Yoga with Abbie

As part of the yoga teacher training I went through we had an exam.  One of the questions was to list five poses I can’t live without any why.  I wanted to share ten of my favorite poses with you, in no particular order, and would love to know what your favorite poses are (and why)!

1. Downward Facing Dog – love the stretch and the feeling of being grounded
2. Camel – favorite backbend, forces me to breath evenly and great counter move for after bike rides
3. Tree – like the balancing challenge and the sense of calm needed to stay balanced, it’s almost meditative
4. Triangle – so many good things, balancing, the stretch, grounding into the floor, options to include a bind and change the pose even more
5. Reclining Butterfly – I feel very connected to my body and like I can really tune into what my body needs and it is just incredibly relaxing
6. Pigeon – I’m really learning to like this pose because it really gets into my hips and IT band, falls into the category of sometimes the things you like to do the least are what you need to do the most
7. Runners Lunge – love the options to drop to a low lunge, add a twist or use this as a start to rise up into crescent lunge
8. Bridge – this is a great shoulder and hip opener and like using props to change the pose from an active to a more passive, or yin pose at the end of a practice
9. Twists – reclining twist, elevated reclining twist or a supported twist lying over bolsters, I enjoy the stretching feel of the twist through the side of my torso and into my hips and legs
10. Child’s pose – having the opportunity to relax, melt my forehead into the mat and let my hips sink between my feet is very calming

Adding a few sun salutations to this mix and ending with savasana makes for one of my favorite home practices.

Look forward to hearing your favorite poses!