Last time we talked about downward facing dog and low lunge. These two poses are essential to all yoga practices. They’re great after a long day of work and/or sitting down for long hours. Now, lets get deeper into hamstrings and hips. Start by warming up the body with poses 1 and 2… IMPORTANT NOTE: Please make sure your body is warmed up before getting into stretches. Move slowly and mindfully at all times. Feeling tight muscle pain is normal but having sharp pain is NOT!   Always listen to your body.  
  1. HALF MONKEY (ARDHA HANUMANASANA)
Moving from low lunge position, bring your hand on both sides of your front foot on the floor. Push your hip back towards your heel until your heel starts digging down and your leg is straight. Flex the front foot back and bow your chest down towards your knee. Activate the front leg, pressing the knee down and straight. You can use blocks under your hands if your hands don’t reach the floor. Make sure your hips are still parallel to the front of the mat.  
  1. LIZARD (UTTHAN PRISTHASANA):
From half monkey position move your hips forward again to low lunge, heal toe your front foot outside of your shoulder and bring elbows down on the floor inside of the foot. Breathe deeply and relax your hips down. Let the weight of the hips sink down without forcing it. To deepen this stretch press the top of the back foot down and lift the knee off the floor. to be continued… Namaste! Kohai Ece Savas