Power Up With Plank

The best exercise for core strength isn’t sit ups, it’s Plank Pose. In Sanskrit, Plank Pose is called Adho Mukha Dandasana which means “Downward Facing Stick.” In Plank, the entire body is strong and straight like a stick. To keep it that way, you’ve got to seriously engage your abdominal muscles.

To power up with Plank Pose, begin on all fours. Place your hands on the floor under your shoulders.  Stretch your legs out behind you tucking your toes. Flex your tummy and make your whole back straight and long like a plank of wood. Keep on breathing!

The key is to keep your hips slightly raised, but just enough so that your belly isn’t sagging toward the ground. How long can you hold Plank? 30 seconds? One minute? Four minutes? Way to go!

Image from Yoga Teddy Bear A-B-C for the letter “P.” This full color, hardcover book is a great way to introduce kids learning the alphabet to yoga at the same time. Photo of Yoga Teddy Bear creator K. Mae Copham by Robert Oakley, Central Park, NYC.

Stretch and Tone Your Legs with Head to Knee Forward Fold (Janu Sirsasana)

Who doesn’t want strong, flexible legs? There’s a reason the yoga stretch called Janu Sirsasana is also known as “Runner’s Stretch.” It opens up your hamstrings, hips and spine as you prepare for physical activity. And it just feels nice.

To practice Head to Knee Forward Fold, begin seated on the ground with your feet stretched out in front of you. Bend one knee and place the bottom of your foot on your thigh anywhere above your knee. Breathe in and reach your hands toward the sky to make your spine long, then breathe out and fold forward over your extended leg.

It doesn’t matter where you grab your leg. It might be the thigh, the calf or your foot. Flex your extended leg, breathe in and use your arms to arch your back and puff up your chest. Then breathe out and let your spine curl forward. Use your arms to gently pull your nose closer to your knee without bouncing. Breathe deeply and enjoy the sensations of your back body relaxing into the pose. Namaste!

Coloring page from Yoga Teddy Bear’s Big Little Coloring Book of 108 Yoga Poses colored by Miss Michele Palumbo, Bay Shore, NY. Enter our coloring contest to win prizes. Picture of Yoga Teddy Bear creator K. Mae Copham by Robert Oakley in New Paltz, NY.

The Graceful Curve of the Crescent Moon

 After the half moon appears on July 16, our celestial neighbor will begin to wane into a new moon. On clear nights over the next week, we will enjoy the graceful curve of the crescent moon. It reminds us that our bodies are not shaped like boxes and squares. We’re all curves and circles. In the spirit of the crescent moon, we practice Crescent Moon Stretch to stretch open our ribs, get our blood flowing and keep our spine flexible.

To practice Crescent Moon Stretch (Chandrasana), begin in a seated or standing position. Breathe in and reach your arms long overhead. Yogi’s choice: face your thumbs toward the back, clasp your hands and point toward the sky, or hook your thumbs together. Breathe out and bend to one side, curving your body like a crescent moon. Breathe deeply. Look straight ahead or up to the sky. Feel your side stretch all the way from your hip to your fingers. Stay aligned from front to back as though you are standing between two walls. Breathe in back to center. Breathe out to make your crescent moon on the other side.

Send your mind and body over the moon any time of the day, even sitting in a chair at your computer. Chandrasana is the way to do it. Thanks for the reminder, Moon! Namaste.

Coloring page from Yoga Teddy Bear’s Big Little Coloring Book of 108 Yoga Poses colored by Miss Michele Palumbo, Bay Shore, NY. Enter our coloring contest to win prizes. Picture of K. Mae Copham in Vail, CO by Robert Oakley.

Celebrate July 4 with Number 4 Legs

In the United States of America July 4 is synonymous with Independence Day and the founding of our country in 1776. The number 4 is a solid number. It conjures the image of a square or a table, the corners of a room, the 4 directions or the 4 seasons. Many East Asians think the number 4 is unlucky because the word for four is the same word as death (shi). Other people think a 4-leaf clover is a sign of good luck. The Native American Pueblo of New Mexico consider the number 4 to be sacred.

In yoga, a visual way to teach standing Half Lotus pose (Ardha Padmasana) is to call it “Number 4 Legs,” because the practitioner’s legs look like the number 4. Ardha Padmasana is an excellent pose to improve balance and stretch your hips. It’s also the set up pose for the arm balances Dragonfly and Flying Pigeon.

To practice Number 4 Legs, begin standing in Mountain Pose. Shift your weight to one leg. Focus on a point in front of you (your “Drishti”) to help you balance. Lift your other leg, bend your knee and place your ankle anywhere above your standing knee and as close to your hip as it will reach. Use your hand on your bent knee to press your hips open a little more. Like magic, your legs make the shape of a number 4. Bring your hands together in front of you count 4 long, deep breaths. Switch sides for an equal amount of time.

Happy 4^th of July, America! Namaste.

Images: Coloring of “Number 4 Legs” by Harry Hayes, Age 10, Long Island, NY. Page from Yoga Teddy Bear’s Big Little Coloring Book of 108 Poses. Yoga Teddy Bear creator K. Mae Copham photo by Robert Oakley in Central Park, NYC, 2015.