Valentine's Day Heart Openers!
Happy Valentines Day! This day is all about love. What better way to celebrate love then with some heart openers! Heart openers are very powerfulposes opening the heart chakra energy center and expanding the capacity to give and receive love. Whether you are madly in love or happily single, heart openers are a great way to open yourself up to new experiences, people, and LOVE!
Notice what comes up as you breathe through these poses. Perhaps send out some loving energy to a loved one as you open your heart or offer it up for self love! The Buddha says, "If you truly loved yourself you would never harm another." We hope your weekend is filled with so much LOVE!
UPWARD DOG:Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
-tiny bend in the elbows -press into the feet to lift the knees and thighs off the earth -reach your heart through the shoulder
CRESCENT MOON LUNGE: Anjaneyasan
-come into a low lunge -release the back knee down to the mat - toes can be curled under or flat on the mat -sink deep into the lunge - normally you never want your knee to come over the ankle in most poses but this pose is an exception to that rule. Lunge as deep as you can -interlace thumbs and reach back -expand your heart to the sky
DANCERS: Natarajasana
-capture the foot from the inside -inhale extend top arm to the sky, exhale kick into the pose -shoulder and hips working to square to the front of the room -Heart extends to the sky -Breathe into the heart
CAMEL: Ustrasana
-Bring the hands to low back, press the hips over the knees -slowly tilt back keeping the spine and neck long -open the heart to the sky like you have a string attached to the heart and it is pulling you upward -if you can see the wall behind you and you feel comfortable you can bring the hands to the feet. -Keep the lungs mostly full, taking small sips of air.
WHEEL: Urdhva Dhanurasana
-Bend the knees bringing the feet paraelle -Bring the palms under your shoulders with the fingertips pointing toward the feet. -Come to the crown of the head, check in that the forearms and feet are still paraelle -Inhale expand into full wheel, straightening the arms.