Get Your Mind and Body Right with Jessamyn Stanley
Yoga influencer Jessamyn Stanley believes anyone can be flexible. “We’re all born that way - but our daily habits [hunching over computers, lugging heavy hand- bags] create tightness in our bodies,” she explains. “Yoga is about tapping in to what’s already there.”
For Jessamyn, author of Every Body Yoga, the practice is also about becoming mentally limber: “Flexibility of mind and spirit can be even more important than physical flexibility.”
Here, she breaks down her fave poses for fostering strength, peace, and confidence.
Dancer Pose
“To really feel the flex - and to strengthen your lower back and hamstrings - push your body forward, twisting your midsection while you kick back your foot.”
GET IN POSITION
• Place your right hand on your hip for balance, and bend left knee up and back, clasping your left foot with your left hand and lifting thigh.
• Keep squaring your hips forward and lifting your left thigh, flexing your foot into your hand. Sweep your right arm forward and up.
• Push your standing thigh back, and soften your chest forward. Stay for a few breaths, then switch sides.
Tree Pose
“As you root through your standing foot, you may feel like you’re wobbling - and that’s good, because you’re accepting that wobbling is a part of life. That’s mental flexibility.”
GET IN POSITION
• Bring the sole of your right foot to your left ankle, mid-shin, or upper thigh. Actively press your right foot and left leg into each other to maintain balance.
• Place palms together in front of your heart, with eyes closed or gazing forward. Take a
few breaths, then switch sides.
Wheel Pose
“This move engages every part of your body. It could take days, months, or even years to perfect. Go slowly, and don’t obsess over it.”
GET IN POSITION
• Lie on your back, feet on ground, knees pointing up. Place palms flat on the ground next to your head, thumbs next to ears, and wrists facing back.
• Press into your feet and hands, lifting the back of your head off the ground.
• Rest the top of your head on the ground for balance as you continue pushing into feet and hands, using your core, thighs, and shoulders to lift you into the wheel.
Monkey Pose
“Our hips trap our fears, so when you open them up, it gives your body the opportunity to release emotions. As your hips and hamstrings slowly relax (this may take some time!), it’s really beautiful.”
GET IN POSITION
• Kneel on your left knee, arms at sides with hands on floor, right leg forward, heel on floor.
• Wiggle right leg forward until your thigh lowers to ground, keeping leg straight.
• Curl your left toes under, lift knee, and slide your foot back as far as possible. Shimmy slowly until your pelvis lowers to floor. Take a few breaths.
• Flex right toes, square your hips, and press left toes into ground. Place fingers on ground or sweep arms up. Take a few breaths, then switch sides.
This article was originally published as "#MindBodyGoals" in the September 2017 issue of Cosmopolitan. Click here to subscribe to the digital edition.
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