Everyday Yoga Poses You Can Try Today

Yoga offers us a way to connect to our mind, body & soul. As someone who is continually learning more about this practice, I want to share with you easy ways to include yoga daily.

This can be as simple as a few deep breaths in the morning or before bed. Or sitting with your coffee in the morning with no other distractions. Yoga isn’t just about the physical practice. It can be included in your mental and spiritual practices as well.

I understand yoga can feel intimidating for some and I want you to know I felt that way once before too. The truth is, you can only get better by practising, just like everything else in life. That's why I am here!

I want to make yoga accessible to all body types, abilities and ages through this online platform so today I will show you yoga poses you can try to add into your daily routine. Since yoga can be perceived differently by each of us, this is a simple way to begin your personal yoga journey.

These poses can be done at anytime throughout the day. There is more information below on how to perform each pose.

Enjoy!
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Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

Keep the knees soft, let your belly rest on the thighs, let your head and neck fall toward the earth, breathe deeply as you exhale closer to your mat.

Halfway Lift (Ardha Uttanasana)

Lift the crown of the head forward, bringing the chest upwards as well, hands to the knees or floor. Always inhale on this pose and follow with an exhale into forward fold.

Here is a more advanced option.

Cat/Cow (Marjaryasana)

In Cat pose, we lift the eyes to the sky, drop the belly, open the chest while flaring the hip bones out behind us. Inhale here. Match your breath to the movement.

In Cow pose, we take the eyes to the thighs, open through the back body and curl through the shoulders. Exhale here. Repeat between the two poses as necessary.

Child's Pose (Balasana)

Starting on all fours, take the big toes together and the knees as wide as the mat. Slowly walk your hands forward as you sit your hips back onto your heels. Exhale here. Take a few moments in this pose to relax.

Plank (Phalakasana)

In Plank pose, we want the hands directly underneath the shoulders, the ankles on top of the toes while bringing the belly button towards the spine. Remember to keep the head facing towards the floor. If this is to difficult see the next variation.

All we do to regress this pose is drop the knees to the floor.

While you are practising these poses, here are some movement tips:

• Match your breath toward the movement. Inhale through the nose on the easier part of the pose an exhale through the mouth (or nose) in the difficult or contracting part of the pose.
• Close your eyes. Take a break. Let your face rest by relaxing the jaw and brows.
• Practise in comfortable clothing. Jeans are a no-no. Find clothing that is not distracting either.
• Don't rush. You can hold these poses anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. The longer you go, the more benefits your body and mind receives. Play around with different times.
• Allow your thoughts to float by, without judgement. Try not to dwell on any certain thought or idea during your practice but instead focus on your breath.

I hope this post is able to help some of you gradually add yoga into your day. Remember, it takes time and practise for this to become part of your lifestyle.

Thank you for reading!
This is how to flourish.