Leapin’ Lizards!
Yesterday’s Fitness
Actually, my lizards aren’t leapin’ (and no, contrary to popular believe, I NEVER played Annie). But I ROCK Lizard Pose, thanks to my hips. Connie says that my hips are open and loose in ways that she can only dream about.
Because this is such an amazing stretch for your hamstring and opening for your hips, here are some step-by-step instructions (BUT please be careful and DO NOT PUSH IT. You really should do it in a class first, with an instructor watching you to make sure you don’t injure yourself). And yes, it’s better if you do it with warmed up muscles – like at the end of your practice/workout.
Step by step guide: This set of instructions will help you get an idea about the way to do this posture.
- First assume the Downward-facing Dog pose. Then put your right foot forward and place it along the outer side of the right hand. Make sure that the toes are slightly turned out.
- Your left knee should be lowered onto the yoga mat. When you do so, keep the tailbone tucked forward.
- Then as you breathe, your elbows should be lowered towards the mat and your right shoulder should touch the right knee. You can use a block as a prop below your forearms, if the whole workout seems too difficult.
- Feel the front part of your left knee or the quadriceps, and the left part of your belly stretch. To increase the degree of difficulty, you can take your left knee higher, off the ground.
- Be in the Lizard position for about five to six breaths, then just raise chest up and go back on your hands.
- Straighten out the back leg and bring it forward. Keep your body loose for sometime before getting into the Mountain Pose or Tadasana.
- You can do the same exercise on the other side.
If you want to play with the posture, you can work your shoulder under your thigh of the forward foot and eventually do this:
I can get a good deal of my arm under the leg, but not quite the shoulder. Yet. 
This is also a good prep pose for Monkey Pose. But we’ll talk about that another time.
Yoga was just awesome last night. I left just feeling energized and happy. I pushed my hamstring hard and it feels okay today. It will get to rest today and tomorrow and then back to Yoga on Saturday.
Because the room was only 78 degrees (but with high humidity) I am lowering the calories burned.
Okay guys, I have SO much more I want to discuss, but I’ll save it for tonight.
You are KIDDING me, right?
Oh. My. Goodness.