Yoga poses for relieving stress

Here are some yoga poses to help relieve the stress that can occur when coping with a loved one's prostate cancer. Hisprostatecancer thanks My Yoga 2 Go for creating this beginner sequence for our site, and for graciously providing the photos and instructions (scroll down the page to see the entire sequence). Always check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program.

You may want to start by doing these yoga poses in the order that they are presented. As you become more comfortable with these yoga poses, you can mix and match them as you desire.

Step 1: Stand in Mountain Pose. Step 2: Inhale, bend the knees & raise the arms over the head. Press the palms together for Powerful Pose.	Step 3: Exhale & lower the torso down, bending from the hip joints into Standing Forward Bend. Step 4: Inhale, lift the torso up while keeping the palms on the floor if possible, gaze to the ceiling, lengthen the spine. The back should be straight, not curved. Step 5: Exhale, jump or step back into Push Up Pose. Keep the elbows close to your sides, while lifting the chest toward the head. Hover or lower down to the floor. Step 6: Inhale, into Upward Facing Dog. Press strongly & evenly into the palms, draw the arms back into their sockets, rolling the shoulder blades back. Keep the legs strong & the base of the neck soft.	Step 7: Exhale, push the hips up & back into Downward Facing Dog engaging the thighbones back into the hamstrings to elongate the waist. Move the heels as much as possible towards the ground, while lifting the sitting bones. Shift so that weight is evenly distributed amongst the hands & feet. Gaze to the navel. In Ashtanga hold for five breaths. In all other sequences, hold for at least three breaths. Step 8: Inhale, step the right foot forward for Warrior I, square the hips forward toward the edge of your mat, press the palms, gaze to the thumbs. Repeat Step 5: Push Up Pose. Repeat Step 6: Upward Facing Dog. Repeat Step 8: Stepping the LEFT foot forward.

Repeat Step 7: Downward Facing Dog. Step 9: Inhale, jump or walk the feet forward, gaze up & lengthen the spine. Exhale, lower the torso back down, bending at the hips into Standing Forward Bend. Repeat Step 2: Powerful Pose, exhale, lower the arms. Begin again from Step 1: Mountain Pose.	From the strength of your legs, direct your pelvis over your front leg, so that the weight of your body is on your back heel. The back foot is at a 75-80 degree angle; the front foot is at a 90 degree angle. Elongate your spine by grounding the back leg. Reach the extended arm up & open the chest. The lower hand grasps the big toe. Gaze upward at your fingers.	Feet should be 3 1/2 to 4 feet apart. Inhale, extend & reach both arms out with strength, parallel to the floor. Exhale, bend the front knee at a 90 degree angle relative to the floor. Your back foot should be perpendicular to your front foot, with the heel directly in line with the back foot's arch. Expand the chest outward as much as possible without sacrificing the integrity of the angle of the bent knee. Drop the tailbone toward the floor. Keep the spine perpendicular to the floor. Look forward, feel powerful & strong.

Feet should be 4 to 4 1/2 feet apart. Front leg should be bent at a 90 degree angle without sacrificing the integrity of the back heel placement at 75-80 degrees. Continue to ground down on the back heel, while keeping the front knee at 90 degrees. Lengthen the lower back by moving your tailbone down toward the floor. Press the palms together & lift the arms up to the ceiling. Gaze upward. The hips should be square to the front knee.	Inhale, take the feet hip distance apart; bring the hands to the waist. Exhale, bend forward from the hips, not the waist, gazing up. Inhale, lift the torso up, straighten the arms, keeping a flat back, gaze up. Exhale, fold deeper. Draw from the front torso out of the groin & open the space between the pubis & the top sternum. Press the heels firmly into the ground & lift the sit bones toward the ceiling. Search for balance between the front & back. To exit, inhale, gaze up; exhale, hands to the waist & bend the hips back up to standing.	Start on your hands & knees. Lift your knees away from the floor. The hands should be slightly forward of your shoulders. Lengthen the tailbone away from the pelvis & press it lightly toward the pubis. Pull the thighbones back into the hamstrings to elongate the waist & move into full extension of the arms. As the heels move toward the ground, lift the sitting bones, expand & breathe into the back lower ribs.

Start at a table position. Inhale & arch the back into a backbend. Curl the head upward. Keeping hands & feet pressing down, exhale & drop the tailbone between the legs as your belly hollows. Curl the head downward & back toward the tailbone.	Begin on all fours with knees under the hips & hands placed slightly ahead of the shoulders. Slide the right knee forward to the back of the right wrist while simultaneously angling the right shin under the torso & bring the right foot to the front of the left knee. The outside of the right shin should rest on the floor. Slide the left leg back & straighten. The right heel should be positioned in front of the left hip. The left leg should extend straight out of the hip. The right knee can angle slightly out to the right. Exhale, lay the torso down on the inner right thigh for a few breaths. Slide the hands back toward the shin & lift the torso. Lengthen the lower back by pressing the tailbone down & forward.	Line the spine on the floor. Bend the knees & place the feet as close to the sitting bones as possible. Exhale, pressing the inner feet & arms actively into the floor. Push the tailbone upward toward the pubis, firming the buttocks & lifting the buttocks off of the floor. Keep the thighs & inner feet parallel to the floor. Keep the knees directly over the heels, but push them forward away from the hips. Firm the shoulder blades against the back & press the top of the sternum towards the chin. Broaden the shoulder blades & try to lift the space between them at the base of the neck.

Bring the heels as close to the pelvis as possible, with the soles of the feet together. Drop the knees open & turn the shoulder blades so they move farther downward toward the pelvis. Widen out from the center of the spine. This is an excellent hip & groin opener.	With strong legs, extend the side waist & slowly release forward, bending at the hip joints, not the waist. Release the groin as the sacrum moves deeper toward the front of the body. Keep the sitting bones wide as the tailbone relaxes between them. Lengthen the tailbone away from the back of the pelvis. Hips should be as square as possible to the front. Keep the back as flat as possible. Keep the head lifted. Gaze to the toes.	Body must be placed in a neutral position. Arrange the body so it is completely comfortable. With the hands, lift the base of the skull away from the back of the neck & release the back of the neck toward the tailbone. Make sure the ears are equidistant from the shoulders. Reach the arms toward the ceiling, then rock slightly from side to side to broaden the back ribs & shoulder blades away from the spine. Lower the arms, palms facing up. Make sure the shoulder blades are resting evenly on the floor. The feet should be spread comfortably apart. Relax & let them fall out toward the floor. Relax completely, soften the root of the tongue, the eyes & especially around the bridge of the nose between the eyebrows. Stay in this position as long as it is comfortable. Surrender to the floor & allow the body to sink deeper into the ground.

Yoga poses are also a great way to strengthen your muscles and tone your overall body. So yoga poses can help both your mind and your body.

If you want to learn more yoga poses, you may want to consider taking a formal yoga class. There are also many books and videos that you can purchase at your local bookstore to learn more yoga poses. As you learn more new yoga poses, you can expand your practice even further. The more you practice these yoga poses, the more you should enjoy them!

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Always discuss everything you read on this web site with a qualified medical professional.



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