Che’ Mckelvin, Site Manager
Cobra to Low Plank [intense holds]
Begin in downward dog. Focus your gaze down toward your feet. Inhale deeply five times to set your tone and to engage with your core.
From downward dog, inhale and shift your body to a high plank. As you exhale, squeeze your core and lower your chest to the floor. Relax, give yourself one cleansing breath, then inhale to cobra pose.
Exhale and, prop yourself up into a forearm plank position. Make sure your elbows are aligned underneath your shoulders, and that your hands are balled up in fists. Your forearms should be parallel to one another. Hold for 20 seconds and release the body back to the starting position, a relaxed cobra pose. The key is to squeeze your entire body—quads, glutes, core, back, fists etc. as tight as possible while taking diaphragmatic breaths throughout the low plank hold. Repeat the cycle three times.
*Modification: Return to a high plank position if experiencing difficulty on your forearms.*
Exhale to child’s pose immediately after completing the third cycle.
From Child’s pose, move your body into the tabletop position by placing both hands and knees onto the mat. Position your shoulders over wrists and hips over knees. If you have small weights or dumbbells place them near your hands on each side of the mat.
Weighted Dog Bird
In the tabletop position, engage your core while simultaneously lifting your right arm and left leg. Keep your foot flexed as you kick back, and your palm should face in towards your body.
If you have weights, hold one in your extended hand. Pause for four seconds when your arm and leg are at the same height as your torso, and then bring your elbow and knee to touch underneath the body.
Hold four seconds. Repeat five times, then switch on to the other side for five reps also. Repeat the cycle three times.
Exhale to child’s pose immediately after completing the third cycle.
Weighted Side Plank Curls
Inhale and move forward to a high plank position. Next, exhale and shift to a side plank position. Option to grab a dumbbell as you lift your hand to the ceiling.(A)
Engage both legs and flex both feet. Make a fist or grasp your weight with your hand(B).
Bend the top elbow and start to draw the top arm down and in toward the body(C).
Curl underneath the ribcage as much as you can to twist the torso while engaging the obliques (D).
Repeat 10 times. Slowly return to a high plank, then lower knees to a tabletop position. Rest for two breaths then repeat on the other side.
Repeat the cycle three times. Exhale to child’s pose immediately after completing the third cycle.
Weighted Cannonball-to-Hollow Extension
Swing your legs around to the front of your mat and lower down onto your back. From here mold yourself into a cannonball shape by hugging your knees tightly into your chest.
Simultaneously extend your legs and arms outwards into a “hollow” position, pressing your lower back to the floor. Hold for five seconds before curling up again, and complete ten reps for one set.
Rest for 5 breaths, repeat three times.
After completing the last hollow extension, inhale back to a final cannonball and exhale out completely as you lower your body to Shavasana pose.
Namaste.
