Pose of the Week: Easy Pose

Easy Pose

This week’s POTW is Sukhasana, also knows as Easy Pose. This pose is great for stretching the hips, knees and ankles and increasing flexibility throughout the spine, shoulders and chest. Also, twisting helps stimulate and tone the abdominal organs, which helps in detoxification, boosting energy and improving overall health!

Step 1: Sit on the edge of your yoga mat and extend your legs in front of your body and sit up straight. Then, cross your legs in front of you at the shins, placing each foot beneath the opposite knee.

Step 2: Balance your weight evenly across your sit bones. Align your head, neck, and spine. Lengthen your spine, but soften your neck. Relax your feet and thighs.

Step 3: Place your right hand on the floor behind you. Bring your left hand to the outside of your right knee, exhaling as you gently twist to the right. Inhale again as you lengthen your spine, and exhale as you twist deeper. Gaze over your right shoulder.

Step 4: Keep your collarbones broad. Do not round your shoulders and sit up straight. Do not lean your torso forward in order to obtain a deeper twist. Instead, twist only as far as you can go while keeping your head aligned directly over your tailbone.

Step 5: Hold for up to 10 breaths.

Step 6: Exhale as you come back to the center.

Step 7: Change the cross of your legs and repeat the twist on the opposite side for the same length of time.

Step 8: To release the pose, come back to center.