Health and Physical Education Commons^™

Child's Pose, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Kneel on the floor.Touch your big toes together and sit on your heels, then separate your knees about as wide as your hips. Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs. Broaden your sacrum across the back of your pelvis and narrow your hip points toward the navel, so that they nestle down onto the inner thighs. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of the pelvis while you lift the base of your skull away from the back of your neck. Lay your hands on the floor alongside your torso, palms up, and release the fronts of your …

Dolphin, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Start on your hands and knees. Keep your legs about hip-width apart. Your middle fingers should be parallel, pointing straight ahead. Exhale and bend your arm at the elbow so to press the forearm into the mat. Hands may remain extended from the elbow or close together. Inhale and curl your toes under, as if getting ready to stand on your toes. Exhale and lift your knees off of the mat. Strive for straight legs; however, it is okay to bend the knees a bit and to keep your heels raised. Lengthen the spine and elevate the tailbone away from …

Down Dog, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Start on your hands and knees. Keep your legs about hip-width apart. Your middle fingers should be parallel, pointing straight ahead. Roll your elbow so that the eye or inner elbow is facing forward. Inhale and curl your toes under, as if getting ready to stand on your toes. Exhale and straighten your legs; push upward with your arms. The goal is to lengthen the spine while keeping your legs straight and your feet flat on the ground. However, it is okay to bend the knees a bit and to keep your heels raised. The important thing is to work …

Camel, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in a kneeling position with the knees hip-width apart. Curl the toes under so the heels are lifted. Place your hands one your hips and squeeze the elbows and shoulder blades together. Press your hands against the top of your pelvis to gently push the hips slightly forward. Your thighs should be perpendicular to the floor. Inhale and lifts the ribs and chest as you press your pelvis forward a little more. Hands may remain in this position or in one of following positions: 1) curl fingers together to create a fist. Reach around body and place knuckles and …

Bridge, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

From a supine position, bend the knees and bring the heels toward the hips, with the feet hip-width apart and parallel. Knees should point in the direction of the toes (forward). Reach the hands toward the heels.Tuck the pelvis under to lengthen the low back against the floor. Press the backs of your shoulders against the floor, and lengthen the back of your neck. Inhale to lengthen. Exhale, peel the hips and back off the floor. Lift the front of the hips and abdomen up toward the sky. Hips should be lifted higher than the chest and knees. Press your …

Airplane, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Mountain. Inhale and raise your arms over your head. Exhale and spread your arms out to shoulder height and bend forward, hinging at the hips. Draw your shoulder blades together. Pull energy from your chest to your fingertips. Look down at the floor. Visualize a light or energy moving from your tailbone through the top of your head. Keep your back neutral. Your palms should face the floor. If needed, bend the legs at the knees to maintain proper upper body positioning.

Boat, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in staff pose, exhale and bend your knees to your chest. Bring your hands as close to your hips as possible, hugging your arms to your sides. Bend your elbows and begin to recline the torso back with the spine straight. Feel the balance starting in the hip joint. Keep your spine long and lifted. Engage your abdominals and thigh muscles and lift your left off the floor. Balance here between your sits bones and your tailbone. Focus on your breath. If you feel strong and comfortable, especially in the low back, then lift your hands off the floor …

Bow, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

From a prone position with the chest resting on the floor, bend the knees so the low legs are perpendicular to the floor. Inhale and extend the hands back toward the feet while lifting the chest off the floor. Wrap the hands around the outside of the feet or ankles. Press the front of the pelvis toward the floor to lengthen the low back. Squeeze the shoulder blades together to open the fronts of the shoulders and chest. Exhale and lift the front of the thighs off the floor as you reach toward the sky. The knees should be no …

Crescent Lunge, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Downward-Facing Dog. Inhale, step your left foot forward into a lunge, and keep your back leg straight or drop it down to the floor. Inhale and lift your torso up and bring your hands to your hips or Namaste. Scoop your tailbone down and draw your lower abdominal region in and up. Square hips and shoulders forward. Inhale and raise your arms over your head. Draw your shoulders away from your ears and lengthen your neck. Maintain for five breath cycles. Inhale. Exhale and fold forward over your left foot. Straddle your foot with your hands. Place the …

Reverse Warrior, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Mountain pose with feet together and hands on your hips, in prayer position or extended overhead. Step right foot back about 4–5 feet apart. Turn your right foot in about 45 degrees; your left heel should align with the arch of your right foot. Slowly bend the left knee until the thigh is parallel to the floor; keep the knee either behind or directly over your ankle; be very strong and active in your right leg as you bend your front leg. Tuck your tailbone as you rotate your pelvis back. Inhale while bringing the left hand overhead …

Frog, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in child’s pose. Inhale and extend one arm at a time and come down onto your forearms. Exhale. Inhale and walk or slide the knees as wide as the heels, but still sitting on the heels. Keep your ankles and feet in line. The knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle, with the ankles straight below. Exhale. The closer your knees are to your elbows, and the farther the knees are apart, the deeper this stretch becomes.

Pyramid, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Mountain. Step the left foot back about 3/12 to 4 feet. Turn the foot out 45 to 60 degrees. Align the left heel with the front heel and press the soles of your feet firmly to the floor. Firm the thighs. Exhale and rotate your torso to the right, squaring the front of your pelvis as much as possible with the front edge of your mat. As your left hip point turns forward, press the head of the left femur back to ground the back heel. Press the outer thighs inward as if squeezing a block between your …

Sage Tree, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Downward Facing Dog. Step both feet together so your big toes are touching. Move your right hand over to the left so it’s at the center of your mat. Roll over to your right side and plant your right heel down so you are balancing on the outside edge of your right foot. You want your left foot to be stacked on top of your left foot with both feet flexed. Bend your left knee and use your left hand to pull your left heel as high up on your inner thigh as much as possible. Plant the …

Cat & Cow, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin on your hands and knees in an all fours position (Table Top). Hands should be in alignment with shoulders and knees hip-width apart. As you inhale, let the spine curve downward, dropping the abdomen slowly and slightly elevating the head.

As you exhale, move into the cat pose by reversing the bend. Tilt the pelvis up, draw the spine up and pull the chest and stomach in to form an arch. Flow smoothly from the cat and cow postures.

King Dancer, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Mountain pose with the feet together and parallel. Inhale and bend your right knee and bring your right foot toward your gluteals. Reach back and hold on to your right foot or ankle with your right hand. Firmly press the tailbone down toward the ground and begin to point your right knee backwards while keeping your hips squared. Your thighs remain close together so that your bent knee does not rotate. Continue to focus on your breath.

Inhale and lift your left arm overhead. As you exhale, keep the pelvis level and the chest lifted as you bend …

Sunflower, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Mountain. Inhale and step your feet wider than shoulder width apart. Exhale. Inhale and lift your arms overhead. Exhale as you bend your knees and hinge the upper body forward, bringing the arms down. Inhale and raise the arms up as you lengthen the knees and upper body, returning the original position. Continue vinyasa clockwise and then counterclockwise.

Sun Goddess, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin lying supine on the floor. Bend your knees and place your feet together flat on the ground. With your hands grip your topmost thighs and rotate your inner thighs externally, pressing your outer thighs away from the sides of your torso. Next slide your hands along your outer thighs from the hips toward the knees and widen your outer knees away from your hips. Then slide your hands down along your inner thighs, from the knees to the groins. Imagine that your inner groins are sinking into your pelvis. Push your hip points together, so that while the back …

Plank, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Down Dog. Weight should be evenly distributed between your hands and feet. Roll your elbow so that the eye or inner elbow is facing forward. Move the body forward as a unit, on the inhale unit the shoulders are over the hands, keeping the palms on the floor. Lower the hips into alignment with the spine. Imagine pressing the floor away from your chest. This action helps to keep your upper back straight and your shoulders blades pressed against your spine. Maintain strong alignment from ankles to head. Press the heels behind you.

Seated Straddle Splits, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Staff pose. Inhale and you’re your feet apart as wide as you can comfortable. Point your tailbone and sits bones toward the back of the mat while tilting your pelvis slightly. Point your toes and knees up as much as possible by gently rolling your thighs back. Breathe deeply and slowly and lift the ribcage away from the hips. Inhale and reach your arms up and out to the sides as you expand your chest. Look up as you lift your chest. As you keep your chin and chest lifted, exhale and fold forward from your hips. Maintain …

Revolved Triangle, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in mountain pose with the feet together and parallel. Step the left leg back far enough so that your feet are a challenging distance apart for balance, but be sure to keep your left foot firmly on the ground. Face the right foot forward and turn out the left foot approximately 10 to 15 degrees. Make sure your hips are square and you face the direction of your right foot. Press your left hip forward as you pull your right hip back. Inhale and lengthen out of the low spine and extend your left arm forward with your right …

Forward Fold, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Mountain. Inhale and raise your arms over your head. Exhale as you bend forward at the hips. Continue to exhale, bringing the arms forward and descending the body beginning with the head dropping forward, followed by the upper back, continuing along the spine until you are hanging forward. Breathe easily as you hang. Your fingers may or may not touch the floor. Relax your arms and let them hang. Hold. Use an inhalation to help you return to standing, reversing the process by which you descended, so your head lifts up on the top of your neck last.

Half Moon, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Begin in Triangle pose on the right side and move your feet 4 – 6 inches closer. While extending the upper body, bend the right knee and bring your right hand down to the floor in front of your toes. Turn your head to look at your right foot and watch that you keep the right knee aligned with the right foot. Avoid rolling the knees inward. Breathe deeply in this position for a few breaths and focus on the balance of your right foot. Keep the space open in the low back, chest and hips. Bring your top hand …

Locust, Mary Myers

Critical Instances

Lie prone (on your belly) with your arms along the sides of your torso, palms up, forehead resting on the floor. Turn your big toes toward each other to inwardly rotate your thighs, and firm your buttocks so your coccyx presses toward your pubis. Exhale and lift your head, upper torso, arms, and legs away from the floor. You’ll be resting on your lower ribs, belly, and front pelvis. Firm your buttocks and reach strongly through your legs, first through the heels to lengthen the back legs, then through the bases of the big toes. Keep the big toes turned …