Yoga might look like just a bunch of stretches, but it’s a worldwide phenomenon for all the right reasons – it helps you sleep better (check out these four moves), there are a bunch of health food-based, yoga cafes around the country (we particularly love these) and it makes your body stronger (just like these 7 women who’re making strong the new sexy). For International Yoga Day, yogini Natasha Noel created a step-by-step dance yoga routine to get us moving. Also known as the woman who breaks into yoga poses in public places, her routines are appropriate for all skill levels. “I used to be a dancer so all my routines are inspired by what I feel at the moment, how my body wants to move,” says Noel. She is greatly inspired by Tamara Levinson-Campos and learns from her yoga challenges and videos. Have a look at the breakdown below:
- Start with rooting to the floor to find your Shakti (energy)
- Inhaling up to Urdhva Hastasana (upward salute)
- Go down into Uttanasana (standing forward bend)
- Go into Urdhva Uttanasana (upwards forward bend)
- Jump back to Chaturanga Dandasana (four-limbed staff pose)
- Inhale up to modification of Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (upward facing dog)
- To Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog)
- Then do downward facing body waves (My favourite to release and let the spine breathe)
- To lady leg walks in downward dog
- Then do the Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana (one-legged down dog or arabesque in dance language)
- To twist or variation of Eka Pada Koundinyasana (pose dedicated to sage Koundinya)
- To Upaviṣṭha Koṇāsana (straddle spilt twist)
- To variation of Camatkarasana (wild thing posture)
- Dancing to swivel to upward facing dog
- To downward facing dog on pointe
- To Marjaryasana (cat posture)
- To Sirsasana (headstand)
- To headstand air walking
- To Prasarita Padottanasana (wide-legged standing forward bend)
- To Adho Mukha Vrksasana (getting the legs in for prepping into handstand)
- Or Urdhva Uttanasana on Relevé (a movement in which the dancer rises on the tips of the toes or ball of the foot)
- To Uttansana
- To variation of Uttansasna with fingers interlocked behind
- End in Stith Prarthanasana (standing still prayer pose)
Not a fan of working out at home? Try one of these yoga retreats to satiate your travel bug
Happy Yoga Day!
