Yoga Cures: Simple Routines to Conquer Over 50 Common Ailments and Live Pain-Free (21 page)

High Lunge Arms Down

From your down dog split, lift your knee in toward your forehead and place your foot on the floor between your hands. Press down through your feet to a standing lunge, reaching your arms behind you and bringing your shoulders in line with your hips. Relax your arms down by your sides, open your palms to face front, and sink your hips low.

Stay here for three long, deep breaths.

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High Lunge Arms and Hips Up

From the previous pose, inhale and lift your hips and arms up. Exhale and lower the arms and hips back down.

Repeat this same breath and movement pattern twice more.

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High Lunge Twist

From your high lunge with your arms still lifted, exhale and open your torso toward your right, and open your arms.

Sink your hips lower. Stay here for three long, deep breaths and come back to your high lunge.

Press your palms down to the ground on either side of your front foot and bring your front leg back and your body into down dog. Gently lower your knees to the ground, unspool into a sitting position, and gently and lie down on your back.

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Shoulder Stand

Press your arms down into the floor by your sides, round your back, and bring your feet over your head into a plow pose. (Refer to the pose list for reference in the back of the book if you’d like.) If your neck feels tight, stay there and roll back down to lie on your back slowly. If your neck feels good, press your palms into your back so the tops of your fingers point up. Wiggle your elbows closer together and scoot your hands down your back closer to your shoulders. Lift the backs of your legs straight up so your body is in one straight line. Stay here for twenty long, deep breaths. Either close your eyes or keep your gaze softly rested on your belly button.

Chill the *&@# Out

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Sometimes we’re overworked, sometimes we’re overtired, sometimes we’re too stressed, and

sometimes we just need to chill out! When your body holds on to stress, it’s harder to relax, even when

we have chill-out time. These simple yoga poses can undo stresses we hold in the body and mind so we

can fully relax with ease.

THE CHILL THE *&@# OUT YOGA CURE

When tension builds in us, it stays with us until we do something about it. We often store tension in our sides,
spine, hips, as well as our minds, so we’ll send it on its way with this routine. Do it anytime you need to take a
chill pill, side-effect free!

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Standing Side Opener

Stand with your feet parallel to each other, shoulders aligned with your hips. Inhale and reach your arms out and up.

Grab your left wrist with your right hand. Gently pull your left arm up with your right hand. Let your torso naturally arch over to your right side. Stay here for three long, deep breaths and then work the other side.

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Standing Forward Bend

From the previous pose, stand straight and comfortably. Exhale and bend your trunk forward over your legs. Let your head and neck relax and hang heavy. Press your fingertips on the ground. If your hamstrings feel tight keep a slight bend in your knees to give them some more space to relax and open.

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Plank

Move from forward bend to letting your hands rest on the floor under your shoulders. Press your palms firmly into the ground, while you step your feet back to the top of a push-up position. Lengthen your body, stretching forward to the top of your head, keeping your neck long, and push your heels back. Keep your stomach nice and strong and lift the front of your thighs up. Stay here for five long, deep breaths. If this is too intense feel free to gently lower your knees to the floor and let it support some of your weight. Always make sure you can breathe easily during this pose.