Bird Dog pose

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Bird Dog Pose, named after the pointing dog breed, is one of our favorite go--to postures for targeting the core! Yes, that's right, we said core. Our core muscles wrap all the way around our mid body. Since this pose involves both arm and leg movement as well as core stability, it also targets the glutes, back, shoulders, and thighs. Now that's multi-tasking! In preparation for a Yoga in Parkinson's class, we also learned that Bird Dog Pose mimics the "crawl-walk-run" (or contralateral) movement where the opposite arm and leg works in sync with a stabilized core. This action supports a positive wellbeing brain correlation. 

Benefits: 

• Strengthens core, glutes, back, and thighs
• Strengthens muscles around shoulder and hip joints
• Supports range of motion in shoulders (flexion) and hips (extension)
• Stabilizes the core
• Enhances balance

How to:

1. Begin on hands and knees in a table top manner. Draw your shoulder blades together. 
2. On an inhale, raise your right arm and left leg to the horizon. Try to avoid back bending. Activate and engage your core muscles and glues to assist in keeping your spine stable. Your shoulders and hips remain parallel (or facing) or facing to the floor.
3. As you hold the posture, but not your breath, reach slightly forward with your right fingertips as if touching an object in front of you while simultaneously extending your left leg backwards to touch an object behind you. Mentally turn inward and try to notice the space in both you shoulder and hip joint.
4. Explore finding length in your neck while keeping it in a neutral and comfortable position.
5. Hold this extension for 3-5 breaths and return to the start position as you exhale. 
6. Repeat on the opposite side.

Modifications & Safety Tips:

Beginners may choose to extend only the arms or legs and work up to simultaneously extending both opposite arm and leg.

Focus on preventing your shoulders and hips from dipping by holding for a shorter period of time or alternating sides.

Not recommended if you have knee, ankle, and wrist pain; please consult with your physician before practicing. 

More:

For Bird Dog variations visit: 

Yoga International - Six Bird Dog Variations for Full-Body Balance

To build a mini sequence around Bird Dog visit:

Tummee - Bird Dog Pose

Yoga Model: Pam N., is a retired nurse and grandma. In true southern fashion, she can whip up a homemade treat in no time flat. She enjoys resting and resetting in the mountains with her husband and growing family. 

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care... And a Humble Warrior was practicing a hip-opener!

Try this awesome Christmas  themed hip-opener! The holidays are filled with plans, food, and fun! Here at Humble Warrior, we encourage you to explore self-care options during this busy season. Garland pose helps aid in hip mobility by externally rotating and lubricating the hip joints. It also stretches the inner thighs, and can help release tension and lightness in the lower back. 

Practice Garland Pose (Malasana)

1. Start standing, with your feet a little wider than hip width apart. Turn the toes out slightly.

2. Bring your palms together at your heart center, and connect the backs of your thumbs to your chest and      find your heartbeat. Notice the steady rhythm of your heart. Take a moment to connect, noticing your heartbeat and breath.

3. On an exhale, begin to bend at the knees into your desired depth of a log squat. It is up to you on how far you lower and what feels best on your knees. Feel free to stack two blocks on top of each other and have a seat on them. Sometimes the heels lift, and that's totally cool! Explore placing a blanket or towl beneath your heels. 

4. Actively press the knees out and away from the body. If the elbows can connect to the inner portion of the knees, explore gently pushing into the inner knees staying active in your form. 

5. Spend 5-7 cycles of breath here.

6. To come out of Garland, place your hands on the floor in front of you. Slowly begin to press up, adjusting the feet to face forward. Roll up with intention, knees stacking above ankles, hips above knees, shoulders above hips, with your head coming up last.

7. Settle into a few breaths of stillness. What do you notice? Was there a shift in your energy level? How does the temperature in the room feel against your skin? How do your hips feel? And if you don't notice anything, no worries., that's completely normal too.

Yoga model: Gabrielle served in the US Army and is currently a Librarian, yoga teacher, and Humble Warrior's Communications Coordinator. She enjoys crafting, gardening, and playing roller derby. 

Have you ever noticed a baby breathe? They deeply inhale and exhale within their abdomen. As life continues after birth, the breath travels up into the rib cage and becomes short and shallow. This breathing technique is simple, extremely effective, and you can practice it anywhere. Continued practice can transform your breathing.

Deep Belly Breathing

1.  Find a comfortable position. There are several different positions that can be utilized for this technique. Try to take a seat on a blanket or pillow or place this seat against a wall for support. You can also sit in a chair. If you prefer, lay down on a flat, comfortable surface. Close your eyes if it feels well, but feel free to keep them open by just relaxing your gaze. 

2. Locate your navel and place both palms on your abdomen directly beneath the belly button. 

3. Take three deep breaths and direct your attention to the breath itself. Where does your inhale begin? Does it change when you exhale? Is the temperature of the air in the room warm, cool, or exactly right?

4. On the next inhale, actively breathe into your abdomen. Notice the belly and hands rise as you inhale. 

5. As you exhale, notice the belly and hands fall to a lower position.

6. Explore ten cycles of breath to start and repeat for as long as you like.

7. If you closed your eyes earlier, open them, but keep a soft gaze.

Some benefits of Deep Belly Breathing are relaxation, coping, core muscle stability, and stress reduction.

Happy breathing!

Yoga model: Ashely is a proud wife of a Marine Veteran and First Responder. She serves as an important connection between her local YMCA and their community! 

The psoas is a long muscle on either side of the vertebral column and at the brim of the pelvis. It is among the most significant muscles that overlie the vertebral column. Over time, the psoas can shorten and become very dry. Law Enforcement duty belts often create anterior pelvic tilts, causing the psoas to be in a constant state of flexion (shortened). This causes the muscles in the lower back to over work and be in a constant state of extension. 

This short yoga practice can be done anytime, but is very beneficial after a shift. Comfortable padding is recommended such as a pillow or rolled up blanket. This practice includes stretches from the floor while weight bearing on the knees. Feel free to follow along with the video, but do shorten or lengthen time spent in the stretches based on your needs or abilities. 

Humble Warrior extends gratefulness and gratitude to our Law Enforcement for all that you do!

Find our video on our YouTube Channel  

Do you ever sit for long periods of time and get an achy back? While you may not have the time to take a yoga class, we invite you to do this mini yoga back sequence that explores the four movements of the spine. This back-focused sequence may provide the refresh you need to get you through your next desk project, airplane flight, or waiting room delay. 

The spine's natural range of motion includes: flexion, extension, bending, and twisting. 

Flexion:

Flexion is the rounding of the back. Sit tall in your seat with your hands resting palms down on your lap. As you exhale, begin to tuck the chin toward your chest, as you gently push in to and round your upper back. Simultaneously, you can roll your shoulders forward and lift up your pubic bone. Then, inhale and release.

Extension: 

Extension is arching the back. Sit tall in your seat with your hands resting palms down on your lap. Then, inhale and begin to draw your shoulders back, allowing your hands to slide toward your hips and lift your chin, thus creating an arch. Be cautions not to tilt your head back too far, compressing your neck. Then, exhale and release.

Bending:

Bending is moving the spine in the lateral plane to the left and right. Sit tall in your seat, and hold firmly to the bottom of your chair. Bring the back of your left hand to the left side of your chair. On an inhale, lift your hand up toward the ceiling. Then, exhale as you continue to bring your hand over your head, in a rainbow (or bending) manner. Inhale to unbend, and repeat on the opposite side.

Twisting:

Twisting is rotating the spine to the left and right. Sit tall in your seat and as you exhale, rotate to the left from the base (or lumbar) area of your spine, then a little more mid back (thoracic), and perhaps a little more in the upper (or cervical) neck area. Honor your range of motion and ability. 

Notes:

Use caution in both flexion and twists if you have bone density conditions. Seek your doctor's approval or recommendations before beginning or practicing physical activity. 

A good rule of thumb is to exhale as you twist or draw your body into a smaller position, and inhale as you untwist or open your body up to a larger position. 

Sanskrit: 

Vrikshasana (pronounced: "vrik-SHAHS-anna")

Tree pose is a wonderful balancing pose and can be adapted for any level yogi. Balancing in yoga helps to strengthen the ankles, legs, glutes, and core. It also helps the practitioner remain steady and focused. Balancing on one foot can be a challenge, but sometimes being on both feet is hard too! Remember to have fun with your pose, and also give yourself grace. 

Feel free to start off near a wall or something sturdy to hold on to for support. Props (a wall is definitely a yoga prop!) are our friends - they are there to help us blossom in any yoga pose.

Instructions:

1. Pick a non-moving spot in front of you to gaze upon.

2. Begin to firmly plant your foot into the ground beneath you. (This is called "grounding" in yoga. Can you              lift and wiggle your toes?)

3. If it feels well, engage the upper portion of your standing leg. (Maybe you notice the knee cap lifting here)

4. When you are ready, actively draw the working hip in towards your midline.

5. Engage through your core. If you would like, explore brining the low belly up and in.

6. Kickstand your opposite heel to rest on your ankle. Externally rotate through the hip allowing the knee to open up to the side. Feel free to stay here with the toes plugged into the ground below. You can also explore lifting the foot to rest below the knee or above the knee in the inner thigh area.

7. Place palms together at the heart center, or feel free to find a different arm and hand variation. Grow your "branches" (arms) out to the side, or let them reach up towards the sky. 

8. Connect with the breath and remain in your pose for 5-7 breaths.

9. Release when you're ready by lowering the hands, then the raised leg, and return to standing. 

Feel free to practice near a wall. Start with the entire hand on the wall, and as you practice. slowly start to take away a finger at a time. Another option is to practice resting the entire side body against the wall for support. 

Yoga model: Sara is a boy mom who teaches yoga and fitness in her local community. She is married to a Sheriff's Office Investigator. Together they are two-time NICU parents.