If you happen to suppose yoga is all about handstands and contorting your physique into near-impossible poses, you must know that there are a number of alternative ways to follow yoga. Light yoga, for instance, is acceptable for almost anybody, learners and veterans alike.
“Light yoga provides 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 manner that each one individuals can simply take part.”
What Is Light Yoga?
Light yoga is a gradual, tranquil follow wherein you sometimes maintain poses for prolonged durations of time.
“Light yoga could be taught in a wide range of methods, based mostly in your teacher’s yoga model or lineage and expertise,” Cummins says. “Light yoga could mix a gradual move with longer-held restorative positions that usually embrace an emphasis on the breath in addition to meditation practices.”
Whereas every class will differ, right here’s what you’ll be able to anticipate 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 akin to blocks, straps, blankets, and bolsters to assist with alignment and rest.
- Fewer transitions from sitting to standing or kneeling to mendacity down for a smoother, extra relaxed expertise.
- A lot of choices and modifications to “meet you the place you’re and go away area on your exploration of poses,” she says.
Forms of mild yoga
Some yoga studios provide “gradual move” courses which are a gentler type of vinyasa yoga. And restorative yoga and yin yoga are each thought of “mild” yoga practices.
Whereas each restorative yoga and yin yoga are mild on the physique, there are some variations between the 2 types:
Restorative yoga: Incorporates roughly 5 or 6 postures which are supposed to decelerate and restore the physique. Every pose is held for a pair minutes, utilizing a number of props for assist. The purpose is complete consolation so that you simply launch all pressure 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 carry elasticity, mobility, and vitality again to tight muscle mass. Most yin poses are accomplished totally on the ground and can almost definitely really feel tougher than these in restorative yoga,” Cummins says.
Is Light Yoga Good For Novices?
Light yoga is a wonderful entry level to yoga for learners. “Light yoga permits college students to maneuver by means of postures slowly and mindfully and follow yoga in a secure and efficient manner,” Cummins says.
But it surely’s not solely for newbies.
“It’s a rewarding follow for the younger and previous, the versatile and rigid. It’s additionally nice for pregnant ladies and people recovering from damage,” she provides.
Light Yoga Sequence
Light yoga could embrace a mix of reclining, seated, and even standing or balancing poses. It’s easy to make any yoga follow 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 dwelling to wind down from an extended day at work, settle down after a exercise, or prepare for mattress.
If you happen to’re trying to create your personal move, 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 all the way down to create an extended 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 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 arms 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 a minimum of 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 assist your decrease again as you unfold.
3. Little one’s pose (Balasana)
- Begin in your mat on all fours. Place your arms straight under your shoulders and your knees below your hips. Carry 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 couple 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, elevate 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 elevate 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 move 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 arms 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 arms down your legs towards your ft. Keep away from rounding your again or utilizing your arms to tug 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. 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 ft collectively. Open your knees huge like a ebook (possibility to slip two blocks below your knees if in case you have any knee pressure).
- 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 a minimum of 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. Carry 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 couple 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. 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 chill out your complete physique as you gradual your respiratory and relaxation for a minimum of 5 minutes.
