YOGA QUICK FIXES
ANYONE can do yoga — and you don’t need to go to class to start seeing the benefits. Each week yoga instructor Janine Thomas, left, takes one pose and explains how it can help to ease common health complaints. All it takes is ten minutes, in your own home, or you can slot it into your regular exercise regime. This week: How fierce pose strengthens hips and thighs... and is a simple way to warm up in winter.
THE POSE
THE cold is finally here and with it comes our new obsession: keeping warm. Woolly hats, thermals and hot drinks are all very well, but there is another way. Fierce pose, or utkatasana, has an uncanny way of building heat in the body rather quickly. It’s a surefire way to get toasty when you’re feeling cold and sluggish.
Fierce by name and fierce by nature, this is a powerful standing posture. It’s a serious thigh, calf and ankle strengthener, which is great if you’re getting fit for a ski holiday or working a little black dress any time soon. Fierce pose, also known as chair pose, works other parts of the body, too. It helps to reduce flat feet, opens the chest and shoulders and stimulates the abdominal organs. So think about sitting into chair pose, rather than slouching into a chair: you’ll feel warmer, more energised and be well on your way to getting perfectly toned party pins.
HOW TO DO IT
STAND on a firm surface with your feet either together or hip-width apart. Try both stances and see what feels more comfortable for you.
Ground down through the soles of your feet and balance your weight between the balls and heels. Relax your arms at the sides of the body. Close your eyes and feel an inhale rise from the soles of your feet all the way up to the crown of your head. Let the exhale travel all the way back down to the ground. Stay here for a few minutes and focus on this grounding, stabilising breath.
Open your eyes and press your palms together at the heart centre. Bend your knees. If the feet are apart, make sure they are parallel and the knees go out directly over your toes. The torso will come forward to form a right angle with your thighs. If you like, extend your arms up over the head, making sure to relax the shoulders and face the palms t ogether. Draw t he t ail bone towards the floor and feel the lower back lengthen while lifting the chest.
Come back to your feet. Keep the weight evenly balanced between the balls and heels — it’s trickier than it sounds!
Make sure the neck is comfortable; keep the jaw relaxed and the throat soft. Soften your gaze and look ahead. You might try a smile, it’s good distraction from any strong sensations going on in the thighs and bum!
Stay here for several breaths. To release, inhale and straighten the legs. Exhale and relax the hands to the sides of the body.
CAN ANYONE HAVE A GO?
THERE’S no escaping this thigh burner. Unless you have very low blood pressure or a bad headache, give fierce pose a go.
Beginners might like to practise next to a wall. Stand a few inches away and when you bend the knees, feel the tailbone rest on the wall for support. You might need to adjust your distance to get it right.
IF YOU have a yoga query email janine@thisisyoga.ie. Like thisis_yoga on Facebook or follow @thisis_yoga on Twitter