Posts Tagged ‘Add new tag’

poses after swimming!

kim on 11:39 pm March 2nd, 2010 / 2 Comments »

So today instead of doing yoga I went swimming at one of Washington, DC’s lovely indoor swimming pools. Like all parents, I try to make the best of the limited time I have for myself. After finishing, I did these poses to balance the shape I created for my body in mainly freestyle. I felt great, and more long and lithe than I normally do after swimming.

If you swim regularly, try these for a couple of minutes afterward and see if it makes a difference. Notice that the shapes are very basic equal-and-opposite stretches after creating the shape of freestyle in the pool.

The first pose is a forward fold with hands on the starting block, because why not.

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This Week’s Pose: Bhujangasana

Emily on 3:06 am October 20th, 2009 / Be the first to comment! »

Think of a snake. They are almost all spine. The snake’s long spine would appear to be fragile, but it is wrapped and stabilized by a lattice of muscle. This combination of makes them capable of grace and power simultaneously.

The aptly named bhujangasana, or cobra pose, captures flexibility and strength of a snake. Bhujangasana takes the attitude of a cobra hooding up in a threat display. The spine extends, supported by a network of muscle, and the chest broadens and lengthens. The limbs are secondary in this pose.

Since we’re not snakes, bhujangasana can be a challenging and subtle pose. Learning to rely on the strength of the small muscles of the back is hard when you’re not used to it. Cobra pose can help build strength and flexibility for deeper backbends.

Join boundless this Sunday, October 25 for an exploration of bhujangasana.