Yoga for PE Not Your Grandma’s Yoga Yoga Tights: % Off coupon code: victoriateach2013 Victoria A. Otto Highland Park High School 2011 Illinois Secondary PE Teacher of the Year 2012 Midwest Secondary PE Teacher of the Year DVD’s Available Through: Check us out on Facebook at: Passport to physical literacy

Mountain Muscles and Flexibility Areas:  External oblique's, Teres Maximus, Infraspinate Muscles Latissimus Dorsi, Back Extensors, Gluteus, Quadriceps, Soleus, Gastrocnemius, Flexors/extensors of the feet, Deltoids Cueing:  Inhale into this position  Squeeze gluteus and quads  Pull belly button into the spinal cord  Ground feet into floor  Reach the finger tips to the ground  Roll the shoulders back and down; Hugging the spinal cord  Inhale the arms up, triceps behind the ears

Monkey & Forward Bend Muscles and Flexibility Areas:  Hamstrings, Gastrocnemius, Soleus, Gluteus, Back extensors, Hips flexors, Abdominals Cueing:  Exhale into this position from mountain pose  Reach the crown of the head forward and the bottom of the pelvis backward  Pull belly button into the spinal cord  Ground feet into floor  Bend at the hips, not in the lower back, the goal is to keep the back flat (Like a Table)  If the spine begins to curve, place hands on the legs (pictured)  If more flexible place hands to ankles, then palms to the floor  last position is to wrap the forearms around the legs and pull the chest into the thighs. How to come out:  Drive the heels into the ground “turning” then toward each other creating an isometric contraction with the floor. This will load the hamstrings not the lower back

Plank with Variations Muscle and Flexibility Areas:  Deltoids, Rectus Abdominus, Gluteus, Gastrocnemius, Pectorals, Soleus, Trapezius, Rhomboids, Back Extensors, Posterior Deltoid Cueing:  Hands are shoulder width apart with the wrists directly under the shoulders; can be slightly wider then the shoulders  The feet are hips width apart, push through the shoulders to prevent sinking in the shoulder joint  Drive the heels towards the back wall  Pull the belly button to the spinal cord to stabilize the abs, If a curve appears in the lower back, lift the hips to form a triangle  Eventually strength and stabilization will develop to allow full extension. Benefits:  Strength building in the upper body and core muscles (abs, back extensors and gluteus

Extended Cobra to Cobra Muscle and Flexibility Areas:  Triceps, Deltoids, Pectoral, Abdominals, Gluteus, Gastrocnemius, Soleus, Trapezius, Rhomboids, Back extensors Cueing:  From plank position  Extend the arms forward, out from the shoulders  Bring the heels together; try to keep them close to each other, engaging the inner thighs  Relax the Gluteus  Push-up through the hands inhaling  Relaxing the shoulders away from the ears(no sagging in the shoulder)  Inch the hands closer to the chest  Ideally, the hands are under the shoulders, sternum pulled through and the hip pointers on the ground Tips:  If Cobra is difficult, place the forearms on the ground with the elbows directly under the shoulder  Palms flat on the ground with finger tips spread  Push the palms in the ground while pulling the sternum forward

Downward Facing Dog Muscle and Flexibility Areas:  Gastrocnemius, Soleus, Hamstrings, Gluteus, Back Extensors, Rhomboids, Deltoids, Extensors and Flexors of the wrist, Quadriceps, Abdominals, Pectorals Cueing:  Starting on all four with the wrists directly under the shoulders and the knees directly under the hips  Drop the gluteus to the heels (child’s pose) straighten the arms at the armpits  Lift the knees forming a triangle with your body and the floor  Hands shoulder width apart and feet hips width apart  Spread the fingers wide and press weight into the index finger and thumb  Turn the “eyes” of the elbows to face each other, thus, turning the upper arm  Ideally, the heels should be on the ground BUT if the heels don’t reach the ground, lift the heels and bend the knees slightly  Extend through the shoulders, moving the ears away from the shoulders  Once in position, roll the hips up and squeeze the gluteus, alternate lifting the heels for an add calf stretch

Revolving Low Lunge Muscle and Flexibly areas:  Gracilis, Hip flexors, Pectorals, Oblique's, Rhomboids, Trapezius, Deltoids, Intercostal muscles, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Latisimus Dorsi Cueing  From Mountain pose, step one leg back lining up the arch of the back foot with the heel of the front foot. (like your standing on a balance beam)  Front foot toes pointing forward, back foot toes pointing about 45 degrees forward  Bend the front knee to 90 degrees with the knee over the ankle (this keeps the knee stable and safe)  Lower the back knee to the ground  The “shoelaces” of the back foot should be in contact with the floor and toes pointing straight back  Place the hands on the “inside” of the front leg, if possible, drop to the elbows  Lift inside arm to the hip pointer (the front leg and opposite arm are on the ground)  Push through the arm and extend the inside arm up  Continue revolving the arm and pectorals open, while pushing through the deltoids of the bottom arm  Palm up with thumb moving toward the front

Revolving High Lunge Muscle and Flexibly areas:  Gracilis, Hip flexors, Pectorals, Oblique's, Rhomboids, Trapezius, Deltoids, Intercostal muscles, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Latisimus Dorsi Cueing  From Mountain pose, step one leg back lining up the arch of the back foot with the heel of the front foot. (like your standing on a balance beam)  Front foot toes pointing forward, back foot toes pointing about 45 degrees forward  Bend the front knee to 90 degrees with the knee over the ankle (this keeps the knee stable and safe)  Extend the back leg, driving through the heel  Place the hands on the “inside” of the front leg, if possible, drop to the elbows  Lift inside arm to the hip pointer (the front leg and opposite arm are on the ground)  Push through the arm and extend the inside arm up  Continue revolving the arm and pectorals open, while pushing through the deltoids of the bottom arm  Palm up with thumb moving toward the front

Plank Muscle & Flexibility areas:  Deltoids, Abdominals, Gluteus, Gastrocnemius, Pectorals, Soleus, Trapezius, Rhomboids, Back extensors, Triceps Cueing  Hands are shoulder width apart with the wrists directly under the deltoids; can be slightly wider then the shoulders  The feet are hips width apart, push through the shoulders to prevent sinking in the shoulder joint  Drive the heels toward the back wall  Pull the belly button to the spinal cord to stabilize the abs, if the curve appears in the lower back, lift the hips to form a triangle  Eventually strength and stabilization will develop to allow full extension Benefits:  Strength building in the upper body and core muscles (abs, back extensors and gluteus)

Weave the following poses into the Sun Salutation A

Crescent Moon Major Muscles and Flexibility Areas:  Oblique's, Teres Maximus, Infraspinate Muscles, Latisimus Dorsi, Gluteus, Deltoids, Back Extensions, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Gastrocnemius, Soleus, Flexors/extensors of the feet Cueing:  From Mountain, inhale into this position  Squeeze Quads and lift the sternum  Pull belly button into the spinal cord  Ground feet into floor, keeping the elbows behind the ears  Push the bottom hand into the top  Keep the hip pointer and shoulder on the side of the bend in the same side plane at the opposite hip pointer and shoulder  Repeat on other side  Once both sides are done, come to mountain  Lift through the finger tips and sternum  Arch back

Plank: Knee to elbow Plank: Knee cross over to opposite elbow

Plank: Wipers/Mt Climber

Standing A Pose Muscle & Flexibility Areas:  Hamstrings, Gastrocnemius, Soleus, Gluteus, Back Extensors, Triceps Deltoids and Flexors & Extensors of the feet Cueing:  Position feet about 3-4 feet apart (the closer together, the more difficult)  Feet should be straight forward or slightly turned in; inhale  Exhale as you swan dive down (same as forward bend)  Place the hands on the floor lining up finger tips and toes  Push palms into the floor and try to get your head in-between your legs  Lift the arches of the feet, this will cause the outside of the lower leg to activate and strengthen  BREATH  Hold for seconds Benefits:  To come out, drive the heels into the ground with a slight turn inward, this loads the hamstrings not the lower back making it easier to lift the chest up  You will feel this in the hamstrings, calves, outside of the lower leg and feet, shoulders, triceps

Gate Pose Major Muscle Groups:  Hamstrings, Gastrocnemius, Soleus, Abdominals, Gracilis, Obliques, Intercostals, Deltoids, Back Extensors, Latisimus Dorsi, Pectorals, Biceps Cueing:  Begin with knees together with gluteus off the heels  Extend the right leg to the side, toes pointing away  Place the right hand on the right hip pointer  Extend the left hand straight above the head  Lead over to the right side  Look up into the arm pit  Keeping the lower body the same, tip onto the left hand  Stretching right

Extended Puppy Muscle and Flexibility Areas:  Gluteus, Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Pectorals, Deltoids, Tibialis Anterior, Extensor Digitorum, Extensor Longus Cueing:  On all fours, wrists under the shoulder and knees below the hips  Walk the hands forward as far as they can go, arms should not rest on the ground  Lift the gluteus up without touching the arms to the ground  Drop the forehead to the ground but keep the neck relaxed  There should be a slight curve in the lower back  Press the hands into the ground and with an isometric contraction, continue pushing the hands into the ground  Pull them back (there should be no movement)

Cobra\Sphinx Muscle & Flexibility Areas:  Triceps, Deltoids, Pectoral, Abdominals, Gluteus, Gastrocnemius, Soleus, Trapezius, Rhomboids, Back extensors Cueing:  Keeping the elbows into the sides  Place the hands under the shoulders  Keep the gluteus loose  Push-up through the hands  Move the deltoids away from the ears (scapula’s hug the spinal cord; no sagging in the deltoids)  Pull the sternum through  You should be able to hold the position for seconds  If Cobra is too challenging, drop to the forearms into sphinx pose Benefits:  If Cobra is difficult, place the forearms on the ground with the elbows directly under the shoulder  Palms flat on the ground with finger tips spread  Push the palms in the ground while pulling the sternum forward

Triceps Lifts Muscle & Flexibility Areas: Triceps, Pectorals, Back Extensors, Gluteus, Gracilis, Adductor Longus, Pectineus, Hamstrings Cueing:  Lift with the sternum  Extend the arms back with palms down  Thumbs touching the sides of the thighs  Lift the arms up and down in a slow count  At the end, keep the arms up and pulse at a quicker count  Switch to palms down and thumbs down

Single Pigeon Major muscles involved:  Hip flexors, Gluteus Maximus, Medius and Minimus, Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Gracilis, Sartorius, Iliopsoas, Gastrocnemius, Cueing :  From any of the downward dog poses, swing the right leg forward bring the right ankle to the left wrist (or as close as possible)  Adjust the right foot either towards the groin or more advanced toward the left wrist (This is a powerful stretch, so to start, have the heel close to the groin)  The full stretch is when the ankle and knee are in line with each other  The back foot should have it’s “shoelaces” on the ground  The hip pointers (on the left side) will want to turn outward, try to keep the hip pointers down and square to the ground  Make fists with the thumbs out and push through the shoulders and sternum  If a person is stable in this position, lean over the front leg resting on the elbows (sphinx pose)  The next level would be to lay all the way down with the forehead touch the ground, arms extended with palms in prayer  “Thread” the arms for added twist

Side Plank Muscle & Flexibility Areas:  Biceps Brachoradius, Flexors and Extensors in the wrist, Deltoid, Biceps, Triceps, Abdominals, Gluteus, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, and Latisimus Dorsi, Intercostals, Serratus Cueing:  From plank position, shift the weight to the outside edge of your left foot  Stack the right foot on top of the left  If stacking is difficult, move the top foot forward for better balance  Push the right hip towards the ceiling  Reach your right arm towards the ceiling  Make sure the left arm isn’t directly below the shoulder, it should be slightly in front of the shoulder activating the triceps  Hold for seconds  Rotate back to plank  Repeat on other side Benefits:  There are lots of variations to do in plank and side plank  Start by lifting one leg at a time, performing slow circular rotations, etc. etc.

Muscle & Flexibity Areas:  Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Gluteus, Abdominals, Pectorals, Deltoids, Hip Flexors, Erector Spinae, Latisimus Dorsi, Trapezius, Rhomboids Cueing:  Knees are hip width apart, feet slightly closer together.  The gluteus are firm but not super tight  Lift your rib cage off the abs, creating space between your pelvis and lower ribs  Rest your hands on the back with finger tips pointing up  Press the shoulder blades together; lifting the sternum  Begin to lean back  Drop the head back when comfortable  If ready, release the hands reaching for the heel  If you can’t reach the heels, turn the toes under to elevate the heel  Continue tucking the front lower ribs in How to come out of the position:  To pull out, use your abs pulling up with the abs  Head is the last to lift up  Keep the hip pointers and shoulder points square to the front of the room Tips:  Go at your own pace, keep the lower rib tucked under to protect the lower back Camel Ab

Muscles and Flexibility Areas:  Oblique's, Teres Maximus, Infraspinate Muscles, Latissimus Dorsi, Back Extensors, Gluteus, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Gastrocnemius, Soleus, Flexors/extensors of the feet, Deltoids, Trapezius, Rhomboids, Psoas, Groin Cueing:  From a stand, lower the gluteus like sitting in a chair  Lean the chest forward  Slowly bring the heels to the gluteus  Then set the gluteus on the ground to easy pose  Reverse Sit Down & Stand Up

Boat\V-Sit Muscle & Flexibility Areas:  Rectus abdominals, Obliques, Pectorals, Transversus, Hamstrings, Sternocleidomastoid, Hip Flexors, Back Extensors, Trapezius, Rhomboids, Gluteus, Quadriceps Cueing:  Balance on the gluteus; lifting the heels, wrapping the arms around the legs under the knees (knee creases)  Slowly straight the legs until the abdominals maximum effort  Release the hands with the palms facing the sides of the knees Benefits:  Stimulates the thyroid, kidneys, intestines and prostate gland  Helps to relieve stress

Boat\V-Sit: Single leg dropsWood choppers Keep the sternum liftedTouch interlaced fingers to the ground

Boat & Straddle Roll Backs & Balance (Fun )

Table: swinging L’s/dips/single /wipers Muscle and Flexibility Areas :  Hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteus, abdominals, Pectoralis, rhomboids, trapezius, erector spinae, deltoids, muscles of the forearm and wrist Cueing:  Lie flat on the back  Bend the knees and slide the heels toward the gluts  In hale. Keeping the feet flat on the floor, lift the gluteus off the floor and support your weight.  Place the hands on the lower back, upper gluteus with the finger tips going up the spine  Push the pelvic up  Roll the shoulders under the body, grasping the ankles  Push the pelvis up higher  Interlace the fingers and roll the shoulders further under the body  Lift the pelvis even more Benefits:  energize, refresh and invigorate the body- opening the chest, encouraging inhalation, an action associated with embracing life. Increases circulation to the heart and lungs, stimulates immune function (thymus is pressured) increase in metabolism, digestive system cerebral-spinal fluids