Basic Class for Beginners

This class is very basic and simple. I recommend it to students that are busy to follow a schedule at a studio, or traveling a lot without the opportunity to follow a instructor…

Tadasana (Mountain Pose) – improves posture, improves bladder control.

During 3 deep breaths, stay in this pose trying to empty your mind, adjusting you body to start the others poses (opening chest, extending the spine, keeping both base of feet on the floor). Inhale look up, arms up, stretch all your body, keep the breath for 5 sec and relax when exhale with the arms on the side.

Before start the other asanas, warm up your body with three Sun Salutations. 
If you don't remember the sequence, click the link:
www.yogasite.com/sunsalute.htm

Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend) - calms the brain, relieve stress.

Stand in Tadasana, hands on hips. Exhale and bend forward from the hip joints, not from the waist. Try to grab your toes with the fingers if you can, or just grab your legs. Each time you exhale try to extend a little bit more. Keep for 5 breaths.

Vrksasana (Tree Pose) - improves balance

Bend the left knee, bringing the sole of the left foot high onto the inner right thigh, press the foot into the thigh and the thigh back into the foot. Keep your hands on the hips, and focus at any stopped point. When you feel balanced, extend arms and keep it for 5 breaths. Repeat w/ the other side.

Virabhadrasana I (Warrior Pose I) - improves balance, coordination and concentration

From Tadasana step your feet around 4 feet apart. Raise your arms perpendicular to the floor (and parallel to each other), bend the right knee, keep the left leg extended and the left feet diagonal from your body (around 45 degrees). Keep it for 5 breaths. Repeat w/ the other side.

Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II Pose) - Stimulates abdominal organs, increases stamina

From Tadasana step your feet around 4 feet apart. Raise your arms parallel to the floor and reach them actively out to the sides, shoulder blades wide, palms down. Bend the right knee; keep the left leg extended and the left feet diagonal from your body (around 45 degrees). Keep it for 5 breaths. Repeat w/ the other side.

Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose or butterfly) - Stimulates the heart and abdominal organs, improves circulation, and helps relieve mild depression, anxiety, and fatigue.

Sit and bend the knees bringing the soles of the feet together and letting the knees fall out to either side. Open your feet like a book, and grab your big toes w/ the fingers. Open chest, extend spine and come into a forward bend. Five breathings.

Marichyasana III - benefits the abdominal organs and spine, stimulates the brain.

Sit and bend your right knee bringing the heel close to your butt and wide, keep the left leg strong. Rotate your torso to the right and place your right hand behind you close to your sitting bones. Make a pressure with your left arm against the right leg and look up to your right shoulder. Keep it for 5 breaths. Repeat w/ the other side.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) - stimulates the thyroid, rejuvenates tired legs, improves digestion

Lie on the floor; bend the knees bringing the soles of the feet close to your butt. Lift the hips up towards the ceiling. Relax head, shoulders and arms. Pay attention on the breathing (inhale inflate, exhale empty chest stomach and belly). 5 deep breathings.
Relax for 1 deep breath bringing knees up to chest, balance body massaging back and repeat again the pose for + 5 breaths. Repeat the relax again, but after balance and massage your back, let your knees fall to the side and prepare to the last one:

Lie down in Savasana (Corpse Pose) - pacifies the body and quietness the mind by discharging muscular, nervous, mental and emotional tensions
Relax the whole body, including the face. Let the body feel heavy. Stay in this pose for 5 min. It's very important that you do this pose! The body needs this time to understand the new information it has received through practicing yoga.

Sit in lotus pose and recite the mantra OM 3 times when you exhale after a deep breath.

Patanjali (who wrote the Yoga Sutras and is considered to be the father of classical yoga) taught that when we chant this sacred syllable and simultaneously contemplate the meaning of it, our consciousness becomes "one-pointed: and prepared for meditation.

Good practice! Namaste!
Eli

Photos: www.yogajournal.com