Get the Best Winter Activities
Tree Pose (Vrksasana)
Begin standing tall in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) with your feet together and arms by your sides. Shift your weight over to your right foot while lifting your left leg off the floor. Bend your left knee and bring the sole of your left foot onto your inner right leg as high as it will go. Either bring your palms together in front of your heart or reach your arms straight up above your head with your palms facing each other. To help you balance, focus your eyes on something that doesn't move. Shine your heart light up towards the sky. Repeat on opposite side and notice if it’s harder to balance on one side versus the other.
Tip: Balancing poses can be challenging for beans and adults alike. If your tree is wobbly, imagine you are a tree with branches and leaves swaying in the wind. If you fall over, become a log!
Knees to chest
Hug knees to your chest, hands on shins. Slowly roll left to right.
Forward Fold
Sit at the edge of your chair, feet flat on the floor. Reach up, inhale. Fold over your legs and let your body fall between your thighs. To come up pull your navel in and bring your body up.
Partner Boat Pose (Navasana)
Both Partners begin sitting up tall with their knees bent, feet on the floor, toes touching (foot-to-foot) and holding hands. With their heels on the floor, Partners press the soles of their feet into each other (one partner’s right foot will be pressing into the other partners left foot and vice versa). Then, Partners work together to lift their pairs of feet off the floor, one pair at a time, as they continue to hold hands and balance. Raise the boat’s "sails" by straightening one pair of legs at a time up towards the sky, while continuing to press the soles of the feet together. Partners can lift their chests up towards the sky and take a few breaths as they navigate their boat. Tip: When practicing partner poses, communication with your partner is key. It helps to make eye contact with your Partner and ask your Partner, “Does this feel okay for you?”
Some of these poses were contributed by Shane B. Kulman, MS, founder of Your Beautiful Child LLC, and some were contributed by Yogi Beans. Tune in weekly to hear Shane on Your Beautiful Child Radio and visit Yogi Beans at 1018 Lexington Ave., Upper East Side, Manhattan.
