1 Minute Poses

17 Jan 1 Minute Poses

by Danielle Cuccio

Our lives can be stressful. Between the kids, the dog, work, sleep, who has time to even take a breath, let alone relax?!  I get it. Here’s what you can do in less than a minute to manage that stress and find a little calm while on your coffee break at work, (possibly while no one is looking!), at a park or at home. I have you covered! This month, don’t let stress get the best of you. Try these quick and easy yoga poses to find a little more peace of mind.

FOR STRESS:  Child’s Pose 
This calming pose is naturally a resting posture so use this to ease stress and also to stretch out the back.

FOR THE KIDS:  Eagle Pose
No, this one is not for the kids – for you, when you’re ready to run away from them! Eagle pose can be thought of as literally squeezing the tension and stress out of your body. You can’t think of much besides keeping your balance. When we concentrate on balance or simply focusing on one thing at a time, we naturally decompress. In yoga, we call this focal point our “drishti”.

What to do Take your arms to a “T” and place your right arm on top of the left and face the palms to touch.  Extend the elbows high.  Bend your right knee towards your chest and try to wrap it around your standing left leg. Try and get the toes to tuck behind your left calf.

FOR TRAFFIC & LONG LINES:  Count Your Breath
Standing in line at the airport this holiday season?  Too long of a line at Starbucks? Thinking, “GET ME OUT OF HERE!”?  Well, being that I am a yoga instructor, I’d say, “Danielle, this isn’t very “Yogi” of you..”  Guilty, LA traffic gets to me too!

What to do  Take a deep breath in through the nose and count to 4.  Exhale for 4 counts.  This allows your mind to concentrate on something other than that traffic or never-ending line and instead, on your breath.

FOR ENERGY: Bridge Pose 

No matter how much sleep we get, sometimes we’re still tired.  Call this The Caffeine Of Yoga if you will.  In Bridge Pose, we are unlocking energy from the spine and nervous system, reducing anxiety, fatigue and relieving headaches and neck tension.

What to do Lie on your back, bend your knees and walk your feet about hand distance away from your hips.   Lift the hips off the floor and clasp the hands together behind the back while rotating the shoulders back.  Lift the ribs, heart and hips up.  Breathe deeply for five breaths.

About the author: Danielle Cuccio offers private yoga sessions, customized to your individual needs.  Stay up to date with Danielle’s healthy tips & healthy Brentwood spots in our next issue!

Join Danielle on her YouTube channel @ http://www.youtube.com/user/daniellecuccio or to book a private session with Danielle call (323) 863-5041 or e-mail danielle.cuccio@gmail.com.

Yoga DVD being released January, 2014! More info. at CuccioSomatology.com  

Blog: TheBeautyBlender.com
Instagram: @daniellecuccio

Photography by Brandon Hunt whomami.tumblr.com