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sun_salutationPractice Ideas: Using Reps to Develop the Core: Rocking; Reaching Back in Camel; Alternating Side Plank; Dolphin Pushups
Crossposted atsun_salutation.
Disclaimer: I am not a yoga instructor. I don't know anything about exercise safety or fitness instruction. I'm not even an advanced practitioner of yoga. But I have come to love yoga and am completely self taught.
You know your own body best, so please respect your known health conditions and use the variations offered by instructors that are best for you. Remember to balance where you are now with where you could be in the future. There is no perfect pose.
Using Reps to Develop the Core
Yoga as an exercise regime is body weight resistance training. By developing the strength to move your own body through the postures, you gain lean muscle.
As a vinyasa yoga girl (oh, you didn't notice?), I like power yoga and vinyasa instructors who can bring a little cardio to my yoga practice.
Here are a couple of moves I like that are also good for core.
Rocking on your back
From Rodney Yee – Power Yoga Total Body, we get rocking on your back. Mr. Yee does this after backbending as part of the supine counterpose sequence.
Lie on your back. Bring your knees in to your chest. Cross your right ankle over the left and grip your feet, one in each hand. Relax into the earth. Then, after several breaths, begin rocking – a little back towards Plow Pose (Halasana), then a little forward toward Easy Pose (Sukhasana). Make the rocking bigger, until you are coming all the way up to sit, and rocking all the way back on your shoulders. Then slowly decrease the rocking, making it very small until you stop again. Switch sides, crossing the left ankle over the right. Grip the feet. Begin rocking again.
When you return to resting, release the feet and begin rocking with a longer lever, extending your legs straight, and rocking forward into a full Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana), then back into a full Plow Pose. Repeat several times, finally coming forward into your favorite seated posture.
Reaching Back in Camel
I just got Jillian Michaels – Yoga Meltdown this weekend, and I am now going to suggest a couple of her moves, starting with doing "reps" in Camel (Ustrasana).
Come to your knees, arms extended directly out in front of you like a zombie reaching for brains.* On an exhale, reach your right arm back for your right heel. Feet can be in the position you usually use for Camel. Inhale, come up with strong legs and engaged core, reaching your right arm forward again. On an exhale, reach your left arm back for your left heel. Inhale, come up with strong legs and engaged core, reaching your left arm forward again. Repeat five or so times, then reach both arms back and hold Camel for your usual three to five breaths.
Concentrate on engaging your quads, using their power to lift and lower your upper body. Keep your abdominals active, allowing your shoulders to fall back with ease, lifting your heart toward the sky.
Alternating Side Plank
From Plank, flow to Side Plank (Vasisthasana) on your left. Hold a beat. Return to Plank. Flow to Vasisthasana on your right. Hold a beat. Return to Plank. And so on. I suggest five to eight reps, then hold the left side. You can flow through a vinyasa and immediately return to the alternating Vasisthasana, this time holding the right side, or you can proceed through some standing postures to give your arms a rest and return to the right side later in your practice. Just be sure to get both sides.
Concentrate not falling in the middle. Keep your hips pressing toward the sky, engaging your core, and keeping good from, though you are in an almost constant flow.
Dolphin Pushups
Finally, come into Plank, then drop to your elbows for Dolphin Plank. Clasp your hands together for stability. Exhale, pushing back into Dolphin. (If you are familiar with Dolphin already, you will notice that by alternating from Dolphin Plank to Dolphin, you will not get the usual angle in Dolphin. Your feet will be too far back to get the full hamstring stretch usually achieved.). Inhale, drop back into Dolphin Plank. Exhale, push back into Dolphin. After five to eight repetitions, hold Dolphin for about five to eight breaths. I suggest at this point walking the feet in to achieve the hamstring and shoulder opening that is usual for Dolphin.
Remember to keep your abdominals engaged, as you pull back into Dolphin using the power in your belly, then return to Dolphin Plank with the back straight, quads and abs active, keeping the strength, length and integrity in the spine.
Namaste.
* Sorry. Feeling a little punchy after doing yoga with Jillian Michaels. It's not a bad workout, but it's not very zen…
Crossposted at
sun_salutation.Disclaimer: I am not a yoga instructor. I don't know anything about exercise safety or fitness instruction. I'm not even an advanced practitioner of yoga. But I have come to love yoga and am completely self taught.
You know your own body best, so please respect your known health conditions and use the variations offered by instructors that are best for you. Remember to balance where you are now with where you could be in the future. There is no perfect pose.
Using Reps to Develop the Core
Yoga as an exercise regime is body weight resistance training. By developing the strength to move your own body through the postures, you gain lean muscle.
As a vinyasa yoga girl (oh, you didn't notice?), I like power yoga and vinyasa instructors who can bring a little cardio to my yoga practice.
Here are a couple of moves I like that are also good for core.
Rocking on your back
From Rodney Yee – Power Yoga Total Body, we get rocking on your back. Mr. Yee does this after backbending as part of the supine counterpose sequence.
Lie on your back. Bring your knees in to your chest. Cross your right ankle over the left and grip your feet, one in each hand. Relax into the earth. Then, after several breaths, begin rocking – a little back towards Plow Pose (Halasana), then a little forward toward Easy Pose (Sukhasana). Make the rocking bigger, until you are coming all the way up to sit, and rocking all the way back on your shoulders. Then slowly decrease the rocking, making it very small until you stop again. Switch sides, crossing the left ankle over the right. Grip the feet. Begin rocking again.
When you return to resting, release the feet and begin rocking with a longer lever, extending your legs straight, and rocking forward into a full Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana), then back into a full Plow Pose. Repeat several times, finally coming forward into your favorite seated posture.
Reaching Back in Camel
I just got Jillian Michaels – Yoga Meltdown this weekend, and I am now going to suggest a couple of her moves, starting with doing "reps" in Camel (Ustrasana).
Come to your knees, arms extended directly out in front of you like a zombie reaching for brains.* On an exhale, reach your right arm back for your right heel. Feet can be in the position you usually use for Camel. Inhale, come up with strong legs and engaged core, reaching your right arm forward again. On an exhale, reach your left arm back for your left heel. Inhale, come up with strong legs and engaged core, reaching your left arm forward again. Repeat five or so times, then reach both arms back and hold Camel for your usual three to five breaths.
Concentrate on engaging your quads, using their power to lift and lower your upper body. Keep your abdominals active, allowing your shoulders to fall back with ease, lifting your heart toward the sky.
Alternating Side Plank
From Plank, flow to Side Plank (Vasisthasana) on your left. Hold a beat. Return to Plank. Flow to Vasisthasana on your right. Hold a beat. Return to Plank. And so on. I suggest five to eight reps, then hold the left side. You can flow through a vinyasa and immediately return to the alternating Vasisthasana, this time holding the right side, or you can proceed through some standing postures to give your arms a rest and return to the right side later in your practice. Just be sure to get both sides.
Concentrate not falling in the middle. Keep your hips pressing toward the sky, engaging your core, and keeping good from, though you are in an almost constant flow.
Dolphin Pushups
Finally, come into Plank, then drop to your elbows for Dolphin Plank. Clasp your hands together for stability. Exhale, pushing back into Dolphin. (If you are familiar with Dolphin already, you will notice that by alternating from Dolphin Plank to Dolphin, you will not get the usual angle in Dolphin. Your feet will be too far back to get the full hamstring stretch usually achieved.). Inhale, drop back into Dolphin Plank. Exhale, push back into Dolphin. After five to eight repetitions, hold Dolphin for about five to eight breaths. I suggest at this point walking the feet in to achieve the hamstring and shoulder opening that is usual for Dolphin.
Remember to keep your abdominals engaged, as you pull back into Dolphin using the power in your belly, then return to Dolphin Plank with the back straight, quads and abs active, keeping the strength, length and integrity in the spine.
Namaste.
* Sorry. Feeling a little punchy after doing yoga with Jillian Michaels. It's not a bad workout, but it's not very zen…