Yoga Cures: Simple Routines to Conquer Over 50 Common Ailments and Live Pain-Free (26 page)

Cat/Cow

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Come onto all fours, on your hands and knees. Spread your fingers wide like you are digging into some nice, wet sand. Make sure your wrists are right under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Have a nice, neutral spine that is straight and long, not arched or curved. Bring your attention to your breath. Lengthen and deepen your inhales and exhales. Take five long, deep breaths here in this neutral place.

Now beginning to move with your breath on your next inhale, drop your belly toward the ground, allow your spine to curve, and look up (cow pose). As you inhale, round your back and look inward (cat pose).

Down Dog

From all fours, tuck your toes, lift your hips, and press back into down dog. Reach your heels toward the ground.

Relax your shoulders toward the ground and relax your head and neck. Stay here for five long, deep breaths.

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Side Plank

From your down dog, roll your torso out into a plank pose. Lift your hips, press down with your right hand, roll to the outside edge of your right foot, and open your torso toward the left. Extend your left arm straight up and look up to your fingers. Stay here for three long, deep breaths and do the other side.

Fear Factor

There are a whole set of poses in yoga to help us deal with our fears. They are the ones where we go

upside down, into the unknown, and have to abandon control just for a moment, before we get a really

nice release and the enjoyable sensation of experiencing a new situation. Backbends and inversions are

often associated with fear in yoga because our perspective becomes something completely different than

when we are grounded and standing on our own two feet. It’s a nice physical way to work out fears in

our bodies that can also translate into dealing with fears in our lives. So whether you have a fear of

going upside down in yoga, or a fear of entering into a new stage in your life, backbends and inversions

can be of great use! You have to learn to feel your way through the poses and trust that you are strong

enough to get through them, and above all, allow yourself to have some fun. It’s yoga, after all. It’s

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meant to be enjoyable … just like life!

THE FEAR FACTOR YOGA CURE

The yoga cure for getting over your fears is trying new yoga poses, especially those in which you are upside
down or backwards. When we go into the unknown with our bodies, we can do it in the rest of our lives. This
routine also reminds us to have fun, and not to worry about being perfect and in control the whole time.

Falling is totally fine in yoga. Go ahead, have a fall. Just go easy on yourself and have a good time!

Bridge

Lie down on your back. Bend your knees and press the bottoms of your feet into the ground next to the bottom of your hips so your knees point straight up. Press your arms down by your sides and use them to help you lift your hips and chest up and off the ground. Stay here for five long, deep breaths.

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Wheel

Bend your elbows and press your palms into the ground by your ears. Press into your palms firmly and begin to lift the chest up. Straighten your arms only as much as you can while keeping the chest lifted and being able to breathe easily. Lengthen your knees forward and keep your spine long. Stay here for five long, deep breaths. To come down, tuck your chin in toward your chest, bend your elbows, and slowly lower down.

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Headstand Prep

Sit on your heels. Interlace your fingers loosely and place them on the ground. Place the top of your head on the ground so your fingers hold the back of your head. Stay here for a few breaths to get comfortable in the position. If this is too hard or feels uncomfortable, back out of it and come back to sit on your heels.

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Handstand Rocks

Stand on your right leg, tip your weight forward so your left leg extends back behind you and your fingertips come to the ground. Press your palms firmly on the ground under your shoulders. Straighten your arms. Keep the left leg lifted and rock forward and back, just starting to get your hips over your shoulders. Start to take small hops on your right leg. When you hop up, lift your left leg high so your hips are over your shoulders and keep your right leg dangling down so your legs will be in an L shape. Keep breathing through the entire movement. Inhale as you rock or lightly hop up, and exhale as you release. Try the other side.