Exhale, bend the arm, and place your elbow against your right knee. With your left fingertips on the floor behind you, inhale and reach your right hand to the sky. Shift your hips to the right, and place your left foot just outside your right knee, knee bent and foot flat on the floor. Sit with your legs folded underneath you.

When released after a good long hold, they bring a fresh supply of blood to the internal organs. Twists are extremely beneficial for the entire digestive process. Gently rest on the top of your head, keeping most of your weight on your elbows. Inhale and push your elbows into the floor while lifting your chest to the sky. Place your hands under your bottom, palms facing down. Lie on your back with feet together, arms by your sides. Hold this pose for up to 30 seconds.įish pose improves breathing by opening the chest and relieves constipation by stretching the abdominal region. Take it a step further by interlacing your fingers on the floor and using this grip to shimmy your shoulders underneath you. With your arms by your sides and palms on the floor, inhale and lift your hips toward the sky. Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and hip distance wide. When combined with Fish pose, the three poses balance each other perfectly. Try to keep your feet together and legs straight.īridge pose makes an excellent counter pose to Shoulderstand pose as the mid and lower spine are stretched in the opposite direction. If your feet touch the ground, interlace your fingers on the floor and use this grip to shimmy your shoulders underneath you. From Shoulderstand pose, keep your hands on your back and lower your feet to the floor behind your head. At the same time, it stimulates digestion by compressing the abdominal organs. Plow pose is a great stretch for the spine. Hold this pose for up to a minute or more. Keep your legs together and feet relaxed. Draw your elbows toward one another and walk your hands toward your shoulders as needed.

Support your lower back with your hands, fingers pointing up. Inhale and in one movement, bend your knees toward your chest to reach your feet toward the sky.

Lie on your back with your legs together. Inverting the body brings a fresh supply of blood to the brain, making this pose mentally revitalizing and physically relaxing. Repeat the entire sequence, stepping the left foot back and forward. Exhale and push back to Downward-Facing Dog. Inhale and scoop forward into Cobra pose. Exhale and lower your knees, chest, and chin to the floor. Hold your breath and step your left foot back to Plank pose. Inhale and step your right foot back, lower your knee to the floor, and lengthen your spine. Exhale and fold forward, bringing your palms to the floor on either sides of your feet. Inhale and reach up, bending your back slightly. It is also a great way to start off any Hatha yoga sequence. Moving the spine in all directions, this classic Sun Salutation is considered the best way to warm up the spine and body. This Hatha yoga sequence gives the body time to settle into the posture and the mind a chance to go inward. The poses that follow are generally held for longer than they are in other styles: from 30 seconds to several minutes. In Hatha yoga, Sun Salutations are simply used as a warm-up. While most share the same postures, the overriding trend in modern yoga is variations of Surya Namaskar A and B that are woven together in a flow. So, what is the difference between a Hatha yoga sequence and other yoga styles? This well-rounded Hatha yoga sequence starts off with classical Hatha Sun Salutations, moves through steady holds in poses that twist the spine in all directions, and finishes off with pranayama to calm the mind.