In the event you suppose yoga is all about handstands and contorting your physique into near-impossible poses, it’s best to know that there are a number of other ways to apply yoga. Light yoga, for instance, is suitable for nearly anybody, newbies and veterans alike.
“Light yoga presents a nurturing and compassionate method to the physique,” says Sarah Cummins, RYT 500, E-RYT 200, YACEP, yoga teacher and authorized private coach. “It’s typically taught in a means that each one folks can simply take part.”
What Is Light Yoga?
Light yoga is a gradual, tranquil apply by which you usually maintain poses for prolonged durations of time.
“Light yoga will be taught in quite a lot of methods, based mostly in your teacher’s yoga fashion or lineage and expertise,” Cummins says. “Light yoga could mix a gradual move with longer-held restorative positions that always embrace an emphasis on the breath in addition to meditation practices.”
Whereas every class will differ, right here’s what you possibly can count on in a delicate yoga class based on Cummins:
- Cues on safely and adequately align your physique.
- Suggestions to make use of props similar 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.
- Plenty of choices and modifications to “meet you the place you might be and depart house on your exploration of poses,” she says.
Sorts of light yoga
Some yoga studios supply “gradual move” courses which might be a gentler type of vinyasa yoga. And restorative yoga and yin yoga are each thought-about “light” yoga practices.
Whereas each restorative yoga and yin yoga are light on the physique, there are some variations between the 2 types:
Restorative yoga: Incorporates roughly 5 or 6 postures which might be meant 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 just launch all stress out of your muscle mass.
Yin yoga: Holds fewer poses for longer durations (three-to-five minutes), however “you might be penetrating to the deepest layers of connective tissue to convey elasticity, mobility, and power again to tight muscle mass. Most yin poses are accomplished totally on the ground and can more than likely really feel more difficult than these in restorative yoga,” Cummins says.
Is Light Yoga Good For Newcomers?
Light yoga is a superb entry level to yoga for newbies. “Light yoga permits college students to maneuver via postures slowly and mindfully and apply yoga in a secure and efficient means,” Cummins says.
Nevertheless it’s not solely for newbies.
“It’s a rewarding apply for the younger and outdated, 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 apply gentler by including props, not going as “deep” right into a pose, or shifting extra slowly.
Together with extra intense flows, Yoga52 and Beachbody Yoga Studio on BODi each supply soothing practices that you are able to do at residence to wind down from a protracted day at work, settle down after a exercise, or prepare for mattress.
In the event you’re trying to create your individual move, listed below are some poses to strive.
1. Mountain pose (Tadasana)
- Begin standing along with your massive toes touching and your heels barely aside. Your arms ought to relaxation by your sides, palms going through ahead.
- Interact your thighs and lengthen your tailbone right down to create a protracted 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 (think about 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 fingers 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 at the least 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 fingers instantly beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips. Convey your massive 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. Choice to achieve your arms behind you and cup your heels.
- Keep for just a few breaths/minutes.
4. Cat-cow stretch (Bitilasana and marjaryasana)
Inhale: Cow pose
- From baby’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 fingers at your sides on the bottom.
- Soften your knees (choice to position a blanket beneath your knees).
- Draw your abs in and hinge at your hips to fold over your thighs. Stroll your fingers down your legs towards your ft. Keep away from rounding your again or utilizing your arms to drag your self into the pose.
- Maintain for 5 or extra breaths. With every exhale, attempt to calm down 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 instantly beneath you (keep away from tucking your tailbone).
- Contact the soles of your ft collectively. Open your knees huge like a ebook (choice to slip two blocks beneath your knees in case you have any knee stress).
- 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 at the least 5 breaths or one minute.
7. Blissful 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. Convey 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 just a few 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 going through 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 calm down your total physique as you gradual your respiration and relaxation for at the least 5 minutes.
