Should you assume yoga is all about handstands and contorting your physique into near-impossible poses, you must know that there are a number of other ways to observe yoga. Light yoga, for instance, is suitable for nearly anybody, rookies and veterans alike.
“Light yoga presents 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 usually taught in a means that every one folks can simply take part.”
What Is Light Yoga?
Light yoga is a gradual, tranquil observe by which you usually maintain poses for prolonged intervals of time.
“Light yoga will be taught in quite a lot of methods, based mostly in your teacher’s yoga type or lineage and expertise,” Cummins says. “Light yoga could mix a gradual 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’ll be able to count on in a delicate yoga class based on Cummins:
- Cues on the way to safely and adequately align your physique.
- Suggestions to make use of props comparable to 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 might be and depart house on your exploration of poses,” she says.
Forms of light yoga
Some yoga studios provide “gradual movement” lessons which are a gentler type of vinyasa yoga. And restorative yoga and yin yoga are each thought-about “light” yoga practices.
Whereas each restorative yoga and yin yoga are light on the physique, there are some variations between the 2 types:
Restorative yoga: Incorporates roughly 5 or 6 postures which are meant to decelerate and restore the physique. Every pose is held for a pair minutes, utilizing a number of props for help. The aim is whole consolation so that you just launch all stress out of your muscle tissues.
Yin yoga: Holds fewer poses for longer intervals (three-to-five minutes), however “you might be penetrating to the deepest layers of connective tissue to convey elasticity, mobility, and power again to tight muscle tissues. Most yin poses are accomplished totally on the ground and can most definitely really feel more difficult than these in restorative yoga,” Cummins says.
Is Light Yoga Good For Newcomers?
Light yoga is a wonderful 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 means,” Cummins says.
However it’s not solely for newbies.
“It’s a rewarding observe for the younger and previous, the versatile and rigid. It’s additionally nice for pregnant girls and people recovering from harm,” she provides.
Light Yoga Sequence
Light yoga could 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 transferring extra slowly.
Together with extra intense flows, Yoga52 and Beachbody Yoga Studio on BODi each provide soothing practices that you are able to do at residence to wind down from a protracted day at work, quiet down after a exercise, or prepare for mattress.
Should you’re trying to create your personal movement, listed below are some poses to strive.
1. Mountain pose (Tadasana)
- Begin standing along with your huge toes touching and your heels barely aside. Your arms ought to relaxation by your sides, palms dealing with ahead.
- Interact your thighs and lengthen your tailbone right down to create a protracted backbone.
- Elevate 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 ft hip-distance aside (or barely wider). Place yoga blocks on the mat in entrance of your ft. Take a deep breath.
- Exhale, bend your knees barely, hinge at your hips, and relaxation your fingers 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 very least three breaths.
- Take a breath and rise again as much as standing. Press down along with your ft and pull your low stomach in to help your decrease again as you unfold.
3. Youngster’s pose (Balasana)
- Begin in your mat on all fours. Place your fingers instantly beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips. Deliver your huge toes collectively.
- Sink your hips again towards your heels. Relaxation your stomach between your thighs and contact your brow to your mat.
- Lengthen your arms in entrance of you. Possibility to achieve your arms behind you and cup your heels.
- Keep for a number of breaths/minutes.
4. Cat-cow stretch (Bitilasana and marjaryasana)
Inhale: Cow pose
- From little one’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 keeping 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 ft. Relaxation your fingers at your sides on the bottom.
- Soften your knees (possibility to position a blanket beneath your knees).
- Draw your abs in and hinge at your hips to fold over your thighs. Stroll your fingers down your legs towards your ft. 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 chill out into the posture to get a deeper stretch. Come again up on an inhale.
6. Certain-angle pose (Baddha konasana)
- Sit in your mat along with your sit bones instantly beneath you (keep away from tucking your tailbone).
- Contact the soles of your ft collectively. Open your knees vast like a ebook (possibility to slip two blocks beneath your knees in case you have any knee stress).
- Slide your heels as near your groin as snug.
- Relaxation your thumbs on the balls of your ft. 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 very least 5 breaths or one minute.
7. Completely happy child pose (Ananda balasana)
- Lie down in your mat. Bend your knees and flatten your ft on the mat.
- Hug your knees to your chest. Deliver your knees to your chest and seize the outer edges of your ft.
- Pull your knees towards your armpits.
- Compress your tailbone to the mat (choice to rock side-to-side).
- Keep for a number of 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 dealing with up. Loosen up your shoulders away out of your ears.
- Separate your legs till your heels attain the corners of your mat.
- Shut your eyes, and chill out your whole physique as you gradual your respiratory and relaxation for at the very least 5 minutes.
