Day 28: Blowing in Firm Pose

Kapalbhati in Vajrasana, Blowing in Firm Pose

“Final Breathing” — the two best words you hear on your first day of class. This exercise can be hard to get the hang of at first, but it is so simple! Sit in firm pose (kneel down position). If firm pose is painful in your knees and/or ankles, you may sit cross-legged, but however you chose to sit your spine should be straight. Relax your face, your shoulders, and your abdomen. You blow out the mouth, and your inhale will happen automatically. Your belly should pump in and out with each exhale, greatly benefiting your abdominal muscles, internal organs, and digestive system. Remember, your lips and teeth should take no part in this breathing exercise ;-)

Benefits of Blowing in Firm include:

• Detoxifies and cleanses body by removing stale air and toxins from the lungs.

• Brings mental clarity.

• Strengthens abdominal organs.

• Energizes body.

• Improves oxygenation to the entire body.

• Improves cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

• Good for high blood pressure.

Day 27: Spine Twist

Ardha-Matsyendrasana, Half Seated Spine Twist

We’ve reached the last posture! Class isn’t over until final breathing is complete — so the challenging part about spine twist is simply staying present and mindful while you practice it. We are often tired and/or already thinking about all of the things we have to do after class, but stick with it! A tip for spine twist is to get your spine as straight as you can before you start to twist. This might mean that you do not wrap your arm around to grab your thigh behind you, and that is OK! Pressing your back hand into the ground for a period of time might give you exactly the leverage that you need to get a better twist.

Benefits of Spine Twist Include:

• Increases circulation and nutrition to spinal nerves, veins, and tissues.

• Improves spinal elasticity and flexibility.

• Helps cure lumbago and rheumatism of the spine.

• Improves digestion.

• Helps to relieve lower back pain — if you are suffering from low back pain, spine twisting can feel amazing! However, you must go very slow. Never push it when you are working through an injury.

Day 26: Stretching Pose

Paschimottanasana, Stretching Pose

This posture is strategically at the end so that you are nice and warm to stretch your entire body! This posture looks like hands to feet pose turned on its side, but the mechanics of it are more like standing separate leg stretching (first your legs stretch, then your hips, then your whole spine). Before you bend your elbows and pull your toes, your legs need to be straight with thighs contracted. Once you’re able to lock your knees, flex your feet as much as possible (from the ankle joint) so that all 10 toes turn back towards your face. With your knees locked and your feet flexed, your heels really will lift off the floor! Then only, bend your elbows down towards the floor. Remember, you are trying to keep your spine straight, so look forward as you stretch and pull your lower belly in and up to stretch deeper in your hips and lower back.

Benefits of Stretching Pose Include:

• Stretches the entire spine, shoulders, hamstrings.

• Stimulates the liver, kidneys, ovaries, and uterus.

• Improves digestion.

• Helps to relieve the symptoms of menopause and menstrual discomfort.

• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression.

Day 25: Head to Knee Pose

Janushirasana, Head to Knee Pose

We are nearing the end! Head to Knee posture is a great posture to practice several ranges of motion we’ve been working on throughout the entire class: 1) Rounding and stretching your entire spine, 2) Improving mobility in your shoulder joints by bending your elbows down, (just like standing head to knee!) 3) Maintaining the 10 finger interlaced grip to strengthen your fingers and improve dexterity, and 4) Flexing your foot to stretch the Achilles tendon and improve mobility in your ankle joint. Sometimes at the end of class, our minds are already out the door, so you have to be extra mindful here towards the end. Remember, if you cannot touch your head to your knee yet , bend your knee to make forehead to knee connection. With patience and practice you will get your leg straight here.

Benefits of Head to Knee Include:

• Helps to balance blood sugar levels and the metabolism

• Improves the flexibility of the sciatic nerve, ankle, knee, and hip joints

• Enhances kidney function

• Increases circulation to the liver, spleen, and pancrea

• Prepares you for tomorrow’s Standing Head to Knee!

Day 24: Rabbit Pose

Sasangasana, Rabbit Pose

Any posture in Bikram Yoga where you cannot see yourself can feel tricky at first. We cue looking at yourself in the mirror throughout the class, but in Rabbit pose you are all squished up and cannot see yourself. This is a great opportunity to FEEL what is going on in your body! The first step of Rabbit is to get a tight grip on your heels. Once you’ve got the grip, use an exhale to pull the low belly in and up, and start to round down. Make sure you go slow in this setup — it is important to get tight and compact from the very beginning to get maximum benefit from this posture. Get your forehead as close to your knees as possible (one day it WILL touch), top of your head to the floor, and then pull your heels as you lift your hips up. You pull on your heels throughout the entirety of the posture to provide you with leverage to stretch your spine. Your spine can be stretched 12+ inches longer in this posture than it was in Camel, how cool!

Benefits of Rabbit Include:

• Helps maintain mobility and elasticity of the spine and back muscles.

• Provides maximum longitudinal extension of the spine

• Nurtures the nervous system and regulates hormones.

• Brings blood to the brain; regulates the thalamus and hypothalamus.

• Improves digestion and relieves glandular problems

• Improves neck and shoulder flexibility.

Day 23: Camel Pose

Ustrasana, Camel Pose

Oh Camel pose. Camel pose is the deepest backward bend in the series! This is one of those postures that you might have a challenging relationship with. Deep backward bending postures can be very disorienting when you first start to practice them. It is normal to come out of Camel pose and feel dizzy, nauseous, sad, angry, blissful, euphoric, etc. There is an entire spectrum of feelings from this one, which is very cool when you think about it. It takes tremendous bravery to practice this posture, because you never quite know what you are going to experience until you are doing it. We promise that the more you practice it, the blissful and euphoric experiences will begin to far outnumber the unpleasant experiences.

Benefits of Camel Pose Include:

• Relieves back problems by compressing spine

• Stimulates nervous system

• Improves neck flexion

• Flushes blood through kidneys

• Promotes elimination of toxins

• Opens shoulders, rib cage, lungs, and digestive system

• Strengthens back and shoulder muscles

• Invigorates and improves flexibility of neck and spine–especially thoracic spine

• Extends throat, thyroid gland, and parathyroid glands

• Helps cure constipation by stretching abdominal organs

• Strengthens the abdominal muscles

• Develops tremendous willpower and concentration

Day 22: Half Tortoise Pose

Ardha Kurmasana, Half Tortoise Pose

This posture before Camel is meant to give you the boost of energy that you need to finish the class. This is a fantastic shoulder opening posture. If you have a challenging time straightening your arms in the standing series, this is your posture! Here, gravity is working with you, so you might find it easier to get your arms straighter. This posture is also an inversion ( a little baby inversion!), and floods your brain with oxygen! You get the benefits of doing a posture such as a handstand or headstand, but anyone can do it!

Benefits of Half Tortoise include:

• Rejuvenates and relaxes — this posture can be practiced anytime whether you are warmed up or not!

• Assists in relieving digestion problems

• Stretches the lower part of the lungs and helps to increase lung capacity

• Excellent for respiratory conditions

• Helps with insomnia

• Increases flexibility in the hips and shoulders

• Floods the brain with fresh oxygenated blood

Day 21: Fixed Firm Pose

Supta-Vajrasana, Fixed Firm Pose

No you don’t have “bad knees”, but your knees might not be as mobile as they once were. We have good news for you — although this seems like the “knee posture”, really the entire Bikram Yoga sequence is helping to improve the condition of your knees. This posture is a big stretch for the knee joint, and we highly recommending taking it slow and easy. If your knees, feet, and/or ankles are hurting in the setup of this pose, open your knees wider. This will take some of the pressure out of your knees. Only go as far as you can while breathing normal, and make sure you feel absolutely no pain. Sometimes we are so focused on getting all the way back, that we forget to simply take it one step at a time. Go slow, try the right way, and don’t give up!

Benefits of Fixed Firm include:

• Lubricates and increases circulation to joints which over time will strengthen and improve the flexibility of the lower spine, knees and ankle joints.

• Helps conditions of sciatica, gout, varicose veins and rheumatism in the legs.

• Slims and tones thighs.

• Firms calf muscles.

• Lengthens and strengthens the abdominal mucles

Day 20: Bow Pose

Dhanurasana, Bow Pose

The finale of the spine strengthening series, this backbend compresses your entire spine top to bottom! When we see a beautiful bow posture, it’s normal to think “wow, they are so flexible!” But every posture requires a balance of strength and flexibility. For bow in particular, your legs have to be incredibly strong to lift you off of the ground! When you practice bow pose, be mindful that your knees and feet stay no more than 6 inches apart (about hips width distance) and use the power in your legs to kick! As you kick, relax through your chest and shoulders, and do your best to keep your face relaxed. No matter how high you are able to kick, this posture works wonders for your spine!

Benefits of Bow Pose Include:

• Relieves back problems by compressing spine.

• Stimulates nervous system.

• Improves neck flexion.

• Flushes blood through kidneys.

• Opens shoulders.

• Strengthens back and shoulder muscles.

• Increases circulation to the heart and lungs.

• Opens rib cage, diaphragm and expands the chest region improving oxygen intake.

Day 19: Full Locust Pose

Poorna-Salabhasana, Full Locust Pose

This posture targets your middle spine and is the only pose in the entire sequence in which you do not use any leverage to help move your body. You are only using your back strength, focus, and determination to life your arms, body, head, and legs off of the floor! Just like Cobra Pose, it might be challenging to keep your two legs together throughout the posture. Unless pain is telling you to back off, keep trying to bring your legs together with all of your might. To help life your upper body, use your eyes to look up and back. One day, you will have only your hips bones on the floor with the rest of your body in the air!

Benefits of Locust Pose Include:

• Increases spinal strength and flexibility helping to relieve back pain

• Improves functioning intestines, liver, kidney, and spleen

• Permits maximum expansion of the lungs

• Accelerates circulation of spinal fluid

• Improves digestion

• Helps relieve lumbago, rheumatism and arthritis of the spine

• Strengthens the immune system and revitalizes the thyroid

Day 18: Locust Pose

Salabhasana, Locust Pose

We know, your elbows probably hurt in this posture and it’s completely normal. If your elbows do hurt, the next time you practice this posture ask yourself, “Is this a sensation is discomfort, or am I actually feeling pain.” When we say “____ should/might hurt” we always mean that you might be feeling an intense feeling of discomfort. These uncomfortable sensations are actually quite desirable because it means that change is happening! For most of us, our elbows are meant all day long. Especially if you work at a computer, you will spend the majority of your time with your elbows bent. Straightening your arms all the way is the first step in this posture. Once you have straight arms, you can start to work them closer and closer together until they are completely underneath your stomach, invisible.

Benefits of Locust Post include:

• Helps with tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis in the wrists and hands.

• Effective in helping conditions of slipped disc and sciatica, relieving and prevent backache.

• Firms buttocks and hips.

• Increases spinal strength, flexibility and circulation.

• Relieves menstrual pain.

• Increases abdominal pressure and regulates intestinal function.

• Corrects cervical spondylosis.

Day 17: Cobra Pose

Bhujangasana, Cobra Pose

There are many different variations of Cobra Pose, and the one that we practice is very specifically targeting your lower back. This is why we have you zip your legs up “like a cobra tail” (we know, Cobras do not have tails). At first, a couple of things might be happening. 1) You might not be able to keep your legs together, or doing so might cause too much pressure in your lower back. If this is happening, keep your legs as close together as possible by energetically pressing them together AND use your muscles! Tighten up your thighs so that your kneecaps lift off to the ground and firm up your glutes . 2) You also may not be able to lift your upper body up until only your belly button is touching the floor. If this is happening, you can use your hands to help you lift up to your belly button. Over time, you will develop enough strength and flexibility to keep your legs engaged and together “solid one piece” and you will be able to backbend enough to get your entire upper body off of the floor using only your 100% back strength!

Benefits of Cobra Pose include:

• Increases spine strength, especially in the lower spine.

• Increases spine flexibility.

• Relieves and prevents lower back pain.

• Improves posture.

• Improves digestion.

• Improves kidney, liver, and spleen function.

• Strengthens the deltoids, trapezius, and triceps muscles in the upper body.

Day 16: Wind Removing Pose

Pavanamuktasana, Wind Removing Pose

This posture seems very simple and straightforward, which it is, but it is packed with benefits! Wind removing is a very gentle hip opener, it’s great for lengthening your spine beneath you, and it is fantastic for your digestive system. In the single legs as you pull your knee in close to your shoulder, go for maximum pressure in your hip and abdomen. This means that the posture might be uncomfortable, but you should never feel pain. Especially if hips are tight, go slow, be extra mindful, and remember to relax your shoulders and your breathing. With both legs, it is very common that students cannot yet grab their elbows. Get the best grip that you can today, and keep trying every time you are in class to get those elbows! Remember, don’t use your towel here to get the grip — you will build strength in your fingers as you work to keep the grip through the sweat.

Benefits of Wind Removing Include:

• Regulates and normalizes hydrochloric acid levels in the stomach

• Improves and may cure conditions of constipation, flatulence and hyperacidity

• Relieves lower back pain

• Improves flexibility of the hip joints

• Firms and tones muscles of the abdominal wall, thighs and hips

• Will help to maintain regular digestion when combined with a healthy diet

Day 15: Savasana

Savasana, Corpse Pose

Ahhhhhhhh, Savasana. Just like every other posture, there is a form to Savasana and you are definitely practicing your yogi skills of patience and self-discipline. For Corpse Pose, you bring your arms and legs in close, heels touching, and toes fall open naturally. There is a slight rotation in your shoulders to face your palms up towards the ceiling. Focus your eye gaze one spot, and then relax — softening your whole body top to bottom. We are incredibly over stimulated throughout our day, so relaxing like this might be the most challenging part of class. One of the most important things to remember is that this is a posture just like every other posture, and it requires practice. Over time, you will learn the superpower of being calm, present, and aware while also being still and relaxed.

Benefits of Savasana Include:

• Facilitates powerful blood flow throughout your entire body.

• Allows circulation return to normal, creating internal cleansing and greatly magnifying the benefits of the postures that precede it.

• We begin to learn relaxation. By finding stillness in our bodies, we can one day experience stillness in our minds.

***These stickers on our floor are floor graphics from Sticker Mule and they are the absolute BEST. We’ve been using them since reopening during the pandemic to indicate where students place their mats. We also have them throughout our studio to assist in maintaining 6 feet distance from others. We’re slightly obsessed with them, and although we wish we could pack 40+ people in our room like the old days, it is so nice to have the room organized and symmetrical. We also have some Hot Yoga Richmond fridge magnets from Sticker Mule that we are giving away for free! We have found that they also work well as car magnets. Grab yours the next time you are in the studio!

Day 14: Toe Stand

Padangustasana, Toe Stand

We’ve reached the last posture of the standing series! This is the last posture between you and Savasana, and a lot of us would rather just skip it. First of all, if you feel that your knees aren’t ready for Toe Stand, we feel you! But rather than skip it altogether, treat Toe Stand like any other posture — try the right way, go as far as you can. You practice the ranges of motion necessary to execute Toe Stand in 3rd part awkward and in Tree Pose, so if Toe Stand seems impossible in the beginning, focus on improving these other two postures. Remember, the Bikram yoga series works together as a whole to give you more freedom of movement, so give each posture your honest effort no matter how far you can go!

Benefits of Toe Stand Include:

• Improves mental concentration and patience.

• Strengthens the muscles of the core.

• Helps to cure rheumatism and arthritis in the knees, ankles, and feet.

• Strengthens weak ankle and knee joints.
  

Day 13: Tree Pose

Tadasana, Tree Pose

When you see Tree Pose it looks very simple, but at this point in class your internal body temperature is at its hottest, so it can make Tree Pose feel extra challenging. This Pose is meant to calm down your nervous system, refocus your energy inwards, and prepare you for Savasana. It is a one-legged balancing posture, so you will reapply the techniques you have already practiced throughout the class: concentration, single pointed focus (drishti), and a locked knee. This variation of Tree pose is also meant to be preparation for Lotus posture, so bring your foot up as high as you possibly can on your thigh. We are aiming for the “costume” meaning your bent leg foot should be as close to your hip crease as possible. There is no rush to move both of your hands, so if your foot is slipping, keep holding your foot! Lastly, make sure your spine is as straight as possible. If you are hunching forward or leaning to one side, really bring your awareness to your spine and lengthen up out of your waist.

Benefits of Tree Pose include:

• Relieves lower-back pain

• Releases tension in belly

• Prevents hernia

• Stretches spine and adductors along inner thigh

• Improves balance and posture

• Increases flexibility of ankles, knees, and hip joints

• Enhances mobility of knees and hip

• Helps correct posture

• Invigorates Internal oblique muscles and leg muscles–particularly calves and quadriceps

Day 12: Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee

Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee, Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Janushirasana

“The one after triangle” is such an amazing beneficial posture! Since it comes after the peak of the standing series, this is one of the postures where you might find yourself just going through the motions. First and foremost, make sure you have a big enough step! The step is 3 feet minimum, so if you are tall, you will need an even larger step. Next, practice going into this one slowly. We take time in the setup to align the feet and hips, but sometimes we go into it too fast and lose that alignment on the way down. It takes incredible strength in your core and legs to go in and out of this one slowly. If you are trying with all of your might to get your head to your knee and it still isn’t happening, don’t worry! Make sure you are using your abdominal muscles to pull the low belly in and up to the best of your ability. With time, practice, and patience you will be able to get your head on your knee with your palms together in namaskar and both legs straight!

Benefits of Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee include:

• Compresses belly and throat to flush out and stimulate abdominal organ

• Alleviates diabetic disorders

• Balances levels of blood sugar

• Aids immune system and metabolic functions by stimulating thyroid

• Helps regulate pancreas and revitalizes kidneys

• Works digestive, endocrine, and reproductive systems

• Enhances flexibility of calves, hamstrings, sciatic nerves, and spine

• Strengthens abdominal muscles and legs (particularly calves and quadriceps)

• Slims belly, buttocks, hips, and waistline

• Invigorates and stretches shoulders (especially deltoids and trapezius)

Day 11: Triangle Pose

Trikonasana, Triangle Pose

Triangle is the “peak” of the standing series, working every single muscle in your body and testing your stamina, strength, flexibility, and will-power. If you can get through triangle breathing normally, you can rest assured that your heart and lungs are in excellent shape!

As a beginner, you might not be able to sit down low enough to get your thigh parallel to the floor. However, it is important to keep trying! Your body is constantly evolving and changing so just because you can’t do something when you first start, doesn’t mean that you won’t get there eventually. Another important thing to remember is that your elbow should not go below your knee. This requires incredible strength! We promise that one day you will be able to get all of the components of this posture: thigh parallel to the floor, hips parallel to the floor, elbow at the knee, fingers touching the toes, two arms in one line from the front and the side, and breathing of course normal.

Benefits of Triangle Pose Include:

• Strengthens every muscles of your body (besides your face muscles which should be relaxed of course)

• Improves chemical imbalances in the body.

• Cleanses the lymph nodes, the visceral system and the mammary glands.

• Flexing and strengthening the last five vertebrae in this posture can alleviate crooked spines, as well as rheumatism and lower back pain.

• Improves the immune system and the circulatory system.

• Compresses the pancreas, kidneys, thyroid, parathyroid and thymus glands.

Day 10: Standing Separate Leg Stretching

Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimotthanasana (say that 3 times fast!), Standing Separate Leg Stretching

This posture is an amazing stretch for your entire body “bones to skin, inside out.” To achieve your maximum stretch, it is very important that you learn to properly lock your knees before you add the pull. If you are unable to get your legs straight, we recommend starting with your hands on the floor in front of you, and first work to straighten your legs. In our yoga room, we are lucky to have side mirrors — so every now and then, sneak a peak in the side mirror! Eventually, your legs should be completely straight (ankles, knees, hips stacked) and your thighs contracted and abdominal muscles pulled in and up. Once you have that strength and alignment in your legs, you can really start to stretch your spine. One day your spine can be perfectly straight, with your head on the floor. But remember, the goal is not necessarily to touch your head to the floor. The goal is to create space in your body wherever you need it most!

Benefits of Standing Separate Leg Stretching include:

• Increases circulation to the brain and adrenal glands

• Treats and prevents sciatica

• Helps the functioning of most of the internal abdominal organs, especially the small and large intestines

• Improves the muscle tone and flexibility of thighs and calves, the pelvis, ankles, and hip joints

• Increases the flexibility of the last five vertebra of the spine

• Calms the nervous system

• Helps to reduce abdominal obesity

• Helps with diabetes and hyperacidity

• Releases the lower back and hips.

• Exercises the muscular, adrenal, and reproductive systems

Day 9: Balancing Stick

Tuladandasana, Balancing Stick

Who knew it could be so hard to keep your arms with your ears!? We ask you to keep your arms and head together throughout this 10(ish) second posture. As a beginner, your shoulders might not allow you to straighten your arms all the way yet, but you must keep trying! For reasons of stamina, strength building, and self-discipline, do not succumb to the temptation to drop your arms unless you are working through an injury or are pregnant. You can absolutely do it!

Benefits of Balancing Stick include:

• Increases cardiovascular circulation, especially to the heart blood vessels.

• Helps to clear blocked arteries.

• Helps prevent future cardiac problems.

• Relieves stress from the spine.

• Good for preventing and/or reducing varicose veins.

• Builds strength in the legs, hips, abdominal muscles, and shoulders.

• Exercises the pancreas, spleen, liver, nervous and circulatory system.