YOGA FOR SUCCESS

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YOGA FOR SUCCESS

A financial expert downward dogged his way
up the career ladder‚ and so can you
by: Amanda Junker

Warm Up: 5-10 rounds Sun Salutations

Hold each pose for 5-10 breaths unless directed otherwise. Work toward
repeating the sequence 3-5 times.

1. Mountain Pose with Core Strength Circles

HOW TO:
Stand tall, big toes together. Root into both feet equally.

Breathe slowly [3-5 seconds on both the inhales and exhales] through your
nose, because it makes you focus better and ups your endurance for every
pose. Keep the breath going for the whole practice.

Ground down through your feet as you lift through your head for a longer spine.
Drawing your navel toward the spine slightly helps release stress from your
lower back.

Inhale, circle your arms out and up. Exhale, press your palms together overhead
and draw them down past your heart, finishing with fists at the low belly. Repeat
three times.

Press your hands together and focus on the physical sensation of the palms
pressing firmly together.

2. Lunge with Fists of Fire

HOW TO:
From Mountain Pose, Step one leg back until your front bent knee is over your
heel. The back heel is lifted. Power up that back leg.

Hug your feet towards one another for stability, and draw in your abs.

On the inhales, reach your arms overhead and lift your chest. On the exhales,
make fists and bring them into the side waist strongly.

Do this pose at least three times on each side.

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3. Standing Forward Fold

HOW TO:
Step forward to the front of your mat, feet together.

Bend your knees and press fists into opposite elbows. This helps your low back
relax as you fold forward.

After a few breaths here, press your hands into your calves and aim for
straighter legs. Keep your back rod-straight, reaching chest toward toes. If you
start rounding your low back or chest too much, back off, bend the knees and
maintain the integrity of your spinal alignment by keeping your back, sides and
front torso equally long.

4. Plank Pose Pushups

HOW TO:
Plant your palms at the front of your mat, shoulder-distance. Your middle fingers
are pointing forward, appropriate for your obstacle-obliterating attitude. Press
your fingers into the floor like you’re grabbing a steering wheel.

Step back until your body and legs are straight, heels over the balls of your feet.
You should lift your navel and lengthen your hips towards your heels to avoid
stressing your low back.

Float your heels and chest forward, as you bend your elbows and lower halfway
down. Think right angles here: your forearms are perpendicular to the floor, and
your shoulders never go lower than your elbows. Don’t move your elbows open,
keep them directly over your wrists.

*If it’s too much at first, put your knees down and don’t lower as much. Keep
your navel lifting into your spine. Just don’t go lower than your elbows, or you’ll
strain and lose power. As in your quest for success: collapse is not a preferred
course of action.

Repeat 3-5 times.

5.Down Dog

HOW TO:
Plant your palms at the front of your mat, shoulder-width apart, fingers wide
and evenly grounded.

Tuck your toes under and, lift your hips into the air. You should be in a triangle
shape, stepped far enough back so your heels are slightly off the floor and
you’re getting a stretch through the back of your legs.

Lift your navel towards your spine, and hug your leg bones gently up into your
hips. Relax your shoulders away from your ears to integrate your arm bones
into your body. Think of a magnet in your belly drawing everything closer to
it. Simultaneously stretch back out from center through your hands, feet and
crown, without letting your extremities dis-integrate from their natural placement.
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6. Core Plank Pose

HOW TO:
From Down Dog, any time you step forward into a standing pose, you can use
Core Plank. Inhale, right leg lifts high, hips stay squared. Exhale, round your
back, bring your knee to chest. Shoulders are over wrists now in Plank Pose
arms, but your back and hips are lifting as high as possible.

Hold here for 1-5 breaths, then on an exhale, step your right foot lightly forward
to your right thumb.

Repeat on the left side, taking the next pose, Fan, from Core Plank on both sides.

7. Fan Pose

HOW TO:
From your Down Dog, using the Core Plank transition, step your right foot
forward inside your right hand. Turn both feet to face the left long side of your
mat, and make them parallel. Walk your fingertips like tree frog hands to the
center of your stance. Bend your knees if needed to keep your back straight.

Come halfway up with a flat back and, using the navel lifting for support,
interlace your fingers behind your back. Exhale, fold at the hip creases, going
for a long side waist, open chest and straighter legs over time. Stretch your
arms away from the back, elbows slightly bent to avoid joint pressure. Roll your
shoulders back and drop them away from the ears. This shouldn’t be noose-
asana.

After a few breaths here, release your hands, turn your front toes forward again,
and lift your back heel.

Take 5 breaths or more on each side.

Return to Down Dog and do Fan Pose again, stepping your left foot forward and
turning both feet to the right. Come into Down Dog for a few breaths when you
finish both sides.

8. Child’s Pose

HOW TO:
From your Dog Pose, bring your knees to the floor, turn the tops of your feet
into the mat and take the hips onto your heels. Bow your head to the floor, a
block or a double fist if you’re not getting that low. Press your forehead gently
into something here will ease your worried mind and allow you to focus on what
really matters: making space between your actions so you can more clearly see
which one to choose next and have the energy to tackle it with ease.

Remain in the pose for at least one minute.

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9. Bow Pose

HOW TO:
From Child’s pose, reach forward and snake onto your belly. Bend your knees
behind you, keeping your legs a few inches apart. Maintain your shins and feet
over your knees, reach back there and grab a hold of your outer ankles. If this
isn’t happening right now, then just reach toward your feet, or for more stretch,
get a soft belt, tie, or yoga strap to loop around the front of your ankles and hold onto.

On the inhale, press your feet back and up, opening your chest, shoulders and
reclaiming your lower back curve from all those long hours at the office. Bend
the elbows slightly and lift your toes higher for an even greater stretch.

10. Pigeon Pose

HOW TO:
Move back into Down Dog, through Core Plank, hovering the right knee on your
upper right arm for an extra credit core strength boost. Slide the knee down
behind your right wrist, and scoot your foot forward so you’re not sitting on it.

Stretch your left leg straight out behind you and level your hips so you aren’t
tipped to one side. If you don’t feel a stretch here, widen your front knee and
move your left leg back more.

Walk back and open your heart into one last backbend. Then fold forward on
your palms, forearms or a block to intensify the stretch.

Stay here for one minute then return to Down Dog and switch sides.

11. Final Resting Pose

HOW TO:
Stay in Final Rest for 2 minutes if you’re continuing with the sequence, or 5
minutes if it’s your last time through.

When you’re finished with Final Rest, move slowly onto your right side and come
to sit. Inhale, circle your arms up, down through your chest taking one last Core
Strength Circle until fists are at the navel. Inhale, expand the chest, and exhale,
bowing over your fists, sealing this Success Cycle deeply into your body, mind
and intentions.Pull your chin over the bar and then lower your body back down.