Beginner Prone Postures

	Thunderbolt Pose This is the basic kneeling pose. Sit on your heels, knees and feet together, the tops of your feet on the floor. Keep your back erect, shoulders relaxed, and your neck soft and extended slightly upward. With your hands relaxed in your lap, gently and rhythmically breathe in and out. Benefits: Loosens knee joints; tones leg muscles; stretches the top of the feet; promotes good posture and aids digestion. A suitable posture for practicing breathing exercises and meditation.
	Cat Pose Get down on the floor on your hands and knees. Place your hands directly under your shoulders with fingers pointed forward, arms straight. Your knees are slightly apart, directly under your hips. As you inhale, raise your head slightly, keeping; your arms straight. Relax your chest and waist toward the floor. Curl your tail up toward the ceiling and relax your back down into a dip. As you exhale, curl your tailbone under, tuck your chin to your chest, draw your waist up and push your back upward into a hump. Do several times. Flow smoothly from one position to another with your breathing. Benefits: Adjusts vertebrae; develops and retains flexibility of the spine; helps with constipation by stimulating peristaltic activity; tones back and abdominal muscles and tones pelvic organs.
	Balancing Cat Pose Get down on the floor on your hands and knees. Place your arms straight down from your shoulders and your knees straight down from your hips. Inhale and slowly lift your right arm and left leg so that they're in line with your spine and tighten your abdominal muscles to keep your balance. Look straight ahead at your outstretched arm. Hold. Exhale and lower your arm and leg. Repeat with your left arm and right leg. Benefits: Strengthens muscles of the lower and midback; strengthens legs and hips; and improves concentration.
	Downward Dog Pose Begin by kneeling on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips, your fingers pointing straight ahead. Inhale and lift your hips up until you're standing on your toes. Keep your hands firmly planted on the floor and your legs straight. Your head, neck, arms and back are all on an even plane. Exhale. With your weight evenly balanced, ease your heels to the floor, feeling the stretch in the Achilles tendons and calves. Hold. Return to kneeling position Benefits: Stretches the whole back and the hamstrings; develops strength in the back, arms, legs and shoulders; helps relieve sciatica and backache; rejuvenates complexion and clears the head. Ideal for people who spend alot of time sitting.
	Plank Pose Lie on your stomach, chin to the floor, hands palm down under your shoulders, toes tucked under. Inhaling push your body off the floor until your arms are straight. Hold. Keep your head, back and buttocks in a straight line. Push your heels out to keep your lower back from caving in. Exhale and lower your body back to the floor. Benefits: Strengthens the whole body; especially arms, shoulders, chest and legs.
	Cobra Pose Lie on your stomach. Bend your elbows and place them directly under the shoulders. Place your forearms on the floor, parallel to one another; hands are flat, fingers spread. Shoulders are down from the earlobes and the legs are hip-distance apart. Inhale. Looking forward a few inches beyond the line of the fingertips, lift the chest and shoulders from the floor. Relax your throat and facial muscles and tighten the buttocks and thighs. Make sure your hips stay flat on the floor. Hold. Exhale and release. Benefits: Good for rounded shoulders; strengthens the upper back muscles and the spine. Provides relief, flexibility and strength to the upper back.
	Half Locust Pose Lie on your stomach, chin to the floor, arms by your sides with your hands tucked under your thighs, palms up or down or clenched into fists, whichever is most comfortable. As you inhale, slowly raise your right leg. Keep your left hip on the floor, your shoulders and neck muscles relaxed. Do not lift your chin off the floor. Hold. Exhale and lower the leg to the floor. Relax. Repeat to the other side. Benefits: Increases the flexibility of the upper back and strengthens the lower back muscles. It stimulates and massages the internal organs. Tones abdominal muscles; and firms buttocks and thighs.
	Kneeling Lunge Pose Kneel in "table position". Move right foot between hands. Shift forward until right knee is fully bent at a right angle. Make sure your ankle is directly under your right knee. Make sure your shin bone is straight, knee directly over your ankle. Keep palms flat on the floor. Hang head forward. Breathe slowly. Hold. Repeat on the other side. Benefits: Relieves lower back pain and sciatica, strengthens thighs and legs, relieves anxiety and tension, increases energy and mental clarity
	Gate Pose Start in "Thunderbolt" pose, come up onto your knees. With your right knee directly under your right hip, stretch your left leg out to the side, toes pointed forward and in line with your right knee. Inhale and stretch your right arm up as high as you can. Exhale and relax your upper body across to the left side, stretching your right arm across the top of your head close to your ear. Let your left arm slide down your leg. Hold. Repeat on other side. Benefits: Stretches and tones one side of the torso while squeezing and compressing the other massaging vital organs.
	Gate Variation Pose Sit on your heels, knees and feet together, the tops of your feet on the floor. Come up onto your knees. With your right knee directly under your right hip, stretch your left leg out to the side, toes pointed forward and in line with your right knee. Place your right hand on the floor at your side. Inhale and stretch your left arm over your head and parallel to the floor. Hold. Exhale and return to start. Reverse sides. Benefits: Stretches and tones one side of the torso while squeezing and compressing the other massaging vital organs.
	Pigeon Pose Begin in "table position" with arms under your shoulders and knees under hips. Cross your left foot in front of your right knee. Slide right leg straight back, keeping leg and spine aligned. Walk your hands back directly under shoulders. Rock slightly from side to side to help deepen the pose and open the right hip. If the stretch is too intense, place a pillow under your right hip. Inhale and undulate forward until forehead brushes the floor. Come up and raise your chest like a "puffed-chested pigeon." See if you can sink further on the left hip. Repeat on the other side. Benefits: Opens the hip area and chest, aligns the pelvis
	Hare Pose Sit in Child pose. Bend forward, placing the crown of your head on the floor. Lift your buttocks and grasp your heels with your hands. Hold. Benefits: Reverses the force of gravity, brings a fresh supply of blood to the brain and to the pituitary and thyroid glands, improves the complexion
	Child Pose Sit on your heels, knees and feet together, top of your ankles flat on the floor. Let your hands relax at your sides. Inhale and as you exhale bend forward from your hips placing your chest on your thighs, your forehead on the floor, and your hands palms up near your feet. Do not round your back; elongate your spine while holding the posture by reaching toward your kneecaps with your chest. Hold and relax completely. Benefits: Stretches the spine; massages internal organs; firms buttocks; brings increased circulation to head and face, brightening complexion and stimulating pituitary gland function.