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Yoga Snack
Try Lunges as a warm up before jogging, biking or skiing. | Get More out of your postures using Breathing Themes . The best Breathing Themes for this pose are The Second and Eleventh Breathing Themes. |
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| Start |
| Lunges can start from four basic positions: On hands and knees (Table Stance) From a standing position, (Mountain Pose) From the Plank Position Or from Dog Pose (such as when you're doing a Sun Salutation) |
| If you start in Mountain Pose |  | Fold forward at your waste & bring your hands to the floor (they way you do in the Wood Chopper) |  | Tip Be sure to have your spine elongated as you settle your hands onto the floor. | | Swing one leg back as far as possible. This will mean bending your front knee. |  |
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| If you start from Table Stance & Plank Pose |
 |  | 1A. Beginning in Table Stance
Hands straight down from your shoulders
and knees straight down from your hips. | 1B. Or (during the Sun Salutation)
in a modified Plank Pose
hands straight down from your shoulders
body straight
weight on your hands and feet |  | 2. Lift your hips and lower body up, using your arms and feet to push upward slightly 3. Swing one leg forward. | |
| | Tip: Ideally, the leg that comes forward lands in between your hands. |
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Tip for the Round Bodied
If you have any belly or a large chest to deal with, how do you swing that leg forward? This is where it becomes especially important to push your hips and lower body upward before you swing your leg forward. It is this upward lift that will give you the room to move your leg. The more an upward lift, the better. |
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| If you start from Downward Dog |  | | | 1. In Dog Pose with hips in the air | 2. Lift your shoulders up slightly, letting go of the scoop in your back. Shift some weight into your hands. | | 3. Bend your knees. Then swing one leg forward as far as possible. |  | Tip Ideally, the leg that comes forward lands directly under your armpit. |
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| Completing the Movement |
Now that you are in position with one leg forward and one leg back…
Straighten the back leg as much as it will allow, (but not into the point of pain!) | |  |
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| Lean some weight on your back toes. This increases the stretch in the hamstrings and inner thighs. Do this by shifting the weight in your hips back. |  | | Look Up |
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You will feel this in
Your hamstrings, thighs and a little bit in your shoulders. | Hold for 1 - 6 breaths or until you've reached your limit. |
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| To Increase the Stretch as you Hold the Pose |
 |  | Feel your back leg straightening as you breathe in.
Keep that increased stretch while you breathe out. | Breathing out, feel your hips sinking straight downward.
Hold your new position as you breathe in then breathe out, continuing to stretch more deeply. | | This means that as you hold the pose and breathe in and out, your back leg will get straighter and straighter and your lunge will go deeper and deeper. |
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| Releasing the Pose |
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| Release during the Sun Salutation |
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| Details - for Best Results |
| During the Lunge | Keep the front foot flat on the floor.
This is more important than having the back leg straight. In the example to the right, Corinne has her heel slightly off the ground. To correct this, she needs to make and adjustment, bringing her front foot back or moving her back leg farther back. |   | | Keep the front leg "square". That is, keep your front knee over its ankle. You can correct this by moving the back foot farther back. | | The best way to keep the front leg square and flat this is to make sure your back leg is as far back as possible to begin with. So, when you start your lunge, make sure you swing your leg back as far as possible. |
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| Making it Easier | Still too Hard? | | OK to keep your back knee bent while you build strength in your thighs and flexibility in your hamstrings. | Try placing chair cushions under your back knee. This eases pain in the knee and gives less distance for it to go before finding support. |
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| Working It | | | Once you've become comfortable with the basic Lunge, try the following strategy to get a strong work out for your thighs and hips and arms: | 1. Go into a Lunge.
2. Breathe in and out, easing into and out of the lunge, deepening and lightening your stretch, without holding the pose, like this: | | Breathing out,
deepen your lunge by - allowing your hips to sink
- straightening your back leg
- putting more weight on the back foot.
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| Breathing in - lift your body
- relaxing the stretch.
But don't release the pose, go directly into the first step again, deeping your stretch when you breathe out. |
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Tip
Have your thigh do the work, not your hands. Your hands are there only to steady you. Your hips should go straight up and down as you breathe in and out. | Tip
Breathe and move slowly and evenly! This builds control and muscle strength. | Best Breathing Theme for this variation: Breathing Theme Eleven.
or any Breathing Theme that has you start movements when you start breathing and end movements when you finish breathing. This will allow you to build control and strength. |
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| Do this posture at: |
| Red Level | Do the steps and enjoy a good stretch | | Orange Level | Do each pose using the Orange Level procedure.
OR for a simpler Orange Level routine:
Pay close attention to breathing in and out at the right time when doing each posture. | | Yellow Level | Match movements with the breath
For each step of going into and out of the pose:
Start the movement and the breath at the same time
Pace them together
End the movement and breath at the same time |
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Benefits: Strengthen thighs (quads), loosen hamstrings and inner thighs. Some upper body strengthening as well, and toe stretcher.
Time to Do: 3 mins.
Body Parts Used: Entire lower body, including thighs, legs, hamstrings, toes, also shoulders, upper arms.
Builds You Up for / Warms You Up for: Camel, Wheel (Back Push Up), Full Bow, Sun Salutation.
Build Up to This Posture / Warm Up with: Pelvic Lift, Bridge Pose, Half Bow, Balance Posture 1 & 2, Back Bend 1, 2 & 3
Combines well with: the rest of the Sun Salutation; Warrior poses; makes a good mini-routine with the Downward Dog.
Best Breathing Theme: Breathing themes that support strong muscle work outs, like Breathing Themes #2 and #4, or, for flexibity, the Yellow Level Breathing themes.
Energy Centers Used: First three: Root, Belly, Solar Plexus. |
