Guided Yoga w/Music| 10 Poses for Beginner Level Practice- Session One (Patreon)

Happy Sunday, Patrons!

This is the 1st video of a 3-video series. Each video will progress through 10 beginner level yoga poses. You will be able to follow along and learn the actions of each position + understand the health benefits. You can also "mix-and-match" the positions to customize your practice to include your favorites.

Session Two will have 10 different yoga poses, and should be ready for you on Wednesday, Nov 18th!

If you missed my first OFFICIAL VLOG, here is a direct link the blog/vlog where you can see it:

https://www.yogacurrent.com/2020/11/blog-and-vlog-sea-turtles-surfing-and-social-media-makeover/

This 20min video includes an intro, so the session begins at 2:15 :)

You will feel the effects of this practice throughout your entire body, but we are specifically strengthening and extending the thoracic spine-- your upper back-- and psoas muscle-- your hip flexor. Benefits include Improved Posture, Improved Digestion, Relief from Cramps/Bloating, Elevated Mood, and Back Pain Relief.

10 Poses for Beginner Level Practice - Video One:

• Child's Pose

Lengthen your spine as your shoulders sink into the weight of your body. Feeling the stretch through your ankles and hips, breathe a sigh of relief to ease excess stress in your upper back and shoulders. Feel the calm power of your mind becoming clearer as you breathe 3 consecutive breaths.

• Half Plank

Strengthen your core connection by keeping your knees to the ground. With your tailbone tucked and navel gathering towards your spine, dial the insides of your elbows/ "eyes of your elbows" to face each other, rather than shining forward. This stabilizes your arms and shoulders, providing a strong foundation for your upper back and neck.

• Cobra

Lowering your hips and navel to the ground, thread your chest forward as you roll your shoulders back. Gaze forward in this beginner level cobra and focus the actions of your shoulder-blades and elbows towards your spinal center. Cobra strengthens your back while toning and detoxing your kidneys. Your pointed toes and stretched ankles provide an anchor for Cobra to extend upwards through your chest.

• Thread the Needle

Begin on hands and knees and thread your arm under the opposite side of your body. Resting on your outer arm, you stretch your upper traps and levator scapula-- shoulders and neck, and your mid traps and rhomboids-- shoulders and thoracic spine.

• Cat's Breath

On all fours, press through your hands, knees, and feet as you exhale and flex your spine. Then extend your spine as you inhale. Cat's Breath creates a rhythm with your body, mind, and breath and provides an overall energetic quality.

• Vajrasana (Diamond seat)

Directing your knees together in this posture will strengthen your legs and thighs. This can relieve knee pain as well as lower back pain, and provides a strong foundation for posture. If you can maintain the actions of this posture while completing exhales-- feeling the vacuum effect of your navel to your spine-- then inhaling into the base of your lungs, you can raise your arms alongside your ears and interlock your fingers. Try to maintain an equal ration of inhale:exhale.

• Ustrasana (Camel) ***PEAK POSE

Tuck your toes to gather more core stability and enter Camel 3x's, inhaling to extend your chest and exhaling to return upright. Rest before entering Camel again, and maintain the actions for 3 consecutive breaths. Reach your hands from your hips to your heels, and extend your body by lifting through the extension of your chest and anchoring forward through the foundation of your hips.

Benefits of ustrasana include toning your legs, thighs, and hips; improving digestion; strengthening your back; elevating mood; improving posture. In camel, you will be targeting your hip flexors, specifically the psoas muscle.

• Malasana (Squat)

Malasana, especially with half-bind shown in this video, relieves pressure and pain from abdomen. It is beneficial to relieve cramps and bloating, and improve digestion and lower back strength. Complete cycles of slow, steady breath provide a nice  massage for the inner body.

• Half Bow

Stand on one hand as you reach back to clasp your foot in this beginner backbend. Develop balance and coordination in your upper back, shoulders and chest as well as in your hip flexors/ psoas muscles. This will prepare your body for downward dog.

• Walk the Dog

Press through one foot, stretching your hip as you tilt weight into opposite hand. This stretches the "fabric" or fascia of your entire back body. This will help to relax your mind, release stagnation in your digestive system, help to improve circulation through your entire body, and strengthen your postural muscles along spinal column. Once you can "Walk the Dog" for a minute, you will be able to maintain Downward Dog with more ease and focus in your actions.