Workout

Why yoga? The whole point of this practice is to help stretch you out, to lengthen your muscles and ensure that you remain flexible, limber, and balanced. Toward that end the trainers will lead you through a twenty minute class that combines moves to help loosen your shoulders, hips, lower back and leg muscles.

The routine begins with four modified Sun Salutations. Though they don’t call them that, you will see that they follow the basic flow of a Salutation, as you move from standing to downward dog and then back up. Begin in Mountain Pose, legs together, chest raised, arms by your side. Fold forward as if hinged at the waist, and then descend into Runners Pose, one knee bent, the other straight behind you. From there place both hands on the matt and bend at the hips again so that your rear is toward the ceiling, and then return through Runners Pose to Forward Fold and Mountain pose.

The next three repetitions will add a few variations in there, making them more complete Sun Salutations. Really focus on your breath and poses as you go – this isn’t about strength but form and focus.

Next you will move into a deep Crescent Lunge, where you will take a deep lunge with your hands clasped behind back, and then extend your arms as if holding a beach ball over head, focusing on remaining balanced in your lunge. Then raise your arms overhead into a Warrior 1, and repeat again on the other side.

Now we move into Warrior Two, still in that lunge with your arms extended forward and back as if surfing, and then into an Extended Warrior. Intertwine your arms for Eagle Pose, and then repeat again on the other Side.

Time for some floor work: sit cross legged or in a modified Lotus, and then lean forward, feeling that stretch in your hips. Stretch to the ceiling, switch sides. Finally end up with Swan/Pigeon Pose, which is an excellent hip opener. Do both sides and then do a wonderful spinal twist. Open your knees for Butterfly, and lean back and then finish with some great hamstring forward bends.