Benefits

Releases tension along the neck, shoulders and spine

Focus

Roll onto your spine with control, vertebra by vertebra, so you activate your abdominal muscles at the same time.

1. Sit on the floor, and cross your right ankle over your left ankle.
2. Clasp your toes, and lean back to balance on your sitting bones (the bottom of your pelvis, in the center of each buttock). Still clasping your toes, straighten your legs toward the ceiling, and roll backward onto your spine while pulling your feet up, toward your head.
3. Bend your knees, and roll forward to a sitting position.
4. Repeat the slow rocking motion, backward onto your spine and forward again, 7 times.
5. Return to a sitting position. Cross your left ankle over your right ankle, and complete 7 backward-and-forward repetitions on this side.
6. Return to a sitting position, release your toes, and uncross your legs.

Floor Lunge

Benefits

• Builds upper-arm strength
• Strongly stretches the hamstrings

Focus

Straighten your leg as much as possible and feel the deep stretch in your inner thighs.

1. Kneel on the floor. Step your right foot forward into a lunge. Place both hands on your right knee, one on top of the other. Rock back and forth 3 times to warm up your knees.
2. Clasp your hands together, and make a triangle with your elbows. Place your elbows on the floor, inside your right foot. Turn the toes of your left foot under.
3. Inhaling, straighten your left leg behind you. Exhaling, bend your left leg so it rests back on floor. Repeat the bending-and-straightening movement 3 times, then lower your knee to the floor.
4. Ease your hands back up onto your right knee, and lunge back and forth 3 times.
5. Step your right leg back to a kneeling position.
6. Step your left foot forward into a lunge. Repeat the sequence 3 times by first rocking back and forth, then bending and straightening the right leg.

Bellows Breath

The Bellows Breath is the complete Full Yoga Breath performed with an accelerated rhythm.

Benefits

Tones all the muscles of the abdomen and chest

Focus

Make your inhalation sudden and your exhalation forceful.

1. Sit back on your heels, and rest your hands loosely on your knees. Lift and lengthen your spine to open up your chest.
2. Inhale and exhale slowly 3 times as you observe your breath settle into your normal breathing pattern.
3. Fill your lungs suddenly and forcefully by breathing in through your nose in the Full Yoga Breath.
4. Without a pause, forcefully exhale through your nose, emptying your lungs by first contracting your abdomen wall, then compressing your ribs and finally relaxing your shoulders.
5. Repeat the inhalation and exhalation 7 times, then relax and breathe normally.
6. Repeat the inhalation and exhalation again for 7 consecutive breaths

Lung

Benefits

• Releases tension and stiffness in the neck and shoulders
• Increases oxygen levels in the blood
• Increases metabolic rate

Focus

Pull your arms back quite vigorously as you feel your pectoral muscles opening up and stretching.

1. Stand with your legs hip-width apart. Rest your palms on the fronts of your thighs.
2. Inhaling, lift your arms to the front at shoulder height.
3. Clench your fists. Holding your breath and without arching your back, swing both arms out to your sides at shoulder height and back to the middle again. Still holding your breath, repeat the swinging 6 more times. (This is one round.)
4. Exhaling, open your hands and release your palms back down to your thighs.
5. Repeat 6 more rounds.