Rowyn stretching

Party tricks.

Stretching, Episode #38, GetMomentumTV.com

http://www.yogabodynaturals.com – WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR FLEXIBILITY? Free, 7-day email course reveals 7 secrets of nutrition and flexibility. ARDHA BADDHA PADMOTTANASANA – Free Yoga Video Stretching   more...exercise video series with Lucas Rockwood, founder of YOGABODY Naturals. Lucas demonstrates ardha badha padmottanasana for flexibility of the knees, hips, and ankles. ABOUT THIS YOGA POSE Yoga is a really safe practice, but people do hurt themselves regularly, usually when they are trying to move too quickly into a posture they are not ready for. Also, in yoga, often the poses that heal our weak areas of the body are ALSO the same poses that can hurt us if we’re not careful. Ardha badha padmottanasan, for example, is excellent for building strong knees, angles, and hips, but you need to be careful anytime you bend and rotate your knees. FLEXIBILITY IN JOINTS http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/articles Often, we talk about “opening up our hips” or “loosening up our spine.” But the truth is, when we want a joint to have more range of motion, what we want to “loosen up” is the connective tissues supporting that joint. So the knuckle on your index finger has a small amount of connective tissue supporting it compared with your hip joint. For this reason, you can “open up” your hands much quicker than you can your hips. You can also accomplish more with less, meaning less time and energy will produce greater results… this is why many us struggle with stiffness in the big joints. The hips, the knees, the shoulders. FLEXIBILITY CAN BE LEARNED I used to be extremely stiff… so stiff, I honestly never thought I’d make it through an entire yoga class much less become a teacher. But flexibility is not magic. It’s not genetic. There’s a science to it, and I’ve done a good job of cracking the code. Nutrition is essential. Let me show you: http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/about.html  less

http://www.yogabodynaturals.com – STRETCHING SECRETS REVEALED in a FREE, 7-day email course. Discover the secret connection between nutrition and flexibility. Yoga students only. FREE YOGA DROPBACK   more...VIDEO Yoga backbends are one of the most fun and challenging of practices because they involve making the front of our body extremely vulnerable. Genetically, we’re hard-wired to guard our chest and protect our heart center; so in some ways, backbends are going against nature—but in a good way. DROPBACK BASICS Before you can do a yoga dropback, it’s essential that you are able to practice full wheel pose with straight arms comfortably for at least 30 breaths. Also called Urdva Dhanurasana, full wheel pose builds the foundation for this more advanced variation. HOW FLEXIBLE DOES MY BACK NEED TO BE? http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/articles I know many guys who are very stiff in their backs who can still do really nice, clean dropbacks. As mentioned, you must be competent at Urdva Danurasana (wheel pose), but after that, it’s mostly strength and balance. As in most backbending poses, the focus is on a strong and stable lower body and a loose and soft upper body. The further back you go, the more your body will instinctively close off your heart center, so you have to consciously tell yourself: “legs strong, heart open.” ROCKING BACK AND FORTH When you first begin learning dropbacks, it’s a good idea to practice the rocking technique. This is accomplished simply by “rocking” the weight primarily into your feet, then your hands, then back to your feet again. On one of the rocks, when the weight is on your feet, the next step is to gently push off with your fingertips. GRAVITY POSES & FLEXIBILITY When I was first learning this posture, practicing Gravity Poses (and eating the right foods) made huge difference. I have a free, 7-day course that explain how it works. Click here: http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/about.html  less

http://www.yogabodynaturals.com – IMPROVE YOUR FLEXIBILITY: Free, 7-day email course shows the secret connection between nutrition and flexibility. Yoga students only. FREE YOGA VIDEO: Ustrasana Pose   more...(Camel Pose) Ustrasana or Camel Pose is a basic backbend posture that can really help open up the front of your body. When we talk about forward bends, we’re opening up the back of the body; and when we talk about backbends, it’s the front of the body we’re concerned with: the hips, the iliopsoas muscles, the shoulders, the chest. It’s important to remember that Camel Pose is NOT about grabbing your heals. It’s actually about opening your entire spine in a large arch. CAMEL POSE: Tips & Tricks The single most important thing to keep in mind with Camel Pose is that your hips want to press forward as much as possible. This means that your bum is moving away from your heals, not relaxing down. In order to find this dynamic in the posture, you want to press down into your feet, chins, and knees as you press your hips forward with your hands on your lower back. USTRASANA POSE: Open Your Heart The next important thing is to remember that your heart wants to open up and expand UP not down. Our natural reaction to backbends is to close off our chest; but the better choice is to relax your heart open as the shoulders move together behind the back. COMING UP http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/articles Once you get deep into the posture, it can feel quite comfortable, but be sure to come out of the pose carefully! The best way to come out of the posture is the same way you went in: hands on hips, head back, hips forward… slowly roll up! HOW LONG? This pose can be pretty intense, but it’s always helpful to set a “breath goal” before your start. 10 breaths is a good starting breath goal, and you can build from there. Camel Pose will help improve your practice of all other backbends as well. DOUBLE YOUR FLEXIBILITY in 28 DAYS! http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/about.html  less

http://www.yogabodynaturals.com – FREE 7-day email course reveals the yoga stretching flexibility secrets of nutrition and practice. FREE YOGA VIDEO: Virabhadrasana I/Warrior Pose YOGABODY Naturals   more...founder, Lucas Rockwood demonstrates Utkatasana Pose, Virabhadrasana I, and Virabhadrasana II. This yoga pose is one of the foundational standing postures in the Ashtanga Yoga Primary series as taught by Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. Ashtanga Yoga is a dynamic practice where the breath and movements are synchronized to produce internal heat that purifies, strengthens, and opens up the body. BENEFITS OF UTKATASANA POSE (fierce pose/chair pose/awkward pose) Utkatasana Pose, often referred to as “chair pose,” is a simple-looking posture that when practiced correctly is actually quite challenging. For most yoga students, the most challenging area is the upper body. The idea is to press your hands flat together and straighten the arms directly up toward the ceiling (or as much as possible). In this yoga pose, it’s normal to feel blocked in your shoulders and chest, but through regular practice you can really open up. BENEFITS OF WARRIOR POSE (virabhadrasana pose) Virabhadrasana I and II are a foundational part of many yoga traditions. They are deceptively simple yoga poses, and when practiced correctly, both are extremely powerful for opening up the hips, strengthening the legs, and warming up the body for a deeper practice. Because of the dynamic nature of Warrior I and Warrior II poses, they are excellent for balancing and stabilizing the knees, ankles, and hips. http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/articles ABOUT VINYASA YOGA PRACTICE Vinyasa refers to the flowing series of movements when yoga students go from a low pushup position, to a backbend, then to downward-facing dog pose. This series of movements is meant to be connected to Ujjayi Breathing which builds internal heat and allows for greater flexibility. http://www.YogabodyNaturals.com  less

http://www.yogabodynaturals.com - Double your flexibility in 28 days with YOGABODY's Flexibility Kit. Yoga teacher reveals stretching secrets in a free, 7-day email course. IN THIS FREE YOGA VIDEO…   more...Lucas Rockwood, founder of YOGABODY Naturals, demonstrates Ashtanga Yoga-style Prasarita Padottanasana A, B, C, & D for flexibility of the hamstrings and back of the body. These series of Yoga Poses (asanas) are particularly helpful for spinal heath, circulation, and stamina. For detailed instructions on this yoga pose and many more, visit: http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/articles YOGA STRETCHING EXERCISES EXPLAINED… Stretching exercises for flexibility can be divided into three types: static, dynamic, and passive. The exercises shown would fall under static poses since the yoga postures are held still for an extended period of time. Static yoga poses are particularly good for building strength, balance, and stamina. MORE BLOOD = IMPROVED STRETCHING FLEXIBILITY With stretching flexibility exercises, the more blood you draw into the muscles, the more flexible they become. Blood is the fluid of life, lubrication, and nutrition for our connective tissues; so for yoga poses, it’s amazing! MYOTATIC REFLEX & STRETCHING EXERCISES When a muscle lengthens beyond a particular end, the myotatic reflex will attempt to shorten it through contraction (you feel stiffness and a sharp pain). The myotatic reflex, at times, can limit your progress in yoga poses—though usually it helps to keep you safe in yoga postures. DOUBLE YOUR FLEXIBILITY in 28 DAYS! Yoga teacher/nutritional coach reveals flexibility secrets in a free, 7-day email course. Instant access. http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/about.html  less

http://www.yogabodynaturals.com -- FREE 7-day email course reveals the yoga stretching flexibility secrets of nutrition and practi http://www.yogabodynaturals.com -- FREE 7-day email course reveals the   more...yoga stretching flexibility secrets of nutrition and practice. HOW TO DO HEADSTAND (Sirsasana Pose) Sirsasana, or headstand, looks quite difficult, but is actually very simple to learn. In most yoga traditions, however, headstand is practiced near the end of a sequence. With this in mind, headstand is probably not a good idea until you are warm and loose from yoga or another form of exercise. HEADSTAND (Sirsasana Pose) STEP-BY-STEP 1) On your knees, grab opposite elbows on the floor (like in the video) 2) Keep your elbows close (it'll feel weird, but it's easier) 3) Interlace your hands and open up the palms so your head can slide in 4) Place the front part of your head (between the forehead and crown) on the floor and stand up like downward facing dog 5) Walk your feet in closer to your elbows 6) Straighten both legs all the way 7) If possible, bend one knee into your chest while the other leg stays straight 8) Switch 9) If you're comfortable, bend both knees to your chest (don't jump) and stay there 10) If you're still comfortable, extend your legs to the sky HEADSTAND TIPS http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/articles Do NOT use the wall. It's easier, but it's not safe. When you're ready, you'll feel it and you can move safely that way. Do NOT let your elbows splay out to the sides. Do NOT jump into this pose. When you're ready, you'll fell it. YOGA STRETCHING FLEXIBILITY MADE EASY FREE 7-day email course show how: http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/about.html  less

http://www.yogabodynaturals.com – FLEXIBILTY SECRETS REVEALED in a FREE, 7-day email course. Yoga teacher, Lucas Rockwood, shows the secret connection between nutrition and flexibility. Yoga students   more...only. LEARN TO DO ASHTANGA-YOGA DROPBACKS (BACKENDS) Before your try this posture, you need to have a fairly open back. What I mean by that is you should be able to hold a full wheel pose with straight arms for at least a minute. You should be able to walk around in wheel pose (like a kid on the playground) without any sharp pain or loss of breath. Finally, you should be able to come up on your tip toes, and alternatively, come up on the tips of your fingers (not at the same time though). DROPBACKS STEP-BY-STEP http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/articles Traditionally, dropbacks are taught straight away after 3 wheel poses held for just 5 breaths each. For some people, this is OK. For most, it’s awful. Most of us have a lot of tension in our bodies and 3 backbends at 5 breaths each has only just touched the surface. So here’s what I do… 1) Do full wheel pose with straight arms for 30 breaths 2) Don’t move or adjust or anything 3) Do it again for 30 breaths 4) Do it a 3rd time for 30 breaths and then take a rest 5) On your forth go, you might be pretty exhausted, but that’s OK. Rock back and forth, feet-to-fingers 3 times and then lower down. *optional next steps* If all of the forward above steps went OK, the next step to actually come up to stand. Anatomically, this is simple. In practice, it’s a little tricky. Here’s what you do: 1) Rock 3 times, and on the 3rd rock, press all the weight into your heals 2) Try to look BACK at your bum (do not lift your head) 3) Let your arms hang 4) Push your hips and press into your heals 5) Your body will either ROLL up to stand, or it won’t 6) If it doesn’t, and you’re looking at your bum, you’ll just gently lower back down GAVITY POSES & NUTRITION IMPROVE FLEXIBILITY FAST http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/about.html  less

http://www.yogabodynaturals.com – DOUBLE YOUR FLEXIBILITY in 28 days! Free, 7-day email course reveals the secret connection between nutrition and flexibility. Yoga students only. KAPOTASANA (pigeon   more...pose) Kapotasana is one of the more intense and challenging backbends taught, but if you learn to practice properly, it doesn’t have to be unpleasant to learn. Before even attempting this posture, you want to be thoroughly warmed up, and you should be competent in Ustrasana Pose and full wheel pose as well. This posture is essentially Ustrasana Pose taken one step further. HOW TO PRACTICE: Pigeon Pose http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/articles There are many different ways to get in and out of this posture, but the way I’ll teach you is the most comfortable and least extreme. Follow these steps: 1) Knees apart hips width 2) Hands on hips, pressing forward 3) Hips forward as far as you can, drop your head back 4) Take your hands to a prayer position at your throat 5) Legs strong, reach your hands to your ears, then extend all the way straight 6) Hang and breathe for as long as possible *optional next steps* 7) Take your hands to the floor (legs strong) 8) Press into your hands and try to straighten through the arms for 5 breaths 9) Walk your hands to your feet, take your heals, and lower your elbows to the floor 10) Reverse your way out of it PIGEON POSE TIPS You have to train yourself, “lower body strong, upper body soft.” It’s one of the most important principals of this posture and many other drop-back style backbends. In order to find freedom and flexibility in your chest and shoulders in particular, you have to consciously release those areas. YOGA STRETCHING FLEXIBILITY MADE EASY Yoga teacher reveals simple, at-home stretching flexibility secrets in a FREE, 7-day email course. Yoga students only please. http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/about.html  less

http://www.yogabodynaturals.com – FREE 7-day email course reveals the yoga stretching flexibility secrets of nutrition and practice. FREE YOGA VIDEO: Headstand (Sirsasana Pose) Sirsasana, or headstand,   more...looks quite difficult, but is actually a very simple yoga pose that anyone can learn in 1-4 weeks. Inverted yoga postures can feel scary or awkward, but once you get used to the sensation, they are actually quite enjoyable. Long-time yoga students have been known to hold sirsasana for as long as 5 minutes; and the world record headstand is something like 2 hours and 40 minutes! HEADSTAND: Is it Safe? I have taught headstand in nearly every yoga class I’ve ever taught (which is thousands), and I’ve found it to be one of the safest and simplest yoga poses you can learn… provided you practice correctly. Some people like to argue that our bodies are not designed for this type of movement, but I think that’s a very limited view of human evolution. Gently resting your body weight on your head is hardly an extreme movement, and I’ve seen everyone from 80 lbs. elderly women to 225 lbs. bodybuilders learn to master this pose without much resistance. FREE yoga tips and tricks: http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/articles BENEFITS OF HEADSTAND When you’re upside down, the blood pressure in your body is reversed. Your body has a “fail safe” on the brain so it doesn’t burst with pressure, but the rest of your body is undergoing a pretty serious shift. What this means is that fresh blood is pushed with more force into areas it wouldn’t normally reach as easily; and from a health perspective, this is a good thing! On a more subtle level, headstand tends to have a very calming and balancing effect on the body. Learn how to double your flexibility in 28 days using powerful gravity poses and nutritional supplements. FREE 7-day email course show how. http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/about.html  less

I keep up on the latest fitness trends. Wu Pi Yoga concentrates more heavily on the exhale.

another bendy girl from my site .. www.flexflicks.com

Now that is some serious talent. This can bend like rubber.

I was finally able to get footage of Godzilla flaring out his beard as he does his morning stretches. He will not do it if I am in the room, so I set up a tripod and left the camera running. I'm so glad   more...I got this video on the first try. He's such a handsome bearded dragon!  less

Flexing In A Tight Shirt

Anna Kournikova stretching

Wow

Finally back after some absence... that's all. I am glad to be back ONLIIINE AND KICKIN'!

http://www.yogabodynaturals.com – WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR FLEXIBILITY? Free, 7-day email course reveals 7 secrets of nutrition and flexibility. STANDING YOGA POSES: ardha baddha padmottanasana Ardha baddha   more...padmottanasana is a simple-looking pose, but there are a lot of complex and delicate movements happening. To begin with, you take your right foot up on top of your left thigh. If you look at the top of your left thigh, there is a crease in the skin where the hip starts: this is where you want to place the foot. The outside wall of the right foot should fit right into that crease. GRAB THE TOE: ardha baddha padmottanasana The next step is to allow the right knee to gently move downward so it points toward the floor. Take your right hand and wrap it around the back. Slide your thumb between the first and second two (if possible), and again, allow the knee to gently drop down again. If you cannot reach the big toe, use a towel to catch the foot and hold the towel instead. Another option is to NOT bind and first work on opening the knee, hip, and ankle. FORWARD BENDING http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/articles When you forward bend, that’s when you need to be particularly careful. Move slowly and carefully, avoiding any sharp pain in the right knee. Use your left hand as a 2nd “foot” on the floor, drop your head, and again, allow the right knee to soften backwards. Come back up the same way, carefully, bending your standing knee as need to avoid straining your joints. TIPS If your knees are sensitive, it can be very helpful to “click” your knee before rotating. To do this, bend your knee to your chest and pull your heal toward your bum BEFORE you attempt to rotate the knee. Just this action alone can prevent strains. DOUBLE YOUR FLEXIBILITY Yoga teacher, Lucas Rockwood (in the video), reveals stretching flexibility secrets in a FREE, 7-day email course. Instant access: http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/about.html  less

http://www.yogabodynaturals.com – FLEXIBILITY SECRETS REVEALED: 7-day email course shows the little-known connection between what you eat and your stretching flexibility. FREE YOGA HEADSTAND VIDEO (Sirsasana   more...Pose) Sirsasana, or headstand, is considered to be the “king of asanas,” or the king of all yoga poses. In truth, it’s a simple pose with tremendous benefits. In the Sivananda Yoga tradition, headstand is taught as the very first pose of the sequence. In most schools, headstand it taught last, so it takes some getting used to. But the truth is, if you are comfortable practicing headstand, it can be a very good way to warm the body up for practice and encourage blood circulation. HEADSTAND & FLEXIBILITY Headstand does not require much flexibility, and with proper instruction, even very stiff, inflexible people can master this pose. That said, if your hamstrings and shoulders are open and free, it does make it much easier and more comfortable. Headstand eventually becomes a very relaxing restful poses. Your breathing slows to 8-10 breaths per minute, and you can feel your heart rate drop as well. MASTERING HEADSTAND http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/articles Poses such as sun salutations can help balance and strengthen the upper body, but in reality, headstand requires very little strength when practiced properly. The easiest way to teach yourself this pose is to count your breaths. Begin with an easy number like 5 or 10 breaths, and slowly (but continuously) add breaths day-by-day until you can hold for 30 (or more) breaths comfortably. YOUR ARMS IN HEADSTAND In most versions of headstand, your arms are doing little more than balancing your body. As a general rule, you don’t want to feel strain or tightness in the shoulders or arms as you practice. More than anything, you gently keep you hips over your shoulders and your ankles over your hips so the balance is natural. FLEXIBILITY MADE EASY http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/about.html  less

http://www.yogabodynaturals.com – FREE 7-day email course reveals the yoga stretching flexibility secrets of nutrition and practice. HOW TO DO HEADSTAND (Sirsasana Pose) Sirsasana, or headstand, looks   more...quite difficult, but is actually very simple to learn. In most yoga traditions, however, headstand is practiced near the end of a sequence. With this in mind, headstand is probably not a good idea until you are warm and loose from yoga or another form of exercise. HEADSTAND (Sirsasana Pose) STEP-BY-STEP 1) On your knees, grab opposite elbows on the floor (like in the video) 2) Keep your elbows close (it’ll feel weird, but it’s easier) 3) Interlace your hands and open up the palms so your head can slide in 4) Place the front part of your head (between the forehead and crown) on the floor and stand up like downward facing dog 5) Walk your feet in closer to your elbows 6) Straighten both legs all the way 7) If possible, bend one knee into your chest while the other leg stays straight 8) Switch 9) If you’re comfortable, bend both knees to your chest (don’t jump) and stay there 10) If you’re still comfortable, extend your legs to the sky HEADSTAND TIPS http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/articles Do NOT use the wall. It’s easier, but it’s not safe. When you’re ready, you’ll feel it and you can move safely that way. Do NOT let your elbows splay out to the sides. Do NOT jump into this pose. When you’re ready, you’ll fell it. YOGA STRETCHING FLEXIBILITY MADE EASY FREE 7-day email course show how: http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/about.html  less

http://www.yogabodynaturals.com – Flexibility made easy. Yoga teacher reveals stretching flexibility secrets in a free, 7-day email course. WARRIOR I & II YOGA VIDEO: Power Yoga Poses Lucas Rockwood   more...demonstrates Utkatasana Pose, Virabhadrasana I, and Virabhadrasana II, commonly referred to as chair pose, and warrior I & II in Power Yoga and Power Vinyasa Yoga classes. These 3 poses are now taught in many different yoga schools internationally, but they originated as part of the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga as taught by Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. Ashtanga Yoga is a dynamic practice where the breath and movements are synchronized to produce internal heat that purifies, strengthens, and opens up the body. http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/articles POWER YOGA POSE BENEFITS: Utkatasana Pose (chair pose) Yoga attracts many people who have hurt their knees doing some other type of physical activity such as tennis or soccer. Yoga is excellent for healing knees, but it’s not a magic pill; and students need to practice carefully and slowly. Standing yoga postures from Power Yoga and Power Vinyasa Yoga classes such as Utkatasana Pose are excellent for balancing your strength and flexibility which is the definition of a healthy joint. POWER YOGA POSE BENEFITS: Warrior I & Warrior II Most people motor right through the warrior pose sequence in yoga classes, but these postures are actually much more than just warm-ups. Warrior I in particular (if held for 20, 30 or even 60 breaths) is extremely powerful for strengthening the legs, but even more so, opening and releasing the hips. Warrior 2 allows you to build balance and stability down into the joints while expanding the font of the body. POWER YOGA: The Practice Power yoga classes today are often built around these three yoga postures: Utkatasana, Warrior I, and Warrior II. What’s great is that these three postures are challenging for all levels of students. http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/about.html  less