A Heavenly Daily Twist

by April Ritchey

Springtime is when beauty pushes and twists through the earth after a long dark sleep and emerges triumphant. This is a time for new beginnings, a chance to purify and to direct our hearts toward the light! A great practice leading toward twisted lunge will create a grounded stabilizing state of being connecting you to mother earth, purifying you and opening you to heavenly Grace.

The Practice

1) Standing in tadasana (mountain pose) with parallel feet, hip width apart extending your energy down into the earth while you tone your legs lifting the knee caps, with a inhalation stretch your arms overhead weaving fingers together turning the palms toward the sky catching the rays of the sun. Exhale as you bring arms to your side.

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2) Keeping all muscular engagement of the legs, inhale and extend the arms behind your back, interlacing fingers, keeping shoulder blades moving down the back, exhale softening between shoulder blades, scooping the tail bone under, moving the sides of the waist back in honor of the Universal and aim your heart at the sky.

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3) Forward Stand Pose: Tadasana (Mountain Pose) with arms up overhead. Keep feet firmly rooted into the earth and muscles engaged then exhale and fold forward into Uttanasana (Forward Standing Pose).  Use blocks if needed or you can bend your knees to release tight hamstrings. Place finger tips on prop or floor and move you shoulder blades down the back and feel the softening of the heart.

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4) Anjaneyasana Prep: (monkey lunge)extend right leg back place knee on the floor and bend the left knee in 90 degrees making sure the knee is above your ankle. Isometrically draw legs toward each other this will draw the belly in and up while moving the tailbone down. Then from the from the center of the pelvis energetically extend legs outward. Repeat on other side.

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5) Lunge Pose: Extend left leg back and bend right knee in a square position. From the feet draw up into the core of the pelvis and from the core of pelvis extend out. Feel connected through a place of stability from the earth as you expand out in all directions. Repeat other side.

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6) Lunge pose again and this time come on to your forearms for a deep stretch in the hip flexors keeping engagement of muscular energy the legs. Breath for 5 counts on each side

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7) Revolved Lunge: Come into a lunge position with left leg back keeping integrity and stability in the legs, keeping the right hand firmly pressing in to the earth, and drawing the belly in and up, allow the right side of the torso to twist over to the left knee while lifting your left arm toward the sky in triumphant celebration of your eternal light. Repeat other side.

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Health benefits:

Builds leg strength, improves stamina, detoxes organs,  creates a state of groundedness, well being and uplifts the spirits.

tags:

change, deZengodesigns, humanityhealing, love, media, "pose month omtimesmagazine", sacredspacestudio, stretching, wellness, yoga