Summer Yoga is near and our calendars are already filling up with exciting outdoor activities. It can be tempting to let go of yoga when things heat up, but the stretch and vigor you get from your practice may be just what you need. Improve your routine with these refreshing yoga poses to wake up joy and energize your body for the season.
1. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend) Yoga
- Begin in Dandasana (Staff Pose) by sitting on the edge of a folded blanket. Press your heels away from your body, Press the tips of your palms or fingers on the floor near your hips.
- catching my breath. Exhale and bend forward from your hips, keeping your front torso tall. Lengthen the spine to turn in toward your legs, without rounding your back.
- Walk your hands out to the outside of each foot as far as they go. If you can reach them, grasp the sides of your feet with your hands.
- With each inhale, slightly lift and lengthen your front torso; With each exhalation, lean forward slightly more fully. If you’re holding your feet, bend elbows out to the sides and lift them off the floor.
- Stay in the pose for 1-3 minutes. To come up, drop your feet. Inhale and lift your torso by pulling your tailbone down and into the pelvis.
2. Parivrtta Janu Sirsana (Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose) Yoga
- Begin in Upavistha Konasana (wide-angle seated forward bend). Land through your sit bones and open your legs to about 120 degrees. Your quadriceps should face the ceiling.
- Bend your right knee, and bring the heel near the waist.
- As you inhale, lengthen your spine. As you exhale, twist your torso to the right.
- Keeping your spine curved, tilt your torso laterally to the left. Drive your left shoulder in toward the inside of your left knee while rotating your torso toward the ceiling.
- Extend your left hand, palm up, toward your left foot, and grasp your inner leg or reach your hand to your foot.
- Raise your right hand and bring it over your head. If you can reach it comfortably, grab your left leg.
- Press your left thigh and your right knee toward the floor to balance the weight of your torso.
- As you inhale, lengthen your spine. As you exhale, twist your torso forward to the right and lower your chest to the ceiling.
- Hold for 10 breaths to 1 minute. Reverse the steps to come out of the pose.
- Repeat on the other side
3. Utthan Pristhasana (Lizard Pose) Yoga
- From a high lunge, place both hands on the floor on the inside of your left foot.
- Lengthen spine and neck, reaching up to the crown of your head with your gaze on the floor between your hands.
- Tone and lift your right thigh, and press your left heel back. Keep your hips level and low.
- Pause here, or, for a greater stretch, keep your forearms on the floor.
- Stay in this posture for 5 to 10 breaths.
4. Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose) Yoga
- Begin in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose), then move to Plank Pose.
- Roll onto the outside edge of your left foot.
- Bend your right knee and place that leg in front of your body, allowing it to act as a support.
- Place your right hand on your right hip, twist your torso to the right as you do so, and shift your body weight onto the outer left leg and left arm.
- Align right hip to your left, and lengthen your tailbone toward your heel.
- Raise your hips. Focus on aligning your body in a long diagonal line from your right heel to the crown of your head.
- Extend your left arm up toward the ceiling, so that it’s in line with your shoulders. Keep the head neutral, or look up at the left hand.
- Stay in the position for several breaths, then return to plank and repeat on the other side.
5. Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) Yoga
- Lie on your stomach on your mat, with a blanket under your pelvis if necessary. Press all your toes into the floor and then bend your knees, keeping the toes active.
- Grasp the outer edges of your ankles with your hands and bend your legs firmly.
- Inhaling, lift your rib cage and shoulders towards your ears. On an exhale, lengthen your tailbone and kick your legs back into your hands as you hold firmly.
- Raise your head and heart out of here. Gaze ahead. Press down with your thighs to lift your chest.
- Keep rising for 5 breaths.
6. Utkatasana (Chair Pose) Yoga
- Stand in Tadasana. Inhale and raise your arms so that your biceps are just in front of your ears. Either keep the arms parallel, palms facing in, or join the palms.
- Exhale and bend your knees so that your thighs are as parallel to the floor as possible. Your knees will be over your feet, and your trunk will lean slightly forward at your thighs until your front torso forms almost a right angle with the tops of your thighs.
- Keep your inner thighs parallel to each other and press the heads of the thigh bones toward your heels.
- Firm your shoulder blades against your back. To keep your lower back long, direct your tailbone down toward the floor and toward your pubis.
- Stay for 30 seconds to one minute. To come out of this pose, straighten your knees with an inhale, lifting forcefully through your arms. Exhale and release your arms by your sides in Tadasana.
7. Parsva Bakasana (Side Crow/Crane Pose) Yoga
- Squat down, keeping your feet and knees together, facing the long side of your mat.
- Inhaling, raise your left hand to the ceiling. Exhale, turn to the right and block both hands on the floor or on the outside of your right foot. Place your hands at shoulder distance and crease your wrists parallel to each other and on the edge of the mat.
- Bending your elbows at a 90-degree angle, move your torso forward so that your elbow rests on your wrist as if you are going into Chaturanga Dandasana. Roll the ends of your upper arms back and away from the floor.
- Place your right outer thigh on the shelf of your left upper arm. Keeping your elbows close to the body, pull them towards each other.
- Keeping your knees and feet together, lift your feet off the floor, rotating deeply.
- To secure your balance, lower your forehead to a block or bolster as you raise your legs.
- Hold for 3-5 breaths, then drop your feet to the floor.
- Repeat on the other side.
8. Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose) Yoga
- Step your left foot forward in Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle).
- Bring your right hand to your hip and turn your head to look at the floor.
- Bend your left leg and transfer your weight to your left foot.
- Extend your left arm slightly forward and place it on the mat or block directly under your left shoulder. Press down with your fingers to stabilize yourself.
- Raise your right leg until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Slowly turn your chest to the right, twisting your torso and hips. Reach your right hand up to the ceiling.
- Either keep your gaze on the floor or slowly bring it to your right hand. Slightly bend in your standing leg so that you don’t hyperextend your knee.
- Exit the pose the same way you came into it and return to the extended triangle.
- Repeat on the other side.
9. Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend) Yoga
- Begin facing the long side of your mat in Mountain Pose (Tadasana).
- Stand with your feet 3 to 4 feet apart, placing your hands on your hips.
- Lengthen through your entire torso and slowly bend over your legs. Instead of rounding your lower back, bend at your hip joints. If your back starts to round, stop turning forward.
- Place your hands flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart; Start moving your torso.
- Take a deep turn, bringing your head toward the floor. Anchor your legs, strengthen your leg muscles and activate your inner thigh muscles. Lengthen your entire spine from your sit bones to the crown of your head.
- After several breaths, land on your feet, straighten your arms, and roll your spine forward.
- Inhale as you slowly rise to standing. Keeping your feet together, come into mountain pose in front of the mat and pause.
10. Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle) Yoga
- Begin in Tadasana (mountain pose). Jump your feet about 4 feet apart. Extend your arms in T position with your palms facing down; Reach through the fingers as if your arms are being pulled in opposite directions
- Bend your left leg to 90 degrees, and turn your right leg slightly inward. Keeping the sides of your torso equally long, lift through your spine.
- Press your right outer foot and heel into the floor as you bend your left knee toward a 90-degree angle with your left thigh parallel to the floor. Adjust your stance to establish a strong foundation.
- Bend at your left knee, hinged at the hips, to bring your left hand toward the floor. You can place your left fingers on the ground or on a block. Bring your left armpit closer to the outer left knee so that your arm and shin are parallel.
- Reach your right hand over your right ear, palm facing the floor. Turn your chest toward your raised arm and press right hip toward the floor to form a straight line from your right ankle to you
- Turn your head to look behind your right thumb. Breathe freely in the pose. Stay for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Reach up while inhaling, then bring your torso up and straighten the left leg.
- change side.
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