Saturday, February 11, 2012

Yoga Cool Down

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Feel free to do your own stretches after your workout. This is part of my favorite routine. If I had hours I would stretch for hours I love it that much. Good job with your workout today and enjoy your relaxation time here.

Tool: Yoga mat or soft surface

STRETCH SEQUENCE 1

Moutain Pose is done only at the very beginning. You will do all stretches in sequence one leading with one leg and then repeat through starting with Downward dog on the other leg. Once finished with both legs continue to stretch sequence 2.
  • Mountain Pose ( only at the very beginning)
  • Downward Dog
  • Warrior Two
  • Waterfall Warrior
  • Side Angle Pose
  • Bound Side Angle
  • Side Angle Pose
  • Warrior Two
  • Reverse Warrior
  • Warrior Two
  • Warrior One
  • Plank

STRETCH SEQUENCE 2
  • Plank
  • Child's Pose


STRETCH SEQUENCE  1
Mountain Pose
 
Stand tall with feet together, shoulders relaxed, weight evenly distributed through your soles, arms at sides. Take a deep breath and raise your hands overhead, palms facing each other with arms straight. Reach up toward the sky with your fingertips.

Downward Dog
 
Begin in in a plank position palms and feet on mat, hips pushed toward ceiling. Lift left leg straight up, keeping hips even, left toes pointed toward floor. Holding left leg straight, lift it higher. Exhale and bring left knee in toward chest, rounding back and shifting shoulders forward, above wrists. Hold for 3 to 5 breaths. Stand into Warrior two position.



Warrior Two
Do this next sequence, standing pose, repeat once on each side. Hold each standing pose for 3-5 breaths. Moving through Core Plank each time you step your feet into your standing poses, step your left foot forward. Come into Warrior 2. Square your front knee forward and hug your back hip into your body. Lengthen your tailbone down as you draw your navel in and up. Expand through all your limbs, and gaze beyond your front fingertips.


Waterfall Warrior
Interlace your fingers behind you and take 3 Waterfall Warrior undulations. Inhale to arch your spine, exhale and wave inside your front knee, Come up again from your abdominal strength. On the last exhale, fold, and stay down, reaching your crown towards the floor.  Stretch your clasped hands away from your back and breathe into your opening hips and shoulders. Hug your front hip back, and in more so your front knee stays squared forward over the heel.

Side Angle Pose
From your Waterfall Warrior bow, release your hands and place your right fingertips outside your right foot. I call this “tree frog hands,” and being up on your fingertips instead of flat palms keeps your arm and shoulder integrated into your body, for healthier joints and more energy flow. Sweep your left arm over your ear, palm facing down, reaching towards the front of your mat for Side Angle Pose. If this is too low for you, place your right forearm up on your front thigh instead. Ground through your back hip and leg, and stretch through your top ribcage and fingers.

Bound Side Angle
Reach your right arm under your right leg, and your left arm around your back. Flip your palms to face away from your body, and reach your hands towards one another. If they don’t touch, press the back of your hands strongly into your back body. If they do, grab fingertips or eventually, encircle the top wrist with your bottom fingers. Hug your front sitting bone back and under strongly as you tuck your tailbone and begin to spin your chest to the sky. Your top shoulder rolls up, and onto your back as you straighten your clasped arms even more for Bound Side Angle.

 Side Angle Pose
From your Waterfall Warrior bow, release your hands and place your right fingertips outside your right foot. I call this “tree frog hands,” and being up on your fingertips instead of flat palms keeps your arm and shoulder integrated into your body, for healthier joints and more energy flow. Sweep your left arm over your ear, palm facing down, reaching towards the front of your mat for Side Angle Pose. If this is too low for you, place your right forearm up on your front thigh instead. Ground through your back hip and leg, and stretch through your top ribcage and fingers.

 Warrior Two
 

Do this next sequence, standing pose, repeat once on each side. Hold each standing pose for 3-5 breaths. Moving through Core Plank each time you step your feet into your standing poses, step your left foot forward. Come into Warrior 2. Square your front knee forward and hug your back hip into your body. Lengthen your tailbone down as you draw your navel in and up. Expand through all your limbs, and gaze beyond your front fingertips.
Reverse Warrior
 

On your last circle up, follow your top hand all the way up and back through Warrior Two into Reverse Warrior, turning your front palm to the sky and placing your back hand on your back thigh or calf. Reach overhead and stretch your torso into a side bend. Keep your front thigh low as you come up into this pose for greatest transformation in the leg. Place your palms down, and step back into Down Dog.  Breathe and reset. Then step your right foot forward, and repeat sequence on the other side.

Warrior Two
 

Do this next sequence, standing pose, repeat once on each side. Hold each standing pose for 3-5 breaths. Moving through Core Plank each time you step your feet into your standing poses, step your left foot forward. Come into Warrior 2. Square your front knee forward and hug your back hip into your body. Lengthen your tailbone down as you draw your navel in and up. Expand through all your limbs, and gaze beyond your front fingertips.

Warrior One
 

As you inhale, step your left foot forward between your hands and come into warrior one.
Plank
 

From Downward-Facing Dog, press into the palms and bring the chest forward so that your shoulders are directly over your wrists and you are in the top of a push-up position.
Press your heels toward the wall behind you and extend the crown of your head forward to form a straight line from the top of your head to your heels.

Downward Dog
Begin in in a plank position palms and feet on mat, hips pushed toward ceiling. Lift right leg straight up, keeping hips even, right toes pointed toward floor. Holding right leg straight, lift it higher. Exhale and bring right knee in toward chest, rounding back and shifting shoulders forward, above wrists. Hold for 3 to 5 breaths. Repeat warrior sequence again on right leg before moving onto the next group of stretches

STRETCH SEQUENCE 2
Plank
 
From Downward-Facing Dog, press into the palms and bring the chest forward so that your shoulders are directly over your wrists and you are in the top of a push-up position.
Press your heels toward the wall behind you and extend the crown of your head forward to form a straight line from the top of your head to your heels.

Child's Pose
Kneel on the floor with big toes touching and knees about hip-width apart. Sit on your heels. Lay your torso between the thighs and bring your forehead to the mat. Extend arms straight in front of you, palms on the floor. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Stay here for at least one minute.

Tool:

8 comments:

  1. Can you make a video of this too? Like you did for the warm up? That helped a lot!

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  2. I agree! A video would be awesome! I have a hard time understanding exactly what positions I need to do.
    Thank you so much for sharing so much with us, Michelle. I'm so excited to see where your plan takes me!

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  3. Thank you so much! :) I've only been following your plan for four days and I ALREADY feel great! Thanks for all that you're doing!!!

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  4. Great cool down...thank you for posting!

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    1. Thanks. I hope it helps start everyones day off right

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  5. OMG! There was NO WAY I could do this 2x. And the "Cool down" as way intense.. like a real yoga class! I 'warmed up' with 55min at walking on a treadmill though.

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