Skandasana

Today’s Sunday Stretch is all about hip and hammies. When practicing Skanasana pose, take your time, move with intention and be sure to breathe.

Skandasana (side lunge)

Begin in Wide Legged Forward Fold.
Inhale, halfway lift and pull your chest forward.
Exhale into Skandasana.
Bend your right knee and straighten your left leg.
Flex your left foot to pull your toes toward your face.
Keep your right heel planted or draw your heel up and bring your weight onto the ball mound of your right foot.
Extend your arms toward your mat and tent your fingertips.
Engage your pelvic floor.
Firm your abdominal wall.
Slide your shoulder blades down your back, toward one another.
Draw your hands to heart center.
Gaze straight ahead.
Hold and breathe for several rounds of breath.
Repeat on the other side.

Variation

Add a twist to your Skandasana pose by placing your right hand on the big toe side of your bent (right) knee and extending your left arm up toward the sky.

Notes

Body

Mind

Chakra

Skandasana activates our root chakra (Muladhara). This is the first of 7 main chakras in our energetic body, located at the base of our spine. The element of Muladhara is Earth and the color of this chakra is red. This chakra represents our most basic need for home, stability, safety, and connectedness. When we connect with our root chakra through poses like Skandasana, we will feel grounded, calm, restored, and stable.
Skandasana also stimulates our solar plexus, or third chakra (Manipura). This chakra is associated with our confidence, power, relationship with self and ego. This chakra resides in the abdominal area, obliques and internal organs (pancreas, liver, stomach, spleen). The element of this chakra is fire and the color of this chakra is yellow. When Manipura is in balance, we have a better understanding of self and we are able to separate our higher consciousness from our ego.

For more movements to help you open your hips, check out this Deep Hip Stretch with Coach Michelle and Coach Joel.

Namaste,

Coach Jentry

Gumsaba Fitness Class schedule Monday 01/09/17

5:30AM Sunrise Danville Womens only class – Coach Briana – Met Con Full Body

5:30AM Sunrise Danville Mens only class – Coach Joel – Met Con Full Body

5:45AM Sunrise Walnut Creek Heather Farms Co-ED class – Coach James – Met Con Full Body

6AM Sunup Moraga Womens only Class – Coach Michelle – Met Con Full Body

8:15AM Sunshine Moraga Womens only Class – Coach Michelle – Met Con Full Body

9AM Sunshine Walnut Creek Womens only class – Coach Briana – Met Con Full Body

11:00AM Cytosport All Levels Cardio Kickboxing – Coach Michelle (private class)

11:30AM Cytosport All Levels Trigger Point Rolling – Coach Michelle (private class)

12:00PM Cytosport Boot Camp HIIT – Coach James (private class)

2PM Cytosport Hatha Yoga – Coach Jentry (private class)