Especially for women

All yoga is good for women — as for men — but some poses especially resonate with the physical and mental makeup of women. As a woman, it is imperative for your health and happiness for you to exercise every day. If you begin to find yourself feeling moody or easily frazzled, you need to move your body! This helps move your mind into new and brighter places. The poses explored here can all be practiced with either deep breathing or Breath of Fire. Some women like to practice them as a daily routine, others prefer to add a few as warm-ups before a yoga set, or spontaneously practice a few postures in between busy moments in the day. Whatever your method, you will experience rejuvenation and relaxation from these poses.

Cat and cow stretch

This exercise brings great flexibility to the spine, including the cervical vertebrae, and circulates the spinal fluid. A great warm-up exercise, Cat and Cow will prepare you for the other postures in this chapter.

1: Position yourself on your hands and knees, with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. As far as possible, keep your elbows straight and your arms and legs stable throughout the exercise as your spine curves in each direction.

2: As you inhale, arch the spine toward the ground and bring your head back. This is Cow pose.

3: As you exhale, flex in the opposite direction so that your back is arched upward in Cat pose and your head comes down so that your chin is close to your chest. Alternate between Cat and Cow poses, gradually increasing in speed and in the power of each breath as you continue for 2-3 minutes.

Life nerve stretch

In yogic teachings, your sciatic nerve is also called your life nerve. Keeping your life nerve strong and stretched is important for the health and flexibility of your body.

1: Sit high on your buttocks with your legs stretched out in front of you. Keep your left leg straight in front of you, or slightly to the side.

2: Tuck your right foot into the groin, with the heel as close to the top of your inner thigh as is comfortable. Inhale and stretch your arms up overhead, lengthening your spine.

3: Exhale and bend forward, reaching your hands to your toes or any part of the leg that you can reach to give you a good, stretch without straining. Hold the posture and breathe deeply for 1-2 minutes. Repeat on the other leg.

Locust

This exercise strengthens the lower back, allows energy to flow to the spine, opens the nerve channels in the solar plexus, and tones the legs, buttocks, and stomach. It is excellent for releasing premenstrual syndrome.

1: Lie on your stomach with your heels close together and your chin on the ground. Make fists of your hands and tuck them into the spot where they fit comfortably just inside the pelvic bones (where the legs and pelvis meet). Your hands will act as a fulcrum for raising your legs.

2: Inhale and raise your legs as straight and as high as possible. Begin deep breathing for 1-3 minutes. If you have back problems, raise one leg at a time and hold for at least 15 seconds as you breathe.

3: Then relax down, bringing your arms to rest at your sides, and turning your head to one side. Breathe deeply for a few moments.

Bow

This posture massages and invigorates the internal organs, strengthens the abdominal muscles, and expands your breathing capacity. It helps to prevent digestive and bowel disorders, and reduces fat around the waist area. Bow pose also stretches the thigh muscle, which controls the calcium-magnesium balance in the body. This balance is necessary for both physical and mental well-being.

1: Lie on your abdomen with your chin on the ground and arms resting at your sides.

2: Bend your right leg at the knee. Reach back with your right hand and grasp the right ankle.

3: Bend your left leg at the knee and reach back with your left hand to grasp the left ankle.

4: Inhale and lift your body upward, raising your head, chest, and thighs off the ground. Create a tension between the straight arms and the legs to stretch higher Breathe deeply, expanding the chest on the inhale, relaxing it on the exhale. Continue for 1-2 minutes.

Easy-does-it version

If you can't reach your ankles, use a prop such as a belt around the ankles to grasp onto. If you can reach them but can't stretch and hold, inhale as you stretch up and exhale as you relax down. With steady practice you will be able to do the full pose.

1: Sit on your heels in Rock pose with your spine straight.

2: Lean back onto your hands, keeping the chest lifted. Point your fingers either toward or away from your body.

3: Lift your buttocks off the ground as high as possible as you press the hips and thighs forward. Continue for 1-2 minutes.

Camel

This pose builds strength in the muscle groups of the back, helping to prevent sciatica and slipped discs. Camel pose also helps to balance the navel chakra, which is your energy center of personal health and willpower, and relieves the stomach from the effects of overeating. According to yogic teaching, whoever does Camel pose regularly has control over hunger and thirst, just as a camel would. Camel pose stretches the thigh muscles, which control the calcium-magnesium balance in the body. This balance is necessary for both physical and mental well-being.

1: Sit on your heels in Rock pose, with your spine straight and hands on your thighs.

2: Kneel upright, reach back with one hand and grasp the heel on that side, then repeat on the other side.

3: Press the hips and thighs forward to steady the pose, and to create a deeper stretch. The chest is lifted up and the head is tipped back but not dropped fully. Relax your face, neck, throat, and shoulders. Breathe deeply or use Breath of Fire for 1-2 minutes.

Child's pose

Child's pose is a resting pose that allows the effects of previous yoga exercises to be assimilated. Pressing your forehead to the floor activates the sixth (intuitive) center between the eyebrows. Child's pose also acts as a counter pose to Bow pose, relaxing and curving the spine in the opposite direction. If needed, add a small pillow or rolled towel under the head or under the buttocks for comfort in this pose.

After Camel pose, rest in Child's pose. Rest your buttocks on your heels and bring your forehead to the ground and your arms alongside your body, with the palms facing upward in a relaxed manner Breathe gently for 1-2 minutes or two, relaxing the entire spine and shoulders.

Stretch pose

Stretch pose is known to adjust and balance your navel point, which increases stamina, willpower, and well-being. When your navel point is strong and balanced, you have a steady pulse centered at the navel - not left, right, above or below it. You can check your navel pulse by bringing your thumb and fingers of one hand together and pressing deep into the skin surrounding the navel. As an experiment, check your pulse before, then again immediately after, practicing Stretch pose for 1-2 minutes, and notice what differences you discover. Generally, your pulse will be deeper, stronger, and more evenly centered at the navel point after practicing Stretch pose.

1: Tuck your pelvis forward to take any pressure off the lower spine before coming up into Stretch pose. This will help to ensure that when you lift your legs up it will be your abdominal muscles rather than your back muscles that are supporting your lift. Before lifting your head, consciously relax your neck muscles and prepare to use your upper back, chest, and abdominal muscles to lift your neck and head. This will avoid straining your neck in any way.

2: Keep your heels close together and raise them 6in (15cm) from the ground with straight legs. Raise your head 6in (15cm) and fix your eyes on your pointed toes. Stay mindful of keeping the neck and lower spine relaxed while holding the pose. Your arms are held at your sides, palms facing the thighs but not touching. Hold this position for 1-2 minutes while doing Breath of Fire. Then relax down for a few seconds.

Shoulder stand

Shoulder stand is said to benefit the entire body, especially the throat, thyroid, and circulation. Shoulder stand increases flexibility in the cervical region of the spine, and helps prevent varicose veins. The muscles of the back, shoulders, and arms are stretched and strengthened, too. It also provides an inverted gravitational pull, which suspends and relaxes all your internal organs. Make sure you read through the entire instructions before trying this pose.

1: Lie on your back with your legs bent at the knee and your feet flat on the ground. Your arms are at your sides with your palms facing downward.

2: Keeping your arms and hands in the same position, raise your legs to a 90° angle.

3: Begin to push your body up so that your legs are as straight as possible while supporting your back with your hands and your elbows, which remain firmly on the ground.

4: Relax and stretch up higher on your shoulders. Adjust your hand positions: the further your hands move toward your upper back, the straighter your spine will be. Your chin should rest on your neck. Breathe for 1-2 minutes.

5: To come out of the pose, lower your legs over your head into a modified Plow pose, keeping your knees close to your head. As you roll out slowly place your arms on the floor beside you or continue to support your spine with your hands on your back. Exhale deeply.

Archer

Archer pose develops the quality of courage in the face of a challenge. It balances and strengthens the nervous system and your electromagnetic energy field, or aura. Every one of your chakras is activated in this pose: the leg position works on the first, second, and third chakras, the stretch across the chest and the arm positions work to activate the heart center, while the turned neck stimulates the throat chakra. The gazing and strong breathing work on the intuitive (sixth) center and the crown center.

1: Stand with your legs straddled about 30m (75cm) apart, with your left leg forward, foot turned to the side, and your right leg back at a 45° angle to the front foot. The right foot should face forward.

2: Raise your left arm straight out in front, parallel to the ground, and make a fist as if grasping a bow while pressing the thumb forward. Turn your head to face forward and fix your eyes above your fist on the horizon.

3: Stretch your right arm back as if pulling a bowstring to the shoulder, expanding and lifting your chest. Your right forearm should be parallel to the ground and your hand in a fist, again with the thumb pressed forward. Each wrist forms a straight line with the arm.

4: Bend your left knee and lean into it so that you cannot see your left foot. Keeping your body centered, do not lean forward but put 70 percent of your weight on the front leg. Begin deep, full, slow breaths or Breath of Fire. After 1-2 minutes inhale deeply, then exhale and lean into the pose as fully as you are able to without straining, then relax and switch legs.

Sat kriya

This kriya, or set, practiced with the chant Sat Nam, strengthens and balances the entire sexual system and eliminative system. Your general physical health is improved since all the internal organs receive a gentle rhythmic massage from this exercise. Beginners should practice Sat Kriya for one minute, slowly working up to three minutes. After a time of steady practice, the period of Sat Kriya can be extended, and it is good to practice everyday for at least three minutes, but remember to approach this powerful kriya with respect. Ideally you should relax for at least the same amount of time as you have practiced Sat Kriya, and it is recommended that you relax for up to twice that amount of time.

1: Sit in Rock pose. Place your hand on your abdomen and pull the navel up and in toward the spine while saying Sot. Your breath will go out as you chant. Then take a very quick and short inhale through your mouth as you relax your abdomen. Then chant Nam and begin again. Practice this step the first few times you try Sat Kriya to learn the internal movement. After that, begin step 2.

2: Stretch your arms up straight so that they are close to the sides of your head. Interlace all the fingers except the index fingers of each hand, which point straight up. Say Sat as you pull the navel up and Nam as you relax the belly area for 1-3 minutes. Then inhale and squeeze the muscles tightly from the buttocks, up the back, and past the shoulders. Hold for 5— 10 seconds. Exhale and relax.

3: After Sat Kriya rest in Gurpranam pose, with the arms positioned in front of you and the palms of your hands together in Prayer pose. This is a pose of surrender and devotion. You may also rest in Child's pose or on your back in Corpse pose for a period of time.