Moon Salutation
Moon salutations complement endurance training by balancing forward motion with a soothing side-to-side flow. The sequence includes poses that target the shoulders, hips, and hamstrings, all chronic problem areas in athletes.
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Prayer Pose
1. Stand at left side of mat in Mountain Pose. Place hands at heart center (Namaste). Inhale.
Prayer Pose 2
2. As you exhale, tip the fingers down.
Extended Prayer Pose
3. Inhale as you sweep the arms overhead with palms pressed.
Side Stretch
4. Exhale, lengthen, and tip to your left.
Side Stretch
5. Inhale through center. Exhale tip right. Inhale back to center.
Goddess
6. Step the right foot wide and lower down into a Goddess squat, knees and toes facing out.
Star
7. Inhale through Star stretch- open your arms and legs wide and reach through your fingers and toes.
Triangle
8. Pivot your right foot open to the right, slide into Triangle
pose. Exhale as you lower down. Inhale as you turn your head to look up.
Pyramid
9. Exhale as you close the left side of your body down into Pyramid.
10. Inhale. Extend the spine long. Exhale.
Lunge
11. Bend your right leg into a lunge, fingers on the floor.
Knee Down Lunge
12. Lower your left knee into a low lunge. Inhale, bring hands to the top of knee and exhale placing the hands on the inner side of the right foot.
Side Lunge
13. Inhale, pivot on the balls of both feet. Open your body towards the left (the long side of your mat) into an extended leg squat.
Side Lunge
14. Exhale, slide low across the mat so your right knee is bent, left leg extended.
Lunge
15. Inhale to pivot to face left (the short side of your mat).
Knee Down Lunge
16. Lower the right knee. Rest the top of the right foot on the
ground. Inhale and bring the hands to just about above the left knee.
Exhale.
Pyramid
17. Place the hands on either side of the foot. As the right toes
turn under inhale and straighten your left leg for Pyramid pose. Exhale as you fold over your left leg.
Triangle
18. Exhale and open the right side of the body up for Triangle pose. Take a full breath here.
Star
19. Inhale coming back into Star.
Goddess
20. Exhale into the Goddess squat.
Side Stretch
21. Take a big step over to the right with palms pressed overhead.
22. Tip first to the left.
Side Stretch
23. Tip to the right.
Extended Prayer Pose
24. Exhale coming back to hands at heart center.
Prayer Pose 2
25. Tip the fingers down.
Prayer Pose
26. Inhale as you come back into Mountain Pose.
27. Repeat the cycle in reverse.