Yoga for the Upper Body

A special thanks to Alyssa Brown for her contribution to sequence design and illustration.

Supported Fish Pose

• Lie back onto a block placed horizontally across your shoulder blades.
• Extend your arms down at a 45-degree angle by your sides.
• Flip your palms up.
• Relax your belly and back.
• Keep your feet on the ground with knees bent.
• For more sensation, relax your legs straight.
• If you don’t have a block, use two sturdy pillows.

Cat & Cow Pose

• Come onto your hands and knees.
• Align your shoulders over wrists.
• Ensure your knees are under your hips.
• Inhale as you lower your belly.
• Push your chest forward & gaze up.
• Exhale as you hug your low belly in.
• Push your mid-back up and tuck your chin.
• Repeat these two movements 10 times.

Child’s Pose

• Draw your big toes to touch.
• Bend your knees and sit your hips onto your heels.
• Separate your knees out wide.
• Walk your hands forward and rest your forehead on the mat.
• Hold for 5 breaths.

Cobra Pose

• Lie on your belly.
• Extend your legs out straight behind you.
• Walk your palms underneath your shoulders.
• Keep a bend in the elbows.
• Gently lift your chest away from the mat.
• Hold for 5 breaths.
• Relax the left side of your head on the mat, take 3 breaths.

Embryo Pose

• Sit onto your shins.
• Draw your inner thighs together to touch.
• Bend your knees and sit your hips onto your heels.
• Walk your hands forward.
• Rest your forehead on the mat.
• Take 5 breaths here.

Gate Pose

• Come to kneel on both shins.
• Extend your right leg out straight.
• Rise to stand on your left shin.
• Reach your left arm up and overhead.
• Arc toward your right leg.
• Hold for 5 breaths.
• Repeat on the other side.

Side Plank

• From a hands & knees position.
• Align your left shoulder over your left palm.
• Bring your left hip over your left knee.
• Extend your right leg long.
• Guide your navel in.
• Reach your right arm high. For more challenge, bring both legs straight.
• Hold for 5 breaths.
• Repeat on the other side.

Plank Pose

• Align your shoulders over your wrists.
• Push down into your palms.
• Engage your core.
• Step your feet back at hips width.
• Hold for 5 breaths.

Downward Dog

• Find a hands and knees position, with toes tucked.
• Ensure your hands are placed at shoulder width.
• Keep your knees bent and lift your hips high.
• Hug your low belly in.
• Push into your hands.
• Allow your spine to lengthen and straighten.
• Keep your knees bent if you feel tension.
• Bring your head to neutral.
• Hold for 5 breaths.

Forward Fold + Calf Grab

• Bring your inner feet together to touch.
• Bend your knees.
• Fold your torso forward so that your belly connects to your legs.
• Grab your calves with your hands and pull your upper body down.
• Relax your neck and face.
• Hold for 5 breaths.

Mountain Pose

• Stand tall with your feet together.
• Engage your leg muscles.
• Pull your navel in and lengthen through your spine.
• Relax your shoulders down.
• Hold for 5 breaths.

Chair Twist

• Draw your feet together.
• Sit down and back.
• Ensure your knees align with one another.
• Twist your torso open to the right.
• Extend your arms away from your body.
• Hold for 5 breaths.
• Repeat on the left side.

Wide Arm Backbend

• Stand with your feet at hips width.
• Inhale as you lift your arms wide.
• Push your chest forward & gaze up.
• Hold for 5 breaths.

Standing Half Moon Side to Side

• Bring your inner feet together.
• Firm the muscles in your legs.
• Draw your low belly in.
• Extend your arms overhead.
• Clasp your hands together.
• Release your index fingers and cross your thumbs.
• Lift and arc your body to the right.
• Hold for 5 breaths.
• Repeat on the left side.

Warrior 2

• Step your feet out wide beyond shoulder width.
• Turn your right toes forward and back toes to a 90-degree angle.
• Lunge into your right leg.
• Push your right knee toward your pinkie toe.
• Engage the muscles in your back leg.
• Pull your navel in.
• Extend both arms out horizontally.
• Gaze over your right fingertips.
• Hold for 5 breaths.
• Repeat on the left side.

Extended Side Angle + Bind

• From a Warrior 2 position with your right leg lunging.
• Reach forward and rest your right forearm on your right leg.
• Draw your left arm behind your low back.
• Gaze up toward your top shoulder. If this bothers your neck, gaze forward or down.
• Hold for 5 breaths.
• Repeat on the left side.

Low Lunge

• Step your right foot forward into a low lunge.
• Ground your back knee on the mat.
• Rise with your torso.
• Guide your tailbone down and pull your belly in.
• Extend your arms to the sky.
• Push down into your right foot.
• Hold for 5 breaths.
• Repeat on the left side.

Star Pose

• Stand with your feet wider than hip-width.
• Turn your heels in and toes out.
• Energize your leg muscles.
• Pull your low belly in.
• Reach your arms to the sky.
• Gaze up.
• Hold for 5 breaths.

Horse Pose

• Stand with feet wide, toes turned out.
• Bend your knees and lower into a squat.
• Pull your low belly in.
• Hold for 5 breaths.

Forearm Plank

• Push your forearms into the ground.
• Ensure they are parallel.
• Align your shoulders over your elbows.
• Pull your belly in.
• Engage your legs.
• Hold for 5 breaths.

Standing Separate Leg Twist

• Come into Standing Separate Leg Stretch.
• Place your left hand under your face on the mat.
• Extend your right arm straight up to the sky.
• Gaze up at your right arm. If this bothers your neck, gaze down.
• Keep equal weight in both feet and keep your hips neutral.
• Twist from above your navel.
• Hold for 5 breaths.

Hinged Crescent or Low Flyer

• Step your right foot forward into a lunge.
• Ensure your right knee is directly over the right ankle.
• Engage your back leg.
• Hinge your torso forward.
• Reach your arms out wide & bend your elbows.
• Hold for 5 breaths.
• For more intensity, lift your back foot off the ground.

Eagle Arm Warrior 1

• Start standing with your feet at hip-width.
• Step your left foot back, angle it at a 45-degree angle.
• Lunge into your right knee.
• Drop your tailbone down.
• Pull your right hip back and left hip forward.
• Reach your arms up overhead.
• Draw your right arm under your left.
• Hug yourself or wrap at the wrists.
• Hold for 5 breaths.
• Repeat on the left side with left arm under the right.

Prayer Twist Pose

• Bring your feet together to touch.
• Sit your hips back.
• Keep your knees aligned.
• Press your palms into one another.
• Twist to the right.
• Hook your left elbow on your outer right leg.
• Keep your belly firm.
• Push into your left elbow.
• Gaze over your right shoulder.
• Hold for 5 breaths.
• Stand tall, relax your legs.
• Repeat on the other side.

High Plank

• Press your palms into the ground.
• Align your shoulders over wrists.
• Pull your belly in.
• Step your legs back straight.
• Form a push-up position.
• Hold for 5 breaths.

Low Lunge with Twist

• Come to a low lunge position with the right foot in front.
• Bring your left knee to the ground.
• Twist your torso to the right.
• Extend your arms out wide.
• Gaze over your right arm.
• Hold for 5 breaths.
• Repeat with the left leg in front.

Gorilla Pose

• Stand with your feet at hip-width.
• Bend your knees.
• Draw your torso down over your legs.
• Slide your palms underneath the soles of your feet.
• Relax your head.
• Hold for 5 breaths.

Iron Cross

• Lie on your belly.
• Extend your legs out long behind you.
• Stretch your right arm out horizontally.
• Roll your body weight toward the right until you feel a stretch.
• Rest your right cheek on the ground.
• Hold for 5 breaths.
• Repeat on the left side.

Full Locust

• Lie on your belly.
• Extend your legs out long behind you.
• Stretch your arms out horizontally.
• Lift your feet and arms off the mat.
• Hold for 5 breaths.

Modified Camel Pose

• Stand on your shins.
• Ensure your knees are at hip-width.
• Place your palms on your low back with your fingers facing down.
• Draw your elbows toward one another.
• Lift your chest up and gaze up.
• Hold for 5 breaths.

Thread the Needle

• Slide your right arm underneath your left.
• Allow your right shoulder and right cheek to rest on the mat.
• Turn your gaze to the left.
• Hold for 5 breaths.
• Repeat with the left arm.

Staff Pose

• Come to a seated position with legs extended out.
• Bend your knees if there is tension in your legs.
• Lengthen your spine.
• Push your palms down by your sides.
• Lift up through your head, then pull your chin back.
• Pull your belly in.
• Hold for 5 breaths.

Corpse Pose

• Lie on your back with your legs at hip-width.
• Rest your arms by your sides at a 45-degree angle.
• Spin your palms to face up.
• Relax your head into the ground.
• Hold for 10 breaths.