hide flash
> <

Giveaways

Win a Save Your Do GymWrap!
Win a Wide Band Save Your Do GymWrap designed by VIVmag cover model Nicole Ari Parker!

Playlists

Dana Delany Tunes Up With Trainer Jill Miller
As featured in the Spring 2012 issue of VIVmag, for 10 years Body of Proof star Dana Delany has reaped the benefits of

Recipes

Grilled Eggplant-Pepper Fajitas With Black Bean Salsa
Try these tasty vegetarian fajitas!

VIVmag wins two int'l magazine awards

VIVmag, the all digital luxury magazine for women earns two international awards. The tradition of creating excellence in digital magazine publishing continues as VIVmag has won the Digital Magazine Awards 2010 - Silver Award for Lifestyle Magazine of the Year while also sharing in Photographer of the Year for their - March/ April VIV cover shot by Alexx Henry. DIGITAL MAGAZINE AWARDS - SILVER

Exclusive Content

Fitness | Comment: 1
August 3rd, 2007

Pin It



From Mountain Pose to Standing Forward Bend and Half Forward Bend

by Linda Shelton

MOUNTAIN POSE
Sanskrit: Tadasana to Urdhva Hastasana (mountain pose to raised hands pose)

Benefits: Improves muscle balance, posture, spine and core strength; increases energy.

“When you need to get grounded, connect to the earth and feel the calming power of mountain pose.”

How to Begin:

  • Stand with feet together, big toes touching, heels slightly apart, legs straight, arms hanging by your sides, palms facing in.
  • Activate your legs by
    tightening the thigh muscles around your knee joint.
  • Lift chest and draw shoulder blades down your back, pulling abdominals in, tailbone pointing toward floor so spine is in neutral alignment.

Movement:

  • Inhale and sweep arms out and up overhead so arms are straight and parallel, palms facing in.

[STANDING] FORWARD BEND TO HALF FORWARD BEND
Sanskrit: Uttanasana into Ardha Uttanasana (half forward bend)

Benefit: Increases mobility of the spine in flexion through inversion; increases hamstring flexibility.

“There is a wave action of the spine as you bend forward that is flowing and graceful, like the ebb and flow of the ocean.”

Movement:

  • Exhale and lower arms as you hinge forward at hips, to fold your torso over your thighs; bend your knees slightly if necessary.
  • Hang with your upper body upside down. Don’t let your shoulders hunch; you want to create maximum length in your neck by keeping your shoulders pulled away from your ears so you feel no tension in your neck as you hang.
  • Let your fingers touch the floor on either side of your feet (or place your hands on your shins if you have less flexibility); straighten legs only to the point that is comfortable.
  • Inhale and straighten your spine by coming up to a “flat back” position, bringing fingertips to the floor.
  • Exhale, lengthening the top of your head towards the floor, your spine moving back into a forward bend.

Continue to next step

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

One Reader Comment:

[...] Click here to get started! [...]

Leave a Comment