A WALK IN THE DOG PARK
The fire hydrant is not the most flattering of yoga poses, but it will improve your stamina on long strolls,
Calling all canines!
A new and improved Berczy Park has opened in downtown Toronto just in time for the dog days of summer.
The park features a large fountain, overseen by 27 life-sized cast-iron dogs and a couple of cats, designed to provide drinking water for downtown dogs and a bit of whimsy for their humans.
This week’s move is the aptly named Fire Hydrant Pose. While it may not be the most flattering of yoga poses, it will certainly bolster your outer hips and improve your stamina on long walks.
1. Begin on all fours with your hands set shoulder-distance apart and knees stacked below your hips.
2. Lift your right leg out to the right side, keeping both hip and knee joints bent at 90-degree angles. Lift only as high as is comfortable. 3. Stay for three breaths. 4. Those who are looking for a challenge can then straighten the right knee to hover the leg for three more breaths. Resist the urge to lean to the left.
5. Return the leg to the ground and wag your tail before repeating on the second side. About the park Berczy Park is a small, triangular downtown park bounded by Scott, Front and Wellington Sts. Originally opened in1980, the park was recently redesigned by Canadian landscape architect Claude Cormier, who also designed Toronto’s Sugar Beach. The new Berczy Park opened officially on June 28. YuMee Chung is a recovering lawyer who teaches yoga in Toronto. She is on the faculty of a number of yoga teacher training programs and leads international yoga retreats. Learn more about her at padmani.com.