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Every Day Yoga by Tara Stiles

Home Practice

Mar 19, 2008

Quick Fix for a Great Day--Everyday

There’s a surprising little trick that can make all the difference in your day: Try setting your alarm just 15 minutes earlier and do a short yoga session before you get ready for work. The routine practice -- even if it’s that short -- can change your whole day! Try it for a week, and you’ll discover that this feels so good you’ll always set out to do. And then maybe you won’t for a while. But it’s easy to decide you can spare 15 minutes, so you’ll come back to it. And eventually it will stick. Here’s a short practice to get your day started:

Rise and Shine Practice

Standing sequence

Sun Salutes are a classic for the morning, and this sequence will help awaken your body. Stand with your feet hip width apart. Inhale and stretch your arms up. Exhale and fold forward over your legs keeping a slight bend in the knee to start. Walk your way back to Downward Facing Dog and hold for five breaths. Inhale the right leg forward to a lunge, and come into Warrior 1. Exhale back to Downward Dog. Reverse legs to Warrior 1 again. Repeat, adding Warrior 2 to the sequence. End in Downward Dog.

Hamstring Stretch

From Downward Dog, bring the right leg forward into a lunge. Straighten the front leg and bring the back heel to the floor. Place your hands on the floor or blocks, one on each side of your front foot. With a flat back, fold over your front foot, keeping the back heel down to feel the stretch in the hamstrings. Hold for five breaths. Step back into Downward Dog, then repeat on the other side.

A Few Forward Bends

Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you for a seated forward bend. Hold for ten breaths. Repeat until you feel a release and calming.

A short meditation

Come to a comfortable seated position, and sit and breathe for a few minutes. Now you’re ready to start your day!

Comments

aling
27 Mar 2008, 12:28

may i know if where can i pratice thsoe nice yoga that you email me?
I lived in Richmond b.c.
thank you.

iYogaLife Staff
27 Mar 2008, 12:29

Aling,
Thanks for your comment! You can use our Studio Directory (located on the top right of this page) to look for a studio near you. Or, you can start a home practice like the one that Tara has outlined above!

Kassandra C.
02 Apr 2008, 19:17

The search engine is only for American zip codes, not Canadian :(
Aling - Just to let you know, I found a few places in Steveston that practice yoga. And there are a few places in vancouver. You can find some on the Lululemon Website.

Heather in Virginia
15 Apr 2008, 11:48

Ailing: If you have access to a computer (which you should in local libraries if not at home), you can also check out www.vancouveryoga.com, which allows you to search for yoga studios and classes by city, including Richmond. Good luck!

Constance in China
16 Apr 2008, 21:01

Hello Yoga People.
Have practiced for 7 years ..came to China...teach...language barrier in gym. My practice has dissolved before my eyes.
This routine will ease me back in.
This article is very good.
My hips are happier.
I so appreciate the permission/encouragement to practice alone. Class is lovely. But sometimes impossible.
Thank you.
Constance

Gayle
16 Apr 2008, 21:20

I will try this home practice. We now travel 1 hour to a bikram yoga studio and would love to eliminate a few trips down south. Thanks for the 15 min. wake up yoga.

sandra
18 Apr 2008, 15:32

I have practiced yoga for almost 7 years now. I started simply for pain relief from a car accident. Yoga is the only fix I have found to relieve the constant back pain I had. I have, and continue to learn so much from this site. A big THANK YOU!

Chel
20 Apr 2008, 21:47

I have recently been in a car accident and have been told by doctors to not do weight bearing exercises until medically released. Could you assist me in what type of exercises I can still do with out extensive weight on my right leg and ankle? Thank you!
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