Go with the Flow

Say yes to yoga with five days worth of poses selected especially for beginners

- By Amy Lynn Smith

Yoga isn't about twisting yourself like a pretzel. Instead, it's an "amazing opportunity" for people interested in a healthy lifestyle, says Sara Davidson Flanders, a yoga practitioner and instructor based in Rhode Island."It encompasses body awareness, breath awareness and awareness of the present moment," she explains. "It's been shown to release stress, which benefits our health and our lives. The body feels both freer and stronger at the same time."

Above are five poses for new yogis to try out. With each one, pause in the pose to breathe deeply for five or 10 breaths before releasing.

1. Warrior I Pose

Stand with your feet four feet apart and raise your hands toward the ceiling. Turn your right foot in and your left foot out, exhaling as you rotate toward the left. Bend your left knee over the left ankle so your leg is perpendicular to the floor. Reach toward the ceiling, bringing the palms together and breathe. Hold for a minute and come up. Repeat on the other side.

2. Warrior II Pose

You can start this pose from a standing position, or from Warrior I pose. With your feet slightly more than shoulder-length apart, your right foot turned in and your left foot turned out, bend your left knee over the left ankle so your leg is perpendicular to the floor. Stretch the arms parallel to the floor. Look out over your fingers and breathe. This pose helps improve respiration and energize tired limbs.

3. Boat Pose

Start seated, legs stretched out in front of you. Rest squarely on the sitting bones, drawing the lower back inward. Bend your knees, sliding your feet toward you. Keeping your shoulders relaxed, raise your feet upward. You can hold lightly onto the backs of your thighs for support. As much as you can, straighten your legs upward in front of you, keeping your core engaged for balance. Breathe and release your hands.

4. Downward Dog

Start on your hands and knees, with your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly in front of your shoulders. Lift your knees off the floor and stretch back, lifting your sitting bones toward the ceiling as you exhale. Press your heels down toward the floor. Relax here for several minutes before bending your knees back to the floor. This pose is great to help decrease back pain, tension and headaches.

5. Low Lunge with Twist

From downward dog, step your left foot between your hands and bring your right leg down to the floor until you feel a deep but comfortable stretch in the front thigh. Lift upright as you inhale. Twist to your right, resting your right elbow over your left knee. Breathing deeply in a twist brings greater blood flow into the back and spine.