Jackson Free Press

Tate K. Nations

Ardha Bhekasana (Half Frog Pose) Coming into the pose: Lie on your belly and prop yourself up onto your forearms. Cross your right forearm in front of your chest, bend your left leg at the knee and reach back with your left hand to hold your left foot. Draw your left heel toward your left buttock. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, breathing comfortably. Release and repeat with your right leg. DO: • Square your shoulders and chest. • Keep your thigh bones parallel to each other. • Press the front of both hips evenly into the floor. • Lengthen your spine from tailbone to sternum to the crown of your head. • Engage your hamstring to lengthen your quadriceps. DON'T: • Do this pose if you have pain in your lower back, knee or shoulder. • Let your knee splay out to the side. • Hold your breath. BENEFITS: • Improves flexibility of the quadriceps, groins, deep hip flexors (psoas muscle group) and ankles. • Strengthens the back muscles. • Stimulates the abdominal organs.

Tate K. Nations

Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose) Coming into the pose: Sitting upright with your legs straight in front, bend your knees to draw the soles of your feet together and open your knees out to the side. Keep your pelvis in a neutral position, neither tilting forward or backward, and lengthen your spine. Your hands may support you from behind your hips or, if you are more flexible, you can hold your ankles. Hold 1 to 3 minutes, breathing comfortably. DO: • Elevate your hips if you hips or groins are tight or your back is rounded. • Release your inner groins and heads (top) of your thigh bones toward the floor. • Prop with a block or folded blanket under your knees if you feel tension in your knees. DON'T: • Force your knees down. • Hold your breath. BENEFITS: • Improves flexibility of the hips and groins. • Stimulates abdominal organs. • Relieves sciatica.

Tate K. Nations

Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose or Half Spinal Twist) Coming into the pose: Sitting upright with your legs out in front, cross your right foot over your left leg. Press both sitting bones into the ground. With support of your right hand on the floor behind your right hip, lengthen your spine. On an exhalation, twist toward your right leg and cross your left elbow over to the outside of your right knee. Continue the twist through the length of your spine and look over your right shoulder. Hold 60 seconds, breathing comfortably. Release and repeat on the other side. DO: • Support your hips with folded blankets if your back is rounded. • Do keep all four corners of your right foot on the ground. • Allow the twist to happen organically from the deep musculature of your spine. DON'T: • Force the twist with the strength of your arms. • Do this pose if you have a back or spine injury without an experienced teacher. Hold your breath. BENEFITS: •Improves flexibility of the hips, back, shoulders and neck. • Relieves backache. • Stimulates liver and kidneys.

Tate K. Nations

Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Big Toe Pose or Reclining Hamstring Stretch) Coming into the pose: Have a strap, tie or belt handy. Lie flat on your back with your feet joined together. Holding the strap in both hands, bend your right leg and place the strap around your foot. Press your left thigh bone into the ground and extend your right leg straight reaching through all four corners of your feet. Hold for 60 to 90 seconds. Release and repeat with your left leg. DO: • Move your right leg away from you in order to stretch your leg straight. • Lengthen your right side body by pressing your right hip away from your right armpit. • Relax your shoulders, neck and face. DON'T: • Let your left leg rise up off the ground. • Hold your breath. BENEFITS: • Improves flexibility in the hamstrings, hips, lower back, groins, and calves • Strengthens the knees. • Rejuvenates the legs. • Improves digestion. • Therapeutic for high blood pressure and infertility.