Two poses for today are Upward Salute and Tree Pose

Upward Salute and Tree Pose

Upward Salute

Upward Salute is a natural way to stretch the whole body, often done automatically after sleeping or sitting for long periods. Standing up and reaching the arms overhead awakens the body from toes to fingertips, providing a boost of energy. It’s a simple way to feel rejuvenated!

Steps:

1. Begin standing with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Press your weight evenly across the balls and arches of your feet. If you have trouble balancing, stand with your feet six inches apart (or wider).
2. Drawdown through your heels and straighten your legs. Press down across all four corners of both feet. Then, lift your ankles and the arches of your feet. Squeeze your outer shins toward each other.
3. Engage your quadriceps, drawing the tops of your thighs up and back. Rotate your thighs slightly inward, widening your sit bones.
4. Tuck your tailbone slightly, without rounding your lower back. Bring your pelvis to its neutral position and keep your hips even with the centerline of your body. Slightly draw your belly in.
5. Broaden across your collarbones. Elongate your neck. Release your shoulder blades away from your head and toward the back of your waist.
6. Your ears, shoulders, hips, and ankles should all be in one line. Turn your arms so your palms face forward, fingers reaching toward the floor. This is Tadasana.
7. As you inhale, sweep your arms out to the side and then up overhead, turning your arms so your palms face each other, fingertips reaching toward the ceiling. Straighten your arms completely, but do not lock the elbow joints.
8. If your shoulders are tight, keep your arms as wide as your shoulders (or even wider). If you can keep your arms straight without drawing your shoulders up, press your palms together.
9. Soften the tops of your shoulders away from your ears. Relax your shoulder blades down your back, toward your waist. Draw your lower, front ribs in — do not let these ribs push forward. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor. Keep your collarbones wide.
10. Tilt your head back gently and gaze up at your thumbs.
11. Maintain the alignment of Ears, shoulders, hips, and ankles in one line.
12. Breathe smoothly and deeply. Imagine your breath is moving across the entire length of your body. Lift up through the sides of your waist as you inhale. Soften your shoulders as you exhale.
13. Hold the pose for up to one minute. To release, exhale, and sweep the arms back down to the sides of the body.

Benefits

• It stretches the sides of the body, spine, shoulders, armpits, and belly.
• It tones the thighs, improves digestion, and helps to relieve anxiety and fatigue.
• It also helps to create space in the chest and lungs, which is therapeutic for asthma and congestion.
• This helps to protect the spinal muscles and nerves during other movements.

Tree Pose

This posture replicates the graceful, steady stance of a tree. Unlike most yoga poses, the Tree Pose requires keeping our eyes open in order to maintain body balance.

Steps

• Stand tall and straight with arms by the side of your body.
• Bend your right knee and place the right foot high up on your left thigh. The sole of the foot should be placed flat and firmly near the root of the thigh.
• Make sure that your left leg is straight. Find your balance.
• Once you are well balanced, take a deep breath in, gracefully raise your arms over your head from the side, and bring your palms together in ‘Namaste’ mudra (hands-folded position).
• Look straight ahead in front of you, at a distant object. A steady gaze helps maintain a steady balance.
• Ensure that your spine is straight. Your entire body should be taut, like a stretched elastic band. Keep taking in long deep breaths. With each exhalation, relax the body more and more. Just be with the body and the breath with a gentle smile on your face.
• With slow exhalation, gently bring down your hands from the sides. You may gently release the right leg.
• Stand tall and straight as you did at the beginning of the posture. Repeat this pose with the left leg off the ground on the right thigh.

Benefits

• This pose leaves you in a state of rejuvenation. It stretches the legs, back and arms, and invigorates you.
• It brings balance and equilibrium to your mind.
• It helps improve concentration.
• This posture has been found to relieve some cases of sciatica.
• It makes the legs strong, improves balance, and opens the hips.
• It helps those who are suffering from sciatica.