Healthy movement in your tailbone may influence your whole spine. You've probably heard many a teacher say, “Tuck your tail, ” in asana class, making it seem like a widely understood and accepted cue. But the phrase can be interpreted many different ways, often resulting in a chain reaction of unintended movement. We can tuck in a way that is efficient and effective, or in a way that leads to overwork and injury. In fact, what seems to be a single movement (tail tucking) can be three different anatomical actions, acting independently or in combination, each with its own sensations. Learning to feel these subtle differences in your body will help you find a place for your tail that feels right, whether you are standing in Tadasana or seated at your desk. See also Too Much Desk Time? Here’s How Yoga Helps Muscular Imbalances Tailbone Anatomy Before we get into tucking the tail, it’s important to know what the tail is. The anatomical name for the tail is coccyx, from the Greek word for a cuckoo’s beak. It is the “caudal, ” meaning tail, section of the spine, below the triangular-shaped sacrum bone that lies between the two iliac hipbones of the pelvis at the sacroiliac joints. The number and mobility of vertebrae in the coccyx vary widely from person to person: you can have three, four, or even five vertebrae, and some may be naturally fused together while others are not. Although small, the coccyx is a site for muscle, ligament, and tendon attachments, and functions together with the two sitting bones as a tripod of bony landmarks at the base of the pelvis. Every coccyx has a moveable joint at the bottom of the sacrum, appropriately named the sacrococcygeal joint. Its main movements are flexion and extension, with a little bit of side-bending and rotation possible as well. These movements are not very large, but the muscular actions that create them can have a significant effect on your pelvic floor. Chronic tension in the pelvic floor can affect the range of motion available in the hip joints, the healthy functioning of the rectum, anus, and bladder, and can lead to pain and overwork in the lower back (lumbar spine and sacroiliac joints). Finding your healthiest and most functional movement in the tail can influence pain patterns throughout the spine, from the sacrum to the head. See also Learn How to Protect Your Wrists in Your Practice 3 Unique Tailbone Actions There are three distinct actions that result in tucking the tail: sacrococcygeal flexion; counter-nutation (nutate means “to nod”), which is when the top of your sacrum tilts backward and the bottom of the sacrum and tailbone move forward at the sacroiliac joints; and posterior or backward tilting of the entire pelvis including the sacrum and tailbone. You can explore each of these movements separately, sequentially, or simultaneously using the exercises outlined below. Each will move the tail forward, but only sacrococcygeal flexion involves the independent movement of the coccyx. Counter-nutation and posterior tilting might carry the tail forward in space, but only as a consequence of moving the sacrum or pelvis. There are certainly times on the mat when it’s useful to play with the interrelatedness of these three actions. In Child’s Pose, for example, you may find a deepening of the flexion of your spine and hip joints when you also tuck your tail. On the other hand, because the muscles that flex your coccyx are distinct from the muscles you use to counter-nutate the sacrum and posteriorly tilt your pelvis, a teacher’s “Tuck your tail” cue meant to change your pelvic position may excessively engage your pelvic-floor muscles (which flex the coccyx but don’t tilt the pelvis posteriorly). Surplus effort can radiate into the muscles of your hips, pelvis, and spine and get in the way of finding your ideal combination of stability and ease in the posture. With so much room for interpretation-—and no single cue that will definitively work for everyone, every time—yoga students need their teachers to create the space that allows them to find their way into their own experience of asana. The challenge for students is to notice the subtle shifts in breath and alignment that can, over time, expand their practice.

Roughly 80% of adults experience low back pain As many as 8% will experience chronic symptoms A new study found that yoga was slightly better for back pain People who suffer from chronic back pain may find some relief in yoga or intensive stretching, but neither form of exercise appears to be more effective than the other, a new study suggests. Roughly 80% of adults experience low back pain at some point in their lives, and as many as 8% will experience chronic symptoms that last three months or longer. Primary care physicians regularly prescribe painkillers and muscle relaxants to these patients with varying degrees of success, or refer patients to physical therapists, chiropractors, or other specialists. Many doctors also recommend exercise and stretching, but few studies have explored whether certain physical activities are especially effective for back-pain patients. The new study, which appears this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, is a follow-up to a small 2005 trial that found that yoga was slightly better for back pain than a comprehensive exercise program that included strength training, aerobics, and stretching. The researchers suspected this might have been due to the meditation-like "mental component" of yoga, and they expected to get a similar result this time around. The study included 228 mentally healthy adults with moderate chronic back pain, most of whom were fairly active in spite of their pain. The researchers randomly assigned them to one of three groups: One group took weekly 75-minute yoga classes, another took weekly stretching and strength classes, and a control group received a book on coping with back pain. The yoga and stretching groups also received instructional videos and were encouraged to practice at home for 20 minutes a day between classes. Three months later, the stretching and yoga participants were far more likely than the people in the control group to report improvement in their back pain. Twice as many participants in these two groups (about 40%, versus 20% in the control group) said they'd decreased their medication use, a trend that persisted three months after the yoga and stretching classes ended. Yoga was no more effective than stretching, however. This finding, which surprised the researchers, suggests that the back-pain benefits of yoga are mostly due to its physical (rather than mental or spiritual) aspects, the study notes. And in fact, the stretching class was not unlike a yoga class, says Karen Sherman, Ph.D., the lead author of the study and a senior investigator at the Group Health Research Institute, the research arm of a Seattle-based nonprofit health plan.

When you incorporate core-building exercises into your routine, you're training your body to rely more on the muscles to support your weight and movement, which can take pressure off painful joints. These 7 exercises can help you stretch and strengthen the core muscles of your body. Remember: Muscle soreness is normal, but if you experience any sharp or severe pain, stop whatever exercise or activity you’re doing. Article continues below Floor exercises for your core muscles The following exercises will strengthen your lower back, abdominal, and/or pelvic floor muscles. Targeted exercises are useful for these muscle groups, because they may not get much use during daily activities. 1. Pelvic tilt This exercise involves a very slight internal movement that isolates and strengthens your core and pelvic floor muscles: Lie on the floor with your knees bent, your feet placed on the floor parallel to each other, and your arms at your sides. Tighten your lower abdominal muscles, sinking your abdomen downward toward your spine without using your buttock or leg muscles to help you. Your pelvis will tilt upward slightly during this movement, but it won’t leave the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds, then relax your muscles. Do 5 to 10 repetitions. 2. Lying march Lie on your back on the floor, with knees bent and arms your sides. Tighten your stomach muscles and slowly raise your leg 3 to 4 inches from the floor. Hold it for a few seconds, then slowly lower it to the floor. “March” for 30 seconds by alternating legs for two to three repetitions. 3. Bridge Slowly raise the buttocks from the floor, until your body is straight from your knees to your shoulders. Hold the bridge position for 8 to 10 seconds, then slowly lower to starting position. 4. Planking Start with your hands and knees on the floor and your back straight. Raise one leg off the floor and behind you, with the knee slightly bent and no arch in the back or neck. Hold for 4 to 6 seconds, then slowly lower to starting position. For a slightly more advanced exercise, raise one leg and the opposite arm at the same time. Hold for 4 to 6 seconds, then slowly lower to starting position. Using an exercise ball to strengthen your core The following 3 core exercises involve an exercise ball. You can find exercise balls at your gym or for sale in any store that sells sporting goods. Beginners may find it easier to use a slightly deflated ball. 5. Marching on the ball Sit on the exercise ball with your feet in front of you shoulder-width apart and flat on the ground Lift one heel while keeping your toes on the ground. (For a greater challenge, lift your whole foot off the ground.) Hold that position for a few seconds and then put that foot back on the ground and switch to the other side. Repeat for 10 to 15 minutes. 6. Half crunch on the ball Sit on the exercise ball with your feet flat on the floor and your arms crossed over your chest or on your hips. Lean back at a 45-degree angle, bending at your hips and raising up on your toes without moving your feet. Use your abdominal muscles to pull yourself back up into a sitting position without lifting your feet, rocking forward into a flat-footed position. Repeat 5 times. 7. Oblique crunch on the ball Sit on the exercise ball with your feet flat on the floor and your arms raised straight overhead. Hold this position and lower one arm at a time slowly toward your opposite knee. Repeat 10 times on each side, alternating arms. Print this out or email it to yourself so you can use these exercises as a reference when you're working out at home or in the gym.

You Might Like {{displayTitle}} READ In today’s nonstop world, we're all guilty of putting too much pressure on our bodies. Whether you're knocking out AMRAPs at the gym or simply sitting at a desk all day long, your body has a certain way of telling you're overdoing it—and it isn't pretty. Millions of Americans deal with chronic pain in the lower back, and if you're one of them, you know how frustrating it can be. Enter this mind-blowingly simple (and totally free) fix: a 15-minute sequence from yoga instructor Brett Larkin. "The lower back isn’t an area you can quickly stretch or strengthen like your triceps. Instead, it needs patience, time, and traction in order to gently unwind, " says Larkin, who suffers from low back pain herself (yep, even yoga teachers deal with it!). In this beginner-friendly sequence, you won't do any bendy vinyasa poses. Instead, you will go through gentle forward folds and easy twists that focus on lengthening and releasing your lower back. A form of self-myofascial release (SMR), these moves will leave your back feeling much more relaxed and less tense by the end of the sequence. The best part: All you need is a mat—and some patience. It takes time to truly heal low back tension, so put on some mellow music (Enya will do just fine!) to help the time pass by. To give yourself a truly restorative experience, you can also dim the lights, grab a blanket, light a candle, and prepare to say buh-bye to back pain for good. Brett Larkin teaches vinyasa flow yoga at top San Francisco studios and on her YouTube channel, where thousands of students have studied with her for more than 5 million minutes. Find free yoga playlists, yoga teacher training tips, and free dance, yoga, and meditation classes at BrettLarkin.com. READ THIS NEXT:

Yoga is a mind-body and exercise practice that combines breath control, meditation, and movements to stretch and strengthen muscles. What sets yoga apart from most other exercise programs is that it places as great an emphasis on mental fitness as on physical fitness. People have been doing yoga for thousands of years. Given its history, several types of yoga have developed The most popular form practiced in the United States is hatha yoga — of which there are numerous variations. Yoga helps relieve chronic pain Yoga can help people with arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraine, low back pain, and many other types of chronic pain conditions...

Many people suffer from neck pain on a regular basis. Stress, poor posture, accidents, and long-stored physiological tension can contribute to a mild stiff neck or even a full-blown muscle spasm of the neck, shoulders, and upper back. When confronted with neck pain, we tend turn to medication or a heating pad for relief. However, there are several yoga poses that have therapeutic effects on the neck as well. The next time you have a twinge of pain, turn to one—or all—of these six yoga poses for relief from neck pain and tension. Bitilasana (Cow Pose) and Marjariasana (Cat Pose) Cow-Cat pose is a gentle up-and-down flowing posture that brings flexibility to the entire spine. It stretches and lengthens the back torso and neck. It’s a wonderful and easy movement to open and create space through the entire neck. To begin with cow pose, kneel on your hands and knees in a neutral, tabletop position. Be sure to align the hands below the shoulders and knees directly beneath the hips. Looking straight ahead, inhale, and slowly extend through your spine as you look up and forward, softly arching through the back and neck. Take care to expand through your chest and lower your shoulders down and back. Move into cat pose by reversing the movement as you exhale and bring your chin towards your chest while gently hunching and rounding your back. Repeat this sequence for 7 to 10 cycles, softly flowing with your breath. Balasana (Child’s Pose) Child’s pose is a deeply restorative pose that can be very relaxing for the neck and back. It can also help to reduce stress, anxiety, and mental tension. To perform child’s pose, start in an all-fours position as described in the cow-cat sequence above. Exhaling, sink your hips back toward your heels and reach your arms out along the floor in front of you. Lower your hips only as far as your body will comfortably allow. Reach through your arms, and extend into your shoulders as you bring your forehead to the floor between your hands. As an alternative position, you may choose to stack your hands or make soft fists to rest your head upon. Relax completely and allow any tightness in your neck to release. Child’s pose is an inversion that places the head below the heart; avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure or eye problems. Remain in child’s pose, breathing easily for anywhere between 30 seconds to several minutes. Ardha Matsyendrasana (Seated Twist Pose) The seated twist is a wonderful pose to bring flexibility to the entire spinal column. It provides an inner massage to the abdominal organs and encourages side-to-side flexibility of the neck. Begin seated on the floor with both legs extended in front of you and hands at your sides. Bend the right knee and draw the right foot to the outside of the outstretched left leg. Sit up tall, inhale, and extend your left arm out to your left. As you exhale, draw your left arm across your body so the elbow joint gently wraps around your right knee. Take your right hand and place it palm down on the floor near your tailbone, fingers pointing away from you. Draw your chin toward your right shoulder, making sure to keep your spine tall, and the crown of your head reaching toward the sky. Bend the right elbow slightly to allow the right shoulder to sink down. Breathe deeply in this pose for 5 to 7 breaths, making sure to twist (not crank) your spine comfortably. Repeat on the left side to maintain the balance in your body and spinal column. Ear to Shoulder Pose This is an easy pose that can be done just about anywhere. The pose facilitates the lateral movement of the neck as well as stretches down into the shoulder and trapezius muscles. This pose can be performed standing or sitting, provided the spine is straight. Begin by looking straight ahead with your arms down at your sides. Take a deep breath and as you exhale, bring your right ear down toward your right shoulder. Try to avoid leaning your head forward or back so that your head remains in the same plane as your shoulders. Inhale as you draw your head back to center and exhale as you repeat the movement to the left. To deepen the stretch, place your right hand on the left side of your head as it drops over towards the right shoulder. Don’t pull your head over; just allow the weight of your hand to softly guide it down. Perform this cycle 7 to 10 times per side before returning to center. Viparita Karani (Legs Against the Wall Pose) This relaxing pose gives the body a much-needed rest, can be calming for the nervous system, aids in circulation, calms the mind, and takes pressure off the spine and neck as the body sinks into the floor. For this pose, you may wish to use a folded blanket or towel to place beneath your hips for comfort and support. Begin by positioning your body with knees close to your chest next to a wall that’s free from any potential obstacles such as paintings or shelves. Exhale, and in one smooth movement, roll onto your back as you swing your legs up against the wall. Your distance from the wall will depend on your height and what feels comfortable for you. Experiment with finding the ideal distance for your body. Keep your legs straight and relatively firm as you sink your shoulders and back into the floor. Draw your head and neck away from your shoulders. Extend your arms out to the sides, palms facing up. Remain in the pose anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, breathing in a gentle and relaxed manner. When coming out of the pose, bend your knees as you easily roll to your side and off your support. Savasana (Corpse Pose) Corpse pose, or relaxation pose, is arguably the most restorative yoga pose in existence and is typically practiced at the end of a yoga class. This pose is powerfully beneficial for stress and anxiety relief, and helps you experience deep peace as your mind and body adjusts to subtle physiological changes brought about by poses you’ve completed during a yoga session. To get into corpse pose, comfortably make your way to the floor and into a flat position on your back. Extend your legs straight along the floor. If your back is uncomfortable with your legs straight, draw your knees up, and place the soles of your feet on the floor with your knees softly touching. Extend your arms down at your sides, palms facing up. Make any adjustments you need to feel comfortable—wiggle your hips, roll your head from side to side, or position your shoulder blades slightly closer to each other. Close your eyes and breathe naturally and effortlessly. Relax your face and jaw and let go of any remaining tension in your neck or spine. Drift into the stillness of corpse pose for 5 to 15 minutes. Daily Prevention Tips In addition to these six poses, try to be more mindful and aware of your daily posture. A good friend of mine who is a massage therapist coined the term “Blogger’s Pose” for the rounded shoulder, slumped spine, and over extended neck posture many of us desk jockeys find ourselves in every day. This position eats away at healthy posture, leading to a host of musculoskeletal and energetic issues in the long term. Along with what might be called “Texting Pose” we are regularly putting our bodies in less than ideal alignment that can augment chronic neck, back, and shoulder issues. Take the time to sit, stand, and walk, with intentionally correct posture and your body will thank you.

1. Standing poses are a good preparation for forward bends and also for back bends. 2. Adho Mukha Svanasana is a good preparation for all poses and also a good warm down after both forward bends and back bends. There is almost never a bad time to do Adho Mukha Svanasana. &nbsp If you are doing Adho Mukha Svanasana near the beginning of a session, it is an active time, a time when you are moving into a working mode, so don't lower yourself into Adho Mukha Virasana (Child's Pose); rather step up into Uttanasana to maintain the energy of the session. &nbsp Conversely, if you are doing the pose as a warm down, it can be relaxing to rest in Child's Pose afterward. 3. Don't alternate back and forth between forward bends and back bends. It is true that one good way to wind down from a session of back bends is to use a few gentle forward bends to recover and refresh the spine. &nbsp However, one way that yoga was taught in the West, especially in the early days of yoga in the West, was that you should alternate "pose and counter-pose, " moving back and forth between a forward bend and a back bend to move the spine in both directions. &nbsp Generally this is not a good practice. &nbsp Generally, we devote entire sessions to a particular theme - standing poses, forward bends, or back bends, for instance. &nbsp Even if the theme of the session includes poses from multiple classes of asanas, a strict arrangement of "pose and counter-pose" is not a skilful way of sequencing. &nbsp Generally one pose should lead you into the next pose by means of its similarity with the next pose, not by means of opposition. 4. It is not good to sequence active or heating poses after cooling poses. Once you have warmed-up and begun to engage in the heart of your yoga session, if it is an active session, you will generate a certain amount of heat. &nbsp You want to maintain this heat for the duration of the active part of your session because it lends to the flexibility of your spine and body in general and keeps you mentally prepared for engaging in active asana work. &nbsp Once you begin to cool down from your session, it is not good to have any more heating or active poses. &nbsp Rather, you should gently move your body into preparation for Savasana. &nbsp That being said, it can be initially confusing as to which poses are heating and which ones are cooling. &nbsp Ultimately whether a pose is heating (active) or cooling (passive) may depend not on the pose itself, but on the level of the practitioner. &nbsp For instance, in general Sirsasana is heating and Sarvangasana is cooling, however someone with a regular, lengthy Sirsasana practice may find Sirsasana very relaxing and cooling, especially brief periods in the pose. &nbsp In general, heating poses include: &nbsp standing poses, inversions (which are cooling when done supported), arm balances, back bends (cooling when done supported), and active twists. &nbsp Examples of cooling poses include: &nbsp forward bends in general (especially seated forward bends), Supta Padangusthasana (especially cooling after back bends), Supta Baddha Konasana, and twists done gently. &nbsp Almost all poses with a Jalandhara Bandha-type chin lock (e.g. Sarvangasana, Halasana, Setu Bandha, and Viparita Karani) are cooling to the brain and body. &nbsp After doing poses in which the chin is in Jalandhara Banda, no more active poses should be done because these are definitely cooling for the body...

The word Chakra comes from Sanskrit — and means vortex, spinning wheel or circle. Chakras are the major centres of spiritual power in the human body and are circles of energy which balance, store and distribute the energies of life all through our physical body along the subtle body. The subtle body is the non-physical — otherwise known as our soul or spirit, which overlays our physical body. There are seven main centers of energy, located on the midline of the body, and they govern our psychological properties. They can have various levels of activity. When they’re “open, ” they’re considered operative in a normal fashion. Ideally, all chakras would contribute to our being. Our instincts would work together with our feelings and thinking. However, this is usually not the case. Some chakras are not open enough (being under-active), and to compensate, other chakras are over-active. The ideal state is where the chakras are balanced. So… how to do it? Essential Practice Yoga poses are the essential practice to maintaining balance physically, mentally, and spiritually. The asanas (yoga postures) are used to channel, direct and activate energy throughout the body. When Kundalani yoga is used to clear your chakras, the poses help to release the energy through each yoga movements. Combining Chakras Chakras are used in combination with each other, which means none of them stand alone. They are all related to each other. There is no way that you can demonstrate one of the seven chakras using Kundalini yoga poses without concentrating on the needs of the others. Therefore, it is important to learn about all seven of them. The seven chakras are namely: First, second and third – Lower Triangle – handles the elimination process Fifth, sixth and seventh – Upper Triangle – places emphasis on accumulation Now, you may be wondering why the fourth was skipped while listing the seven chakras. Glad you asked because this is important! The fourth chakra is the heart (nomen omen) of the whole system and where all other chakras meet. It is the balancing point. Now, let’s get into the details — we’ll start with the first chakra, Muladhara. First Chakra Use Warrior I yoga poses to facilitate the first chakra. With this pose, you form a connection with the earth — it gives you a solid foundation in the feet. With this pose, the root chakra, which is found in the pelvic area and bottom of the spine, will provide a great stretch in the hips, releasing any dormant energy. You will receive so many benefits from this pose because it heavily influences the first chakra to provide health to the teeth, bones, health, anus, nails, kidneys and digestive functions.

Photo: Dave Fayram, Flickr Creative Commons We’ve blogged before about the health detriments of sitting for long periods, which include heightened risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. What’s more, prolonged sitting puts you at risk for aches and pains in the upper body, shoulders, arms, and spine. How to combat these effects when your job demands that you sit for eight hours a day, at least? Along with following some of the tips we offered in our last blog, you can try incorporating these simple exercises into your day. These movements relax tissues, prevent stiffness, lubricate the joints, improve circulation, reduce fatigue, and build your stamina. For best results, we recommend taking some “moving time” at least once every thirty to sixty minutes. Wrist/Hand Exercises 1. Spread your fingers as far apart as you can, then clench your fists and release. 2. Rest your elbows on your desk. Using your left hand, gently bend your right hand back toward your forearm. Hold for a few seconds before relaxing, then repeat on the other side. Arm Exercises 1. Stand and raise your arms in front of you. Rotate your arms so your palms are face up, then rotate until the backs of your hands are facing each other. 2. Drop your arms to your sides and gently shake for a few seconds. Back Exercises 1. With elbows bent and thumbs up, raise your arms in front of your body. Then pull your elbows back and squeeze your shoulder blades together, holding for a few seconds before releasing. 2. While sitting, gradually stretch yourself as tall as possible. Hold for a few seconds and relax. Neck/Shoulder Exercises 1. Bend your neck so your right ear approaches your right shoulder, then switch sides. 2. Gently rotate your head as far as comfortable to the left, then the right. 3. Circle your shoulders forward, then back. 4. Pull your shoulders down and back. 5. Gradually raise your shoulders toward your ears and hold for a few seconds before relaxing. Eye Exercises 1. Cup your hands lightly over your eyes for 30 seconds to give them a rest from the light. Don’t touch your eyes when you do this! 2. Focus on a distant object for a few seconds before looking at your computer screen again. 3. Roll your eyes counterclockwise, then clockwise. A few signs that you may want to seek chiropractic care, medical massage, or even physical rehabilitation include enduring pain, numbness, weakness, and any other muscle problem that stops you from completing everyday tasks. If you suspect your daily lifestyle is giving you back, neck, or shoulder pain, we’d be happy to assess the issue and point you toward a treatment and prevention plan!

LOVE HEADSTANDS? There is absolutely nothing worse in asana practice than feeling bored and unchallenged. And if you are someone who practices often, or at home, getting into a yoga rut can be a relatively easy thing to do. Rather than trying to find a whole roster of new postures or totally altering what you are doing in your practice, here are some fun yoga pose variations that will add a little spice and sparkle to keep your practice fun and challenging. 1. Bound Triangle Triangle pose is one that most people are fairly comfortable with. In this variation, you are set up just like you would be in the traditional expression. Front heel is aligned with the back arch, bottom arm is along side the foot, on a block, resting on the shin or ankle, side body is extended long and the chest is rotating slightly towards the ceiling. Then, instead of reaching the top arm up or tracking it along the ear, you will reach it behind your back, taking hold of the inner thigh of your front leg. This helps to increase the rotation on the upper body, opening the heart and chest. This added rotation adds a great chest and peck stretch that most of us can use! 2. Bound Half Moon Half moon is already a pretty challenging pose for most, but if you are growing a little bored of the regular expression, you may really enjoy the bound version. Start how you would in regular Half Moon pose; placing your bottom hand on the floor a foot or so in front of your front foot, leaning into your front arm until your back leg floats up off the floor, parallel to the ground, back foot flexed. Then take your top arm and wrap it around behind your back, again reaching for your inner thigh of the standing leg. This little variation will add an extra balance challenge as well as an added opening for your upper body and shoulder. 3. Funky Boy Dog This is one of my favorite Downward Dog variations ever. Start in Down Dog, feet hips distance apart, seat bones lifting towards the space where the wall and the ceiling meet behind you. Extend through your spine, releasing your shoulders down and away from your ears, fingers spread wide on your mat. Then shift your weight to your right foot, lifting your left leg up and back behind you. Allow your left knee to bend, releasing your left foot towards your seat, opening your hips up to the left. Then release your right forearm down to the mat, keeping your left arm extended straight. This is going to increase the side stretch you feel in this pose, and challenge your balance. Be sure to practice both sides before you move on. 4. Crossed Wrists Warrior One Warrior One is already a slight heart opening posture, and this variation will increase that effect, creating a deeper opening across your chest and in your shoulders. Your lower body will be just how it is in the traditional expression: back foot planted at a 30-degree angle, front leg lunging at 90 degrees, squaring the hips to the front of the room, and lifting the ribs up and away from the hips. From here, take your arms up and overhead, and cross your wrists so that the palms of your hands come together in a prayer position. Then allow yourself to lean back slightly, opening the heart up to the ceiling. The crossing of the wrists helps to encourage a deeper release of the upper body back. 5. Reaching Squat Finally, this variation of squat is really great for the whole body. It strengthens the hips and legs, stretches the spine and neck and will make you feel like a million bucks. Come into your squat with either feet together or feet hips distance (or wider!) apart. See if you can allow your hips to really sink down towards the floor. Then reach your arms straight out in front of you and cross your wrists, bringing your palms to touch. From here, release your arms down and forward towards the floor, collapsing the chest and dropping the head in towards the heart. Pull the back of your heart back as you reach your arms forward. Hang out here for as long as feels good for you! MORE VARIATIONS HERE Do you have any favorite asana variations that you would like to add to this list? What do you do when you are feeling a little stagnant in your practice?