As you sit quietly and immerse yourself in the peace and stillness of your own centered being… You’ll know that you are creative energy, spirit, a unique expression of God’s infinite self-expression, and that at your core is goodness.
You cannot drive out hate with hate. Only love can do that. -MLK
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
Four Limbed Staff Pose - Chaturanga Dandasana
via Yoga Journal
Bridge Pose | Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
Benefits
- Stretches the chest, neck, and spine
- Calms the brain and helps alleviate stress and mild depression
- Stimulates abdominal organs, lungs, and thyroid
- Rejuvenates tired legs
- Improves digestion
- Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
- Relieves menstrual discomfort when done supported
- Reduces anxiety, fatigue, backache, headache, and insomnia
- Therapeutic for asthma, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and sinusitis
Via Yoga Journal
Downward Facing Dog | Adho Mukha Svasana
Benefits
- Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
- Energizes the body
- Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches, and hands
- Strengthens the arms and legs
- Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
- Relieves menstrual discomfort when done with head supported
- Helps prevent osteoporosis
- Improves digestion
- Relieves headache, insomnia, back pain, and fatigue
- Therapeutic for high blood pressure, asthma, flat feet, sciatica, sinusitis
Contraindications and Cautions
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Diarrhea
- Pregnancy: Do not do this pose late-term.
- High blood pressure or headache: Support your head on a bolster or block, ears level between the arms.
via Yoga Journal
Easy Sit Pose | Sukhanasana
Benefits
- Calms the brain
- Strengthens the back
- Stretches the knees and ankles
via Yoga Journal
Camel | Utsrasana
Benefits
- Stretches the entire front of the body, the ankles, thighs and groins,
- Abdomen and chest, and throat
- Stretches the deep hip flexors (psoas)
- Strengthens back muscles
- Improves posture
- Stimulates the organs of the abdomen and neck
Contraindications and Cautions
- High or low blood pressure
- Migraine
- Insomnia
- Serious low back or neck injury
via Yoga Journal
Locust | Salabhasana
Benefits
- Strengthens the muscles of the spine, buttocks, and backs of the arms and legs
- Stretches the shoulders, chest, belly, and thighs
- Improves posture
- Stimulates abdominal organs
- Helps relieve stress
via Yoga Journal
Reclining Pigeon | Supta Padangusthasana
Benefits
- Stretches hips, thighs, hamstrings, groins, and calves
- Strengthens the knees
- Stimulates the prostate gland
- Improves digestion
- Relieves backache, sciatica, and menstrual discomfort
- Therapeutic for high blood pressure, flat feet, and infertility
via Yoga Journal
Sage or Seated Twist | Marichyasana III
Benefits
- Massages abdominal organs, including the liver and kidneys
- Stretches the shoulders
- Stimulates the brain
- Relieves mild backache and hip pain
- Strengthens and stretches the spine
Contraindications and Cautions
Serious back or spine injury: Perform this pose only with the supervision of an experienced teacher. Also avoid this pose if you have:
- High or low blood pressure
- Migraine
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Insomnia
via Yoga Journal
