Yoga is known for its ability to relax the mind and body. But many yoga poses can activate the muscles and create energy throughout the body. Give these invigorating poses a try.
Chair
- Stand in Mountain pose with your feet hip-width apart. Inhale and raise your arms toward the sky. Keep the arms parallel, palms facing each other.
- Exhale and bend your knees. Focus your weight in your heels while sitting back as if you are about to sit in a chair. Lean the torso slightly forward over the thighs. Keep the thighs parallel to each other.
- Keep your torso long. Press your shoulder blades together.
- Hold the pose for 30 seconds to a minute. Release the pose by straightening your knees with an inhalation. Exhale and release your arms to your sides.
Warrior 1
- Stand in Mountain pose. Step your left foot back about 4 feet apart from your right foot. Turn your left foot in 45-60 degrees and turn your right foot out 90 degrees pointing forward.
- Align your right heel with the left heel. Exhale, bending your right knee to 90 degrees, rotate your torso toward your bent thigh and square your pelvis forward as much as possible.
- Raise your arms parallel to the floor and push your shoulders back and down. Lift our chest and keep your gaze over your right fingertips. Hold the pose for 30 seconds to one minute. Repeat on the other side.
Side Angle Pose
- Stand in Mountain Pose. Exhale and step or lightly jump your feet 3.5 to 4 feet apart. Raise your arms parallel to the floor and reach your fingertips to the sides. Press your shoulder blades apart. Face your palms to the floor. Turn your left foot in 30 degrees to the right and your right foot out to the right 90 degrees. Align the heels. Make your thighs strong. Press your right thigh outward. Press the left hip slightly forward, toward the front. Press your upper torso back to the left.
- Exhale and bend your right knee to 90 degrees. Bring the right thigh parallel to the floor. Firm your shoulder blades back and down. Extend your left arm straight up toward the sky while turning the left palm to face toward your head. Inhale and reach the arm over your left ear, palm facing the floor. Stretch and lengthen the entire left side of your body. Fix your gaze on the left arm. Create length along both sides of your torso.
- Ground your left heel to the floor and aim to lay the right side of your torso down onto the top of the right thigh. Press your right fingertips or palm on the floor just outside of your right foot. Press the right knee back against the inner arm. Breathe easily.
- Stay in the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Inhale to come up. Reverse the feet and repeat for the same length.
Camel pose
- Kneel and place your knees hip-distance apart. Keep the butt muscles relaxed while pressing the shins and tops of the feet into the floor.
- Inhale and bring the palms of the hands to the lower back, pointing your fingers down to the floor.
- On your exhale, tuck your chin toward your chest and lean back.
- If allowed, continue by reaching the fingertips back toward your heels. Rest the palms of the hands on your heels. The fingertips should point toward your toes. Breathe.
- Keep the thighs parallel to each other and the hips directly over the knees. If you feel discomfort in your low back, tuck your toes to elevate your heels.
- Keep pressing the front body towards the front of the room with your chest lifted towards the sky. Squeeze the shoulder blades together while keeping the head neutral.
- Hold the pose for 30-60 seconds. To release the pose, inhale and bring your hands back to your front hips. Inhale and push your hips to the floor. Bring your head up last. Flow into Child’s Pose to counter the backbend movement.
- *Do not perform camel pose if you have a neck or back injury.
Boat pose
- Sit comfortably on your mat with your legs stretched in front of you and your hands to your sides.
- Bend the knees and lift the legs, bringing the shins parallel to the floor. Begin to recline while balancing on your sit bones.
- Bring the hands to either side of the legs, reaching for the heels.
- Hold the pose for 5-10 breaths. For more of a challenge, straighten the legs.
