Stretches & Basics

I can't say enough good things about pelvic tilts. They are just amazing. Often I don't even realize that my back is stiff and hurting until I lie down on my mat. The first few pelvic tilts reveal any traces of low back pain, but after 10 to 20 rounds, the pain is gone. Do them slowly and keep going until the movement feels fluid and good.

Continue warming up the back with 5 to 10 cat - cow stretches. If the movement feels familiar, it's because the pelvis is moving in essentially the same way as in the pelvic tilt (see previous step). The cat to cow stretch extends that movement along the entire spine, helping to awaken the entire body. Be sure to pay attention to your breath as you move between these poses.

Press back into downward facing dog. Pedal the legs, bending one knee and then the other, reaching each heel towards the floor in turn. Bend your knees and reach your butt up high. Then slowly straighten the legs. Take any other movements that help you settle into the pose. When you feel ready, hold the posture for 5 to 10 breaths.

Step the right foot forward next to the right hand, coming into a low lunge. I like to drop the back knee down to the floor at first for a nice stretch in both hips. Then straighten the back leg if you want to begin to work into your hamstrings, which run along the back side of your thighs.

Restraighten the back leg if you have dropped that knee to the floor. Slowly straighten the front leg as you forward bend over that leg. Try to keep the front foot flat on the floor and don't force the leg to come straight. Go back and forth between a bent and straight front leg several times. You can also use blocks under your hands if they don't easily reach the floor when you straighten the front leg.

Walk the feet to the front of the mat until you are standing in a forward bend. Bend the knees and slowly roll up to stand in mountain pose - tadasana. From here, I suggest doing several half sun salutations. These are the first half of a sun salutation saquence, the part before you step back. If you have the time and the inclination, you can do full sun salutations here.

From mountain pose, take the arms out to the side and up to the ceiling. Press the palms together, coming into raised arms pose - urdhva hastasana. Slide your shoulders down, away from your ears.

This is the rest of the half sun salutation. Swan dive down into standing forward bend - uttanasana. Come up to flat back - ardha uttanasana with the fingertips on the floor or your hands on your shins, and then forward bend back into uttanasana. To get a good hamstring stretch, do this slowly.

While in this forward bend, I like to do a few variations to bring myself deeper in to the pose. You can try taking a yogi toe lock with your fingers hooked around your big toes to deepen your forward fold. If that's easy, try slipping your upturned palms under your feet. Another good one is to bend the knees and bring the palms flat next to your feet. Then work on straightening the legs while keeping the palms flat. Make sure you are bringing weight into the balls of your feet so that your hips stay directly over your ankles. When you do this pose at home, you can take as much time as you want to hang out, a chance you don't often get in a class. Complete the half sun salutation by coming back through raised arms into mountain pose. Do five or more half sun salutations.

If you need a hip opener, do pigeon pose, placing padding under the seat as necessary. I recommend staying in a forward fold in pigeon for 10 to 20 deep breaths to really give your body time to release. If you do this every day, you'll really notice a difference.

Take this opportunity to work on a pose that you want to improve, perhaps an inversion orarm balance. Just spending a few minutes a day on a difficult pose makes a huge difference as you gain confidence and work on your strength and flexibility. Alternately, ask your body what position it really needs today. Tune in to what feels tight and focus your attention there. Don't even worry if your position isn't a conventional yoga pose.

Spend a few minutes resting in corpse pose to let your body absorb the benefits of your practice before going on with your day. Using props during savasana can help make this pose more comfortable and relaxing.