Interested in starting a consistent yoga practice, but not sure where to start?
These 8 yoga sequences designed by experienced yoga teachers will help you target specific areas of the body to release tension and increase flexibility.
1. Bharadvaja's Twist
you can do this pose with two steps
* Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Shift over onto your right buttock, bend your knees, and swing your legs to the left. Lay your feet on the floor outside your left hip, with the left ankle resting in the right arch.
* Inhale and lift through the top of the sternum to lengthen the front torso. Then exhale and twist your torso to the right, keeping the left buttock on or very close to the floor. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor to keep the lower back long. Soften the belly.
2. Cat Pose
* Start on your hands and knees in a "tabletop" position. Make sure your knees are set directly below your hips and your wrists, elbows and shoulders are in line and perpendicular to the floor. Center your head in a neutral position, eyes looking at the floor.
See also Poses for Building Balance and Core Strength
* As you exhale, round your spine toward the ceiling, making sure to keep your shoulders and knees in position. Release your head toward the floor, but don't force your chin to your chest.
*Inhale, coming back to neutral "tabletop" position on your hands and knees.
3. Dolphin pose
this is the one of the most highly effective and underused strength and stability-building postures in the yoga practice. Essentially, Dolphin posture is done as such:
*Come to your hands and knees.
*Place your forearms on the mat, shoulder distance apart.
*Leave your elbows shoulder distance apart, then *bring your hands together, interlacing your fingers.
*Lift your legs into a Downward Dog position.
*Come to your tip toes, and draw your torso and hips forward, so that your chin comes into contact with your knuckles.
*Push yourself back to your forearm Downward Dog.
Repeat 10 to 20 times.
4. Cobra pose
* Place your palms flat on the ground directly under your shoulders. Bend your elbows straight back and hug them into your sides.
* Pause for a moment looking straight down at your mat with your neck in a neutral position. Anchor your pubic bone to the floor.
* Inhale to lift your chest off the floor. Roll your shoulders back and keep your low ribs on the floor. Make sure your elbows continue hugging your sides. Don't let them wing out to either side.
*Keep your neck neutral. Don’t crank it up. Your gaze should stay on the floor.
5. Chair pose
* Stand and Inhale and raise your arms perpendicular to the floor. Either keep the arms parallel, palms facing inward, or join the palms.
* Exhale and bend your knees, trying to take the thighs as nearly parallel to the floor as possible. The knees will project out over the feet, and the torso will lean slightly forward over the thighs until the front torso forms approximately a right angle with the tops of the thighs. Keep the inner thighs parallel to each other and press the heads of the thigh bones down toward the heels.
* Firm your shoulder blades against the back. Take your tailbone down toward the floor and in toward your pubis to keep the lower back long.
* Stay for 30 seconds to a minute. To come out of this pose straighten your knees with an inhalation, lifting strongly through the arms. Exhale and release your arms to your sides .
6. Tree pose
* Bring your palms together at heart center.
* Rooting through the four corners of your right foot and engaging your right quadricep and your core, slowly lift your left leg and bring the sole of the foot anywhere above or below your right knee.
* Inhale and lengthen through the crown of your head. Find your focus directly in front of you and keep it at a soft gaze.
* As you take your five deep breaths here, you can choose any arm variation such as raising your arms over your head, keeping it in prayer or separated but still in alignment with your shoulders--growing your tree.
* Slowly release your arms back to heart center and release the left leg. Repeat on the right side.
7. Child's Pose
* Starting on your knees, sit back on your heels.
* Inhale lengthen through the spine.
* Exhale as you walk your arms in front of you, bringing your torso down so that you can rest your forehead on the mat.
* Rest your arms by your sides with your palms facing up near your feet.
* Breathe deeply for as long as you like. This pose should feel completely relaxing.
8. Easy pose
* Sit on 2 folded blankets with your legs extended in front of you.
* Bend your knees, and cross your right shin in front of your left shin.
* Move the knees closer together until your feet are directly underneath them.
* Interlace your fingers, extend your arms overhead, and stretch.
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