Bending backward is not just about the spine — you must use your arms and legs to support it. As you practice this pose, remember to point your tailbone down toward your heels to keep your lower back safe. A common mistake is to squeeze your buttocks forward, which pinches your lower back.
Kneel on a padded level surface with a yoga block positioned near the outside of each foot. Place your hands on your waist. Draw your tailbone down, and lift your chest and rib cage up.
Inhale as you arch up and back, placing your hands on the yoga blocks. Be sure to maintain the lift of your chest as you draw your tailbone down and deepen your back arch. Stay in this pose for six breaths. Your breathing should remain normal and comfortable. By Karen Voight
Voight is the creator of a line of fitness DVDs, including “Full Body Stretch” and “Ballet BodySculpt.”
Tag Archives: yoga
SFO Yoga Room: Terminal Two Introduces A Zen Zone (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
This could be the ultimate challenge for you Yogis. At an airport do you really want to let your guard all the way down? Yoga, is about letting go, detaching from the world around you and being present in the moment. If I walked out of a yoga class at the airport, I would totally lose my luggage and be too Zened out to make my connecting flights in time. LOVE the idea though. VIDEO
Here’s an “only in San Francisco” story for you. The San Francisco International Airport is set to open a “Zen Room” for travelers who want to do a little yoga before catching a flight out of town.
Airport Director John Martin officially opens the facility inside Terminal 2 Thursday.
It will be available to ticketed passengers who feel the need to meditate, stretch, or do whatever else one might do to get Zen-like before a flight.
If you are looking for a little downward dog before you catch a plane out of town, the room is in Terminal 2 past security next to the “recompose area.” It is marked “Yoga Room” and has a big glass door.
And believe it or not, the room is open to all for free. There is no charge to use the Zen Room.
Of course, you don’t need a special facility to do yoga. All you need is a little space and a mat.
But if you’d like to do it in private, or in the company of other yoga lovers, you now have t
hat option at SFO.
To assist travelers in f inding the room, signs have been place throughout the airport showing a person in the Lotus position.
Yoga For Men: 10 Yoga Poses For Strength And Flexibility & Why
Get over yourself, take a yoga class. Let me ask you this. Who doesn’t want to do a pose called Hero?
Anyone who has attended a yoga class lately can tell you yoga isn’t a ladies-only thing. A new Harris poll commissioned by Yoga Journal suggests that men now make up 23 percent of America’s 15 million enthusiasts. In fact, guys that take one yoga class per week or doing a couple of pre-workout poses can increase endurance, build strength, prevent injuries, and may even stave off heart disease.
How? “Men often suffer from tightness particularly in the hips, hamstrings, and shoulders that can lead to injury or weakness,” says Baron Baptiste, creator of Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga and former assistant coach with the Philadelphia Eagles. “Over-training in any one sport can cause repetitive stress and other more serious injuries. Yoga is a full-body workout that creates both strength and flexibility. You need to have both. One without the other is a recipe for disaster.” Not sure where to start? Practice these 10 poses in this order, which Baptiste says benefit men because they stretch out guys’ tightest spots (like the shoulderships, and groin) and strengthen muscles that get no love during workouts (like the low back and knees). (www.yogapaws.com)
Forward Fold
Stretches hamstrings, calves, and hips; strengthens legs and knees
Stand with feet hip-width apart, gently hinge forward at the hips and lower the torso toward the floor. Bend your knees generously to take any pressure out of the low back and hamstrings. Grasp opposite elbows with opposite hands. Breathe deeply and let gravity take the body toward the earth. Relax your head, neck, shoulders and torso. Slowly sway your torso or gently shake your head. Hold for one minute and roll back up to standing.
Why it’s good for you: This is a great move to use as part of a warm-up for any workout.
We often have a hard time knowing when we are holding excess tension in our head, neck and shoulders, and that buildup of tension can create headaches, insomnia, poor circulation and decreased lung capacity. If you practice slow, steady breathing along with this pose, it can lower your blood pressure over time. Continue reading
