September Yoga Challenge

Hi friends!

The first day of fall is on Wednesday September 23rd this year and I had this idea to challenge myself and you guys to a 30 day yoga challenge to kick off the fall season!  During this challenge, I will be posting both here and on my instagram page

Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Twitter with #SummerYoga

Here is a list of the first 5 postures we will be practicing, but make sure to warm up before attempting.  As always, be mindful of how you feel, each posture should feel good so if there is any pain either back out or skip that asana:

September 1st: Chair pose (Utkatasana)

     Start in a tall standing posture, arms resting at your sides.  On an inhale, slowly reach your arms up to the sky while keeping your shoulders drawing down and away from your ears.  Inhale, grow tall through your spine.  As you exhale, bend your knees, dropping your hips, and keep the belly pulled in strong.  Take 5-10 breaths.

September 2nd: Revolved chair pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana)

     From Utkatasana (chair), inhale as you lift your chest and twist to the right.  Bring your left elbow towards your right knee.  Gaze at your knees to make sure they are in alignment.  As you take your next exhale, press the elbow into the knee and gently deepen your twist.  Take 5 to 10 breaths and repeat on the other side.

September 3rd: Star pose (Trikonasana)

     From a standing position, widen your stance past hip distance apart.  On an inhale reach the arms out and up towards the sky.  Draw the belly in and move your gaze up.  Take 5-10 deep breaths.

September 4th: Bow pose (Dhanurasana)

     Lie down on your belly (if you are pregnant, skip this posture as it is not safe for the little one).  Reach your arms forward.  On an inhale, bend your knees and reach behind you to find your toes.  If you can not reach your toes, use a strap or towel to hook around your feet for some extra length.  Exhale here. On your next inhale, press your feet up to the sky, roll your shoulders back and away from your ears, opening your chest.  Take 5-10 breaths here.

September 5th: Camel pose (Ustrasana)

    From a kneeling position, knees hip distance apart, inhale and reach your arms up to the sky.  Exhale and place your palms on your lower back with your fingers pointing down to the earth. In hale and squeeze your shoulder blades together and open your chest.  As you exhale, slowly lean back, pressing your hips forward.  Take any variation you'd like as long as it feels good.  Stay here for 5-10 breaths, then tuck your chin to your chest and slowly return to kneeling.

Now,gently lower yourself to child's pose and rest for a few minutes.

Make sure to comment on your favorite asana so far and tag me on Instagram with your daily postures!!

I will be posting weekly pictures with the sanskrit and english names along with guidelines of getting into and out of the postures.

Again, I can not stress enough to be patient with yourself even if you are a seasoned yogi.  Sometimes asanas are easy and sometimes they are not.  The most important part of the posture is a comfortable breath.  Be sure to take slow, deep breaths and there should be no pain.

Follow me on Instagram for daily picture uploads!