Yoga

Tyler Rock
Amber Sibon
Jared Shar
Anthony Robb
Cat Valencia
Table of Contents iii

Table of Contents
Table of Contents ...................................................... iii
Getting Started ........................................................... v
Clothes .................................................................... v
Equipment ............................................................... v
Dolphin Plank Pose .................................................... 7
Plank Pose .................................................................. 9
Eagle Pose ................................................................ 11
Extended Side Angle Pose ....................................... 13
Cow Face Pose ......................................................... 17
Boat Pose .................................................................. 21
Half-Moon Pose ....................................................... 23
Pose Trouble ............................................................ 25
Your Mental State ................................................. 25
Your Goals ............................................................ 26
Your Physical Condition....................................... 27
Which Posture You Are Doing ............................. 28
Index ......................................................................... 29
Getting Started v


Getting Started

Clothes
You will want to wear clothes that are tight and form-
fitting to your body. Wearing form-fitting pants can
ensure that your instructor can check your alignment.
Baggy t-shirts are okay for males, but women can run
into problems when doing poses such as inversions
and have to fight against a shirt falling over your
head.


Equipment
Necessary items include a water bottle and a towel.
You need to stay hydrated and the towel is helpful for
wiping sweat.
Call ahead to your yoga studio and ask if they have
mats that are available to borrow or rent for the
session. After you become familiar with yoga, buying
your own mat is recommended. Yoga mats come in
vi Basic Yoga

all kinds of colors and materials, from natural rubber
to synthetic, as well as different levels of thickness.
Most studios provide basic props, such as blocks,
which are used to help with alignment, and straps,
which can help if you are new and cannot properly
complete the poses.
Dolphin Plank Pose 7


Dolphin Plank Pose
1. Start in Dolphin Pose, knees bent. Then walk
your feet back until your shoulders are directly
over the elbows and your torso is parallel to the
floor.

2. Press your inner forearms and elbows firmly
against the floor. Firm your shoulder blades
against your back and spread them away from
the spine. Similarly spread your collarbones
away from the sternum.

3. Press your front thighs toward the ceiling, but
resist your tailbone toward the floor as you
lengthen it toward the heels. Lift the base of
your skull away from the back of the neck and
look straight down at the floor, keeping the
throat and eyes relaxed.



4. Stay anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute.
Then, release your knees to the floor with an
exhale.
8 Basic Yoga



Plank Pose 9


Plank Pose
1. Start in Adho Mukha Svanasana. Then inhale and
draw your torso forward until the arms are
perpendicular to the floor and the shoulders
directly over the wrists, torso parallel to the floor.

2. Press your outer arms inward and firm the bases
of your index fingers into the floor. Firm your
shoulder blades against your back, then spread
them away from the spine. Also spread your
collarbones away from the sternum.

3. Press your front thighs up toward the ceiling, but
resist your tailbone toward the floor as you
lengthen it toward the heels. Lift the base of the
skull away from the back of the neck and look
straight down at the floor, keeping the throat and
eyes soft.



4. Plank Pose is one of the positions in the
traditional Sun Salutation sequence. You can also
10 Basic Yoga

perform this pose by itself and stay anywhere
from 30 seconds to 1 minute.


Eagle Pose 11


Eagle Pose
1. Stand in Tadasana. Bend your knees slightly and
lift your left foot up balancing on your right foot,
cross your left thigh over the right. Point your left
toes toward the floor, and then hook the top of the
foot behind the lower right calf.

2. Stretch your arms forward, parallel to the floor,
and spread your shoulders wide across the back of
your torso. Cross your arms in front of your torso
so that the right arm is above the left, then bend
your elbows. Put the right elbow into the crease of
the left, and raise the forearms perpendicular to
the floor. The backs of your hands should face
each other.

3. Press your right hand to the right and your left
hand to the left, so that the palms are now facing
each other. The thumb of the right hand should
pass in front of the little finger of the left. Now
press the palms together (as much as is possible
for you), lift your elbows up, and stretch the
fingers toward the ceiling.
12 Basic Yoga


Extended Side Angle Pose 13


Extended Side Angle Pose
1. Place your feet 3.5 to 4 feet apart. Raise your arms
parallel to the floor and reach them out to the
sides, palms down. Turn your left foot in slightly
to the right and your right foot out to the right 90
degrees. Align the right heel with the left heel.
Firm your thighs and turn your right thigh
outward, so that the center of the kneecap is in line
with the center of the right ankle. Roll the left hip
slightly forward, toward the right, but rotate your
upper torso back to the left.

2. Anchor the left (back) heel to the floor by lifting
the inner left groin deep into the pelvis. Then
exhale and bend your right knee over the right
ankle, so that the shin is perpendicular to the floor.
As you bend the knee aim the inner knee toward
the little-toe side of the foot. If possible, bring the
right thigh parallel to the floor.

3. Firm your shoulder blades against the back ribs.
Extend your left arm straight up toward the
ceiling, then turn the left palm to face toward your
head and with an inhalation reach the arm over the
14 Basic Yoga

back of your left ear, palm facing the floor. Stretch
from your left heel through your left fingertips,
lengthening the entire left side of your body. Turn
your head to look at the left arm. Release your
right shoulder away from the ear. Try to create as
much length along the right side of your torso as
you do along the left.

4. As you continue to ground your left heel to the
floor, exhale and lay the right side of your torso
down onto (or bring it as close as possible to) the
top of the right thigh. Press your right fingertips
(or palm) on the floor just outside of your right
foot. Actively push the right knee back against the
inner arm; counter this by burrowing your tail
bone into the back of your pelvis, toward the
pubis. The inside of your right thigh should be
parallel with the long edge of your sticky mat.

Extended Side Angle Pose 15


5. Stay for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Inhale to come
up. Push both heels strongly into the floor and
reach the left arm forcefully toward the ceiling to
lighten the upward movement. Reverse the feet
and repeat for the same length of time to the left.
Then come up and return to Tadasana.


Cow Face Pose 17


Cow Face Pose
1. Sit in Dandasana (Staff Pose), then bend your
knees and put your feet on the floor. Slide your
left foot under the right knee to the outside of the
right hip. Then cross your right leg over the left,
stacking the right knee on top of the left, and bring
the right foot to the outside of the left hip. Try to
bring the heels equidistant from the hips: with the
right leg on top you'll have to tug the right heel in
closer to the left hip. Sit evenly on the sitting
bones.

2. Inhale and stretch your right arm straight out to
the right, parallel to the floor. Rotate your arm
inwardly; the thumb will turn first toward the
floor, then point toward the wall behind you, with
the palm facing the ceiling. This movement will
roll your right shoulder slightly up and forward,
and round your upper back. With a full exhalation,
sweep the arm behind your torso and tuck the
forearm in the hollow of your lower back, parallel
to your waist, with the right elbow against the
right side of your torso. Roll the shoulder back and
down, then work the forearm up your back until it
18 Basic Yoga

is parallel to your spine. The back of your hand
will be between your shoulder blades. See that
your right elbow doesn't slip away from the right
side of your torso.

3. Now inhale and stretch your left arm straight
forward, pointing toward the opposite wall,
parallel to the floor. Turn the palm up and, with
another inhalation, stretch the arm straight up
toward the ceiling, palm turned back. Lift actively
through your left arm, then with an exhalation,
bend the elbow and reach down for the right hand.
If possible, hook the right and left fingers.

4. Lift the left elbow toward the ceiling and, from the
back armpit, descend the right elbow toward the
floor. Firm your shoulder blades against your back
ribs and lift your chest. Try to keep the left arm
right beside the left side of your head.

5. Stay in this pose about 1 minute. Release the arms,
uncross the legs, and repeat with the arms and legs
reversed for the same length of time. Remember
that whichever leg is on top, the same-side arm is
lower.
Cow Face Pose 19



Boat Pose 21


Boat Pose

1. Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of
you. Press your hands on the floor a little behind
your hips, fingers pointing toward the feet, and
strengthen the arms. Lift through the top of the
sternum and lean back slightly. As you do this
make sure your back doesn't round; continue to
lengthen the front of your torso between the pubis
and top sternum. Sit on the "tripod" of your two
sitting bones and tailbone.

2. Exhale and bend your knees, then lift your feet off
the floor, so that the thighs are angled about 45-50
degrees relative to the floor. Lengthen your
tailbone into the floor and lift your pubis toward
your navel. If possible, slowly straighten your
knees, raising the tips of your toes slightly above
the level of your eyes. If this isn't possible remain
with your knees bent, perhaps lifting the shins
parallel to the floor.

3. Stretch your arms alongside the legs, parallel to
each other and the floor. Spread the shoulder
22 Basic Yoga

blades across your back and reach strongly out
through the fingers. If this isn't possible, keep the
hands on the floor beside your hips or hold on to
the backs of your thighs.

4. While the lower belly should be firm, it shouldn't
get hard and thick. Try to keep the lower belly
relatively flat. Press the heads of the thigh bones
toward the floor to help anchor the pose and lift
the top sternum. Breathe easily. Tip the chin
slightly toward the sternum so the base of the skull
lifts lightly away from the back of the neck.

5. At first stay in the pose for 10-20 seconds.
Gradually increase the time of your stay to 1
minute. Release the legs with an exhalation and sit
upright on an inhalation.

Half-Moon Pose 23


Half-Moon Pose

1. Perform Utthita Trikonasana to the right side, with
your left hand resting on the left hip. Inhale, bend
your right knee, and slide your left foot about 6 to
12 inches forward along the floor. At the same
time, reach your right hand forward, beyond the
little-toe side of the right foot, at least 12 inches.

2. Exhale, press your right hand and right heel firmly
into the floor, and straighten your right leg,
simultaneously lifting the left leg parallel (or a
little above parallel) to the floor. Extend actively
through the left heel to keep the raised leg strong.
Be careful not to lock (and so hyperextend) the
standing knee: make sure the kneecap is aligned
straight forward and isn't turned inward.

3. Rotate your upper torso to the left, but keep the
left hip moving slightly forward. Most beginners
should keep the left hand on the left hip and the
head in a neutral position, gazing forward.

24 Basic Yoga

4. Bear the body's weight mostly on the standing leg.
Press the lower hand lightly to the floor, using it to
intelligently regulate your balance. Lift the inner
ankle of the standing foot strongly upward, as if
drawing energy from the floor into the standing
groin. Press the sacrum and scapulas firmly
against the back torso, and lengthen the coccyx
toward the raised heel.

5. Stay in this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Then lower the raised leg to the floor with an
exhalation, and return to Trikonasana. Then
perform the pose to the left for the same length of
time.


Pose Trouble 25


Pose Trouble
Everyones body will respond different to yoga.
Some people have flexibility on their side while
others may have incredible balance. No matter what
the case is, many things can affect your ability to
hold poses, including:
Your mental state;
Your goals, if any;
Your physical condition;
Which posture you are doing;
Your Mental State
Practicing Yoga has an impact on your emotions. It
makes total sense to choose a sequence of asanas that
will suit you at each time of practice, along with the
most beneficial durations.
For example, if you feel stressed, choosing calming
postures such as forward bends will help you feel
better. Hold the forward bend for at least 5 slow and
long breaths. If you can comfortably hold the posture
longer, you can keep going. To calm your mind, take
26 Basic Yoga

enough time to feel your body and your breath, as
you deepen the stretch gently.
On the other hand, a faster pace will be more
invigorating and more refreshing for your mind. If
you feel that you need to wake-up, try holding the
posture for 1 breath, then flow to another posture.
You could choose Sun Salutations, where the
postures are generally held for 1 inhale or 1 exhale.
But in general, holding a posture for 5 breaths is a
great duration. This is especially common for
standing postures. 5 long slow breaths allow enough
time to feel and experience the posture. But feel free
to continue up to 10 breaths or even more, as long as
it feels right for your body.

Your Goals
If you were training at the gym, it is likely that you
would have some goals. In yoga, you can work
toward physical goals too. Even though yoga is a lot
more than a body exercise, all the physical benefits
that come with yoga practice are there for you to
appreciate.
Pose Trouble 27


Longer posture durations are suitable to improve
flexibility. Muscles take a long time to lengthen.
Choose asanas that target the areas that you would
like to work on. Start at 5 breaths and increase as you
progress. A posture can be held for several minutes.
Just make sure to listen to your body. Feel a nice
stretch, not pain.
Similarly, to gain strength, increase the duration of
the postures requiring greater muscle effort to longer
than 5 long slow breaths. You can also hold the asana
for a shorter time, such as 1 or 2 breaths, and come
back to it repetitively.
If you are trying to lose weight, flowing between
poses with each breath is a great option. Work to
increase the speed of your heart beat.

Your Physical Condition
How long you hold a yoga pose will be affected by
your level of fitness. If you would like to hold a
posture for a longer duration, but 1, 2 or 3 breaths is
what your body can handle at this point, it's ok.
Listen to your body. Each time you practice yoga, try
28 Basic Yoga

to slightly increase the duration and get used to a
good breathing technique. With a consistent practice,
you will feel your strength build up pretty quickly.

Which Posture You Are Doing
Not all asanas are generally held for the same
duration. A very challenging posture is obviously
more difficult to hold for a long time than a gentle
and easy one. So it is normal that not all poses last
equally.
Index 29


Index
asana, 22
breath, 21, 22
Exhale, 17, 19
Stand, 11, 13
Stretch, 11, 13, 17
yoga, v, 21, 22