Here we introduce six classic yoga poses. Practicing them on your floor at home can help relieve stress, maintain a calm mind, make you more flexible and balanced, and are a secret weapon for staying healthy.
1. Tree Pose: Begin in Mountain Pose with your feet together, toes fully spread and extended. Use the muscles in your front thighs to engage the muscles around your knees. Straighten your spine, lift your chest and shoulders. Bring your hands together in a prayer position, thumbs close to your chest, elbows bent close to your body. Then lift your left leg and place it firmly against the inside of your right thigh (use your hands for assistance if necessary). Maintain balance, keeping your right leg straight. Hold for 5 breaths. If you have less flexibility, you can place your left foot on your calf or ankle. Imagine yourself as a tree, rooted to the earth, breathing deeply.
2. Crescent Pose: Begin in tree pose, take a big step back with your left foot, lift your heel, straighten your leg, bend your right knee to form a straight line, raise your arms upward, bring your hands together, press down on your shoulders and back, and hold for 5 breaths.
3. Samurai Pose: Begin in a crescent position. Place your left foot flat on the ground, toes turned 30 degrees, leg still straight, hips turned 90 degrees. Keep your right heel in line with the instep of your left foot, knee at 90 degrees. Relax your hips, body, and shoulders, centering them. Extend both arms horizontally at shoulder height, palms down. Stretch your fingertips as if trying to touch a wall. Focus your eyes on your right middle finger and hold for 5 breaths.
4. T-shape: Begin in a samurai pose, placing your hands on your hips. Lean forward, keeping your upper body straight, and lift your left leg to find your balance. Then, lean your upper body fully forward, lifting your left leg until your body and left leg are parallel. Fully extend your left leg from your hip to your toes. Keep your hips straight and your face towards the floor. Extend your arms straight out to your sides, palms facing inward, and hold for 5 breaths. If this pose is too difficult for you, you can initially prop your legs up on a chair.
5. Half Moon Pose: Begin in a T-shape, with your right fingertips touching the floor (if you can't reach the floor, you can use something like a book as a cushion). Shift your weight to your right hand and right leg. Lift your left foot off the floor, rotate your left shoulder, and keep your hips and left leg parallel to the ground. To better maintain balance, look up. Hold for 5 breaths. To finish, rotate your torso and hips forward to return to Mountain Pose.
6. Triangle Pose: Begin in Mountain Pose. Step your right foot back two feet, turning your foot and the outside of your leg to the right at a 90-degree angle. Step your left foot forward, rotating your hips forward around your leg, aligning your right heel with the instep of your left foot. Raise your arms, palms down. Straighten your legs (if you can't, bend your knees to 90 degrees), lengthening your torso and arms, and inhale. Place your other hand on your shin, ankle, or the floor, keeping your left and right arms in a straight line. Look up and hold for five breaths. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
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