Yoga For Energy And Focus

I don’t know about you but when I’ve had time away from my regular routine I can find it really difficult to get back into things and re-focus.

I’m a real homebody at the best of the times so when I’ve had some time out I have to push myself that little bit harder to re-focus and motivate myself. One of the ways I do this is through yoga.

Here’s a favourite yoga sequence of mine that I find really helps me to focus my mind and body. It’s a routine I do in the morning if I’m not going to a class and it really does leave me feeling energized and ready for my day.

Mountain Pose (Tadasana):

• Stand with your feet together, firmly and evenly on the ground.
• Relax your shoulders and lengthen your neck. Let your arms hang by your sides, palms facing outwards and look straight ahead.
• Take a deep breath and raise your arms above your head with your palms facing each other and your fingertips pointing to the ceiling.
• If it feels comfortable tilt your head back slightly and gaze up to the ceiling.
• If you feel any pain in your neck keep your gaze in front of you so you’re looking straight ahead.
• Hold and breathe normally.

Forward Fold (Uttanasana):

• Standing in Mountain Pose, lift your arms up and dive forward into a Forward Bend, keeping your back flat and your hands on the floor or wooden block.
• You can keep your legs straight or bend your knees slightly depending on your flexibility and comfort.
• Stay here for a few breaths then slowly roll yourself back up one vertebrae at a time until you come up to standing.

Chair Pose (Utkatasana):

• Starting in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) bend your knees and drop your hips bringing your weight onto your heels.
• Dropping your tailbone and keeping your front ribs in, lift your arms up shoulder width apart.
• Keeping your shoulders firm rotate your arms inward and gaze upward.
• Stay here for a few breaths then straighten your knees and relax your arms back in Tadasana.

Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II):

• Standing in Mountain Pose with your feet 4/5 feet apart.
• Turn your right foot out to a 90-degree angle and your left foot in at 45-degrees.
• On the inhale extend your arms out to the sides at shoulder level with your palms facing downwards and your torso facing forward.
• On the exhale bend your right knee so it’s in line with your right heel and the right thigh parallel to the floor so your leg is at a right angle.
• Your left leg should be straight and the soles of your feet pushed into the floor.

Triangle Pose (Trikonasana):

• Bringing your feet parallel and 3 feet apart. turn your right foot out to a 90-degree angle and your left foot to a 45- degree angle.
• Raising your arms to shoulder level now extend your right arm and bring your right hand down towards the floor or rest it on a block or brick.
• Raise your left arm straight up towards the ceiling and move your torso over your front thigh.
• Keeping your core engaged turn your head toward the palm of your outstretched hand taking care not to put any pressure on your neck.
• Turn your head to look forward and bring your body beck to vertical and stretch your arms out to shoulder level.
• Relaxing your arms down by your sides bring your feet back to parallel before repeating Warrior II and Trikonasana on the opposite side so you have balance on both sides.

Wide Legged Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana):

• From Trikosana come back to Mountain Pose and take your feet 4 -4.5 feet apart, keeping your feet parallel and your toes pointing forward.
• Inhale and put your hands on hips and hinge forward from your hips.
• Bring your chest forward and flatten your back.
• Place your hands on the floor so they are in line with your shoulders with your arms straight and fingers pointing forward.
• Exhale and lift your head up so you’re looking forward.
• Inhale and bring your hands in line with your feet shoulder width apart and palms on the floor.
• Exhale and bend your arms so they are at right angles.
• Bring your body forward and bring your forehead to the floor.
• Keep your legs straight and the soles of your feet flat on the floor with your weight on your hands and feet and not on your forehead and lift your tailbone towards the ceiling.

There are variations to this pose. You can put your hands on your hips or if you want to challenge yourself a little further you can place the palms of your hands under your feet and hook your big toes with your fingers, keeping your shoulders away from your ears.

To come out of this pose, slowly bring your feet closer together and when they are hip distance apart slowly bring yourself up to standing one vertebrae at a time and end the sequence in Mountain Pose. I always like to end with my hand together at my heart’s centre.

Did you notice how many of the poses started in Mountain Pose? It really is the ‘Mother’ of all yoga asanas!