In the event you suppose yoga is all about handstands and contorting your physique into near-impossible poses, you need to know that there are a number of alternative ways to observe yoga. Light yoga, for instance, is acceptable for almost anybody, rookies and veterans alike.
“Light yoga gives a nurturing and compassionate strategy to the physique,” says Sarah Cummins, RYT 500, E-RYT 200, YACEP, yoga teacher and authorized private coach. “It’s typically taught in a method that each one individuals can simply take part.”
What Is Light Yoga?
Light yoga is a sluggish, tranquil observe wherein you usually maintain poses for prolonged durations of time.
“Light yoga could be taught in quite a lot of methods, primarily based in your teacher’s yoga model or lineage and expertise,” Cummins says. “Light yoga might mix a sluggish movement with longer-held restorative positions that usually embody an emphasis on the breath in addition to meditation practices.”
Whereas every class will fluctuate, right here’s what you may anticipate in a mild yoga class based on Cummins:
- Cues on learn how to safely and adequately align your physique.
- Suggestions to make use of props reminiscent of blocks, straps, blankets, and bolsters to assist with alignment and leisure.
- Fewer transitions from sitting to standing or kneeling to mendacity down for a smoother, extra relaxed expertise.
- Plenty of choices and modifications to “meet you the place you’re and depart house to your exploration of poses,” she says.
Sorts of light yoga
Some yoga studios supply “sluggish movement” courses which can be a gentler type of vinyasa yoga. And restorative yoga and yin yoga are each thought of “light” yoga practices.
Whereas each restorative yoga and yin yoga are light on the physique, there are some variations between the 2 kinds:
Restorative yoga: Incorporates roughly 5 – 6 postures which can be meant to decelerate and restore the physique. Every pose is held for a pair minutes, utilizing a number of props for assist. The objective is complete consolation so that you just launch all stress out of your muscle mass.
Yin yoga: Holds fewer poses for longer durations (three-to-five minutes), however “you’re penetrating to the deepest layers of connective tissue to deliver elasticity, mobility, and vitality again to tight muscle mass. Most yin poses are accomplished completely on the ground and can almost certainly really feel tougher than these in restorative yoga,” Cummins says.
Is Light Yoga Good For Inexperienced persons?
Light yoga is a superb entry level to yoga for rookies. “Light yoga permits college students to maneuver by means of postures slowly and mindfully and observe yoga in a protected and efficient method,” Cummins says.
But it surely’s not solely for newbies.
“It’s a rewarding observe for the younger and outdated, the versatile and rigid. It’s additionally nice for pregnant ladies and people recovering from damage,” she provides.
Light Yoga Sequence
Light yoga might embody a mix of reclining, seated, and even standing or balancing poses. It’s easy to make any yoga observe gentler by including props, not going as “deep” right into a pose, or shifting extra slowly.
Together with extra intense flows, Yoga52 and Beachbody Yoga Studio on BODi each supply soothing practices that you are able to do at residence to wind down from a protracted day at work, calm down after a exercise, or prepare for mattress.
In the event you’re seeking to create your personal movement, listed below are some poses to attempt.
1. Mountain pose (Tadasana)
- Begin standing along with your large toes touching and your heels barely aside. Your arms ought to relaxation by your sides, palms going through ahead.
- Interact your thighs and lengthen your tailbone all the way down to create a protracted backbone.
- Raise your chest and draw your shoulder blades again and down.
- Hold your ears over your shoulders and your pelvis over your ankles.
- Take a number of deep breaths (take into account holding for one minute).
2. Standing ahead bend (Uttanasana)
- Begin in mountain pose along with your toes hip-distance aside (or barely wider). Place yoga blocks on the mat in entrance of your toes. Take a deep breath.
- Exhale, bend your knees barely, hinge at your hips, and relaxation your palms on the blocks.
- Look towards your legs and bend your knees as a lot as you need or want.
- Shift your weight ahead to align your hips over your heels.
- Keep right here for at the least three breaths.
- Take a breath and rise again as much as standing. Press down along with your toes and pull your low stomach in to assist your decrease again as you unfold.
3. Baby’s pose (Balasana)
- Begin in your mat on all fours. Place your palms straight beneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. Deliver your large toes collectively.
- Sink your hips again towards your heels. Relaxation your stomach between your thighs and contact your brow to your mat.
- Prolong your arms in entrance of you. Possibility to achieve your arms behind you and cup your heels.
- Keep for just a few breaths/minutes.
4. Cat-cow stretch (Bitilasana and marjaryasana)
Inhale: Cow pose
- From youngster’s pose, come again to all fours. Hold your again flat, your neck lengthy, and your gaze towards the ground.
- As you inhale, raise your tailbone and chest towards the ceiling whereas dropping your stomach towards the mat.
- Draw your shoulders away out of your ears. Squeeze your shoulder blades, and raise your head in step with your torso.
- Exhale into cat pose.
Exhale: Cat pose
- From cow pose, exhale, spherical your backbone, tuck your tailbone, and curl your chin towards your chest.
- Inhale into cow pose.
- Repeat this movement for as much as 10 breaths, or longer if desired.
5. Seated ahead fold (Paschimottanasana)
- Come to a seated place in your mat.
- Sit tall along with your legs prolonged in entrance of you. Flex your toes. Relaxation your palms at your sides on the bottom.
- Soften your knees (choice to put a blanket beneath your knees).
- Draw your abs in and hinge at your hips to fold over your thighs. Stroll your palms down your legs towards your toes. Keep away from rounding your again or utilizing your arms to drag your self into the pose.
- Maintain for 5 or extra breaths. With every exhale, attempt to loosen up into the posture to get a deeper stretch. Come again up on an inhale.
6. Sure-angle pose (Baddha konasana)
- Sit in your mat along with your sit bones straight beneath you (keep away from tucking your tailbone).
- Contact the soles of your toes collectively. Open your knees broad like a ebook (choice to slip two blocks underneath your knees if in case you have any knee stress).
- Slide your heels as near your groin as snug.
- Relaxation your thumbs on the balls of your toes. Wrap the remainder of your fingers across the tops of your toes.
- Sit up tall. Hold your gaze ahead, and your chest open.
- If you wish to deepen the stretch, hinge ahead at your hips with out rounding your again.
- Maintain for at the least 5 breaths or one minute.
7. Completely happy child pose (Ananda balasana)
- Lie down in your mat. Bend your knees and flatten your toes on the mat.
- Hug your knees to your chest. Deliver your knees to your chest and seize the outer edges of your toes.
- Pull your knees towards your armpits.
- Compress your tailbone to the mat (choice to rock side-to-side).
- Keep for just a few deep breaths.
8. Corpse pose (Savasana)
- Lie down in your mat.
- Let your arms relaxation barely away out of your torso, along with your palms going through up. Calm down your shoulders away out of your ears.
- Separate your legs till your heels attain the corners of your mat.
- Shut your eyes, and loosen up your complete physique as you sluggish your respiration and relaxation for at the least 5 minutes.
