Upward Salute and Big Toe Poses

Try Upward Salute and Big Toe Poses to improve digestion and helps to relieve anxiety and fatigue. Try these poses with Guided Yoga from YouVeda.

Upward Salute

Upward Salute is a natural way to stretch the whole body, often done automatically after sleeping or sitting for long periods. Standing up and reaching the arms overhead awakens the body from toes to fingertips, providing a boost of energy. It’s a simple way to feel rejuvenated!

Steps:

1. Begin standing with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Press your weight evenly across the balls and arches of your feet. If you have trouble balancing, stand with your feet six inches apart (or wider).
2. Drawdown through your heels and straighten your legs. Press down across all four corners of both feet. Then, lift your ankles and the arches of your feet. Squeeze your outer shins toward each other.
3. Engage your quadriceps, drawing the tops of your thighs up and back. Rotate your thighs slightly inward, widening your sit bones.
4. Tuck your tailbone slightly, without rounding your lower back. Bring your pelvis to its neutral position and keep your hips even with the centerline of your body. Slightly draw your belly in.
5. Broaden across your collarbones. Elongate your neck. Release your shoulder blades away from your head and toward the back of your waist.
6. Your ears, shoulders, hips, and ankles should all be in one line. Turn your arms so your palms face forward, fingers reaching toward the floor. This is Tadasana.
7. As you inhale, sweep your arms out to the side and then up overhead, turning your arms so your palms face each other, fingertips reaching toward the ceiling. Straighten your arms completely, but do not lock the elbow joints.
8. If your shoulders are tight, keep your arms as wide as your shoulders (or even wider). If you can keep your arms straight without drawing your shoulders up, press your palms together.
9. Soften the tops of your shoulders away from your ears. Relax your shoulder blades down your back, toward your waist. Draw your lower, front ribs in — do not let these ribs push forward. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor. Keep your collarbones wide.
10. Tilt your head back gently and gaze up at your thumbs.
11. Maintain the alignment of Ears, shoulders, hips, and ankles in one line.
12. Breathe smoothly and deeply. Imagine your breath is moving across the entire length of your body. Lift up through the sides of your waist as you inhale. Soften your shoulders as you exhale.
13. Hold the pose for up to one minute. To release, exhale, and sweep the arms back down to the sides of the body.

Benefits

• It stretches the sides of the body, spine, shoulders, armpits, and belly.
• It tones the thighs, improves digestion, and helps to relieve anxiety and fatigue.
• It also helps to create space in the chest and lungs, which is therapeutic for asthma and congestion.
• This helps to protect the spinal muscles and nerves during other movements.

Big Toe Pose

The Big Toe Pose is done while standing. The pose is very good for stretching many muscles of the body and ideal for people with flat feet.

Steps:

1. Stand straight with your feet about 6 inches apart. Keep your legs completely straight and your kneecaps lifted.
2. As you exhale, lower your torso and your head as one unit. Bend lower but ensure you are bending at the hips, not at the waist. Bend forwards until you touch your forehead to your knees. Ensure to keep the legs straight all through.
3. Put the index and middle fingers in between the big toe and the second toe. Grip the big toe firmly using those fingers and the thumb. Press your toes firmly on the fingers.
4. Lift up your torso as if you wanted to stand again as you inhale. As you exhale release your torso so that your lower back hollows depending on your flexibility.
5. Continue inhaling and exhaling as you lift your torso up increasing the stretch on the hamstrings. Ensure also to lift the sternum and then lower the torso and the sternum towards the knees in cycles.
6. After several cycles, exhale and lower your elbows to the sides. With your elbows to the side, pull on the big toes. Hold at this position for a set time and release going back up to the standing position.

Benefits

• It stretches the hamstrings and the calves
• It strengthens the core
• It stretches the back
• Strengthens the thighs
• It strengthens the back
• Stimulates the digestion system