5 Funny-Sounding Yoga Poses

Posted by Caley on July 20th, 2009 at 08:52am

The English translations of many yoga poses can end up pretty amusing. These funny names are also a good way to remember them and pull them together into a yoga sequence. Knowing a few yoga poses is a great way to practice on your own. Take a 15-minute yoga break in the morning and afternoon at work. I practice yoga at least three times/week and I love it. There’s no need to spend the money on expensive classes once get a yoga mat  and learn a few poses. Here are a few funny yoga poses to make you smile:

Cow Face Pose- Sit on the floor with your knees bent. Cross your legs over one another with your knees on the floor and your each foot back towards the opposite hip. Your right knee should be stacked on top of your left. Try to bring the heels an equal distance from your hips. Take your left arm and reach behind you and down, with the palm facing your back and your elbow pointing straight up to the ceiling. Take your right arm and bring it behind you and up towards your other hand with the palm facing away from your back. See if you can hook your fingers together. If not, you can use a towel or hold on to your shirt. Actively lift up through your left shoulder and bring both hands closer together. Hold this pose for 1 minute.  Reverse legs and arms and repeat.

Happy Baby Pose- Lay on your back and bend your knees toward your chest. Bring your feet up to the ceiling and grab the big toe or outside of each foot with each hand.  (Understand the name now? hehe) Spread your knees wider than your torso and bring your knees down towards your armpits. Keep your ankles right over your knees. Release your tailbone towards the floor and hold the pose for up to 1 minute.

You can also do a Half Happy Baby Pose by bringing one leg up at a time and keeping the other leg straight on the floor.

Big Toe Pose- This pose is basically a forward bend. Stand upright with your feet hip distance apart. Keep your knees straight and bend forward from the hip. Curl your middle and index finger under each big toe. If you can’t reach your toes, you can use a towel or strap under the arch of each foot. On an inhalation, lift your chest, still holding your toes and look forward. Do not lift your head so much that you put discomfort on the back of your neck. Hold for several exhalations and release back down into a forward bend. Hold for 1 minute.

Half Lord of the Fishes- This is a sitting twist position. Sit on the floor and bring your left leg under your right with your left foot touching your right hip. Your whole left leg should be touching the ground. Bend your right left with the knee facing the ceiling and cross it over your left leg, bringing your right foot flat on the floor next to your left hip. Twist towards your right hip and bring your right hand over to the floor behind your right hip and use to assist in the twist. Bring your left elbow over your right knee to help assist in the twist. The fingers of your left hand should point straight up to the ceiling. Look back over your right shoulder. Concentrate on lengthening your spine, pushing your tailbone towards the floor and your head towards the ceiling. Hold for 1 minute, switch sides and repeat.

Downward Facing Dog- This is probably one of the most popular poses in yoga. Most yoga poses will have you return to this pose again and again, and it’s part of the popular Sun Salutations Sequence. Get down on floor on your hands and knees. Your knees should be directly under your hips and your hands directly under your shoulders. Lift your hips and straighten your legs, bringing your heels toward the floor. Distribute your weight evenly between your hands and feet. Widen your shoulder blades and bring them towards your tailbone. Keep your head between your arms instead of letting it hang down. Stay in this pose for up to 3 minutes.

Tags: exercise, Fitness, yoga

Under Fitness Tags: exercise, Fitness, yoga