Cat Cow 1

Cat Cow 2

Marichyasana C variation 1

Marichyasana C variation 2

In this second part of a series, Irene Leong offers four yoga steps for the upper body, as demonstrated by mYoga instructor Angel Ng.

Cat Cow 1 Start with the easy pose. Sit comfortably in your seat, close your eyes, take a deep breath and relax. Place your hands by your side on the seat, with palms facing down. Straighten your arms and engage the muscles. Bend your body forward until the head touches the knees. Inhale slowly as you arch your spine upwards and lift your chin and head back. Then slowly exhale as you round your back, bring your chin to the chest, and the head to the knees. Repeat three times.

Cat Cow 2 Still sitting comfortably in your seat, cross your arms and use your hands to palm the shoulders. Then follow the breathing process in Cat Cow 1. Repeat three times. This step aims to improve the flexibility of the spine.

Marichyasana C variation 1 Slide out of the seat a little, leaving some space between your back and the seat. Place your feet firmly on the ground, aligned to the hips. Keep your spine straight. Lift your arms up as you inhale to lengthen the front part of your body, and fold your body halfway forward as you exhale.

Marichyasana C variation 2 Still in the same variation, after putting your hands down, continue by placing your right leg over your left thigh. Place your right hand behind your back while the left hand pulls the left knee. Lift and lengthen your lower spine as you inhale, and twist your body to the right as you exhale. Look over the right shoulder and do a gentle twist of the spine. Repeat for the other leg.

Next week: Four yoga steps for the lower body.

Read the original here:
Yoga steps for the upper body