Standing Poses
Downward Facing Dog :
With your hands flat on the mat, and your arms and upper body in a straight line, you bend at the hip to create an inverted “V” shape with your body, with the legs held straight, and toes and balls of the feet planted firmly on the mat. As you increase your flexibility along the hamstrings and calves, you can work on bringing your heels all the way down to the mat so your feet are flat, while maintaining the straight lines of legs and upper body.Downward Dog Split :
From the Downward Facing Dog position, you lift one leg into the air behind you, keeping the leg straight and bringing it into line with the lines of your upper body and arms. Keep the toes of the lifted leg flexed toward the shin. This pose is also known as the Three-Legged Dog. Variations of the pose might have you bend the lifted leg at a right angle, and turn your torso so you are looking underneath one arm, to increase hip flexibilityMountain Pose:
With the feet planted firmly on the yoga mat and toes spread widely, stand straight and tall with arms straight at the sides. Let the feet and calves extend as if rooting down into the floor, while tightening the quadriceps (thigh fronts) causing your kneecaps to pull upward. While holding the position, rotate your thighs inward, stretching the “sit bones” (pelvic structure) outward. Draw in your belly, draw back your shoulders so your collar bones widen, let your shoulder blades side downward, and feel as if your neck and head are stretching toward the ceiling. You aren’t just “standing there” in Mountain Pose; you’re aligning your entire bodyLunge Pose:
From the Downward Facing Dog position, bring one foot forward and plant it between your hands. Bend the forward leg so the knee is aligned directly above the ankle, and feel the stretch along the back and legs.Pyramid Pose:
From the Lunge Pose, straighten your forward leg so both legs are straight, and then bend forward along your front leg. You will feel the stretch along your back, as well as the backs of your legs. Try to keep your upper body straight rather than rounded, and use blocks if you can’t yet reach the floor with your hands
Standing Forward Bend: From the Mountain Pose, bend forward at the hips, and press your palms to the floor (or fingertips, if that’s as far as you can reach--or place your hands on a block if you can’t yet touch the floor). Feel the stretch through the backs of your legs and your back, keeping your hips in line above your ankles, and making sure the bend is happening at the hip rather than in your back. Engaging your quadriceps (thigh muscles) will help your hamstrings (back of the thighs) to stretch moreWarrior I Pose:
From the Lunge Pose, pivot your back foot so the toes are turned outward and your heel is planted on the floor. Bend your forward leg so the knee is aligned above the ankle, and the thigh is parallel to the floor. Bring your arms out to your sides, and then lift them above your head with palms touching, and your back bending slightly as you look upward toward your hands.Warrior II Pose:
From the Warrior I Pose, open the arms outward, bringing forward the arm on the side of the forward foot, and reaching backward with the arm on the side of the rear foot. Draw in your belly, align your shoulders over your hips, and reach out through fingertips of both arms while you gaze forward.Triangle Pose:
From the Warrior II Pose, straighten your front leg so both legs are straight at the knee, then bend forward from your hip so your upper body is parallel with the floor, and your forward arm is touching the floor. If you aren’t yet flexible enough to reach the floor, you may rest your hand on your shin or ankle, or on a block. Gaze upward toward your upper hand
Raised Hands Pose: From the Mountain Pose, lift your arms out to the sides, then upward until your palms meet above your head. Gaze upward toward your fingers, keeping the body in alignment as you were doing in the Mountain Pose.Thank you for reading the article about Yoga Basics: Beginning Asanas (Poses) : Standing Poses in blog Soft Meditation and if you found this article useful please bookmark this page in your web browser, by pressing Ctrl D on your keyboard.