Yoga For Mental Benefits

Today I am planning a new pose to teach my yoga class. It is called Dragon pose. You start out on knees. Then you step your right foot forward till the alignment is right. Place your hands on the top of your right knee, slightly arching your back. Lift your sternum, raising your heart as you open your chest. This engages your psoas muscle that attaches to your ilium. This is your posture muscle. The psoas muscle flexes and laterally rotates the hip. flexes the trunk, anteriorly tilts the pelvis and laterally flex the lumbar spine. Breathe! Step 2: come forward, placing hands on the floor at both sides of your feet. this works your Achilles and ankles – the kidney and bladder meridian which is the major meridian on both sides of the ankles. Tuck your toes and lift your knee off the floor, strengthening your quadriceps. Step 3: For more stre

ngth and balance, position yourself upright. This stresses the thigh. Both sides are different. We try to even out the asymmetries. But we have to accept everyone is different. Coming forward stresses the ankles. Coming backwards stresses the thigh. Although not everyone can bring their torso upright. Everyone will feel it in different places. It depends on your anatomical structure. Just remember if you feel it you are doing it.

Dragon pose releases tension deep in the hip sockets, providing emotional and mental benefits holding the pose for a few minutes.

Release the pose by resting your hips on your heels, stretching the topside of your ankle, leg and knee, lowering your head towards your leg.