25 Days of

Strength,

Stretch and

Happiness

Nicola Jane Hobbs Founder of

MindMuscle Yoga

1

Contents Introduction

Why Christmas Yoga? 2

Advent Calendar 2

Benefits of Yoga 3

About Me 4

1st… Cat and Cow 5

2nd… Crocodile 6

3rd… Up Dog 7

4th… Down Dog 8

5th… Standing Forward Bends 9

6th… Sun Salutation 10

7th… Chair 11

8th… Triangles 12

9th… Half Moon Flow 13

10th… Wide Leg Forward Bends 14

11th… Nose/Naval to Knee 15

12th… Yoga Hands 16

13th… Dragon 17

14th… Crane 18

15th… Seated Forward Bend 19

16th… Reverse Plank 20

17th… Seated Wide Leg Forward Bend and Balance 21

18th… Pigeon 22

19th… Camel 23

20th… Butterfly 24

21st… Bridge 25

22nd… Shoulderstand 26

23rd… Fish 27

24th… Banana 28

25th… Christmas Corpse 29

2

Introduction

Why Christmas Yoga?

Christmas is a time for unity, for bonding and celebrating and rejoicing. And

so is yoga. Yoga literally translates as ‘yolk’ or ‘unity’. It integrates the body

and mind, allowing you to challenge self-imposed limitations and reach your

physical and psychological potential. It brings together office workers, and

teenagers, athletes and dieters, celebrities and students. It breaks down

barriers both between people and within yourself.

Whether your aim is weight loss, stress reduction, improved athletic

performance, or just to find more balance in your life, yoga is a wonderful tool

for transformation.

Yoga is simple and powerful. It is all about you. Whatever you put into yoga,

you get out of it. If you practise with strength, you become strong. If you

practise with focus, you become focused. And if you practise with happiness,

and liberation, and love, you will become happy, and liberated and full of love.

Advent Calendar: 25 days of Strength, Stretch and Happiness

You can never outgrow the childish joy of an Advent Calendar, but as

delightful as chocolate is, yoga can provide benefits that no amount of cocoa

can.

Some people are put off yoga because they imagine you have to be either a

leotard cladded yummy mummy who can bend themselves into the shape of a

pretzel, or a cross legged monk devoted to silence. So this Christmas Yoga

Advent Calendar challenges the stereotypes and makes it simple. Every day

you get introduced to a new pose that will take no longer than 10 minutes to

do. There is nothing spiritual, no fancy yoga language and no set rules. This is

21st century yoga designed for the modern worker/athlete/parent/sports

person/human being.

Just one pose a day. That’s it!

3

Benefits of Yoga

Physical: Strength, flexibility, endurance, improved posture, better breathing,

weight loss… the list is endless. Yoga helps us to create a lean, powerful, athletic

body. It shows us that we have the power to become fit and healthy and to

sculpt our body into whatever shape we want. Whether it be strength gains,

being more flexible or aesthetic improvements, by doing just one pose a day for

a month, you will notice changes in how your body looks and feels.

Psychological: Calm, connected and confident are the three psychological Cs of

yoga. Yoga helps us to see that we can continually re-create ourselves each

day, putting us in the driving seat of our life. It helps us to focus, to stay

optimistic and to become tuned in to what is going on around us.

Emotional: When we are tired or stressed or feeling down, yoga brings us back

to the present moment, helps us focus on what we have in our lives to be

grateful for and reminds us that nothing is permanent. We may feel rough

now, but tomorrow is a new opportunity to experience the happiness and

pleasure we deserve.

Connection: Yoga unites us with ourselves and with the world. It is an approach

to health which promotes wholeness. It integrates the body and the mind and

encourages us to connect with others. Whether you do yoga with your friends

and family, with colleagues, with your sport team, or with total strangers,

yoga is a tool that brings people together.

4

About Me

Yoga has been a wonderful tool for transformation in my life on a physical,

psychological, academic and career level. So this Christmas Yoga Advent

Calendar is a way to share the power of yoga with others.

I know many people are intimidated at the thought of attending a yoga class

and being the only beginner/man/unfit person, so an ebook seemed the ideal

way to spread the yoga love.

I have tried to keep things as simple as possible, taking poses from traditional

styles of yoga such as Ashtanga and Hatha Yoga, and mixing it up with what

I have learnt from weightlifting and my work as a Trainee Sport

Psychologist.

I have seen many of my students blossom with the help of yoga – overcoming

barriers, challenging limitations, and becoming stronger than they ever

thought possible. So now is your chance… Give yourself 10 minutes a day for

25 days to explore the poses in this ebook and feel yourself grow stronger,

become freer and discover the true potential within you.

To find out more about yoga and sport psychology and how it can help you

to become strong, free and beautiful, please see my personal website

www.NicolaJaneHobbs.com or my company website

www.MindMuscleYoga.com. To get in touch feel free to email me on

Nicola@MindMuscleYoga.com or tweet me @NicolaJaneHobbs.

Merry Christmas!!

Namaste (aka. be well),

Nicola x

5

Cat and Cow

~ If you have the courage to begin, you

have the courage to succeed ~

Table Top

Come onto all fours, aligning

your hands directly under

your shoulders and your knees

under your hips so your spine

is straight and neutral.

Breathe here for five long deep

breaths.

Cow

As you inhale dish your back,

drawing your shoulder blades

together and lift your head.

Cat

As you exhale round your

back, broaden your shoulder

blades and drop your head.

Repeat your Cats and Cows

for five to ten breaths, moving

in time with your breathing.

Cat and Cow poses warm up the spine and stimulate the

belly organs. They are great stress busters, teaching you

to synchronise your movement to your breath.

6

Crocodile

Crocodile pose strengthens the core, shoulders, arms and wrists, and

tones the belly. It is challenging, but, once mastered, shows us that

we can become stronger than we ever thought possible.

~ Concentrate on building strength and

leave any weakness to wither ~

Plank

From Table Top pose straighten

your legs out behind you. Broaden

your shoulder blades, strengthen

your core, squeeze your buttocks,

engage your thighs and push your

weight back through your heels.

Begin holding for five to ten

breaths and build up until you can

hold the pose for two minutes.

If you are struggling then you can

bring your knees to the floor or

come down onto your forearms.

Crocodile

From Plank, as you exhale, bend

your elbows into your side and

lower yourself until your chest is

hovering just above the ground.

Hold for five breaths and then

lower yourself to the floor. To

begin with, it’s easier to bring your

knees to the ground before

bending your arms until you build

up strength.

7

Up Dog ~ Dare to be open-hearted and courageous

and others will follow ~

Baby Cobra

Lie face down on the floor with

your forearms either side of your

head. As you inhale lift your torso

and hold for 15 to 30 seconds,

releasing back down to the floor

as you exhale. If this feels ok, lift

your hands off the floor once

you’re in baby cobra and try and

use the strength of your core and

lower back to lift your torso a bit

higher on each inhale.

Up Dog

Lie face down with

Your hands by your

waist. As you inhale

press your hands into

the floor, lifting your

torso and straightening

your arms. Press the

tops of your feet into

the ground so your thighs are no longer in contact with the floor.

Draw your tailbone towards your pubic bone, and your pubic bone

towards your naval, keeping your thighs and buttocks firm. Push the

floor away from you through your hands, keeping your neck long and

your chest and heart open. Hold for 15-30 seconds.

Baby Cobra and Up Dog are beautiful poses for improving posture.

They help to reduce fatigue and depression through stretching the

shoulders, lungs and belly, and opening the chest and heart.

8

Down Dog

~ Loyalty, acceptance and unconditional love…

dogs are great role models to live by. ~

Down Dog

Begin in Table Top pose

and hook your toes under.

Take a deep inhalation

and, as you exhale,

straighten your legs,

pushing your sit bones to

the sky. As you inhale

lengthen your spine, and

as you exhale release your

heels towards the floor.

Engage your abdominal

lock by drawing your

naval to your spine and

your abdomen up and

into your rib cage.

Broaden your shoulder

blades and allow your

head to hang loosely. Hold

for one to three minutes.

If your wrists hurt then

come down onto your

forearms.

Down Dog is one of the most well-known poses in yoga. It stretches and

strengthens the shoulders and legs, and opens the hamstrings and calves. It

can be challenging on the shoulders to begin with but as you get stronger,

it becomes a position of rest, energising the body and calming the mind.

9

Standing Forward Bends

Standing Forward Bends

Begin standing with your feet parallel,

hip distance apart. As you inhale raise

your hands above your head and as you

exhale fold forwards, taking hold of

your shins, or ankles or, if you can

reach, gripping your big toes with your

forefingers. Inhale and lengthen your

spine, looking to the front and engaging

your abdominal lock. As you exhale fold

forwards, maintaining the length in

your spine. Look towards your toes or

between your legs. On every inhale

think about lengthening and on every

exhale try and release deeper into the

pose, pulling up on your knee caps to

release your hamstrings. Hold for five to

10 breaths, release your toes, bring

your hands to your hips, and come up

to standing on an inhalation.

To advance the posture, place your

hands beneath your feet, treading on

your palms with your toes in your wrist

joint. Try shifting the weight between

the heels and balls of your feet, noticing

where you feel the stretch.

Forward Bends are great for stretching the

hamstrings and calves and soothing the mind.

~ When the harsh winds of life come blowing, bend

with them. By bending, you will not break. By bending

you will become stronger. ~

10

Sun Salutation

Inhale

Inhale

Inhale

Inhale

Inhale

Exhale

Exhale

Exhale

Exhale

Exhale

~ Make your own sunshine. ~

The Sun Salutation is a traditional warm up for yoga. It combines

forwards bends, up dog, down dog, plank and crocodile pose. Try and

move with your breath, repeating the flow five to 10 times. This

creates heat in the body, strength in the arms, legs and core, increases

range of motion and prepares the body and mind for exercise.

11

Chair

~ Just like the muscles, courage,

determination and willpower are all

strengthened with use. ~

Chair

Standing with your feet together,

inhale and bend your knees, drop

your hips and swing your arms

up above your head, palms

together in prayer position – you

can also have your hands apart if

this is more comfortable. Squeeze

your knees together, have a look

down and make sure you can see

your toes, and push your sit

bones towards the back of the

room, keeping your spine long

and chest up. Breathe deeply into

the back of your ribcage, firming

the thighs and dropping your

hips until your thighs are almost

parallel with the floor. Try and

hold the pose for 30 seconds to

one minute. To come out of it,

inhale as you straighten your legs

and exhale as you release your

arms.

Chair pose encourages you to reach high, even when you are forced down. It

strengthens the thighs and shoulders, works the core muscles and stimulates the

abdominal organs, heart and lungs. When you feel like coming out the pose, hold it

for a couple of breaths longer – you will be surprised at how strong you really are.

12

~ The triangle of life consists of three

complementary elements: love, power and danger.

Remove any of these, and the triangle falls apart. ~

Triangles

Extended Triangle

Stand with your feet about one metre

apart, rotating your right foot 90

degrees and turning your left foot in

slightly. Spread your arms parallel to

the floor. As you inhale reach across to

your right, bending from the hip not

the waist, and as you exhale bring your

right hand down to your shin, ankle or

foot, and left arm up to the sky. Stay

here for 30 to 60 seconds and come up

on an inhale. Reverse your feet and

repeat on the left side.

Revolved Triangle

Start in the same position as for

Extended Triangle with arms parallel to

floor, but this time rotate your hips and

torso to the right. So you’re facing over

the right leg. As you exhale bring your

left hand down to the outside edge of

your right foot, and right hand up to

the sky. Try and keep your hips even,

pushing into the outer edge of the back

foot to help you balance. Hold this pose

for up to a minute, come up on an

inhale and repeat on the other side.

Triangle poses are great for stretching the legs and hips,

strengthening the core and improving balance. They also

help to open the chest and improve breathing.

13

Half Moon Flow

~ Be conscious of your potential to cast a

shadow. You are stronger than you think

and more inspiring than you know. ~

The Half Moon Flow is great to do first thing in the

morning. It energises the body, increases flexibility in the

spine, strengthens the core and corrects posture.

Half Moon Flow

Start with your feet together,

lengthening up from your tailbone to

the tip of your head. As you inhale,

raise your arms and join your hands in

prayer position above you. Exhale and

lean back, arching your spine, engaging

your core and keeping your focus on

your thumbs. Hold for five breaths and

come back to standing on an inhalation.

On your next exhale, lean

over to the right, aiming

to get your torso parallel

with the floor. Try to keep

your elbows glued to your

ears and chest open to the

sky. Hold for five breaths

and come back to centre on

an inhale. As you exhale,

lean to your left and repeat

for five breaths. Inhale and come back

to centre, and exhale and release your

arms. Aim to do this five to ten times,

moving with your breath.

14

Wide Leg Forward Bends

Wide Leg Forward Bends

Step or jump your feet apart so they

are about 1m apart, or so your

ankles are below your wrists when

you outstretch your arms. Make sure

your feet are parallel, bring your

hands to your hips, inhale and

lengthen through your spine. As you

exhale, fold forwards bringing your

hands down so your fingers are in

line with your toes, aiming to get the

crown of your head on the floor. On

every inhalation lengthen your spine,

keeping your core strong and as you

exhale deepen the pose. Hold for up

to 60 seconds and then bring your

hands to your hips and come up on

an inhale.

Repeat the pose but this time

interlock your fingers behind your

back and bring them up and over

your head as you exhale and fold

forwards.

Repeat a final time, this time taking

hold of your big toes.

Wide Leg Forward Bends are great for lengthening and

strengthening the muscles of the inner thighs and backs of the

leg. And they can help relieve fatigue, headaches and depression.

~ Stretch your body, expand your heart,

extend your love. ~

15

Nose /Naval To Knee

There are two ways of doing this pose. – you either aim to get

your naval onto your knee, keeping the spine long, or you allow

the spine to round, bringing your nose to your knee. Have a play

around and see which feels good for your body.

Nose To Knee

Begin with your feet together, long

spine, strong core. Inhale and bend

your right knee, taking hold of either

side of your right foot with both

hands or interlocking your fingers

beneath it. As you exhale, extend the

leg out in front of you so that it is

parallel to the ground. Fold forwards

over your outstretched leg, rounding

your spine, dropping your elbows and

aiming to get your head on your

knee. Draw your naval to your spine

and your abdomen up and into your

rib cag to keep your core strong and

back protected. Hold for 30 – 60

seconds and release to standing.

Repeat on the left leg.

Naval to Knee Pose

Follow the instructions above but this

time keep your spine long,

lengthening your back on each

inhalation and stretching your head

towards your toes on every exhale.

~ Life is a delicate balance of holding on and

letting go. ~

16

Yoga Hands ~ Risk taking your life in your own hands and you will

discover that you hold the potential for greatness ~

By focusing on the larger muscle groups, we often fail to use our hands to

their full capacity. This can result is reduced strength in the wrist and

impaired range of motion, which can impact on everything from being

comfortable in arm balances, to lifting weights, to typing on a computer.

Reverse Prayer

As you inhale spread your arms wide and as you

exhale bend your arms, sweeping them

downwards and behind your back. Touch the

fingertips of each hand, gradually joining palms

so your fingertips are pointing upwards, pushing

your thumbs together. If you struggle to get

palms together then begin by clasping your

forearms or wrists. Hold for 30-60 seconds.

Cow Face Arms

Sweep you right hand behind your back so it is

resting between your shoulder blades, palm facing

outwards. Lengthen your left arm to the sky and

bend it behind your head, hooking the fingertips

of the right hand. Hold for 30-60 seconds and

repeat on the reverse arm. If you can’t reach

your other hand, use a rope and gradually

shorten the distance between your hands.

Seagull Hands

Stretch both arms to the side and bend your

elbows so the backs of your hands are under

your armpits. Hold for 30-60 seconds and

release.

17

~ In challenging the limits of what we think is

possible, we slay dragons we think could never

be beaten. ~

Dragon pose provides a great opportunity to explore your edge

and push your boundaries. It is best performed as passive pose

which allows your muscles, ligaments and tendons to lengthen and

strengthen, increasing range of motion and reducing risk of injury.

Dragon

Dragon

Start in Down Dog and step your right foot between your hands.

Inhale and lengthen your hands to the sky, dropping your back knee

to the floor. As you exhale place both hands on the inside of your

right foot. Stay up on your hands or go down onto your forearms.

Try and work at your edge – the place just outside your comfort

zone where you can feel the stretch challenging you. After 60

seconds in the pose try and ‘play your edge’, going deeper into the

pose as your body opens and your connective tissues lengthen. Really

tune into your breath, channelling it into areas of tension, and on

every exhale try and let go of this stress, consciously relaxing the

muscles where you feel discomfort and tightness. Start by spending

60-90 seconds in Dragon, building it up to three minutes. Really

challenge yourself to remain the posture longer than you think you

can – the pose truly begins the moment you want to leave it. To

exit, slowly move your right leg back and push up to Down Dog

before repeating on the left leg.

18

~ Inside us all, patiently waiting, sits an adventurous

little bird getting ready to sing, to fly, to soar. ~

Crane

All arm balances are great for building strength in the wrists and

arms. Crane helps to develop core strength, toning the belly and

stretching the back. Balance and focus are also enhanced as the

body’s centre of gravity is shifted and the mind has to adjust.

Crane

From standing, bend your knees

to a squat, placing your hands

shoulder width apart on the floor

in front of you, elbows bent.

Keeping your feet together,

separate your knees and lean

your upper body between your

thighs, aiming to position your

knees in your armpits rather

than resting them on your upper

arms. Once you feel confident,

play around with shifting your

weight forwards, lifting one foot

off the floor at a time until you

are ready to lift both feet. Keep

your back rounded, with your

knees perched on your bent

arms, or, if you feel steady, try

straightening your arms, keeping

your core strong. Find a point on

the floor in front of you to focus

on and hold for 20-60 seconds,

releasing back to the ground on

an exhale.

19

Seated Forward Bend

~ Never be afraid to just sit and think awhile.

In those moments of stillness you will find the

power to chase your dreams. ~

Like the Standing Forward Bend, the Seated Forward Bend

stretches the hamstrings shoulders and spine. It stimulates the

abdominal organs, aiding digestion and also helps to calm the

brain and relieve stress and depression.

Sitting Strong

Before coming into your Forward

Bend, take the time to sit strong. Find

the front of your sit bones, removing

any excess flesh from your buttocks,

pull up on your knee caps and pull

your feet back. Lengthen from your

tailbone to the tip of your head,

placing your hands either side of your

hips, keeping your chest open and

shoulders relaxed. This will teach your

body proper posture. Stay here for

30-60 seconds.

Seated Forward Bend

As you inhale lengthen your arms to

the sky, drawing naval to spine.

Exhale and fold forwards, bringing

your hands to shins, or ankles, or

taking hold of your toes or feet. On

every inhalation lengthen your spine,

and as you exhale fold further into the

pose. Look to your toes or towards

your shins if you’re far enough down.

Hold for 30-60 seconds and release.

20

Reverse Plank

Reverse Table Top

Begin by Sitting Strong, reach your fingertips back 20cm behind you,

and bend your knees so your feet are just in front of your sit bones.

On an inhale lift your hips, keeping your thighs parallel, squeezing

your buttocks and drawing your shoulder blades together. As you

exhale let your head hang back. Hold for 30-60 seconds and come

back to Sitting Strong on an exhale.

Reverse Plank

Begin by Sitting Strong, placing your fingertips 20cm behind you,

pointing your toes and slightly inwardly rotating your upper thighs.

Inhale as you lift your hips and exhale as you let your head hang back.

Try lifting your hips on every inhalation, keeping a strong core and

pushing the floor away from you through your hands. Hold for 30-60

seconds and come down on an exhale.

~ The most delightful surprise in life is to discover the

core of strength within you that will survive all hurt. ~

Reverse Plank is one of the best poses for developing strength.

It works the core, legs, buttocks, shoulders, arms and wrists,

and stretches from the chest all the way to the ankles.

21

Seated Wide Leg Forward

Bend and Balance

The Bend and Balance poses combine the fine arts of strength,

flexibility and focus. As well as stretching the groins and inner

thighs, they work the core, stretch the shoulders and open the chest

Seated Wide Leg Forward Bend

Start in Sitting Strong, on the front of your sit bones and spread your

legs to a wide straddle. Inhale and lengthen your arms to the sky,

engaging your abdominal lock, and as you exhale, reach forward,

taking hold of your shins, ankles or toes. On every inhalation lift your

head and lengthen your spine and as you exhale release deeper into

the pose. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.

Seated Wide Leg Balance

From your Wide Leg Forward Bend,

keeping hold of your toes, inhale and

use your core strength to jerk your

torso up to seated, bringing your toes

with you. If you find this challenging

you can always bend your knees, find

your balance in an upright position

and then straighten your legs. Keep

your shoulders pulled back and chest

open. Hold for 30-60 seconds and

release on an exhale.

~ Balance passion with peace, excitement

with serenity, and strength with gentleness. ~

22

Pigeon

Pigeon

Begin in Table Top pose and

bring your right knee up to

meet your right wrist and

wiggle your right toes up

towards our left wrist. Keeping

your hips as even as you can, on

an exhale slide the left leg back,

sinking the front of your left

thigh to the ground. Your right

foot will automatically move

back towards your left hip. Try

and find your edge, working the

pose so you can feel the stretch

opening your hip flexors and

releasing your buttock muscles.

Either stay upright or fold

forward over the front leg into

Sleeping Pigeon. Hold the pose

for one to three minutes and

slowly move back to Table Top

before repeating on the left leg.

~ Choose to relax, let go, and let life

happen. ~

Pigeon pose is great to do as a passive stretch, holding it for up to

three minutes to release tightness in the muscles and connective

tissues. Try and consciously relax the muscles in the groin, thighs

and hip flexors for maximum benefit.

23

Camel

Leaning backwards may seem scary to start with, but have faith

in your body. Camel pose is wonderful for stretching the entire

front of the body, from neck to shoulders to thighs. It strengthens

the back and is great for improving posture.

~ Like a camel proud of its humps, embrace

the strength, power and beauty of your

unique body. ~

Camel

Begin kneeling with your thighs

parallel and your knees directly

below your hips. Imagine drawing

your pubic bone towards your

sternum to keep your outer hips

soft. Rest your hands on your

lower back, fingers pointing down,

and inhale, pulling your shoulder

blades together. As you exhale lean

back, bringing your hands to your

heels or ankles. You can always

tuck your toes under if you can’t

reach your heels with the tops of

your feet on the floor. Try and

keep your hips above your knees

without compressing your lower

back. Let you head hang back and

remain in the pose for 30-60

seconds. To come out of the pose,

bring your hands to your lower

back and use your core strength

to bring your torso back to

vertical.

24

Butterfly

Butterfly pose is another beautiful passive posture which is

ideal if you have tight hip flexors, hamstrings, groin or inner

thighs. We tend to carry a lot of tension in our hips so

staying in the pose can be challenging but it teaches you how

to deal with discomfort and push your limits.

~ Do not be afraid of change, for in order to

become a butterfly, one must be willing to give

up being a caterpillar. ~

Butterfly

Begin in a seated straddle position and bend your knees to bring

the soles of your feet together about 30cm in front of your groin.

Take hold of your feet and as you exhale fold forwards, allowing

your spine to round and your head to hang. Butterfly is a passive

stretch so try and work at your edge, just outside of your comfort

zone. Channel your inhalations into any areas of tensions, and as

you exhale try and let it go, consciously relaxing the muscles. After

one minute in the pose, play your edge a little bit, melting deeper

into the pose. Hold the pose for two to three minutes. To exit,

slowly role up to seated, bringing your head up last and gradually

release your legs out in front of you.

25

Bridge

The Bridge, like all backbends, is great for relieving stress. It

opens the spine, chest and neck as well as building strength in

the shoulders and core and relieving tired legs.

~ You are the architect of your life. Knock

down the walls that obstruct your dreams and

build bridges to help you reach them. ~

Baby Bridge

Lie on your back with your knees bent and

heels just in front of your sit bones. Imagine

drawing your pubic bone to your sternum

to tilt the top of your pelvis backwards. As

you inhale lift your hips, drawing your

shoulder blades together, keeping thighs

parallel. To increase the arch in your spine,

bring your hands under your lower back,

drawing your chest to your chin. Hold for

30-60 seconds and release slowly.

Bridge

Begin as for Baby Bridge, bending your

arms up and over your head so your hands

are under your shoulders, palms on the

floor. As you inhale push the weight into

your hands and feet and lift your hips,

straightening your legs and arms. Hold for

5-30 seconds, slowly lowering

yourself on an exhale.

As your body opens and

you become more

confident, try lifting your

leg and coming down onto

your forearms.

26

Shoulderstand

~ See your life form a new perspective.

Sometimes it’s necessary to look at the world

upside down in order to see things right. ~

Being upside down helps to calm the mind and relieve stress and

fatigue. Shoulderstand also helps to stretch the neck and shoulders,

tone the belly and buttocks, and stimulate the thyroid gland.

Passive Shoulderstand

Start by lying on your back, hands by your side

and raise your legs, bringing soles to ceiling.

You can do this with your legs against a wall

for more support. This gives all the benefits of

full Shoulderstand without putting any

pressure on the neck. Hang out here for up to

15 minutes for optimal relaxation.

Shoulderstand

Begin lying on your back and swing your legs

up and over your head with your knees resting

on your forehead. Bring your hands to your

lower back, fingers pointed towards the ceiling

and straighten your legs, toes to the sky. Keep

your core strong and legs working, aiming to

bring toes over Knees, knees over hips and

hips over shoulders. Begin holding for 30

seconds and build up to three minutes.

Continue into Plough pose by bringing

your toes over your head and interlocking

your fingers. And then continue to Ear

Pressure Pose by bending your knees

either side of your temples. Hold each

pose for 30-60 seconds, bring your

hands to your lower back and roll down

slowly.

27

Fish

Fish

Begin lying on your back,

propped up on your forearms,

and slide your hands under

your buttocks. As you inhale

draw your shoulder blades

together and open your chest,

and as you exhale allow your

head to hang back. Increase

the stretch by bringing the

crown of your head to the

floor. If you feel ok here then

try lifting your legs using your

core strength releasing your

hands from under your

buttocks and raising your arms

above your chest with your

hands in prayer position. Stay

here for 15-30 seconds. Bring

your legs and arms back to the

ground if you’re in the full

pose, inhale and look to your

toes, and as you exhale release

to the ground, gently hugging

your knees into your chest.

Fish pose stretches everything from the throat to the intercostal

muscles, to the belly and the hip flexors. It strengthens the

muscles of the lower back and improves posture.

~ Be like a salmon… never be afraid to

swim upstream. ~

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Banana

~ Life is infinitely more beautiful once we peel

away the layers of self-protection and insecurity

and reveal our true selves. ~

Banana

Lay on your back with your legs straight and arms by your

side. Reach your arms overhead and clasp the opposite elbow.

Keeping both buttocks on the floor, shift your feet and upper

body to the right until you feel a stretch down your left side –

this is your edge. Remain in the pose for two to three minutes,

playing your edge by moving your feet and upper body further

to the right as your muscles lengthen and your body releases

tension. To come out of the pose, simply bring your feet and

upper body back in line with your hips and repeat on the other

side.

Banana is a passive posture which works the spine in

lateral flexion. It is a great stretch for the IT bands, the

obliques, the intercostal muscles and the armpit. The

longer you hold the pose, the more you allow your banana

to ripen, releasing tension and lengthening muscles,

ligaments and tendons to increase flexibility.

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Christmas Corpse

It may look easy but Corpse Pose is one of the most difficult

postures. It requires total relaxation of the body and mind,

switching off from thoughts and letting go of worries. Relaxation

helps reduce blood pressure, muscle tension, anxiety and fatigue,

as well as improve focus and self-confidence and increase energy.

In the mania of Christmas, give 10 minutes to yourself to lie in

Corpse Pose and fully relax so you can enjoy the day stress-free.

~ Let go and trust life.

Relax. Refresh. Renew. ~

Christmas Corpse

Lay down on the floor in a position that is comfortable for you.

Try and keep your neck long, your buttocks soft, and back of

the rib cage broadened. Take a deep inhalation and stretch

your arms above your head, tensing every muscle in your body.

As you exhale, release all this tension, bringing your hands

down by your side, palms to sky and allowing your feet to wing

out slightly wider than hip distance. Close your eyes, relax your

breathing, and scan your body from the tip of your head to

your toes, relaxing each body part in turn. Remain here for five

to 30 minutes. To come out of the pose, hug your knees into

your chest and roll onto your right side for a few moments

before coming up to seated very slowly.

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©2012 Nicola Jane Hobbs www.NicolaJaneHobbs.com