The four primary muscles/muscle groups that do this are: Your deep core comprises the muscles that stabilize the space between your ribs and pelvis (iliac crest and sacrum to be more specific). Inhale: Reach up and overhead to Beach Ball Warrior Two and continue to move towards arms overhead into Reverse Warrior to strengthen the other side (quadratus lumborum, obliques, transverse abdominis).Ĭontinue moving forward and back in lateral flexion with the support of breath. Inhale: Arms overhead in Warrior Two (as if holding a big beach ball)Įxhale: Keeping arms overhead, lean entire torso towards front knee as if moving towards Extended Side Angle pose to strengthen torso lateral flexors and stabilizers (quadratus lumborum, obliques, transverse abdominis). Beach Ball Warrior Two (5-7 repetitions each side) Inhale: From Classical Warrior One send your Eagle arms forward and up to strengthen back extensor muscles.Įxhale: Flex into yourself drawing your head and Eagle elbows down and in towards navel and mat space, to strengthen rectus abdominis and SCM.ģ. Eagle Abs Warrior One (5-7 repetitions each side) Inhale: From Table Top position extend either just right leg OR left arm and right leg to strengthen back extensor muscles.Įxhale: Draw either just right knee to temple OR draw left elbow and right knee towards each other to strengthen torso and neck flexors (rectus abdominis and sternocleidomastoid muscles or SCM).Ģ.

Extended Cat/ Cow (10 repetitions each side) By introducing arm and legs movements away from the core, you add an increased strength element.ģ mini flows to wake up and strengthen your ‘apple core’ġ. To keep the spine healthy both on and off your yoga mat, it’s important to move it regularly through all three planes of movement. By introducing arm and legs movements away from the core, you add an increased strength element to the exercises (long levers will always efficiently and effectively challenge the core strength!) To keep the spine healthy both on and off your yoga mat, it’s important to move it regularly through all three planes of movement – flexion and extension in the sagittal plane, lateral flexion in the coronal plane, and rotation/twisting in the transverse plane.

The Apple Core Theory of the human body is from crown to tail – the 31-33 bones of the spine (the vertebral column). Visualize an apple core – a core that runs from the top of the apple to the bottom. Due to the tendency for many people to think the core is the gut region of the body (“abs”), I always begin the class by describing the 3 ways we are going to view, feel, strengthen and stretch the core: Apple Core Theory, Deep Core and Deep Frontal Fascial Plane.īelow are three mini-asana flows for each approach, to strengthen and add suppleness to the core, along with a class where I demonstrate some of the exercises. Every Tuesday afternoon I teach a 45-minute core yoga class to a dedicated group of physically fit rockstars.

Core yoga exercises