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Health & Fitness

BLOG: Everyday Yoga Poses

Brigitte Koepke, Lead Instructor at Fusion Yoga in Eagan, talks about the ups, downs, ins and outs of practicing yoga in today's often-hectic world.

Some yoga fans like to attend three or four instructor-led classes a week. Others like to follow a video and practice at home. Wherever and however you practice yoga, here are a few simple postures you can incorporate into your daily life to help alleviate an ache or pain, or the stress and anxiety that’s so common in our hectic times  If you suffer from insomnia, digestive complications, tightness in your low back, here are a few easy postures that might help you without grabbing a painkiller or, “just living with it”.

Feet Up the Wall Pose

“Feet Up The Wall” pose is great for a sleepless night. Grab a blanket, fold it into a rectangle a few inches high and head towards a space on the floor with an open wall. Lay the blanket down next to the wall and sit down beside it. Scoot yourself on top of the blanket, facing the wall so your hips rest on blanket, and lay your back to the ground, from there, swing your legs up the wall.  Keep your legs relatively firm—just firm enough to keep them in their vertical position. And now breathe. Breathe for five to ten minutes. One famous yoga teacher claims this posture will cure you of grey hair and wrinkles. Let me know if it works for you.

Wind Removing Pose

Indigestion? Try (forgive me) “Wind Removing Pose”. Lie on your back, draw your knees to your chest and wrap your arms around your shins. Capture opposite elbow if you can. Work now to keep your back on the ground as well as the back of your head and neck.  A few deep, generous breaths should give you some (ahem) relief.

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Supine Half Pigeon Pose

Lots of us suffer low back tightness from our daily activities, like walking, standing or sitting.  One easy posture I recommend for this type of discomfort is “Supine Half Pigeon” with an easy spinal twist. The first, Half Pigeon, can be set up this way: Lie on your back, bend your knees and draw your knees over your hips. From there, take one ankle and place it upon the opposite thigh, just above the knee (your legs should look like the number four). Put your hands behind your thigh, interlace your fingers, and gently draw your legs towards your belly button (be sure to keep your lower back upon the mat). You may feel some discomfort in your low back, but commit to five or so deep breaths in and out, before you jump to any conclusions.

Boat Pose and High Plank Pose

Finally, if you’re trying to build a little more strength at your center, I recommend moving between boat pose and high plank a few times. To start, take a seat on the floor, bend your knees towards your chest and place your hands just behind your thighs, now rock your weight back, so that you balance somewhere between your tailbone and sitting bones. Keep your core tight and chest high. You can stay like this if your stomach muscles are already feeling the burn. If not raise your arms over head, or straighten your legs (from the side you would look like the letter V). Breathe for about thirty seconds, then cross your ankles and come into a high plank position.

High plank is like the top of a push up. Keep your palms directly under your shoulders and your body just like a board. If it’s causing too much strain on your shoulders, drop to your knees but keep everything else the same. Firm your thighs to assist you. Plank is great for your whole body, but especially the muscles that support you at your center. If you have it in you, come back to boat pose and alternate between the two a few times until you tire.

As you explore these postures keep in mind that yoga is more of a journey than a destination. When you first try a new posture it may feel awkward and unfamiliar. You may think you look silly or that nothing is happening. Fear not. The benefits of practicing yoga on regular basis don’t come all at once, but are realized over time as you slowly see little improvements in your physical and emotional outlook. As time passes, these feelings will change, and more importantly, you will change with them.  

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Brigitte Koepke is the co-founder and lead instructor at Fusion Yoga at 1012 Diffley Road in Eagan, opening Fall 2012. Got a question about yoga or your yoga practice? email it to Brigitte at brigitte@fusion-yoga.com.  

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