Yoga Benefits

Strengthens the abdominal muscles

Focus

Create a fast-paced rhythm, and get as much lift and movement as possible for maximum benefit. Visualize your body building up lots of heat as you breathe deeply to increase your metabolic rate and temperature.(Buttocks Walking is best practiced on a smooth, hard floor.)

1. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you, and clasp your elbows with your hands.
2. Lift your right buttock off the floor by bending your right knee, and slide your right heel forward a few inches.
3. Lift your left buttock off the floor by bending your left knee, and slide your left heel forward a few inches.
4. Alternate lifting and lowering your buttocks to “walk” yourself to the other side of the room.
5. When you can go no farther, put it in reverse: “walk” backward on your buttocks to your starting point.
6. Repeat another forward-and-backward “walk” across the room. Swing your clasped elbows vigorously from side to side to help build up momentum. Build up speed as you move along, and keep breathing vigorously.
7. Stop, sit, and relax.

Benefits

• Increases blood flow to the brain
• Lowers blood pressure
• Promotes inner stillness

Focus

Lengthen your spine on the inhalation with your chin extended, then soften your spine on the exhalation. Let your head and neck hang freely, do not strain.

1. Stand with your legs 4-6 feet apart, arms outstretched at shoulder height.
2. Exhaling, bend forward. Place your palms flat on the floor between your feet (bend your knees if necessary).
3. Turn your right foot out to the side a little; “walk” your hands over to your right foot, and place them on either side of your right ankle or on top of your right foot.
4. Inhaling, lengthen through the spine. Exhaling, soften the body and extern, through the chin rather than trying to put the head on the knee. Continue lengthening and extending the spine as you breathe deeply 7 times.
5. Exhaling, “walk” your hands back to the front.
6. Inhaling, come up to a standing position.
7. Turn your right foot to the front and your left foot out to the side. Repeat the stretch on your left side for 7 breaths.

Benefits

Strengthens the lower-back and abdominal muscles

Focus

Press your lower back into the floor as you hold your legs off the floor; do not arch your back. Visualize yourself as having a strong, flat abdomen. See your spine straightening and strengthening with each lift.

1. Lie on the floor on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing down.
2. Bend your knees to your chest.
3. Inhaling, straighten your legs to the ceiling.
4. Exhaling, lower your straight legs to about 6 inches off the floor. Press your lower back into the floor, and tighten your abdominal muscles. Hold your breath while holding the pose for a count of 7.
5. Inhaling, bend your knees to your chest.
6. Repeat the sequence 3 more times.
7. Bend your knees and hug them to your chest.
8. Release your legs and arms to the floor. Lie on the Roar on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing down.
9. Inhaling, bend your knees to your chest.
10. Exhaling, extend your legs out straight to about 6 inches off the floor.
11. Press your abdominal and back muscles toward the floor. Hold your breath while holding the pose for a count of 7.
12. Inhaling, raise both straight legs to the ceiling.
13. Exhaling, bend your knees to your chest.
14. Repeat the sequence 3 times.
15. Hug your knees to your chest. Rock backward and forward and from side to side to release any stiffness in your lower back. Let your legs drop to the floor, and relax.

Warning:

If you have lower-back problems, place your fists under your buttocks for this exercise. Release the pose if you feel any discomfort.

This visualization creates an uplifting image to raise your spirits. Expect to think more clearly with practice.

Benefits

Enables the release of heavy negative thoughts

Focus

Concentrate on the rhythm of your breath.

Cross-Legged Position

1. Sit on the floor in Cross-Legged Position, with your spine straight and your hands resting lightly on your knees.
2. With your eyes closed, begin to observe your breath. Inhale for a count of 7, hold your breath for 3 counts, exhale for a count of 7, and hold your breath for 3 counts. Repeat the breathing exercise 7 times, then relax and observe the rise and fall of your chest.
3. Imagine that you are sitting beside a beautiful lake. The surface of the lake is smooth like glass, and the sun is shining. See yourself picking up a pebble and throwing it into the lake. Watch the ripples gently disappear. Recognize that negative thoughts have the same rippling effect, disturbing your peace of mind.
4. As you observe the rhythm of your breath, imagine that the natural state of your mind is stillness, like the waters of the lake.
5. Sit quietly, and let your thoughts come and go. Imagine that any negative thoughts in your mind are like mud. If a particular thought disturbs your peace of mind, imagine that thought settling down into the depths of the waters of your mind-like mud sinking to the bottom of a lake-leaving your mind clear and still.
6. Observe your mind settling, bringing clarity to strengthen your focus and concentration.
7. Look deeply into the crystal-clear waters of your mind, and see yourself exactly as you would like to be. As you observe your breath and your thoughts, continue to refine that image of yourself until it is perfect.
8. Hold that perfect image in the silence of the visualization for 10-15 minutes.
9. Take a Full Yoga Breath and enjoy the sense of stillness that this visualization brings. Throughout the day, practice letting go of thoughts that you do not want: Inhale as
10. you visualize the thoughts as being like mud, then exhale as those thoughts dissolve and sink down to the bottom of the waters of your mind-and stay there.