Pose of the Month - Elephant Pose

Elephant Pose

For Elephant Pose, start by standing with your feet hip distance apart. Lean forward as if you are trying to reach your toes, clasp the hands together and then slowly sway from left to right using your lower back (not your arms).  This will create a nice stretch in your lower back. Knees can be slightly bent. Stay in the pose for a several breaths.  Kids- to have a little more fun, you can pretend to fill your trunk up with water, then lift your trunk (arm) up and spray your back.  We felt Elephant Pose was appropriate for Earth Day focused newsletter, since we learned the Asian Elephant is on the endangered species list.

Pose of the Month - Peacock

Peacock Pose
 

For Peacock Pose, start by sitting on the floor, extend one leg straight out and to the side, keeping the other leg bent in.  Reach the arms up and then fold the arms and the body toward the extended leg. Doing it this way will stretch your side.  

For another version, you may also reach both hands towards the extended foot taking the head towards the knee. Hold for a few breaths and then switch sides.

Pose of the Month - Cobra Pose

Cobra Pose
 

To start Cobra pose, lay on your stomach with legs straight, tops of feet are on the floor. Place the hands, palms on the floor and fingers spread wide next to the chest, near your underarm.  Then as you inhale, gently push up from palms to arch the back slightly lifting the chest and part of the abdomen off the floor, elbows slightly bent. Keep your shoulders down and back. The legs and feet stay on the floor. Stay here and take a few deep breaths. Slowly lower down on an exhale.  

Cobra is a heart-opening & spine strengthening pose.

Pose of the Month - Mountain Pose

Mountain Pose
 

To start Mountain pose, stand with feet hip distance apart.  Arms are by the sides of the body, with the palms facing out, fingers reaching for the floor.  Stand very tall and confident taking several deep belly breaths.
 

Options while you are in Mountain, to loosen the shoulders, is to inhale shoulders up and exhale shoulders down several times. Or try shoulder rolls forwards and backwards.  

Mountain is a centering pose. It is often the starting pose in a yoga class and one where, with eyes closed, you set your intention.

Video Example #2

We wanted to share another video example of a pose you could use for Share A Pose for YogaBuddies.  This is Maggie demonstrating Cow and Cat pose.

After Maggie shared the pose with her friends, she would have her mom share with us either here on the blog or on Facebook...1) who she shared yoga with, 2) the name of the pose(s) and 3) where she shared the pose (city/state).

Pose of the Month - Tree

Tree Pose

Tree pose is a balancing pose, so it is important to find a focus point before starting this pose.  It is good to find a spot on the floor or straight ahead that is not moving.  Continue to use the focus point while in the pose. 

Arms and hands start together at the heart.  Standing on one foot, lift the other foot to rest onto the calf of the standing leg.  Once feeling balanced, raise the arms and hands up over the head.  Sway the arms back and forth like the branches of a tree. 

To modify, rest the toes on the floor and place the foot next to the ankle of the standing leg.

To add challenge, lift the foot to rest on the inside of the thigh.  Be careful not to rest the foot onto the knee.  It is not safe for the joint of the knee.

Be sure to do both sides. 

One of our students, Max, created Christmas Tree Pose by putting his arms up over his hand touching the tips of his fingers together making an upside down V shape. If you're feeling festive, give this a try. I'm going to see if I can find a picture of Max to share.

 

Pose of the Month - Child's Pose

Child's Pose

Start Child's Pose by sitting on your feet. Lean forward and rest the middle of your forehead on the mat. The arms can either lay by the sides of the body or stretched out in front of the body. The hips are back sitting onto the heels. Take big, full, deep breaths in and long, full breaths out.

Modification: Stack fists together and rest forehead onto fists.

This is a resting pose. It is a great pose to create Peace within. It is a wise one to do before doing homework or when you need a quick rest.

Pose of the Month - Airplane

Airplane Pose

To start Airplane pose, a balancing pose, find something on the floor to use as your focus point. Step one foot forward, grounding it firmly into the ground, being mindful toes stay flat (not crunched up). Slowly lift the back leg, so you are balancing on one foot. Stretch arms out by your sides, they can be straight out or slightly behind you. Palms of the hands are facing the floor. Try to make your body parallel to the floor. And BREATHE! If your foot comes down or you fall, just come back into the pose.

After a 5-10 breaths, switch sides. Keep using your focus point to help you with your balance. Hold the next side for 5-10 breaths.

In our yoga classes, we will sometimes challenge our students to see if they can hold it for a minute. See if you can too!! Remember, TRUST your body!

Pose of the Month - Sun Greeting

Sun Greeting Pose

Start Sun Greeting by standing with feet double hip-distance apart and toes pointing at 10 and 1 o'clock. Inhale arms up over the head bringing hands together. On the exhale bend the knees so the legs are in a squatting position at the same time bend the arms and bring the elbows towards the waist. Palms are facing up toward the sky - greeting the sun! On the inhale straighten the legs back to a standing position with arms reaching over the head. Repeat this flowing pose several times to warm up the large muscles in the body.

This is an energizing pose and a nice pose to do in the morning. That's why you'll find it on the Good Morning CD!

YogaBuddies Junior at Yoga Loft

YogaBuddies Junior plays at Yoga Loft in Manhattan Beach in July and August 2010.
We had some regulars weekly students and many other friends who dropped in and joined our fun classes just for kids ages 3-6. Yoga Loft has a beautiful space in Manhattan Beach with an ocean view and a view of the MB pier.
Here's some pics of our little yogis and yoginis.

We've been CAMPING!!! part 2

Here are the students in Arts Unlimited camp striking their poses.

We've been CAMPING!!!

That's right, we have had 5 weeks of fun at 3 of Chadwick School's summer camps: Arts Unlimited, Minis and Camp Chadwick. The kids have ranged in age from 4 years old to 18 years old!! Here are the Minis striking a pose!!

Pose of the Month - Roly Poly

Start Roly Pose by laying on your back and pulling your knees up towards your chest. If you can wrap your arms around your knees to give yourself a big hug. You can rock from side to side or forward and backwards.

Maybe while you are in Roly Poly pose you can think of one thing you like about yourself or your body and thank yourself for that part of you that makes you unique!

Pose of the Month - Stingray

Stingray Pose

This is legs open, seated, forward-fold pose. Start in a seated position, separate the legs out wide. Then fold the body forward toward the floor, hinging at the hips, thus keeping a straight back. This makes sure the folding forward is happening at the hips and not the spine. The body can be supported by placing the elbows on the floor and staying here, or by resting the forehead on the hands on the floor. If your body doesn't want to go that far, use a pillow(s) or blanket(s) to rest your body on.
Stay here for 5-10 breaths. As you breathe, see if you can allow your body to move closer to the ground. Try to relax and breathe into the areas where you feel tension.

Modification: Bend the knees or sit on an elevated surface, such as a blanket.

Lululemon event was a success!!

Our class at the El Segundo Lululemon on Sunday was a great success!! We had a little over 20 kids who all had a lot of fun!!! Here are some pics!Starting class in Namaste.

Getting ready to explode in Volcano!

Letting go in Lion pose

Greeting the Sun!

Taking a rest in Child's Pose

Pose of the Month - Reaching for the Stars

Reaching for the Stars Pose

Stand with feet hip distance apart. Inhale reach the left arm up, stretching it up overhead fully to feel a stretch on the side of the body. Unlike our picture demonstrates, the right arm stays hanging by the right side of the body. Exhale bring the left arm down. Inhale switching sides and reach the right arm up getting a full stretch on the right side of the body. The left arm hangs by the left side of the body. Keep feet firmly planted on the ground. Stretch several times on each side.

This pose feels really good in the morning when you are just waking up!

Poses of the Month - Cow and Cat Pose

Cow Pose and Cat Pose

Cow and Cat are separate poses, however they are often used together flowing from one to the other.

For Cow pose, start on all hands and knees, make sure knees are aligned with the hips and wrists are aligned with the shoulders. Inhale; curve the back, bringing the tummy down towards the floor. Raise the crown of the head and the tail toward the ceiling.


For Cat pose, keeping the integrity of hand, shoulders, hips and knees, begin to exhale, arching the back, tucking the chin into the chest and bringing the tummy in towards the spine.

Alternate between the two poses several times. Breathe in Cow, breath out Cat.

Pose of the Month - Owl Pose

Owl Pose

Start sitting cross-legged with a straight back. Place the left hand onto the right knee, then take the right hand and place it behind the back on the floor, twisting the body to the right and looking over the right shoulder. Be sure to keep your back straight and shoulders down. Take a few breaths. Then switch taking the right hand onto the left knee, place the left hand behind the back and twist the body to the left looking over the left shoulder. Take another few deep breaths. The close the hand is to the tail the straighter the back and deeper the twist.

Pose of the Month: Roly Poly

To practice roly poly, lie down on your back and pull your knees up to your chest. Roll gently on your back from left to right and back and forth.

This is a fun pose, massages the spine and helps release tension in the lower back.

Pose of the Month: Superman

To get into the Superman pose:

Lie on your stomach and stretch your arms out in front by the ears.

Slowly, lift the arms and legs up toward the sky keeping the legs straight. As your arms raise, the chest is lifted and the shoulder blades squeeze together. As your legs lift, the muscles in the back, around the tailbone and legs, contract.

The head is looking slightly forward and down.