Keep the roll between your thighs and step your feet in close to your sit bones, keeping them parallel and hip width apart. It also activates the posterior chain, the muscles of the back body, after a lot of focus on the front body. This is the perfect counter-pose to release the abdominal muscles. It will engage the inner line of your legs which can grant better access to your deep core muscles. Repeat this three to five times, staying connected with your slow, steady breath throughout. Exhale: Lift your head and shoulders up.Hold your breath: Curl your tailbone up and squeeze the roll between your thighs.Inhale: Press your lower back into the mat.Lift your legs straight up, keeping the knees bent if your hamstrings are are tight or you have any lower back issues. Still lying on your back, place a rolled-up mat, towel or block between the tops of your thighs and clasp your hands behind your head. Start with five slow rounds of these, and build up until you can do 12. Inhale: Come back to the centre with both knees bent.Exhale: Reach your elbows towards your left knee and straighten your right leg.Inhale: Come back to the centre, with both knees bent.Exhale: Reach both elbows towards your right knee and straighten your left leg, extending it at a diagonal.Hold your breath: Curl your tailbone up.Inhale: Lift your head and shoulders up. Press your lower back into the mat throughout the sequence, just like in the last exercise. Pick your feet up, aligning your knees over your hips. Once you have mastered keeping your lower back in contact with the mat throughout the supine diagonal extensions, you are ready for this more challenging sequence.Ĭlasp your hands behind your head. They are fantastic for enlivening sleepy areas in your core. The following exercises are inspired by Forrest Yoga, whose creator Ana Forrest is known for her invigorating abdominal work. "If the core is weak, abs aren't doing their work and other parts of the body are adversely affected." ~ Ana Forrest Repeat on the other side, and take 10 slow rounds of the whole sequence. Only extend the leg as far as you can keep the lower back pressed into the mat. Exhale to reach your left hand back behind you at a diagonal and extend the right leg in the opposite direction, also at a diagonal. Reach your hands up towards the sky, palms facing one another. Lie on your back lifting your legs so that your knees are stacked over your hips and your shins are parallel with the floor. You’ll find the next inhalation happens effortlessly, then you repeat the process, pumping the air out again. Take a half inhale, then forcefully exhale by sharply drawing the belly back towards the spine, as if you are pumping the air out. Close your mouth and breath through your nose throughout. Sit cross legged, lift through the crown of your head and relax your shoulders. (Learn more about kapalbhati in Better Than Coffee: Drink in the Benefits of This Yogic Brain-Boosting Cleansing Technique. You can think of kapalbhati as stoking your digestive fire, as well as kindling the flame of your personal power. It is a fantastic way to awaken your core, especially the transversus abdominus, a deep muscle that is often weak or underactive. Kapalbhati - Breath of FireĪs its name suggests, this pranayama practice builds heat in the body, so it’s the ideal warm up. If you’re able to breath, then don’t worry, you most definitely do have some core strength! What you might be lacking is the mind-body connection to really feel into your core. “I’ve got no core strength,” is a complaint I often hear my yoga students make.
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