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Kids love to perform the wheel pose. This pose is great for stretching the abs, strengthening the spine, and helps bring blood and oxygen to the brain.  It's very challenging and thus gives kids a boost of confidence when they are successful at it.   This pose is great to do with a partner, as each person can take turns being either the wheel or the mouse supporting the wheel.  The mouse pose is a good counter stretch to the wheel, another benefit of doing these two poses together. 

Wheel Pose: 

Wheel Pose Partner Variation: 

Remember, even if you aren't completely successful doing the wheel pose, attempting this pose has it's own benefits! It improves posture, balance, and flexibility.  Namaste to that. 

The other day I was teaching a yoga class when my 4 year old daughter decided to climb all over me.  The next day, it felt like I had gone to a personal trainer for a hard-core workout and it got me thinking: I should incorporate some weights into our balance board routine.  Why not, right?  So, here are 4 core-strengthening and whole-body power poses for you to try on your balance board. 

Try going through the whole series 2-3 times.  I used 5 pound weights, and recommend starting off light and then working your way up if needed. 

HEAVE-HO

Holding the end of the dumbbell in your fingers, place your feet just wider than shoulder-width apart, bend your knees and at your hips slightly, and swing the dumbbell back through your legs.

Pop your hips forwards and bring the dumbbell back up to eye level. If you’re using an adjustable dumbbell, be careful and make sure that the plates are secure.  Do this 8 times.

CHOP CHOP

Hold the dumbbell with both hands up and to one side of your head with arms outstretched.

Pretend to slice the dumbbell down across your body and squat as you go, so the dumbbell ends up beside your opposite shin.

Return to the start and repeat. Repeat 8 times, then switch sides.

BLAZING BOAT:

Sit on the floor with your feet in the air and knees bent, holding a dumbbell in both hands in front of your sternum.

Keeping your core braced and arms straight, rotate to one side. Then twist the other way. Return to the start again to complete one rep.  Do this 8 times like the others.

PLANK VARIATION:

Begin in a full plank position with a dumbbell on the floor a few inches away from the outside of left hand. Engage abs to keep torso steady and reach right arm under or over left to grab dumbbell. Pull the dumbbell across the floor to the right side of body, releasing it just outside of right arm, and then return to plank. That's one rep. Do 10 reps, alternating sides each time. 

Ok, so now you should really feel your core! Always make sure that you keep your core strong and a neutral spine when doing these poses.  And by the way, instead of letting my daughter climb all over me while doing these movements, I had her be the photographer….otherwise I would have been a MILKSHAKE board sandwich!

Here is our partner pose of the week....Boat pose. 

How To:  

1) Have two friends get on the board facing each other.

2) Put soles of feet together-pressing against partner's feet.

3) Hold hands.

4) Lift feet off the ground into boat pose.

Have fun!

So, you just received your brand new balance board.  Congratulations! Here are some stretches and balance moves to get you started.  It's important to do them in a sequence, as some of the stretches go hand and hand.  For example, the cat/cow poses go together because the cat pose is the counter stretch to the cow pose for your back.  Snake and Mouse poses also go together.  Have fun!

Let's start with something easy.  Sit in the middle of your board, facing the "MILKSHAKE boards" logo.  

 Airplane Easy Pose: (criss-cross apple sauce) or put your arms out to your sides as if you are in an airplane.

Now pretend to fly like an airplane.  Hold each stretch for a few deep breaths.  

 Cow Pose: let your belly drop down with your back bent like the letter U.

Cat Pose:  arch your back up like a mountain and look down under your belly at your legs behind you.

Do cat/cow together as they are counter stretches to each other.  Inhale for cow, exhale for cat.  Repeat 10 times.

 Mouse Pose: curl up like a ball on top of the board.  Feel your belly breath against your legs as you remain in this pose for 3-5 deep breaths.  

 Snake or Cobra Pose:  From mouse pose, slide your feet out from under you and make sure that your feet are together, legs, and seat are firmly placed on the board behind you. Then, lift your chest up from the board and feel the stretch.  

After Snake Pose, do Mouse Pose again for the counter stretch (snake and mouse can go hand-in-hand).

Downward Dog: In downward dog, you will want to make a triangle with your body.  

Upward Dog:  From downward dog, drop your belly and keep your legs and belly off the ground, arms shoulder width apart.

Elephant Pose: Standing up, keep your legs straight and let your torso, head, and arms hang down.  Clasp your hands together like the trunk of an elephant and sway or pretend to drink water.

Now, slowly come up and pretend to splash water on your body and back.  You can also spray water all around you.

Mountain Pose: Stand tall on your balance board.  Take some deep slow breaths.  Then, try standing on your tippy toes.  For an extra challenge, stand on your tippy toes and look up at the sky.

Tree Pose: An all time favorite....while standing tall, take one heel and rest it against the opposite leg.  Then, let your "branches" or arms grow.  Remember to repeat with the opposite leg.

Have fun with these poses to get you started on your board.  Remember to always be careful and share your MILKSHAKE board with your friends.  

Abra cadabra alla cabon, yoga makes asthma be gone!  It’s hard to believe that asthma effects over 22 million Americans.  It’s also considered the most common chronic illness in children and can start when children are born or even later in life.  It’s been around for over 2,500 years, yet there’s no cure.

However, the good news is that yoga can help.  There are many benefits in yoga for people with asthma or other breathing disorders.  For one, yoga incorporates a lot of breathing techniques to help people gain a bit more control of their asthma.  Meditation helps in relaxation, and certain poses open up the airways and help strengthen the lungs.

Here are 8 poses which help open up the airways and are great for helping stave off asthma attacks. 

Easy Pose:  Start by sitting “criss-cross apple sauce” or in Easy Pose.  Breath in through the nose, and out through the mouth, pressing lips close together as if you are going to whistle or give a kiss.  Inhale for the count of 5 and exhale for the count of 6.  Remember to sit up straight while breathing.

Cat/Cow Pose:  Start by getting on your hands and knees.  Inhale as you drop your belly towards the floor. Lift your chin and chest, and gaze up toward the ceiling (Cow Pose).   As you exhale, draw your belly to your spine and round your back toward the ceiling. The pose should look like a cat stretching its back (Cat Pose).  Your head should be down, almost between your arms.  Inhale again, coming back into Cow Pose.  Do this 5-10 times (inhale cow, exhale cat)

Downward Dog: While on hands and knees, lift your booty up as if you are going to stand up, keeping your hands and feet on the floor.  Create a triangle with your body, where your arms and back are one side of the triangle, your booty be an angle at top, and your legs be another side of the triangle, feet an angle, and floor the third side of the triangle.  Make sure the palms of your hands are shoulder width apart and flat on the floor.  Your toes should be curled under facing your arms. 

Upward Dog:  While in Downward Dog, drop your belly to the ground and stick your head out from your neck. Your arms should be straight, legs straight, and belly arched and hanging.  Take some deep doggie breaths as if you are sniffing the air for some clues on where a hidden bone may be. 

Fish Pose: Lie down on your back, feet straight and legs straight out in front of you on the floor.  Keep your heels together and “fan” out your toes and feet like a fish tail.  Now slide your elbows back towards your shoulders, keeping your lower arm and hands touching the ground and your upper arms lifting off the floor.  Then, lift your chest up off the ground like a puffer fish and drop your head back.  Spread your chest out as much as you can to feel a good stretch.  This stretch opens up the air passageways.

Forward Bend/Fold Pose:  After Downward Dog, walk feet towards hands and lift hands/arms off the floor.  Your legs should be straight and your torso should be hanging from your hips.  Let your arms and head sway and just relax.  If possible, with every inhale, lift the body a bit up and then with an exhale, extend your arms and hands closer to the floor.  Stretch as much as you can without it hurting.  This stretch should also be done very slowly.    When finished, slowly come up, stacking the vertebrae one at a time until you are standing tall in mountain pose. 

Eagle Pose:  From a standing position, cross one ankle over the other.  Extend your arms out in front of you and cross them over your wrists.  Turn your thumbs down to the floor, so your palms are facing each other and interlace your fingers.  Bring your clasped hands toward your body, resting them on your sternum.  Breath deeply.  For an added challenge, try crossing your front leg over and wrapping it around the calf of your other leg. You should be balancing on one leg.  Also, bend forward and try to touch your legs with your arms.

Other poses to try are bridge pose, snake pose, camel pose, plank pose, butterfly pose, and triangle pose.  Add a few yoga minutes to your daily routine and enjoy your life to its fullest!