My very favorite yoga poses!

Everyone has favorite yoga poses! If you don't, do you even do yoga? I'd like to share a few of my favorite poses with you today. I would like to preface the list with a note that there are my favorite poses right now, ask me in a week (heck, ask me in an hour) and it may be a completely different list. Listen to your body and give it what it needs. However, a wise yoga instructor once told me the poses you don't want to do are the poses your body needs. **Insert shrug emoji**

1) Head to Knee or Janu Sirsasana

Oh, how I love this one. I frequently have a tight lower back and this one just feels soooooo gooooooood. This pose will stretch your spine, hammies, and groin. I love the stretch and getting some deep breaths while doing it calms my nerves. I am a very high-energy and somewhat what anxious person so yoga is so important to my well-being. I convinced myself when I was younger that yoga was not for me because of the high energy and anxiety, but now I know better because yoga helps keep me balanced. This is one of those poses I try to incorporate into my practice every time. It feels so good! You can modify it with a yoga strap around the balls of your feet. 

2) Wide-Legged Forward Fold or Prasarita Padottanasana

This is another one that just feels great on my back! I always feel my spine lengthening and strengthening when I do this pose. It also is great for your legs and gives your groin a stretch. I am sitting at a desk a good deal of my day, so letting gravity do its thing just feels amazing! Highly recommend!! And if your legs and back are too tight, you can modify by using a block to bring the floor closer to your hands.

3) Happy Baby or Ananda Balasana

Happy Baby, Happy Kristy. As I stated above, I am at a desk most of my day so getting a good hip stretch in is so important. I love how this gives my hips, back, and groin a good stretch. You can modify this pose with a yoga strap if you are too tight to do this one safely. 

4) Double Pigeon or Fire Log, or Agnistambhasana

Do you need your hips and glutes opened? This pose is for you! I find this pose to be pretty intense (tight hips, sits at desk, I feel like a broken record ha!) but it feels so flipping good at the end of practice. I recommend warming up your hips before attempting this pose. Modify with blocks or even a yoga blanket.

5) Half Moon or Ardha Chandrasana

I love Half Moon so much that I wrote a haiku: