Hi, I’m Dina Prioste and welcome to “Get Exercised.” I get a lot of emails from people telling me that forward bends are very tough for them and they can’t reach their foot and they say it’s because they are not flexible.
Well, I have a secret. I wasn’t that flexible when I first started yoga either. I mean really. Today, we’re going to improve your flexibility just a little bit at a time with Janu Sirsasana head-to-knee pose.
If you know you’ll not reach the foot then have a belt, strap or make duck it handy. You can also sit on the edge of some pillows or folded up blankets to help you come forward, but the right leg straight out unleash all the foot against the thigh. First we want to face the legs so as you inhale just like then open bring your left ribs more towards that right leg and exhales, start to pull forward keeping that right foot flex.
When you feel that hinging forward stops, stop, that’s your stretch. If you don’t reach the foot like I said, you can take your strap around the foot to bring the foot up to you. But really reaching the toes is not a big deal. I’ve got the foot, I’ve got it.
What makes seated forward bends challenge enough for it is not just the tightness in the hamstrings but it’s really the tightness in the back. I actually take it seated for bends. It’s more about the tightness in the back.
To work on that I recommend inhale come up really focus on opening and bringing space into your back breathing into the ribs, open the chest as you exhale, relax into the stretch, so keep practicing that way and letting that be your focus as you come to stretch and not worry about where you’re reaching. Essentially feels really good if you hold it for a while.
Repeating on the other side, deep inhale and turn your right ribs to face that left leg and exhale, start to take it forward. This is my tighter side, inhale, find that nice long back, open your heart up exhale then come a little bit forward again. Focus on making space in your back and your ribs.
That’s the big deal about reaching the toes. Can you do anything special with it? Either a price you win money. If you win money tell me because I want some of that. Okay, maybe there are some advantages to reaching the foot but that’s kind of weird and gross.
Keep practicing the Janu Sirsasana to stretch out your hamstrings and your back. Next week, we’ve got a demo on basic hip hop in here which is a prep for some of the arm balances. Thanks for watching. I'm Dina Prioste and you have just been exercised.
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