Desert Island Yoga Poses

by Nina

The other day I got an email from the manager of a web site for men (which shall remain nameless for now) asking me to recommend 3 to 5 poses that I thought men should practice every day. At first, I rebelled at the thought. As you know, we at Yoga for Healthy Aging recommend in general for both men and women alike that you mix it up and practice a wide variety of poses throughout the week. In addition, we also believe that everyone is different—and their lifestyles and exercises routines are different—so that there is no one single set of poses that will work best for all people. But the truth is that I could not resist the thought experiment that this query provided. It's like one of the "desert island" games: if you could take only 3 to 5 yoga poses with you to a desert island, which ones would you take?

And then I thought that if I came up with a good list, it might inspire some people to get started with the practice, and that is always a good thing. So just for fun, here's what I came up with. And if you'd like to join in the game, please do by leaving a comment on this post!

1. Reclined Leg Stretch (Supta Padangusthasana). Stretches muscles in your legs and hips that can become tight from desk jobs and/or many other types of exercise, such as running, hiking, or cycling. For long-lasting results, hold at least 1.5 minutes. See Featured Pose: Reclined Leg Stretch.

2. Downward-Facing Dog pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana). Stretches tight shoulders and legs at the same time it cultivates upper body strength (try holding it for 1 to 3 minutes!). See Featured Pose: Downward-Facing Dog Pose.

 3. Warrior 2 pose (Virabradrasana 2). Cultivates both upper and lower body strength while also increasing hip flexibility and improving balance. Featured Pose: Warrior 2 Pose.

4. Tree pose (Vrksasana). Cultivates leg strength, and shoulder and hip flexibility while challenging your balance. See Featured Pose: Tree Pose. 

5. Legs Up the Wall pose (Viparita Karani). Reduces stress levels, which is so important both for physical and psychological health. Bonus is a good stretch for your legs and, if you take your arms into a cactus position, a good stretch for chest and arms as well. You can do this at the end of any yoga practice or on its own anytime you need to de-stress. See Featured Pose: Legs Up the Wall Pose.

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