Step by Step Bikram Yoga Instructions

© 2010 Andrew Gallagher www.AndrewGallagher.co.uk

Yoga Step by Step, Move by Move

(Duration 90 minutes x 3 times per week) created by Andrew Gallagher

What You Will Need: - • At least 2 one litre bottles of water. • A large bath towel.

• A small face cloth • A yoga mat Please note: • You will be soaked with sweat after this class.


Half Moon (Part One)

Facing forwards, stand with your feet together and toes pointing forward.

From your sides, slowly raise both of your arms high into the air.

Lace your fingers together with the index fingers pointing upwards forming a ‘steeple’. Your arms should be tight against your ears.

Keeping your body as straight as an arrow, slowly sway your upper torso from left to right. DO THIS VERY SLOWLY.

Make sure that your arms are high and straight and you are not leaning forwards… keep your shoulders back.

Slowly lean as far over to the right as you can

Do not twist your hips or your shoulders inwards, keep your body facing forward at all times.

Keep your mouth closed and breathe through your nose.

Hold position for thirty seconds.

VERY SLOWLY, bring your body back up straight again, keeping your fingers pointed high and slowly sway your upper torso from left to right. DO EVERYTHING VERY SLOWLY.

Now, slowly bend as far over to the left as you can.

Do not twist your hips or your shoulders inwards, keep your body facing forward at all times.



Repeat two more times. Go back to your standing position.

Benefits: Helps with lower back pain, constipation, obesity of stomach, breathing, Deformities and frozen shoulders. Stops headaches. Works the front of your shoulders (deltoid), all ‘return’ muscles, upper chest muscles and hamstrings. Exercises the colon, pancreas, kidneys, liver and spleen.


Half Moon Part Two

Facing Forwards, Stand with your feet together and toes pointing forward.

From your sides, slowly raise both of your arms high into the air.

Lace your fingers together with the index fingers pointing upwards forming a ‘steeple’. Your arms should be tight against your ears.

Keeping your body as straight as an arrow, slowly sway your upper torso forwards and backwards. DO THIS VERY SLOWLY.

Make sure that your arms are high and straight.

VERY SLOWLY and keeping your eyes wide open, lean backwards as far you can without losing your balance. Do not close your eyes.



VERY SLOWLY, bring your body back up straight again, keeping your fingers pointed high and slowly sway your upper torso forwards and backwards.

DO EVERYTHING VERY SLOWLY.

Hold position for thirty seconds. Go back to your standing position.

Benefits: Helps with lower back pain, constipation, obesity of stomach, breathing,. Deformities and frozen shoulders. Stops headaches. Works the front of your shoulders (deltoid), all ‘return’ muscles, upper chest muscles and hamstrings. Exercises the colon, pancreas, kidneys, liver and spleen.


Half Moon (Part Three)


Slowly lean forwards and put your fingers under the back of your heels with your arms wrapped round the back of calves.

Do not close your eyes.

You can bend your legs slightly if you are uncomfortable, but you are aiming to keep your legs straight if you can. You will get better with practise.

Keep your mouth closed – breathe through your nose

Let your head hang loose, keep your eyes open and look through your knees.

Hold for one minute then slowly go back to your standing position.

Repeat Half Moon Part 1,2 & 3 two more times.

Akward


Bring both of your arms up in front of you, with your hands out straight, palms down.

Slowly bend your knees and hold.

Then, slowly rise up onto your toes and hold

Keep your mouth closed – breathe through your nose Hold this pose for one minute then slowly go back to your standing position

Benefits: Helps to align your entire skeletal system, opens your pelvic area, relieves joint pain and arthritis of the knee. Strengthens and shapes lower body and relieves deep leg pains.. Improves flexibility in the toes and ankles, works quadriceps and chest.


Eagle


Putting your left elbow over your right elbow, twist you arms together so that your palms are pressed against each other. This may be tricky at first and your fingers may just make it, but with practise you will become even suppler..

Slowly, lift up your left leg and cross it over the top of your right knee, bending your left foot around the back of your leg so that the top of your foot rests on your right calf muscle.

Slowly, bend your balancing leg down to an almost sitting position

Hold the position for one minute.

Repeat with opposite leg and arm.


Hold this pose for one minute then slowly go back to your standing position Benefits: Improves mobility for the hip circle and all 12 major joints Improves body alignment and energises the body. Stimulates the sexual energies and improves function of the central nervous system.


Standing Head to Knee


Lift your left foot up, so your left knee is tight into your chest and hold it in place by clasping your fingers from both hands together under the centre of your foot.

Make sure that your clasp is in the arch of the your foot and not at the front near your toes!

Extend your raised leg out forwards as far as you can, keeping your foot high. Ideally your left leg will be horizontal to the floor.

Slowly lean forwards and rest your forehead on your knee (Don’t worry if you have to bend your leg at first, you will get better)

Repeat with opposite foot.

Always keep your mouth closed and breathe through your nose Hold this pose for one minute then slowly go back to your standing position

Benefits: Improves concentration. Sciatic nerve is stretched. Reduces diabetes. Strengthens back muscles and nerves. Works the muscular, skeletal, digestive and reproductive systems. Balances mood swings and you literally find your ‘grip’


Standing Bow Pose


Balancing on your right foot, bend forward, raising your left foot as high behind you as you possibly can.

Maintain your ‘high’ left foot position by gently holding your front left shin with your left hand.

To keep your perfect balance, point your right arm out straight out in front of you, palm down.


Keep your chin high and your eyes open.


Repeat the opposite. Benefits: Increases circulation to the heart and lungs. Improves elasticity of the spine and helps with lower back pain. Opens your diaphragm and lungs. Tones the arms and legs, relieves cramps and gives your body grace.


Balancing Stick

Face forwards, stand with your feet together and toes pointing forward.

Raise both of your arms to the sky, fingers clenched together with your index fingers pointing upwards.

Balancing on your right foot, bend your body forward (still keeping your arms straight), raise your left foot behind you so that your left leg is horizontal to the ground.

Point both your arms out straight in front of you, hands together fingers pointing forward

Keep your eyes open and look at the ground, keeping the back of your head in line with your spine.


Hold for one minute then slowly go back to your standing position. Repeat the opposite.

Benefits: Increases blood flow over your entire body. Clears your arteries Strengthens your heart, lungs, pancreas, liver, kidneys and spleen. It gives you a total spine stretch and is good for stopping varicose veins. It clears your deposits of fats, burns calories and is all round heart attack prevention.


Separate Leg Stretching Forehead to the floor

From a Standing Position, open your legs as wide as possible, holding each foot at its furthest point on the outside of each foot with each hand.

Bend forwards and (try to) rest your forehead on the floor. You can use your hands initially to get your balance and also to stop you banging your head!

Keep your mouth closed – breathe through your nose Hold for one minute then slowly go back to your

standing position. Benefits: Helps constipation and abdominal obesity. Increases circulation to the brain and adrenal glands. Improves functions of abdominal organs. Helps to relieve depression.


Triangle Pose

Stretch your left leg out to one side, toes pointing away from you and position your opposite leg to a 45º right angle position, toes pointing forwards.

Raise your left hand high into the sky palm facing inwards

Look up to your left hand, keep your chin high

rest your right elbow softly on your right knee

DO NOT LEAN INWARDS, make an effort to ease yourself back into the pose



Benefits: Helps chemical imbalances in the system. Helps constipation, hip and back pain, general mobility and menstrual disorders. Good for heart and kidneys. Cuts calories and stabilises metabolism. Slims the hips; helps improve cellulite and helps with chronic obesity


Separate Leg Stretching Head To Knee

Facing Forward with your feet together stretch both of your arms up to the sky and press your palms together.

Turn sideways to your left and extend your right leg forward as far as it can go, whilst leaning forwards and rest your palms in front of your right foot.

Both your feet will now be pointing directly to the left.

Rest your forehead head on your right knee (don’t worry if you have to bend your right leg at first – in time you will become more supple).



Repeat the opposite. Benefits: Profoundly balances the thyroid. Supports the Sciatic Nerve Works the endocrine, reproductive and digestive systems. Helps migraines.


Toe Stand

Facing Forwards, stand with your feet together and toes pointing forward.

Using your hands, lift your left foot up and rest it in the highest point of your right leg, with the base of your foot pointing upwards.

Keep your back rod straight and your shoulders back.

Press your palms together in front of you and rest your thumbs on your chest.

The tips of your fingers should be approximately two inches below your chin.

Slowly lift your right heel up so that you are balancing on your toes (advanced?)

Hold your balance, keep your mouth closed and breathe through your nose.


Repeat the opposite. Advanced people only…

Slowly, and keeping your back straight as an arrow, bend your right leg so that your bum is resting upon your right foot.

Slowly lift your right heel as high as you can hold it and balance on your toes.

Hold your balance, keep your mouth closed and breathe through your nose.


Benefits: Creates balance in the body and in the mind.

Strengthens stomach muscles. Helps with arthritis, knee problems and gout problems. Strengthens weak joints.


Cobra

Lie face down on the floor with arms tight in beside you and your palms facing upwards, your nose should be pressed to the ground – don’t look left and don’t look right.

Make sure that your ankles are together and your toes pointing straight out behind you.

Bring your hands up to chest level (resting your thumbs just under your chest) and, palms down, press against the ground with your fingers together

Expelling air through your nose, push against the ground so that you entire torso is raised up from the floor.

Bring your chin up as high as it can go.

Look as far behind you as you possibly can (over your forehead)

Roll your eyes upwards so that you are extending your vision even further behind you.

Hold your balance.


Hold the position for one minute. Turn over onto your back, ankles together, arms laid out beside you, palms down and

rest. Benefits:

Maintains the body in perfect condition. Increases the spinal strength and flexibility.

Helps backache. Helps lumbago, rheumatism and arthritis.

Strengthens Deltoids, trapeziums and

triceps.


Locust



Twist your arms and bring them in tight and actually underneath your body so that your entire upper body weight is on your elbows, keep you palms flat against the ground under your pelvis.

Hold this position for one minute – keep your mouth closed and breathe through your nose

Then, keeping your ankles together, slowly lift your feet as high as you can raise them.

Hold this position for one minute – keep your mouth closed and breathe through your nose

Rest

Benefits:

Maintains the body in perfect condition. Increases the spinal strength and flexibility. Helps backache, gout, slipped disc and sciatica Helps lumbago, rheumatism and arthritis. Firms up buttocks and hips. Helps Tennis Elbow.


Floor Bow



Bring both of your feet up behind you and hold them in position with the backs of your hands facing outwards from your body. Don’t hold your toes, hold your feet at the point where they meet your legs.

Your chin should be off the ground – keep your eyes open, your mouth closed and breathe trough your nose.

Pull your feet back as close to your back as possible – your arms should feel very tight now.

Bring your chin up as high as it can go.

Look as far behind you as you possibly can (as though looking over your forehead)

Roll your eyes upwards so that you are extending your vision even further behind you.

Hold your balance.


Hold the position for one minute. Turn over onto your back, ankles together, arms laid out

beside you, palms down and rest. Benefits:

Maintains the body in perfect condition. Increases the spinal strength and flexibility. Helps straighten rounded spines. Helps intestines, liver, kidneys and spleen. Relieves backache.


Fixed Firm

Facing forwards, kneel down with your feet behind you and apart allowing your bum to rest on the ground between your feet.

Very slowly, lean backwards as far as you can go. o Your aim is to rest your shoulder blades on the ground behind you whilst your feet remain motionless.

Very slowly, raise your arms over your head and hold your forearms in each hand.


Look upwards and hold this position for a one minute

Slowly, bring your arms and body back up to your first kneeling position. Turn over onto your back, ankles together, arms laid out beside you, palms down and rest.

Benefits: Strengthens and improves flexibility of lower spine, knees and ankles joints Helps to cure sciatica, gout and rheumatism in the legs. Helps varicose veins Helps to cure and prevent hernia.

.


Camel Pose

Facing forwards, place yourself in a kneeling position. (knees slightly apart)

Very slowly, look backwards over your forehead and bend your torso backwards.

Very slowly, lean backwards and take hold of each foot by its ball, making sure that your fingers are on the inside of each foot.

Lean further into the position, by now your chin should be higher than your forehead and look as far to the ground with your eyes as you possibly can


Hold this position for a one minute

Very slowly, reassume to the kneeling position.

Turn over onto your back, ankles together, arms laid out beside you, palms down and rest.

Benefits: Strengthens muscles and back and shoulders Produces maximum compression in the back and spine, stimulating the nervous system. Improves flexibility of the neck and spine.

Slims the abdomen and waistline. Relieves backache.


Rabbit Pose

Facing forwards, place yourself in a kneeling position. (Knees together).

Very slowly, bring your forehead down to your knees and gently hold the backs of your feet with your hands.

Using your hands, pull your shoulders and body in as tight as you can.

Hold this position for a one minute

Very slowly, reassume to the kneeling position.

Turn over onto your back, ankles together, arms lay out beside you, palms down and rest.

Benefits: Stretches spine to its maximum extension. Helps maintain mobility, elasticity of spine and back muscles. Nurtures the nervous system and the brain. Helps cure depression. Helps prevent diabetes. Helps with colds, sinus problems chronic tonsillitis and sore throats. Good for thyroid, parathyroid and larynx.


Stretching Pose

Sit with your legs straight out in front of you.

Keep your ankles together

Slowly, lean forwards and with each hand take hold of the corresponding big toe with your middle and index fingers.

Point your thumbs upwards and look straight ahead with your chin high.

Pull your big toes back to you with your fingers and hold.

For even better stretching, make the tension even higher by pulling your toes even further, allowing the heels of your feet to raise up from the floor. Hold this position for 30 seconds and release slowly.

Turn over onto your back, ankles together, arms laid out beside you, palms down and rest.

Benefits: Helps to balance blood sugar level, and is especially good for diabetes. Good for your immune system and Improves kidney function. Increases circulation to the liver and the spleen, pancreas, thyroid, thymus and intestines.Relieves chronic diarrhoea.

Documents

Step by Step Bikram Yoga Instructions