1. Standing

 Instructions

• Stand with a straight spine, lifting your sternum
• Feet together,  toes extended
• Keep your legs and buttocks strong
• Balance evenly on your feet and use your thighs to lift your knees, taking care not to push them back
• Keep your shoulders, jaw and face relaxed, with the chin parallel to the floor and face relaxed
• Breathe evenly through your nostrils

Cautions:

• Low blood pressure
• Headaches

Benefits:

• Improves posture

• Helps with concentration

• Tones the legs, buttocks, shoulders, arms, and back

2. Backward Bend

Instructions

• Inhale, raise your arms over your head and gently bend backwards as  far as you feel comfortable.

 Cautions:

• Back injuries
• High/Low blood pressure

Benefits:

• Stimulates the spine
• Strengthens the back muscles
• Tones the abdominal region
• Opens the thoracic and pelvic cavities

3. Forward Bend

 Instructions

• Exhale and lean forward,  keeping your legs, back muscles and buttocks firm while bringing the head close towards your knees

Cautions:

• High blood pressure
• Headaches
• Spine and back injuries

Benefits:

• Elongates the spine
• Stretches the hamstrings, gluteal muscles and the back
• Massages the abdominal organs
• Calms and relaxes the mind
• Blood flow increases in the facial area

4. Lunge

Instructions

• Inhale, position your  hands under your shoulders and step your right foot back, keeping your right knee on the floor
• Place both hands on your left knee while lifting your upper body to the centre, raising your chin and opening your throat
• Gaze towards the ceiling
• Exhale as you come out of the position, placing both hands by the side of your left foot.

 Cautions

• Hip/knee injuries
• Headaches
• High or low blood pressure

Benefits:

• Stretches the legs and opens the hips and groin

• Stimulates the abdominal organs

• Improves the function of the heart, lungs, thyroid glands and eyes

5. Gentle Twist

 Instructions

• Inhale, raise your left arm as you twist your torso to the side and look towards the fingers of your left hand
• Exhale as you come out of the position by placing both hands by the side of your left foot

Cautions

• High or low blood pressure
• Headaches

Benefits:

• Nourishes and massages the internal organs
• Opens the thoracic cavity
• Strengthens and stretches the spinal muscles

6.Plank

Instructions

• Inhale as you assume the plank pose, positioning both hands directly below your shoulders, with your entire body in a straight line
• Make sure your abdomen and buttocks are firm and not sinking into the floor (if you can’t hold your body straight, keep your knees on the floor)

Cautions:

• Spinal injuries
• Shoulder and back injuries
• Wrist injuries

Benefits:

• Strengthens the spine, arms, shoulders and wrists
• Improves focus and concentration

7. Straight Body Push Up

Instructions

• Exhale, lower your body to the floor as if you were doing a push up. (If you find it difficult, place your knees on the floor)
• Tighten all muscles in your body while lowering down

 Cautions:

• Wrist and shoulder injuries
• Spine and back injuries
• High and low blood pressure

 Benefits:

• Strengthens the shoulders, back and legs

8. Cobra

Instructions

• Inhale, place both hands by the side of your shoulders and curl up
• Keep your shoulders down, elbows slightly bent and positioned near your ribs
• Tilt the chin, open your throat and roll your eyes up

 Cautions

• Spine, back and neck injuries

Benefits

• Stimulates the thymus gland
• Improves energy
• Develops strong back muscles
• Strengthens the muscles in the legs, buttocks, arms and eyes

9. Dog Pose

Instructions

• From the cobra position, exhale, curl your toes in and as you lift your knees off the floor, elevate your tailbones towards the ceiling, bringing your chest towards your thighs
• Tuck your chin in and look towards your navel

 Cautions

• High blood pressure,
• Ear or eye infections

 Benefits

• Increases blood flow through the heart, brain and facial area
• Strengthens the shoulders and arms
• Lengthens the spine
• stretches the back of the legs
• Calms and nourishes the mind, as well as relieves stress

10.  Lunge

 Instructions

• Inhale and step your right foot between your hands
• Lift your sternum and chin, and open your throat, with your hands on your knees, looking up
• Exhale

Cautions

• Hip injuries
• Headaches
• High or low blood pressure

 Benefits:

• Helps relieve constipation
• Stretches the legs, and opens the hips and groin
• Stimulates abdominal organs
• Improves the function of the heart, lungs, thyroid glands and eyes.

11. Gentle Twist

 Instructions

• Inhale, raise your left arm as you twist your torso to the side and look towards the fingers of your left hand
• Exhale as you come out of the position by placing both hands by the side of your left foot

Cautions

• High or low blood pressure
• Headaches

Benefits:

• Nourishes and massages the internal organs
• Opens the thoracic cavity
• Strengthens and stretches the spinal muscles

12. Forward bend

 Instructions

• Exhale and bring the left hand back under your shoulder
• Step your right foot forward
• Straighten your legs while leaning towards your knees

 Cautions

• Spine and back injuries
• Hamstring injuries
• High and low blood pressure

 Benefits

• Elongates the spine
• Stretches the hamstrings, gluteal muscles and back
• Massages the abdominal organs
• Calms and relaxes the mind
• Increases blood flow to the facial muscles

13. Backward Bend

Instructions

• Inhale, raise your arms over your head and gently bend backwards as  far as you feel comfortable.

 Cautions:

• Back injuries
• High/Low blood pressure

Benefits:

• Stimulates the spine
• Strengthens the back muscles
• Tones the abdominal region
• Opens the thoracic and pelvic cavities

14.  Standing

Instructions 

• Exhale, stand with a straight spine and lift your sternum
• feet together, toes extended
• Balance evenly on your feet and use your thighs to lift your knees, taking care not to push them back
• Shoulders, jaw and face are relaxed
• Bring your palms together in front of your chest
• Chin is parallel to the floor

 Cautions

• Low blood pressure
• Headaches

 Benefits:

• Improves posture

• Helps with concentration

• Tones the legs, buttocks, shoulders, arms, and back