Yoga For Energy | 'Healthy You' Yoga Series

It’s week 2 of the ‘Healthy You’ Yoga Series and this week it’s all about the good stuff: Energy!

January is well underway and energy is more prevalent than ever. Whether you feel full of abundant energy that is keeping you motivated and driven to smashing all your targets you set out for yourself, or you’re noticing that you’re feeling drained, stressed and overwhelmed (hello January blues), honing in on your energy and prioritising giving yourself what you need is essential.

No matter where you are in life, what journey you’re on or which path you’ve decided to choose, looking at your energy (where you’re spending it, giving it and how you’re filling your energy bucket back up) is imperative.

Energy is your body’s currency. If you take the time to fill up your energy bank, then you’ll have more to share. If you’re constantly running on empty then your body will be feeling that same day-to-day (sometimes minute-to-minute) stress that you feel when you’re running pay cheque to pay cheque. I want you to feel ENERGY ABUNDANT! I want you to prioritise YOU so that you can fill up your energy bucket. Not only will this help you harness even more energy to drive you forwards towards achieving your goals, but it will also help you switch up your mind-set game, help you lift those January blues and tell your inner mean girl to sod off.

Guess what beautiful?

Yoga can help you do just that!

Yoga help invigorate you, calm you, reenergise you and give you the tools you need to master your mind-set so that you can feel that energetic abundance to help you on your path towards living the life you dream of. How awesome is that?

Here are 5 asanas (poses) to help you boost your energy and leave you feeling abundant:

Hold these asanas for 3-5 breaths. Remember that if you are working one side of the body to repeat the pose on the other side.

* I’ve also filmed a sequence for you showing you how you can combine all of these poses together to create an energising Yoga flow which you’ll find at the bottom of this article or by clicking this link here.

CHAIR POSE (Utkatasana)

Start by standing in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). The feet should be facing forwards and either hip distance or feet together (whatever feels more comfortable for you).
Begin to bend your knees, drawing your hips back and shifting most of your weight into the heels of your feet.
Engage your core by drawing your belly button in towards your spine and lengthen through your back. Avoid letting your ribcage fall forwards.
Either raise your arms overhead, place your hands at heart’s centre or on your hips. Make sure you draw your shoulders down your back and away from your ears.
Squeeze your inner thighs together (or perhaps place a block between your thighs if your feet are hip width.

WARRIOR 1 (Virabhadrasana I)

Step back with the left foot, bending into the front knee, aiming for the front heel to be in line with the back. Ensure that the right knee is stacked on top of the ankle and bent to 90 degrees.
Ground down through the back foot and turn the foot out (approx. 45 degrees). Draw up through the back kneecap to engage the quads.
Square your hips to the top end of the mat. You may want to step the back foot out a little if needed and this will also improve your stability here.
Keep your torso lifted, lengthening through the spine and engaging the core muscles.
Raise your arms overhead, drawing the shoulder blades down the back and lengthening through the crown of your head. Lift and open your chest. (Arms can also be at hearts centre or on the hips).

***Make sure you repeat on the other side.

DOWNWARD FACING DOG (ADHO-MUKHA SVANASANA)

From Child’s Pose, exhale and shift your weight back towards your heels and then lift the sitting bones high towards the ceiling, drawing the chest through the gates of the arms towards the thighs, finding Downward Facing Dog.
Focus on lengthening through the spine, drawing the chest through the shoulders and towards the thighs.
Pull your shoulders away from your ears and allow the biceps to frame the ears.
Relax your head and neck and focus on lengthening through the spine and then release the heels down towards the mat.
Keep the heels lifted or bend through the knees to help promote the lengthening of the spine.

GATE POSE (Parighasana)

Begin in a kneeling position (Vajrasana), step your right foot out to the side so that your right foot is in line with your left knee. Keep your left hip over your left knee.
Inhale and bring your arms out to your sides. Begin to bend towards the right, laying your right hand down onto the right leg, lifting your left arm overhead.
Lengthen through the left side of your body, engaging through your obliques (the muscles in your waist) to help find stability and build strength here.
Draw your shoulders down your back and watch that your left shoulder doesn’t start to come up towards the ear. Try and create as much space through the neck here.
Draw back on that top shoulder to square the chest.

***Remember to repeat on the other side.

CAMEL (Ustrasana)

Begin in a kneeling position (Vajrasana), with the hips stacked over the knees and the knees hip distance.
Reach the right hand back towards the right heel and then the left hand towards the left heel. (To lessen the intensity, you may choose to begin this pose with the toes tucked under and then release the toes once you’re comfortable in the pose)
Whilst holding onto your heels, push your hips forwards whilst making sure your hips stay over your knees.
Lift your chest upwards, opening the heart space and draw your shoulders down away from your ears decreasing tension in the upper body.

***Modifications: You can place your hands on your lower back and open through the chest in a backbend, or you may choose to practice lowering one hand down towards the heel and then switch to the other side.

Tags: Fitness, Health Tips, Happiness & Positivity, Motivation, Mental Health, Success, Workout, Yoga & Pilates

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