Easter is the perfect time to reset, refresh and revisit any goals you set for yourself in January. It’s a signal that spring has arrived, with longer days and warmer weather (unless you live in Toronto like me, then it is all a lie! :P).
If weather permits, take your ASSana outside. Enjoying nature has many benefits such as improving sleep quality, reducing headaches and migraines, reduces, stress, tension, and blood pressure, and improves overall sense of well-being.
Below are 6 poses for your outdoor Easter yoga practice, to help you re-energize, restore, and experience the rebirth of your soul as you emerge from a cold winter. (I still kept my practice indoors because…canada.
I recommend enjoying the pose for 5-10 deep belly breaths before switching sides. Be safe and listen to your body 🙂
HAPPY EASTER!
Reverse Warrior/viparita-virabhadrasana
- from your mountain pose/tadasana, step your right foot forward and spin the left foot out about 45 degrees
- bend the right knee and ensure it is facing the front, inline with your right toes. The left leg should be strong with the quads, hamstrings, and glutes engaged. Keep pressing onto the outter part of the left foot.
- flip the right palm to face the front and lift the right arm up and start to reach back. The left hand can slide down the left leg, or you can wrap it around the lower back to grab the right thigh
- breathe deeply into the right side ribs, creating more space as you sink deeper into the pose. Turn the right pinky towards the floor for a deeper stretch along the side.
- keep the right hip externally rotated and the left hip internally rotated to feel the stretch at the front of the pelvis. Keep the abs drawn in and lift the chest as you spread the collar bones apart and draw the shoulder blades down. Move you gaze to the right fingertips.
Focus: Surrender
Tree Pose/Vrksasana
- From mountain pose, transfer your weight over to the left side and externally rotate the right hip joint.
- Reach down to the right ankle and place the right heel as close to the pelvis as you can while keeping the belly pulled in and spine tall. If you’re working on your balance, start with the right bf toe on the ground first and slowly work your way up the left leg, keeping that external rotation in the left hip. Avoid placing the foot on the knee
- Open the chest by spreading the collar bones apart, draw the shoulder blades down and lengthen the back of the neck. Continue to hug the left hip in towards the midline and press the right foot into the left inner thigh. Avoid sagging into the hip joint.
- Once you find your balance and align yourself with gravity, take your favourite arm variation and play around with your gaze. Maybe close your eyes!
Focus: Concentration
Wild Thing/Camatkarasana
- Start in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog).
- Bring your weight into your right hand and roll onto the outer edge of your right foot like Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose)
- On an inhalation, lift your hips. Stay strong in your right hand making a clawing action with the fingers. Keep the head of the humerus or shoulder joint stable and in the socket. On an exhalation, step your left foot back and place your toes on the floor with your knee partially bent.
- Curl back through your upper back to create a sweeping action of the shoulder blades into the back of the rib cage.
- On an inhalation lift your hips higher until you curl more into a backbend with your right foot solid on the ground.
- Keep breathing and curl your head back, extending your left arm from your heart
Modified Wild Thing:
- Sit with your left leg extended out about 30 degrees in front of you and bend your right knee so the right foot is against the left inner thigh
- reach the right arm back and place the right hand about a foot behind your sit bones.
- Secure your right shoulder blade and press the right hand into the floor as you also press the right shin onto the floor.
- Activate the glutes and lift the hips up towards the sky, reaching the left arm up and back to open the heart
Focus: Gratitude/open the heart
Your favourite inversion: ie. headstand or shoulder stand
See my mini tutorial HERE and HERE
Focus: Patience
Seated Spinal Twist/Ardha_Matsyendrāsana
- Sit down on the ground with your legs crossed. Then, slowly extend your legs out in in front of you; toes pointing toward the ceiling.
- lift your right leg and cross it over the left, placing the right foot firm on the ground. Ensure the right bumcheek stays grounded.
- Place the right arm on the ground behind the back. Raise the left arm up.
- Take the left elbow and hook it onto the right right knee, using it as leverage.
- Keep the shoulders draw town, chest lifted, and twist over to the right shoulder from the waist
Focus: Detoxify
And of course, we have to finish with Rabbit/Sasangasana! This can be tricky for some, so if you feel discomfort in your neck, have trouble breathing, become light headed, please back off.
- Sit on your heels, exhale all the air out and grab your heels with back of the hands facing out, so thumbs outside fingers inside.
- Engage your core and round down placing the TOP of your head on the ground towards your knees so that your forehead is touching your knees.
- Lift your hips high, rolling forward like a wheel until your elbows are locked, feeling this wonderful opening of the back of the heart.
- Inhale, pull on your heels with a firm grip of your hands and exhale, go deeper.
- Stay here for at least five breaths, and slowly come up the same way you came in. Inhale, and roll up one vertebrae at a time, chin and head comes up last, releasing the hands.
Focus: acceptance
