1. Standing Deep Breathing
Pranayama Series
Benefits: Good for mental relaxation , sleep disorders, and anxiety/irritability. Brings fresh oxygenated blood to every cell of the body. Breathing is one of the most important aspects of yoga.
2. Half Moon Pose With Hands To Feet Pose
Ardha Chandrasana with Pada-Hastasana
Benefits: Helps to improve strength in the abdominal muscles and improves flexibility in the spine. Releases frozen shoulders and helps firm and trim the stomach and waist line. Aids in the release of the spine and aids in recovery of slipped or ruptured disc. *The spine is capable of backward bending as much as forward bending. Improves circulation to the legs and brain. Increases flexibility in the spine and sciatic nerves and strengthens the biceps of the thighs and calves. Stretches the hamstrings and invigorates the entire nervous system.
Utkatasana
Benefits: A strength posture that strengthens and firms all muscles of the thighs, calves, and hip and improves hip flexibility. Firms the upper arms. Increases blood circulation in the knees and ankle joints and relieves rheumatism, arthritis, gout in the legs, and helps to cure slipped disc and lumbago in the spine.
Garurasana
Benefits: Working all 12 major joints in the body by creating pressure in the joints then releasing, allowing fresh blood supply to flow. Facilitating in body alignment. Known as the ‘fertility’ posture, massages the reproductive organs.
5. Standing Head to Knee Pose
Dandayamana – JanuShirasana
Benefits: Develops concentration, patience, and determination. Strengthens abdominal and thigh muscles, improves flexibility of sciatic nerves, and strengthens the tendons, biceps of the thigh muscles, and hamstrings in the legs.
6. Standing Bow Pulling Pose
Dandayamana Dhanurasana
Benefits: Increases concentration, determination and patience. Increases circulation to the heart and lungs. Improves elasticity of the spine and helps to balance out body energies. Regulates menstrual cycle. Helps with lower back pain.
Tuladandasana
Benefits: Firms hips, buttocks, and upper thighs. Improves the flexibility, strength and muscle tone of shoulders, upper arms, spine and hip joints. Improves circulation, strengthens the heart muscle, and stretches the capacity of the lungs. Clears blockage of the arteries for prevention of cardiac problems.
8. Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose
Dandayamana – Bibhaktapada – Paschimottanasana
Benefits: Helps relieve depression and loss of memory. Increases circulation to the brain and adrenal glands. Opens the hamstrings and lengthens the spine. Relieves constipation.
Trikanasana
Benefits: Works 100% of the body; muscles, joints, nerves & tissues. Strengthens quads, calves and hamstrings. Good for hip and back pain. This posture is a marriage between the hear and the lungs which changes chemical imbalances in the system. Helpful with menstrual irregularities.
10. Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee Pose
Dandayamana – Bibhaktapada – Janushirasana
Benefits: Helps maintain blood sugar levels. Causes compression of the pancreas and kidney which acts as a cleanse. Marriage between pineal and thyroid glands. Muscular, skeletal, endocrine, digestive and reproductive systems all benefit. This posture is helpful with depression and anxiety. Also beneficial for colds, sinus problems, and migraines.
11. Tree Pose
Tadasana
Benefits: Facilitates hip and knee mobility. Excellent for posture and balance. Aids in rheumatism and circulatory disorders.
Padangustasana
Benefits: Challenges your mental concentration and helps to create balance within body and mind. Strengthens stomach muscles and helps to avoid gout, arthritis of the knee and legs. Strengthens weak joints.
Savasana
Benefits: Returns cardiovascular circulation to normal. Slows heart rate, reduces blood pressure – teaches complete relaxation and stillness.