Volcano Pose
1. Standing in Mountain Pose, and turn your palms away from your body so your thumbs point backward. Inhaling, sweep your arms out to the sides and up toward the ceiling.
2. If your shoulders are tight, stop when your arms are parallel to your body. The next step is to put your hands together, base of palms first and lastly the fingers. Make sure that your shoulders and shoulder blades remain lowered down your back.
3. Reach through your pinkies so your thumbs reach slightly down toward the crown of your head. Without compressing your neck, tip your head backward and look at your thumbs.
4. Your lower ribs should not protrude. Lift your ribcage away from your belly and press your tailbone toward the floor stretching your belly.
Visualization: You are an erupting volcano that is getting rid of all the negative energy you may be carrying within you. Just like lava flows out of the volcano during eruption, all of your worries, fears and insecurities flow out of your being.
My Sequence: Mountain, Volcano, Standing Forward Bend, Goddess, Warrior I, Standing Twist, Goddess, Volcano, Mountain
Perform this sequence before/after any standing exercises such as weight training, dancing, aerobics, and time on the elliptical and treadmill. It’s also very energizing at the start of the day, and relaxing at the end.
Benefits
- Improves digestion
- Stretches upper, lower and lateral abdominal areas, middle to upper back, shoulders, neck and armpits
- Helps to relieve anxiety
- Instantly energizes