1. Your embarrassing festive season selfie collection; and
2. Your waistline.
I can’t really help you with number one, but I can definitely help you with number two, and this year I am giving you abs for Christmas! Merry Christmas. Let’s unwrap your present and see what’s inside…
Navasana
(boat pose)
This is an amazing asana that tones and strengthens your abdominals as well as aids in the improvement of your digestion and the function of your kidneys, thyroid and intestines.
Start by sitting on the floor on your seating bones with your knees bent.
Lengthen your spine and roll your shoulders down your back.
Lift your feet off the floor and have your shins parallel to the floor.
Keep your arms extended and in line with your legs. Keep your back straight throughout and chin slightly tucked.
Hold for 30 seconds gradually extending your hold to one minute.
If you are comfortable here and want to progress, straighten your legs.
Dandasana lift
(staff pose variation)
Not only does this posture tone the abdominals, it is also an amazing posture for strengthening the arms, shoulders, back and wrists.
Start by sitting on the floor with your legs extended straight.
Take a yoga block or a rolled-up towel and place it between your inner thighs.
Place your hands on the ground about halfway between your thigh and your knee.
Press your whole palm into the floor at all times.
Begin to push into your hands, squeeze the block with your thighs and start to lift your hips up off the floor and back. Your upper back will round and your belly will lift back into the spine.
Keep your heels on the floor and hold this asana for 20-30 seconds.
Forearm side plank
This is a great muffin top buster for the midsection and is also great for toning the biceps and triceps.
Start by lying on your side with your elbow directly under your shoulder.
Extend your legs straight and stack your feet.
Press your forearm, your palm and your feet firmly into the floor and start to lift your hips off of the floor.
Keep your shoulders firm and keep your straight alignment from crown of your head right down to your feet.
As your lift your hips and find stability, extend your opposite arm upward, keeping it stacked to avoid collapsing into your bottom shoulder.
Hold this posture for 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side.
My suggestion is to incorporate these postures into your daily routine. It’s literally a three-minute ab session. Three minutes is nothing; we can stare off into space for longer than three minutes, multiple times a day. Not only will it help you to control the effects of the festive season, it will also help you to be responsible in creating a daily routine that helps to propagate a happier, more confident self image, and I believe that self confidence is a gift we should give ourselves every year!
Thank you for sharing 2019 with me, I wish you a happy and safe holiday season.
Happy stretching,
Metta, Kim oxo
One of the main motivations that drives Kim to teach yoga is her desire to keep true, real yoga alive; the propagation of yoga for yoga. She strives to achieve this through teaching and helping people fall in love with yoga everyday. She gives you her yoga mind and yoga heart to guide anyone wishing to traverse the beautiful journey that is yoga. Teaching group classes, private classes, yoga intensives and retreats across the island. Monthly subscription is also available on her online yoga channel at KimWhiteYoga.com and you can also listen to her yoga podcast “Let’s Get Bent”.
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