4 Thigh-power Yoga Poses

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awkward pose, bow pose, crescent lunge, leg yoga poses, quads yoga poses, standing bow pulling pose, thigh yoga poses, yoga power poses, Yoga With Paul

Thighs are powerhouses. They keep us balanced, mobile and on track in daily life — and in yoga. The quadriceps, like any big muscle groups, work best when we challenge them.

Yoga is a low-impact way to use our own body-weight and tension to power up our thighs without damaging our joints, or needing bulky equipment.

These 4 thigh-power yoga poses will get your legs strong, flexible and ready for action.

Awkward pose (Utkatasana)

This is probably the first pose you think of when you think of thighs — and with good reason. Utkatasna is a great pose to strengthen quadriceps, activate the core, improve balance, and build strength to protect the knees. For this posture: keep you feet parallel in the shape of an 11 (don’t let them turn in or out), keep your thighs parallel to the floor and keep your abdominals tight throughout.

Crescent Lunge (Anjaneyssana)

For a full-body workout focused on your thigh, you can’t beat Anjaneyssana. This energising pose activates all the large muscles of your lower body, with an emphasis on the quads and glutes. To protect your knee, make sure it stays above the ankle on the front leg; straighten your back leg, tuck the pelvis, tighten the abs, and reach for the sky.

Standing bow pulling pose (Dandayamana Dhanurasana)

This posture builds strength, flexibility and overall balance. To get the maximum thigh workout you must remember, the kick drives the posture. Grasp your foot firmly at the ankle and kick, letting your upper body and raised arm tilt in response to the driving force of your thigh. This should be a push, not a lunge! Done properly, you will really feel the burn in your thighs.

Bow pose (Dhanurasana)

Rounding out your thigh session with Dhanurasana is a great way to build stamina. Though we often think of it as a back-strengthening pose (which it is) it is also a terrific challenge to the quads. The key is to maintain good form — keeping your knees and feet six inches apart, and performing the pose very slowly. Don’t rush to your maximum expression then flop down. Work gently to the point you can maintain the posture and hold it. Start with 10 seconds, or even five. Work up till you can hold it for 30-45 seconds and you will notice a difference!

Read more: 3 energetic yoga poses,  Awkward pose – tips for strong legs

3 Single-legged Balancing Yoga Poses

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balance poses yoga, Eagle pose, single-legged balancing postures, standing bow pulling pose, Tree Pose, yoga balance, Yoga Holiday With Paul, yoga postures, Yoga With Paul

Balance is essential. Without it, we wobble all over. Yoga is a great tool for improving our physical balance and regular practice also helps balance our lives in general.

In this blog we’ll look at 3 single-legged balance poses. These postures have a range of benefits. Physically, they strengthen major and minor muscle groups in the legs, helping avoid common problems such as weak ankles; the improve core strength; and they teach us to regulate our breathing.

Mentally and emotionally, they increase focus and concentration; give us a sense of achievement; and help promote calm, mindful movements.

If you’re new to single-legged balancing poses, don’t worry. It is normal to fall out! The point of practicing these postures is to always challenge ourselves to go a little bit further in our practice. That might mean holding the posture for three seconds, or for 90 seconds, depending on your level. How long doesn’t matter. It’s the effort that counts.

Getting our Eagle on at Yoga Holiday With Paul!

Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

In this pose you challenge your body to stand on one leg while maintaining a tall, straight posture like a tree. To begin, create a firm base by locking the knee of your standing leg, which activates your muscles and mind. Then you find your balance as you bring your other leg up. Once in the posture breathe deeply, extending your spine and growing upward with each breath.

Eagle pose (Garudasana)

Eagle pose is a balance posture that stretches all your muscles and joints. The ankle of your standing leg is working hard to keep your body connected and balanced, which strengthens the muscles in your lower leg and helps support the Achilles tendon. This is a challenging pose so start with a few seconds and gradually increase your time in the posture. Keep the weight evenly distributed on the foot and your hips straight. Wrapping the second leg creates a deep stretch in the muscles and connective tissue.

Standing bow pulling pose (Dandayamana Dhanurasana)

Standing bow pulling pose builds balance, strength, flexibility and concentration. One particular challenge is keeping the hips level throughout the posture. To achieve this, begin square to the mirror, with your right hand holding your right ankle from the inside and left arm straight up, palm forward. As you kick back your body tilts forward. There should be a twist in the upper body, with your two shoulders coming into one line. Kick into the hand until you can see your foot in the mirror at the centre of your head. Keep the hips level to the ground. This pose is a continuous challenge so don’t be discouraged if you go up and come down multiple times. Just try!

What’s your favourite balancing pose? Share in the comments!

 

4 Yoga Poses to Stand Tall

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cobra pose, spine twisting pose, Tree Pose, Wide-legged forward bend, yoga back pain, yoga spine, yoga stretching, Yoga With Paul

Recent research found that regular yoga practice made the practitioners taller!

According to the researchers, this was “mainly due to the extension of the spine by yoga, which improves the spinal deformations and dysfunction.”

Even a small, fraction of a centimetre change in height indicates important changes in the body. Our spine is critical to every movement and sensation.

Leaning forward — whether working, riding a bike, pushing a pushchair, or sitting at a meal — puts heavy demands on the spine. Over time, our posture sags and it gets harder and harder to stand tall.

Yoga helps us prevent and, as the study showed, reverse compression and stooping. When we practice yoga, we consciously extend, twist, and compress the spine in beneficial ways. We also strengthen our core and back muscles, creating more support.

 

These four poses will help you create a long, strong supple spine to stand tall!

Stretch it out with a wide-legged forward bend

Wide-legged forward bend (Prasarita padottanasana)

The wide-legged forward bend uses gravity to stretch your spine and neck, creating space and flexibility. The key is to take a good, wide stance then fold forward from the hips, keeping your spine straight and letting the weight of your head pull you towards the floor. Keep your belly tight, thighs engaged and weight forward on your toes to permit maximum extension through the neck.

Cobra pose (Bhujangasana)

This pose activates and strengthens the muscles in your back, wrapping the spine in power and security. Remember to maintain the connection through your hips and legs and keep your lower body tight, like a cobra’s tail. Take small breaths at the top as you gently increase the arc of your spine, lifting your eyes toward the ceiling.

Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

In this pose we emulate the grace and stature of a tree. The first part of the posture is creating a firm base with your standing leg, which activates your muscles and mind. Then you find your balance as you bring your other leg up. Once in the posture breathe deeply, extending your spine and growing upward with each breath, just like a tree.

Spine Twisting Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Spine twisting pose is a fantastic posture for increasing the flexibility of your whole spine, right through the top of the neck. The important thing to remember is to keep your head level. Don’t cheat by throwing your chin over your shoulder; it can do more harm than good.

Further reading: Yoga poses for your neck and Spine healing yoga poses

 

3 Energetic Yoga Poses

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best yoga poses, crescent lunge, downward-facing dog, energetic yoga poses, energising yoga, energy yoga, hot yoga, vinyasa yoga, wheel pose, yoga poses, Yoga With Paul

Yoga can be calming and grounding. It can also be energising. These three energetic yoga poses are perfect for recharging and revitalising the body to keep you strong, flexible and open to what each day brings.

Anjaneyasana (Crescent lunge)

This is a fantastic energising pose that activates the major muscle groups of your core and lower body, opens your heart, and gets the energy flowing along your spine.

1. Root the front foot with the knee directly above the ankle.
2. Straighten the back leg.
3. Distribute the weight back onto the toes as the rear heel pushes towards the earth.
4. Tuck the pelvis and draw the inner thighs towards each other.
5. Lift the rib cage to open your heart and lungs.
6. Extend the spine.
7. Raise the arms straight, without bending elbows or the wrists.
8. Clasp hands together or separate them with palms facing and fingers spread.
9. Breathe.
   

   Recharge with wheel pose

Wheel pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)

Wheel pose is a challenging, invigorating posture that creates great space in the body. The amazing front body stretch and compression of the spine reverse our normal posture, rebalancing our energy and opening our hearts.

1. Lie on your back with the soles of your feet on the floor, close to your bum, feet hip width apart and parallel to the sides of the mat.
2. Place your hands on the floor just above your shoulders with fingers spread wide, finger tips pointing towards your shoulders.
3. Contract your inner thighs so they pull together, but maintain hip width distance.
4. Send your arm bones into their sockets so that you feel your shoulder blades come on to your back. Your elbows are moving towards one another but stay at shoulder width.
5. Press evenly into your feet to lift your hips and lower back off the mat.
6. Press into your palms and lift your upper torso off the mat, bringing the crown of your head to touch on the mat.
7. Check that your inner thighs and inner upper arms are still pulling towards each other, with hands and feet planted firm. Then press into your palms again to straighten the arms and lift your head off the floor.
8. Relax your neck and let it hang with gravity.

 

Adho Kukha Shvanasana (Downward-facing dog)

Downward-facing dog is a great posture for immediately activating and engaging the whole body, at the beginning of your practice, or as a reset from the stress of the day. It engages the major muscle groups, stimulates the digestion and elongates the spine.

1. Start on your hands and knees, with knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly ahead of your shoulders.
2. Place your palms with index fingers parallel and turn your toes under.
3. Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor.
4. Keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor.
5. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis then lift your sit bones.
6. Push your top thighs back and stretch your heels toward the floor.
7. Straighten your knees but be sure not to lock them.
8. Press the base of your index fingers into the floor, keeping your arms firm.
9. Lift your inner arms from the wrists to the tops of the shoulders.
10. Keep your head between the upper arms, relaxed but not hanging.

What’s your favourite energising yoga pose? Share in the comments!

3 Grounding Yoga Poses

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Balasana, child's pose, corpse pose, foundation yoga, half-tortoise pose, meditation, mindfulness, relaxing yoga, savasana, three grounding yoga poses, yoga 2019, Yoga With Paul

As we open up to a new year we also need to build a solid foundation for new sensations, experiences and challenges. Yoga is a tool to ground us, to help us connect with what is fundamental in our body and spirit so we can expand and grow.

I’ve chosen these three grounding yoga poses because you are literally on the ground. There are many other powerful grounding poses (more on those later) but I want to highlight these three because they are for anyone, any time, any level.

These three grounding poses will gently awaken the awareness between your mental and physical body. They will activate your spine, relieve stress, release tension and prepare you for everything that follows.

Welcome the new year with Balasana

Balasana (Child’s pose)

This is a wonderful posture to do any time you need to stretch, refresh and relax.

1. Kneel on your mat with your legs and feet together. Sit on your heels.
2. Separate your knees to hip-width apart.
3. Stretch forward on the exhale laying your torso between your thighs and resting your forehead on the mat. Feel your tailbone lengthening away from the pelvis.
4. Bring your arms back so they are resting alongside your thighs, palms facing upwards. Let gravity pull the front of your shoulders down, stretching your shoulder blades.

Ardha Kurmasana (Half-tortoise pose)

This is a fantastic pose for stretching your whole spine from sacrum to neck.

1. Kneel on your mat with your legs and feet together. Sit on your heels.
2. Raise your arms over your head and place your palms together, squeezing your ears with your biceps.
3. Bow forward with a long, flat back.
4. When your fingertips reach the floor relax your forehead onto the floor.
5. Press your palms together to activate your arms.
6. Work your hips down towards your heels while reaching forward, elongating and releasing your neck.

Savasana (Corpse pose)

This is a fantastic yoga pose for relaxation and cultivating mindfulness.

1. Lie flat on your back on your mat (or any firm, comfortable surface).
2. Relax your shoulders, extending your arms by your side, palms up.
3. Keep your heels together or spread your feet slightly, whichever is comfortable.
4. Breathe naturally, trying to inhale and exhale for the same count.
5. Mentally scan your body for any tension and release it for complete relaxation.

What’s your favourite grounding pose? Share in the comments!

Scary Good Halloween Yoga Looks

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Halloween, Halloween yoga, Halloween yoga costumes, hot yoga outfits, London yoga teacher, Warm Flow Yoga, yoga clothing, yoga gear, Yoga With Paul

Yoga shouldn’t be too serious. So why not get into the spirit of Halloween and dress up?

There is a fun post over on Popsugar about costumes you can create using black yoga leggings — my favourites from the list are pirate, ninja, burglar, and one of the Pink Ladies from Grease. 

Of course, it’s a bit difficult to do Pranayama with a cutlass clinched in your teeth, and the pink satin jackets would really ramp up the sweat so… I got to thinking about slightly more user-friendly yoga looks based on different asanas.

Tree

Hop into brown leggings/shorts and a green sport bra or tee and et voila, you’ve got the perfect tree costume to help you connect with nature on Halloween.

Bridge

Dress in all grey to practice your Bridge Pose this holiday!

Crow

An all-black yoga outfit will help you soar (ahem!) into crow pose on the 31st.

 

Cobra

Snakeskin leggings and a coordinating top will add flair to your Cobra Pose!

Sun

Bright yellow or orange will lift your mood and brighten the studio as you practice your Sun Salutations.

Moon

Opt for shimmery silver or soft white to capture a slice of lunar magic in Half-Moon pose.

Add your suggestions in the comments!

4 Great Yoga Poses for Fingers

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bhujangasana, cobra pose, half-locust pose, pranayama, Salabhasana, sun salutations, surya namaskara, Yoga With Paul

Our fingers connect us to the world. They are in constant motion, gripping, tapping, holding, pulling, pushing, reaching. In yoga, we use them to benefit other postures, often without thinking about them. So today, I want to put the spotlight on our over-worked, under-appreciated fingers.

These four yoga poses, performed with mindful awareness, are highly beneficial to improving the strength, flexibility and well-being of your fingers, as well as the whole hand and wrist.

Pranayama

Next time you do the opening Pranayama sequence in hot yoga pay close attention to your fingers. Maintain the grip and focus on working your fingers through the full natural range of motion, without pressure or discomfort.

Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)

As you can see in the photo, cobra pose is an excellent stretch for your fingers, moving up through palms and wrists to your arms. Apply pressure evenly in order to gently stretch the muscles and tendons. Note and release any tension.

Sun salutations

Surya Namaskara (Sun salutations)

If you only do one thing for your fingers, make it sun salutations. Surya manaskara works fingers through a full range of motion as you flow through the sequence. It is also a total-body energiser, which boosts blood flow to encourage healing and detoxification.

Salabhasana (Half-locust pose)

This is one of the best all-around postures for your fingers. Next time you do half-locust, concentrate on the placement of your fingers. Notice what is comfortable and where you feel pressure. This can be quite an intense posture so it is fine to work into it slowly. Over time, it is a terrific tool for  healing your fingers, wrists, lower arms and elbows.

Questions? Ask in the comments!

 

Yoga for Barefoot Running

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Charlotte Clews, Emma Spencer-Goodier, Vincent Gerbino, Yoga Barefoot Running, yoga poses, yoga running, Yoga With Paul

Yoga can benefit anyone, but it is especially valuable to runners. It works the whole body, increases flexibility, rejuvenates connective tissue, and improves the cardiovascular system through regular practice of Pranayama.

It is also a great tool for the growing community of barefoot runners. Why? Because barefoot running is actually quite a different practice from running in standard trainers, and it demands a level of fine-muscle strength and mobility that yoga delivers.

Here are three expert barefoot runners/yogis on their go-to yoga poses.

Emma Spencer-Goodier

“Downward facing dog is a fantastic yoga posture for runners, especially those in the throws of Barefoot Exuberance Syndrome with tight calves and tender achilles. The inverted ‘v’ shape, lengthens through the calves and hamstrings, decompresses the spine and lower back and opens shoulders that can become tight and uncomfortable.

Vincent Gerbino

“The downward dog and triangle stance are two typical postures I had done for years which helped me build strength in my ankles. Classic, one-legged balancing poses like the Tree and the Eagle both can help build ankle stability and shear leg strength.”

Charlotte Clews

“Toe-breaker pose [toe squat]

Why: Tight, weak foot muscles are the main cause of plantar fasciitis. Keeping your toes strong and flexible is a key part of keeping your feet healthy.

How: Sit down with your feet tucked underneath you and your toes flexed. This can be pretty excruciatingly painful at first. You can lift your butt up off your heels for less intensity, or even lean forward and put some weight on your hands.”

Questions about running and yoga? Ask in the comments!

 

4 Yoga Poses for the Sacrum

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back bends, back pain, bridge pose, locust pose, mula bandha, sacroiliac joint, sacrum, wheel pose, yoga back pain, yoga healing, yoga strength, Yoga With Paul

The sacrum is the large bone at the base of your spine, between your pelvic bones, that connects your spine with your hips, pelvis and coccyx. It is connected to the pelvis by the sacroiliac (SI) joints, whose ligaments act as stabilizers and shock absorbers.

photo credit: Rob Swatski

Basically every movement you make involves the sacrum, though the sacrum itself is not very mobile. It’s like the chassis of a car — if you want things to run smoothly, it has to be solid. This is why I often draw attention to it in class, reminding students to be aware of this essential junction in the body.

The following four poses help align and stabilise the sacrum, increase flexibility of the SI joint, and help promote strong, pain-and-injury free skeletal system.

Locust pose (Salabhasana)

This pose strengthens your muscles and improves balance and alignment. Keep your limbs strong and straight, as you would in a standing posture. Keep your thighs tight, heels together, triceps contracted, with every muscle working in harmony.

When you go up it is critical to look up in this pose. This keeps you in correct alignment and will help you gradually build the posture.

Bridge pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

This asana builds the large lower body muscles and helps improve the alignment of the sacrum. Lie on your back to begin and draw your knees up with your feet flat on the floor, about hip width apart. Press up from the four corners of your feet, engaging the legs and buttocks to lift the hips higher.

Wheel pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana

Wheel pose is a fantastic, challenging way to open up your SI joints, balance your sacrum, and work all the major muscle groups in your body. Done correctly, as in the photo, your sacrum is a “hinge” that the rest of your body revolves around. This is a very releasing, empowering pose.

To ensure you receive maximum benefits, be sure your body is correctly aligned. You need to distribute your weight evenly and move slowly in and out of the posture, always checking that you are keeping your body even. If you do this too fast and twist, you can stress the SI joints.

 

Root lock (Mula Bandha)

Mula Bandha is done by tightening the muscles of the perineum. This is a powerful tool to stabilise the sacrum and revitalise the SI joints. Mula bandha channels the flow of energy within the postures and benefits the pelvic nerves, reproductive and endocrine system, and excretory system.

Questions about sacrum health? Ask in the comments!

3 Tips for Eagle Pose

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Bikram yoga poses, Eagle pose, flexibility, Garudasana, hot yoga poses, how to do Eagle Pose, yoga, yoga asanas, yoga how to, yoga postures, Yoga With Paul

Eagle pose (Garudasana) is one of the fundamental poses of vinyasa flow yoga and Bikram yoga. It has a host of benefits and, once you get familiar with it, can actually be very relaxing, even though it is a challenging balance pose!

Here are three tips to get the most from Eagle Pose.

Ready to fly in Eagle Pose

Focus on… flexibility

It can take a while to achieve the full expression of the arm wrap in Eagle Pose, but you can work towards it step by step. If you cannot immediately cross your arms by sweeping one under the other you can begin by bring crossing your arms high in front of your chest and grabbing the back of your shoulders with your hands. Hold this stretch for several breaths to let your muscles loosen. Do this first with the right elbow on top, then repeat with the left elbow on top to mimic the full expression of the posture.

Focus on… balance

Break down balancing into steps to make it easier. Focus on pressing the back of your top thigh into the top of your standing thigh to create a single firm support. Keep your gaze relaxed and fixed on a point directly in front of you. Sink back into the “chair” and check that your hips stay aligned.  Keeping the weight is grounded in your standing heel will help maintain balance.

Focus on… openness

In Eagle Pose you are trying to physically compress your body into a small space but the end goal is openness. As you work into the posture ensure maintain steady, even breathing in and out through the nose. Feel your shoulder blades and hips opening, your arms and legs stretching. Concentrate on your joints and tendons: visualise them opening and gaining greater range of motion. When you come out of the asana imagine your arms as wings — limber and ready to soar.

Questions about Eagle Pose? Ask in the comments or Tweet @YogaWithPaul