Calling all of my yogis out there! Or, if you are a beginner who is interested in learning some yoga moves, this is the perfect challenge for you.
For 10 days, you will learn and try one new yoga pose. If you already know or are familiar with the designated pose, try to perfect it and practice at becoming even better! Try to do the pose at least 5 times throughout the day to get familiar with it.
Let's get started with the basics:
Day #1: Child's Pose
- Kneel on the floor in your yoga mat.
- Touch your big toes together and sit on your heels, then separate your knees about as wide as your hips.
- Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs.
- Lay your hands on the floor alongside your torso, palms up, and release the fronts of your shoulders toward the floor. Feel how the weight of the front shoulders pulls the shoulder blades wide across your back.
Day #2: Happy Baby Pose
- Lie on your back. With an exhale, bend your knees into your belly.
- Inhale, grip the outsides of your feet with your hands (if you have difficulty holding the feet directly with your hands, hold onto a belt looped over each sole.) Open your knees slightly wider than your torso, then bring them up toward your armpits.
- Position each ankle directly over the knee, so your shins are perpendicular to the floor. Flex through the heels. Gently push your feet up into your hands (or the belts) as you pull your hands down to create a resistance.
Day #3: Downward Facing Dog Pose
- Begin on your hands and knees. Your wrists should be underneath your shoulders, and your knees should be underneath your hips.
- Inhale as you tuck your toes under your heels. Then exhale to lift your hips, coming into an upside down "V" shape called Downward Facing Dog.
- Spread your fingers wide and create a straight line between your middle fingers and elbows. Work on straightening your legs and lowering your heels toward the ground. Relax your head between your arms and direct your gaze through your legs or up toward your belly button. Hold for five breaths.
Day #4: Upward Facing Dog Pose
- Lie face down on mat, palms directly under shoulders, elbows bent by sides, and legs extended, tops of feet flat on floor.
- Inhale, pressing firmly into palms pulling torso forward slightly.
- Straighten arms, rolling shoulders back and down, taking gaze slightly toward ceiling.
- Press into tops of feet, lifting torso and thighs a few inches off floor.
- Hold for 2 to 4 deep breaths.
Day #5: Corpse Pose
- Lie on your back with your legs straight and arms at your sides. Rest your hands about six inches away from your body with your palms up. Let your feet drop open. Close your eyes. Let your breath occur naturally.
- Allow your body to feel heavy on the ground.
- Working from the soles of your feet up to the crown of your head, consciously release every body part, organ, and cell. Make sure to relax your face.
- Stay in this pose for five minutes for every 30 minutes of your practice.
Day #6: Table Top Pose
- Sit on floor with knees bent, feet flat on floor, palms by sides with fingers facing forward.
- Inhale, pressing through heels and lifting hips until spine is perpendicular with floor, allowing head to fall back.
- Continue lifting hips as you breathe deeply, holding for 3 to 5 deep breathes.
Day #7: Mountain Pose
- Stand tall with feet together, shoulders relaxed, weight evenly distributed through your soles, arms at sides.
- Take a deep breath and raise your hands overhead, palms facing each other with arms straight.
- Reach up toward the sky with your fingertips.
Day #8: Bridge Pose
- Lie on floor with knees bent and directly over heels.
- Place arms at sides, palms down. Exhale, then press feet into floor as you lift hips.
- Clasp hands under lower back and press arms down, lifting hips until thighs are parallel to floor, bringing chest toward chin.
- Hold for 1 minute.
Day #9: Triangle Pose
- Extend arms out to sides, then bend over your right leg.
- Stand with feet about 3 feet apart, toes on your right foot turned out to 90 degrees, left foot to 45 degrees.
- Allow your right hand to touch the floor or rest on your right leg below or above the knee, and extend the fingertips of your left hand toward the ceiling.
- Turn your gaze toward the ceiling, and hold for 5 breaths.
- Stand and repeat on opposite side.
Day #10: Seated Twist
- Sit on the floor with your legs extended.
- Cross right foot over outside of left thigh; bend left knee. Keep right knee pointed toward ceiling.
- Place left elbow to the outside of right knee and right hand on the floor behind you.
- Twist right as far as you can, moving from your abdomen; keep both sides of your butt on the floor. Stay for 1 minute.
- Switch sides and repeat.