Standing Yoga Balance Flow

Stand tall with your feet together or hip-width apart and your weight even across both feet. Let your arms rest by your sides with your palms turned slightly forward. Lengthen up through the crown of your head.

1. Inhale — root down evenly through all four corners of both feet and lengthen up through the crown of your head.
2. Exhale — settle your shoulders down your back and let your arms hang heavy, palms facing slightly forward.
3. Draw your lower ribs gently in and lengthen your tailbone toward the floor. Hold the position, breathing steadily.

• Stack your ears over your shoulders, your shoulders over your hips, and your hips over your ankles.
• Keep your weight balanced across the whole foot, not pitched into the heels or toes.
• Soften your knees so they stay unlocked.
• Let your face, jaw, and breath stay relaxed.

Stand tall in Mountain Pose with your feet together or hip-width apart. Let your arms rest by your sides and lengthen up through the crown of your head.

1. Inhale — sweep your arms forward and up alongside your ears, palms facing each other.
2. Exhale — bend your knees and sink your hips down and back, as though lowering toward a chair behind you.
3. Inhale — lengthen your spine and lift your chest, keeping your weight in your heels. Hold the position, breathing steadily.
4. Exhale — press through your feet to straighten your legs, and lower your arms to return to standing.

• Send your hips back so you can still see your toes past your knees.
• Keep your weight in your heels rather than your toes.
• Draw your lower ribs in so your spine stays long instead of arching.
• Relax your shoulders down away from your ears as your arms reach up.

From standing, step your left foot back a stride and turn it out to about 45 degrees, pressing the outer edge into the floor. Your right foot points straight forward. Square your hips toward the front of the mat.

1. Inhale — bend your right knee toward a right angle, stacking it over your ankle, and lengthen up through your spine.
2. Exhale — ground both feet and draw your left hip forward to square your pelvis toward the front of the mat.
3. Inhale — sweep your arms overhead, reaching up through your fingertips with your palms facing each other. Hold the position, breathing steadily.
4. Exhale — straighten your front leg, turn, and repeat on the other side.

• Keep your front knee tracking over your middle toes, not collapsing inward.
• Press the outer edge of your back foot down to keep the back leg strong.
• Draw your lower ribs in so your lower back stays long.
• Relax your shoulders down even as your arms reach up.

Stand with your feet wide apart. Turn your right foot to point straight forward and angle your left foot slightly in. Extend your arms out to the sides at shoulder height with your palms facing down.

1. Inhale — lengthen up through your spine and reach actively out through both fingertips.
2. Exhale — bend your right knee toward a right angle, stacking it over your ankle, and sink your hips.
3. Turn your head to gaze out over your front hand. Hold the position, breathing steadily.
4. Inhale — straighten your front leg, then turn your feet and repeat on the other side.

• Keep your front knee tracking toward your middle toes.
• Stack your shoulders directly over your hips rather than leaning toward the front leg.
• Reach out through both arms so your chest stays broad.
• Sink your hips as low as feels stable while keeping your torso upright.

Stand with your feet wide apart. Turn your right foot to point straight forward and angle your left foot slightly in. Extend your arms out to the sides at shoulder height. Keep both legs straight but not locked.

1. Inhale — reach actively out over your right leg, lengthening the right side of your waist.
2. Exhale — hinge from your right hip and lower your right hand toward your shin, ankle, or the floor, wherever your body allows.
3. Inhale — extend your left arm toward the ceiling, opening your chest, and turn your gaze up toward your top hand if your neck allows. Hold the position, breathing steadily.
4. Exhale — press through your feet to rise, then repeat on the other side.

• Reach out and over before you lower down, keeping both sides of the waist long.
• Rest your bottom hand only as low as you can go without rounding your spine.
• Stack your top shoulder over the bottom one so your chest stays open.
• Keep both legs active with the kneecaps gently lifted.

Stand tall and shift your weight onto your right foot. Bring your hands to your hips or your palms together at your chest, and find a steady point to gaze at on the floor ahead.

1. Inhale — lengthen your spine and begin to tip your torso forward from the hips as your left leg floats back.
2. Exhale — continue until your torso and lifted leg reach toward one long line roughly parallel to the floor.
3. Reach back through your left heel and forward through the crown of your head. Hold the position, breathing steadily.
4. Inhale — lower your leg and rise to standing, then repeat on the other side.

• Keep your hips level, turning the lifted hip down toward the floor.
• Reach in two directions at once — heel back, crown forward — to stay long.
• Keep a soft bend in your standing knee rather than locking it.
• Fix your gaze on one still point to help you balance.

Stand tall in Mountain Pose with your feet hip-width apart. Shift your weight onto your left foot and find a steady point to gaze at on the floor or wall ahead of you.

1. Inhale — bend your right knee and turn it out to the side, drawing the sole of your right foot to your left ankle, calf, or inner thigh, avoiding the knee itself.
2. Exhale — press your lifted foot and standing leg into each other and bring your palms together in front of your chest.
3. Inhale — if you feel steady, reach your arms overhead, framing your head. Hold the position, breathing steadily.
4. Exhale — release your foot back to the floor and repeat on the other side.

• Press the lifted foot and the standing leg firmly into each other to steady the pose.
• Keep your hips level and squared toward the front.
• Fix your gaze on one still point to help you balance.
• Rest the foot above or below the knee, never directly on the joint.

Lie on your back with your legs extended and feet relaxed open. Rest your arms by your sides with palms facing up. Let your shoulders settle into the floor.

1. Inhale — feel your whole body widen and settle.
2. Exhale — let the floor support your weight. Hold for the prescribed duration, breathing slowly and naturally.
3. To exit, draw a deep breath, gently move your fingers and toes, hug your knees to your chest, and roll to one side before sitting up.

• Make small adjustments to find true comfort: a pillow under the head, a blanket over the body, a bolster under the knees.
• Keep the jaw, brow, and tongue soft.
• Let the breath flow naturally; don't try to control it.