Marc Royce

If you’re wishing for more amazing abs, you’re not alone. Almost everyone I know—no matter how fit they are—longs for a flatter belly. Fortunately, yoga can help. My favorite core strengthener and ab-toner (it targets every major ab muscle) is called Boat Pose. For best results, do this move every day.

How to:
Sit with your feet on the floor, knees bent, hands beneath your knees for support. Keeping your chest lifted and shoulders back, engage your ab muscles and raise your lower legs until they are parallel to the floor (your knees should still be bent) and you are balancing on your sitting bones.

If this feels comfortable, begin to straighten your legs (stop if you feel any discomfort in your back) and stretch your arms forward. Hold for 5–15 breaths, then release. Repeat up to 5 times.

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Many people start practicing yoga to help alleviate back pain. As a yoga teacher, the most common question I’m asked is, “What can I do to stretch out my back?” While your back may feel like it needs to be stretched out, more than anything it needs to be strengthened. Our backs already have a decent amount of flexibility from day-to-day activity. But in our day-to-day activities—sitting at our desks, in our cars, and on our couches—the muscles that should be holding us up have just atrophied. If you take some time to build up the muscles along your spine, I guarantee you’ll no longer have that feeling of needing a good stretch. Locust Pose is a great place to start.

Begin by lying on your belly with your feet hip’s width apart. Press the tops of your feet down and into the floor. Press hard enough that your thighs firm and your kneecaps actually lift up off the floor. Lift your belly into your spine and press your tailbone down toward the floor. This will stabilize your lower back so that your upper back does most of the work in this pose. Interlace the fingers behind you and squeeze your arms as straight as possible. If this isn’t possible, hold onto a towel or strap behind you. Lengthen your arms back and then begin to lift your head, chest, and shoulders up off the floor. You will notice that your arms slide back.

 

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Try to pick your hands up off of your body so they are in line with the shoulders, if possible. Don’t jam your chin up—this can hurt the back of your neck and doesn’t help strengthen the back at all. Hold for 5–15 breaths. Release and repeat 3–5 times. Afterward, take Child’s Pose to give your spine some relief. Please make sure to do all of these moves slowly and gently.

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It seems like all the yoga we do these days is to strengthen our abs and tighten flab, but as we enter the holiday season, we need a great way to relax too. Certain yoga stretches are prime de-stressing tools. But don’t start reaching for your toes just yet. Forward bends put a lot of pressure on your back. Stretching while lying on your back is a great way to become more flexible in your legs and hips without putting too much pressure on your spine.

The simplest way to begin is by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Press your belly into the floor as much as possible, but do know that there is a natural curve in your lower back that you should not flatten out all the way. Raise your right leg up to the ceiling and hold your shin, ankle, or foot.

Next, you have a couple of options. If you like, you can straighten your leg and put a towel or strap around your foot to grab onto. Or, if you’re not that flexible yet, you may keep your leg straight but hold your leg wherever it feels comfortable. For example, holding the back of your thigh will allow you to get a deep stretch without pushing yourself too hard.

Once you have established your comfortable version of this stretch, check in with the rest of your body. Your head and shoulders should be on the floor completely. If your hand placement has made you lift up off the floor, you’re pushing too much. Back off until your head and shoulders can relax back down. Keeping the belly firm, draw the right leg in as far as is comfortable.

 

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The left leg remains bent until you know you are in a good spot. Only then, if you are relaxed and know you can go deeper, do you straighten the left leg onto the floor. If you are doing this, press the left leg totally straight, roll the thigh in, and press the leg into the floor as much as possible. If this feels like too much, go back to the bent knee version.

Hold this reclined leg stretch for 10–30 breaths, or 30 seconds to 2 minutes per side. Don’t push, but the longer you hold the pose, the more effective it will be. Release and try the stretch on your other side. This is a great pose to do after cooling down from a run or Spin class, or as you’re winding down to go to bed.

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As the days grow shorter and the holiday season looms on the horizon, I find my body tends to tense up. One of the best yoga postures for stress relief is Eagle Pose. It opens up your shoulders, releases neck tension, strengthens your quads, and engages your core. It’s an all-over body toner and stress reducer. And since it can be practiced in stages, it’s an ideal posture for yogis of every level.

New yogis—or even those just wanting some all-natural tension tamers—should focus on the “wings,” or upper body element, of Eagle Pose. Begin standing up, with your right arm in front of you making an “L” shape. Then wrap your left arm under and in front of your right, and bring your palms together in a prayer position. Lift your arms up and away from your face to ensure the proper alignment of the pose. This simple part of Eagle Pose can be practiced several times a day, and you can do it anywhere—on an airplane, in line at the coffee shop, and even stopped at a red light.

 

(Thomas Hoefgen)

Once you have achieved that stage of Eagle, you’re ready to add the leg component to this pose. Maintain the stretch in your upper body as you bring your feet together and sit back and down, like you’re hovering above the seat of a chair. Don’t take your thighs any lower than parallel to the floor. Make sure you sit both back and down, as if there were an actual chair behind you. Pull your belly in and up, and draw your tailbone down.

This is all plenty of work on its own. But if you’d like to incorporate the balance aspect of this pose, wrap your left leg over your right. Then curl your left foot’s toes around the ankle or shin of your right leg. Hold whatever version of the posture you like for 5–15 breaths. Release and repeat on the other side.

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Marc Royce

I used to think that grace was something you either had or didn’t have—until I discovered yoga. Yoga’s many challenging balancing postures helped me develop all the tiny muscles needed to move fluidly, and they can do the same for you. Tree Pose is the easiest of them to master, but don’t let that fool you: Just doing this move once a day will improve your balance and make you feel more lovely. Remember to move slowly, which is the key to balance and grace.

How to:
Begin standing with feet shoulder-width apart. Shift weight to right foot, and raise left foot to let it rest either against the inside of your right ankle (beginner), just above the inside of your right knee (intermediate), or at the top inside of your right thigh (advanced; shown at right).

For more stability, squeeze the bot\tom of your left foot and the inside of your right leg together, lift belly in and up, and draw tailbone down. Fix eyes on a single, non-moving spot, and slowly begin to lift your arms above your head. Hold for 5–15 breaths, then release and repeat on the other side.

 
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One of my favorite fall rituals is watching squirrels running around the local park, gathering nuts and preparing for the long winter months to come. While we’re not hoarding cans in our basement, we prepare for the long winter too. Aside from getting a flu shot and stocking up on vitamin C, yoga inversions can help store our energy for the chilly months ahead.

If you’ve avoided inversions because they put so much pressure on your neck, Dolphin Pose is a great way to get all the benefits—like increased blood flow to the head and lymph nodes—without any of the risks. Plus this posture doesn’t put any strain on your wrists, so it’s ideal for people suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome or general wrist pain.

Begin on your hands and knees. Place your elbows directly under your shoulders and put your forearms on the floor. Interlace your fingers and press your forearms and hands into the floor firmly. Curl your toes under and press your hips up and back the way you would for Downward Dog. (Dolphin Pose is essentially Downward Dog, but the weight remains on your forearms instead of your wrists). Attempt to press your heels down and your thighs back.

The most important thing is to get a straight line between the top of your head and the base of your spine, so feel free to walk your feet back and bend your knees. Lastly, touch your heels to the floor. Lengthen your spine and keep your head off the floor but your neck relaxed. This should open your shoulders, create upper body strength, and allow blood to flow to your head. Hold Dolphin for 10–15 breaths. Repeat up to 3 times.

Practice Dolphin daily if you’d like, but beware—it’s a super-invigorating pose, so avoid doing it after 8 p.m. if you have trouble sleeping.

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True friends are the kind that “have your back,” but if you’re anything like me, you aren’t too attentive to your own backside. I can’t really see it, so I forget it needs some attention, too. I’m perfectly happy with the front of my arms, my abs, and my legs, but then I get a glimpse of my back in the mirror and my body confidence comes crashing down. It lacks definition and part of the reason is that we tend to use the parts of our bodies we can see—at least when it comes to exercise. No one ever says her back is too fat, and it’s understandable why—out of sight, out of mind, right?

Purvottanasana, or Reverse Plank, is a great all-over backside toner. It strengthens the back of your arms, the muscles along your spine, your glutes, and your hamstrings. It’s a challenging pose, and for the first couple of weeks, you might feel like you are trying to lift lead! Hang in there—there is a huge payoff. Next time you catch your backside in a mirror, you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Begin sitting on the floor with your feet hips’ distance and parallel, knees pointing up. Place your hands on the floor behind you with your fingers pointing in toward your body. Make sure your hands are no wider than shoulders’ distance apart, and be sure to hug your elbows in. Squeeze your arms very straight. Get grounded in your hands and feet and begin to lift your hips up toward the ceiling, keeping your knees bent and creating a “reverse table” position. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders and your knees should line up directly above your hips. Ultimately there should be a straight line in the body. Hold for 5–15 breaths. Release and repeat 3–5 times.

If you want more of a challenge, try this posture with the legs fully straight. To do this, your legs must be completely touching. Roll your thighs in and point the toes down to the floor. This version is very challenging, so please try it with care—you don’t want to strain your back. Attempt it only once you’ve mastered the gentler version of Reverse Plank.

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Back bends are like yogic medicine. Their benefits are plentiful—increased flexibility; strengthening of the arms, legs, and core; and improved cardiovascular health, to name a few.

One of the most advanced postures is a back bend called urdhava danurasa. The literal translation of this is Upward Facing Bow Posture, though many people also call it the Wheel Pose. I prefer to use the literal name, since it evokes the true tone of the pose: the dynamic suspension of a bow about to set an arrow into flight. It’s an exciting, breathtaking pose, but it’s one that must be done carefully.

If you’ve been practicing yoga regularly for some time now, you may be ready to give it a try. But if you’re new to yoga, I recommend you begin with Bridge Pose. Begin by lying on your back. Place your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart and parallel, with your knees up and pointing to the ceiling. Leave your arms down by your sides, then press your weight into your feet and lift your hips into the air. Interlace your fingers underneath your hips and wriggle your arms towards each other so that you stretch your chest. Hold for 5–15 breaths, rest, and repeat 3 times.

Right now you’ll be feeling one of two things: energized and stretched, or itching for more of a challenge. If you are ready for something more difficult, give Upward Bow, or Wheel Pose, a try. Begin by doing the Bridge Pose and once your hips are in the air, place your hands under your shoulders with your fingers pointing toward your feet. Keep your hips lifted and slowly and gently press into your hands until you can place the top of your head onto the floor.

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Rest here for a moment. Make sure your hands are no wider than shoulder-distance apart. Your fingers should be pointing back at your feet. Be sure to draw your elbows in so they are no wider than your shoulders—this is the hardest part, and the part that most people fail to do. If you’re lazy and you skip this step, you can cause serious injury to your shoulders and back.

From there you may try to push yourself up fully. But listen to your body. If you aren’t able to put that sort of pressure on your arms and back, don’t push it; go back to Bridge, practice lots of Downward Dogs and other shoulder stretches, and try again in a few weeks.

Please feel free to email me your questions on this one—it’s one of the more confusing postures. Back bends are invigorating and full of different health benefits, but remember to practice them at your own pace.

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I love combining the physical benefits of classic exercise with historic yogic tradition. One of my favorite hybrids is the yogic bicycle. Usually reserved for ab classes, bicycle crunches are a nice complement to the typical yoga session. Yoga has very few abdominal strengthening poses, other than the dreaded Boat Pose—and even that doesn’t do much for the obliques, or side abdominal muscles. And bicycle is actually a Vinyasa, or “breath and movement sequence.”

Just because you may have done bicycle before doesn’t mean you can just throw it in a yoga sequence without thinking twice. You want to be very conscious of your breath—something you may not normally do when you do bicycle crunches at the gym. When you practice yoga, your energy is open, and the way you breathe really affects your level of energy. How you breathe in any given sequence can have some pretty dramatic effects!

Begin on your back with your knees bent together and touching your chest. Keep the knees here as you interlace your fingers behind your head and sit up slightly. This is the inhale position. As you exhale, squeeze the outside of your right arm to the outside of your left thigh and straighten your right leg. Inhale to come back to center with the knees into the chest and sitting up straight. Exhale to twist to the other side. Repeat for at least a minute, up to 5 minutes for best results. This can be practiced every day.

(Istockphoto)

Yogis have a system of energy channels, called nadis, and they believe that the right side of the body represents the sun channel, or the masculine, extroverted side of the body, while the left side is the moon channel, the feminine or receptive side. It may sound incredible, but if you are always inhaling on the left and exhaling on the right, you’ll drain yourself of energy—this can leave you introverted and depressed. On the contrary, if you are always inhaling on the right, you can agitate your system and develop a nervous condition.

The bicycle sequence not only helps balance your energy, but regular practice also will leave your tummy toned and taut. Plus, paying attention to your breathing will help you reap the rewards.

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Tuesday marks the first day of fall. This is a powerful time of year, a time of change. If you found yourself slacking in your yoga practice this summer, now is the time to renew your energy. And the best way to start fall off on the right foot? Participate in a local yoga festival. Soaking in a little bit of the yoga spirit from those around you will give you renewed motivation to practice.

Last Sunday I attended the Global Mala Yoga Month gathering in Los Angeles. About 700 people got together to do 108 Sun Salutations and celebrate the power of yoga in the community. I had the honor of starting off the salutations, and the gathering reminded me that this is a great time of year to get a group together and renew your intention to practice yoga. Yoga Month is a powerful organization that encourages people to give yoga a try, and the group works to support those who are already on the yoga path. Yoga Month is offering one week of free yoga to anyone who wants to try. Go to the website to find free classes near you.

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I was also lucky enough to be one of 2,000 yogis at Bhakti Fest, a three-day, 24-hour yoga/chant festival in beautiful Joshua Tree, Calif. The word bhakti means devotion, so practicing bhakti yoga means that you seek peace through a practice of setting a loving intention. Everyone is looking for a little peace in his or her hectic life—whether it’s through yoga practice, meditation, a daily run, or even the act of cooking your family dinner. Bhakti yoga teaches us that anything done with love is a practice of yoga. It reminds us that we should pause for a moment and dedicate our efforts to someone or something that is of inspiration to us. By becoming more present and joyful in each moment, we are able to pass on the practice of yoga. That’s how I’m approaching my yoga practice this fall, and I hope you’ll join me.

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