My Favorite Yoga Pose

I have been blessed to be married to a yoga instructor and although I am a novice at yoga, I am able to make sure I do the poses correctly so as not to hurt myself. My background is in martial arts, and Thai Chi was a good complement to the aggressive style of Kung Fu. In the same way I find yoga is a good compliment to the aggressive style of life. For thousands of years the art of yoga has been passed down to promote heath and well being through the simple process of breathing. Not so simple when you're holding a pose I'm sure but that is the challenge, to be able to use your breath to get through difficulty.

My favorite among these poses is the Warrior Pose or Virabhadrasana. The pose is sometimes also called Triangle Pose or Trikanasana. This pose is used to help strengthen the thighs, lower back, open up the hips, align the spine, strengthen the neck, and stimulates the internal organs as well as strengthens the deltoids and upper trapezius muscles. The Warrior Pose is simple enough for a novice and challenging enough for more advance practitioners. The pose begins from a standing position with your feet together and your hands at your side or what is called Tadasana. With a deep inhalation take a large step out to the side, spreading your legs about 4 feet apart then raise your arms out to the side to shoulder level. Turn your left foot about 15 degrees in and your right foot 90 degrees out. Line up your feet, with the right heel opposite the left instep. While turning the left foot in, rotate the left leg outward. While turning your right foot out, rotate the whole leg together with the foot. Keep both knees tight and lift up your torso from the hips. For those with sciatica, like myself, turn your right foot between 120 - 160 degrees.

With an exhalation, bend your right leg to a right angle, keeping left leg straight. Extent your torso vertically and stretch your arms horizontally to the sides, palms face down. Turn your head to the right and pull your left arm slightly to the left so that your torso does not lean to the right. Lift your chest, relax your face and breathe normally. Stay in this pose for 20 - 30 seconds then inhale and come up out of the stance. Turn your feet to the center and line them up. Rest your arms if necessary. Repeat on the other side then exhale and return to standing or Tadasana.

It is important to note that there are a number of variations to this pose and that if you are looking for a more detailed look at yoga, you should enroll in a class and speak with a licensed instructor. Sources for this article were from the Providence Institute in Tucson, Arizona and from The Encyclopedia of Aromatherapy, Massage and Yoga by Carole McGilvery, Jimi Reed, and Mira Mehta.