Spring & Yoga
When I teach kids yoga, one of the children’s absolute favorite things is when, in spring, we talk about what plants, and all living creatures need to grow. The kids come up with water, oxygen, food, soil, and sunlight. I also add that a lot of patience is a requirement. Then the kids take a moment with their eyes closed to envision their most beautiful, favorite flower. Next, they curl up on the floor, pretending to be a little seed. I play rain sounds and they have been instructed to be very patient and wait till they hear that the rain stops and the sun is coming out. I walk around the circle and tickle their backs one by one, like gentle raindrops replenishing the seeds. I can see how hard it is for them to just be still and quiet and not move. Then I change the music to the Beatles’ ‘Here Comes the Sun’, which is their cue to, as slowly as they can, start stretching and growing into their favorite flower. The excitement never fails. I love seeing the huge smiles on their faces after the anticipation and the joy when they start swaying and dancing. Then they call: “Again, again, let's do this again!”
When spring comes around I feel just like these little kids. This year we had a really rainy winter in California for the first time in years. And the spring that follows is equally abundant—bursts of colors everywhere where flowers grow wild. The mornings start with busy bird concerts. I admire the colors of abundance on the mountains behind us and how vivid and lively the beach looks now. Our cat is jumping and prancing around our backyard chasing butterflies. Or he just shamelessly and lazily sprawls out to bask in the sun. I love to just sit and watch all that joyful activity and listen to all these sounds of spring. Or I can't help myself and walk around to take pictures of the funny-colored caterpillar, my children bouncing on the trampoline, a new flower that just budded, or just the bright blue sky with a fluffy cloud.
Spring just makes you feel like your heart is bursting open, the same way all those flowers burst out of their buds. So when I think of practicing yoga, I feel like doing postures that give me that same feeling of celebration. Postures that are playful and make me feel like a kid jumping and dancing from excitement. Postures that make me feel adventurous and alive. Check out 22 Reasons to Practice Yoga According to Science
I’ll share with you my three favorite spring postures. As these postures are considered intermediate or advanced, I'll also give you some alternatives in case you would like to start a bit slower.
And remember that everything and anything including our yoga postures, in order to grow, requires patience!
Exalted Warrior - Viparita Virabhadrasana
Besides ‘elevated’ and ‘powerful’, exalted means being in a state of extreme happiness. So I would think this pose is a fantastic celebration of spring! This posture brings power to the legs, opens the heart, and provides an amazing stretch for the back, front, and side body.
>> From standing, step into warrior II. Your feet should be a bit more than one leg distance apart. Turn your back foot out. Make sure the knee of the back leg is facing the same direction as your toes. Bend your front knee and keep it in line with the ankle, don't let it extend beyond it. Depending on your hip flexibility, your thigh might get parallel to the floor. Lower your back arm and hand onto your back leg. Lift your front arm and hand in line with the back arm. Relax your shoulders away from your ears. Use your breath to create an opening across your chest. Bring the arms back to the sides, straighten the front knee, and step the back foot up to meet the front, returning to standing.
As an alternative, you could stay in warrior II or practice the camel pose.
2. Wild Thing - Camatkarasana
I want to practice this pose just for its name! It's a big heart opener and the way it strengthens arms and legs, makes me feel pretty powerful. I like how the transition from down dog into this pose requires attention and care while feeling adventurous.
>> Begin in Downward-Facing Dog. Focus on strong arms, broadening through the chest and sliding the shoulder blades down the back. Keep the engagement and lift your right leg into a One-Legged Dog. Move forward into Plank Pose, keeping your right leg lifted and engaged. Bring shoulders directly over your wrists. Do not let your hips sink — keep them level with your shoulders. Rotate into Side Plank, keeping your right leg lifted and foot flexed, anchoring into the outer edge of your left flexed foot. Make sure the shoulders and hips are stacked. Lift your right hand up. Slowly bend your right leg, placing the ball of the foot onto the ground behind you, resting almost beneath your right hip, legs hip-width apart. Your left leg is still extended. Reach your right arm up over your head. Lift your pelvis and chest upward. Let the head and neck relax toward the back body. Take several deep breaths. Exit by turning the gaze back down toward the ground. Pressing into the outer edge of the left foot, rotate your right shoulder and hip toward the ground and release your right hand to the floor, returning to Plank.
Not feeling so wild? A bit more of a stable posture with similar heart opening and arm and leg strengthening is reversed table top.
3. Bird of Paradise - Svarga Dvidasana
When practicing this pose, I don't know if I prefer to embody the vibrancy of the exotic bird or the beauty and stability of the Bird of Paradise flower. This is a challenging balancing pose that incorporates hip opening, core, and back strengthening, and hamstring lengthening.
>> Start in Warrior II, with a bent left leg, right foot turned in slightly, and a firm, straight back leg. Inhale and take your arms to shoulder height. Exhale and bring your left arm under the left thigh, and your right arm straight up, then behind your back. Clasp the left wrist with the right hand. Keeping the left leg bent, twist the torso up as you gently press the hips forward. Your eye gaze is over your right shoulder as you settle into Bound Extended Side Angle Pose. Look down and turn both your feet parallel and then carefully start to move them toward one another. Once the legs are close to hip distance, straighten them both and twist your torso to the right, keeping the bind. Put your weight into your right foot and start to lift your torso, bringing the left leg off the floor. Open the chest and extend the lifted leg to the side, being careful not to swing the supporting hip out to the side. Reverse the steps to exit the posture back to Warrior II.
If you prefer to tone it down a bit on the exotic front, the Extended-Hand-to-Big-Toe pose is a great alternative and preparation.
If you wish to know more about postures and its relation with the body, check out our teacher training immersions here.