Читать книгу 10-Minute Yoga Workouts: Power Tone Your Body From Top To Toe - Barbara Currie - Страница 16
ОглавлениеChapter One The Ten-minute Miracle – Your Morning Essential
Have you ever watched an animal wake up after a rest? It stretches its body from top to toe. This gets rid of tension and makes sure it is in perfect condition to start the day. The Ten-minute Miracle is an ideal sequence to start your day. It will greatly improve your shape and flexibility, give you bundles of energy and can be a tremendous help to people with an aching back.
1 The Energizing Breath
This is a wonderful breathing exercise. It is a great tonic when done first thing in the morning, but it will give you that ‘good to be alive’ feeling anytime anywhere.
1 Stand straight with your feet together. Place your fingertips interleaved under your chin with your elbows together.
Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 5. As you do this bring your elbows up as high as possible. Feel the breath at the back of your throat.
2 Gently let your head drop back and exhale slowly and thoroughly through your mouth. At the end of the exhalation, slowly bring your elbows together as your head slowly returns to its normal position.
Repeat this cycle 5 times to begin with, increasing to 10 times as you become used to the movement.
Note
This movement sounds simple, but standing straight and moving your head back can be quite difficult at first. Please don’t worry. Many people have a lot of tension in their necks, but as you progress in yoga you will find it becomes easier. Also, some people feel dizzy or light-headed at first. If so, start by doing the movement only 2 times and take your head just a tiny way back, gradually building up to 5 times as you progress.
Benefits
Because of our sedentary lifestyle, most people use less than one third of their lung capacity. This wonderful movement helps to increase lung capacity, so increasing the oxygen supply to all our cells. This will give you energy and help to relieve stress.
2 Sideways Stretch
Stand straight with your legs at least 3 feet apart, your toes facing forwards. Inhale deeply and lift your right hand in the air. As you exhale, gently bend over to the left side, sliding your left hand down your left leg. Don’t strain. Go just as far as you can with ease.
Breathing normally, hold the position for a count of 5, increasing to 10 as you progress. Inhale and slowly return to an upright position. Exhale, slowly lower your arm and relax. Repeat the movement to the other side, and then repeat the entire movement.
Benefits
This stretch is brilliant for slimming and toning the midriff and waistline, and releasing tension in the lower back.
3 Head to Knee Posture
This is a great stretch for your spine and it also helps to correct imbalances in the lower back.
1 Stand straight with your legs together. Inhale and lift your arms up above your head. Place the palms of your hands together and stretch your body upwards. This is great for helping to realign your spine and releasing tension from your entire body.
As you lower your arms, exhale slowly through your nose. Repeat the movement. Now place your right foot about 3 feet in front of your left foot.
2 Inhale and lift your arms up above your head with your palms together. As you exhale with your head up, back flat and legs straight, start to move forwards aiming your chin just past your knee.
Don’t worry if you are nowhere near this position to start with. Just relax in your maximum position and stay there for a count of 5, breathing normally. Take note of your maximum stretch on this side.
3 Inhale and, lifting your head, slowly return to your upright position. Exhale, lower your arms and relax. Repeat the movement to the other side placing your left foot 3 feet in front of the right. Take note of how far you can manage this side.
Benefits
This movement helps to correct imbalances in the lower back. It firms the backs of the thighs and calves and the bottom, and slims the midriff and waistline.
4 Forwards and Backwards Bend
1 Stand straight with your feet about a foot apart, your toes facing forwards. Inhale deeply and slowly lift your arms in the air, stretching them upwards. Exhale slowly through the nose as you move calmly and gently forwards, keeping your back flat and your legs straight.
Relax in your maximum position and stay there, breathing normally. Don’t worry if your maximum position isn’t very far in the beginning. It will improve quicker than you can imagine. Do not strain yourself.
2 Breathing normally, stay in the maximum position for a count of 5, increasing to 10 as you progress. Eventually your chin will be on your shin. Again, this might seem impossible at first, but with practise you’ll get there, I promise!
Benefits
An excellent stretch, this gently releases tension from the whole body and ensures wonderful flexibility of the spine. It tones the legs, especially the backs of the thighs, firms the abdomen, midriff, waistline and throat. It is great for the skin and hair because it increases circulation in these areas.
3 Slowly lift your head and, as you inhale, continue to come up slowly into an upright position with your hands stretched up above your head. Keeping your eyes on your thumbs, start to relax gently backwards, exhaling in your maximum position.
Again, don’t worry if only an inch is possible to begin with. Breathing normally, hold your backwards stretch for a count of 5. Then inhale and slowly return to an upright position. Exhale, lower your arms and relax. Repeat this movement once.
5 Rishis Posture
1 Stand straight with your feet 3 feet apart. Inhale and stretch your arms up in the air.
As you exhale, move forwards slowly and, with your legs straight and back flat, grasp your left leg with your right hand. Eventually you will be able to slide your right hand under your left foot, but in the early stages just grasp the leg where it feels comfortable, keeping both legs straight.
2 Slowly lift your left arm in the air and carefully turn your body so you are looking at your left hand. Breathing normally, hold for a count of 5. Then slowly lower your arm and relax forwards, clasping your legs and gently pulling your upper body towards the legs. Breathe normally.
Inhale and then, as you exhale, grasp your right leg with your left hand and slowly lift your right arm in the air. Again, turn your body carefully to enable you to look up at your right hand. Breathing normally, hold for a count of 5.
Benefits
This is excellent for rebalancing the lower back and is great for people who suffer from tension in this region. I recommend it for tennis players and golfers who can frequently suffer from aches and pain in the lower back. The movement also firms the midriff, waistline, bottom and thighs and keeps the spine in an excellent condition, giving it great flexibility. A real gem of a movement.
3 Relax forwards, clasping both legs and drawing the body inwards. Inhale and lift your head, then slowly return to an upright position, stretching your arms above your head.
Now place your hands at your waistline with your thumbs in front and fingers behind, and with full lungs gently bend backwards, exhaling as you reach your maximum backwards bend.
Breathing normally, hold your maximum backwards bend for a count of 5. Then inhale as you return to an upright position. Exhale, relax and repeat the entire movement.
6 The Awkward Posture
1 Stand straight with your feet about 1 foot apart and your toes facing forwards, not outwards.
2 Take a deep breath in and, as you exhale keeping your back straight, gently lower your bottom to your heels. Don’t worry if only half way is possible in the beginning stages. Just do your best without straining.
3 Hold your maximum movement for a count of 5. Then inhale and gradually return to an upright position, keeping your back straight (do not bend forwards). Exhale, relax and repeat this movement twice.
‘Make the most of yourself for that is all there is of you’RALPH WALDO EMMERSON
Benefits
This does wonders for your thighs – it really tones and firms them. It also greatly improves the flexibility of the knees and strengthens the arches of the feet, and the toes and ankles.
In my opinion, this simple 10-minute sequence is worth its weight in gold. It will give you energy, improve your shape and is excellent for helping with and preventing back problems.
The Energizing Breath
Sideways Stretch
Head to Knee Posture
Forwards and Backwards Bend
Rishis Posture
The Awkward Posture
