June 21 is International Yoga Day. To celebrate the longest day of the year and the beginning of summer, here are 4 yoga poses you can do anywhere to get your body ready for summer while honoring International Yoga Day & the Summer Solstice.
So, get up, get out and take advantage of International Yoga Day falling on the Summer Solstice.
SHAKTI NAAM HEALING PENDULUM EXERCISE
Posture/Movement: Begin by standing with the feet shoulder-width apart. Let the body relax naturally and keep the torso upright. With the palms facing down, swing the arms up in front of the body to shoulder level, and then swing them back down with a little bit of effort until they are slightly behind the body. To allow the free flow of blood, do not tense the arms or hands. Your circulation will be positively activated.
Breath: Breath through the nose. Inhale when the arm
Benefits: This gets your heart pumping and your blood moving and serves as a perfect warm-up.
THE SHAKTI NAAM WALK
Posture/Movement: Begin walking in place, making an effort to lift the knees to a comfortable height with each step. Step on the balls of the feet; do not let the heels of the feet touch the ground. This protects the spine and stimulates the kidney meridian. As you lift the left foot swing the right arm forward and as you lift the right foot swing the left arm forward. In other words, every time you lift one knee, the opposite arm is swinging forward. Let the arms swing without any tension so that the blood may flow freely through the body. The palms face down throughout. Continue walking in place in this manner, swinging the arms and lifting the knees. Breath: You are working with a four-beat, rhythmic breath with a 3:1 ratio of inhale, inhale, inhale, exhale.
Benefits: This quickly gets your quads, hamstrings, hip flexors and calves working to give you a great lower body workout.
Posture/Movement: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and clap the palms together in front of your heart. Then lift your right knee and tap the outside of it with your left palm, simultaneously turning your upper body to the right, gazing to the right and exhaling through the nose. Bring the right knee back down as you clap your hands again in front of your heart. Then switch to the other side, lifting your left knee, and tap on the outside of it with your right palm, turning your upper body to the left, gazing to the left and exhaling through the nose. Continue alternating from side to side in this fashion, clapping in between each “twist”. Keep the core engaged throughout the exercise.
SHAKTI NAAM CLAP WALK
Posture/Movement: Stand with your feet hip width apart and clap the palms together in front of your heart. Then lift your right knee and tap the outside of it with your left palm, simultaneously turning your upper body to the right, gazing to the right and exhaling through the nose. Bring the right knee back down as you clap your hands again in front of your heart. Then switch to the other side, lifting your left knee, and tap on the outside of it with your right palm, turning your upper body to the left, gazing to the left and exhaling through the nose. Continue alternating from side to side in this fashion, clapping in between each “twist”. Keep the core engaged throughout the exercise.
Breath of Glow: exhale through the nose each time you turn to the side, pulling in the navel. Rest the tongue at the upper palate.
Benefits: This easy-to-do workout engages both your core and outer thighs simultaneously.
THE SHAKTI NAAM MAGNET EXERCISE
Posture/Movement: This exercise is performed standing with the feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. For stability throughout the exercise, angle the feet slightly out so the toes is pointing slightly to the sides. Engage your core and keep the feet planted firmly on the floor throughout the exercise. As you inhale, squat down, bending the knees to your level of health and safety. The arms simultaneously come down by the sides, with the palms facing forward. In order to protect the knees as you bend them, make sure they are directly over and in line with your middle toe. As you exhale, draw the arms out and up sixty degrees, keeping the elbows slightly bent, as if hugging a large ball, until the palms of the hands are about six inches apart at head level. The core remains engaged. The more perfect the position of your back is, the more the pressure will be added to strengthen your legs. The knees act as a fulcrum, helping to maintain the same angle between the back and thighs throughout the exercise. Try not to move your torso forward when you bend the knees. The tailbone is pointing straight down toward the ground throughout this exercise.
Breath: Inhale through the nose as you bend the knees, bringing the arms down to the sides. Exhale through the nose as you straighten the legs and round the arms up to head level.
Benefits: This exercise is a full-body exercise. It benefits your core, glutes, and legs!
Disclosure: This is an uncompensated post.