 degrees. You put your weight on top of your elbows and lean forward. Way forward.
The trick to it is, your triceps only have to work hard enough to stay at the 90 degree angle. They're not carrying your whole body weight! It's the bones in your lower arm (radius and ulna) that bear your weight, and they do so passively, without using any effort or energy.
Ab strength is the second part of this, because the abs are what keep the rest of your body (torso and legs) in proper form. If they're your weak link, try scales pose to build up your strength. http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/1706”
Oh! Awesome you totally rock thank you!! <3
I’ll definitely work on those muscles & try the scales pose! Thank you thank you thank you thank you! <3
