Yoga for Flight

There is a difference between yoga for flight and yoga for flying. The latter refers to good yoga postures for when you're stuck on a long flight; the former refers to the kind of postures that make you feel light on your feet, like you yourself can soar.

Chris and I saw the first robin of the year today. He got terrifically excited and said it was the true sign that spring had arrived. Disagreeing, I said that seeing the first colorful heads of crocus popping up through the ground was my indicator. "Pssh," he said, "plants are stupid. They'll come up on the first warm day. Birds only show up when they know the good weather is going to stay around." I don't know if I'm going to cede my stance yet, but, in the honor of the first robin of the year, may this spring bring you lightness and light!

Yoga for Flight

One of the best ways to feel a sense of lightness in your practice is to smile. If you get too serious, it can make you heavy. Remember: there's a difference between being grounded and being heavy. You can be both grounded and light.

1. Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
2. Imagine the arms as wings, breathing the arms up, exhaling the arms down. Repeat 12x
3. Baddha Konasana (Cobbler's Pose). Butterfly knees. Pretend you're 8 years old if you have to. 
4. Tarasana (Star Pose)
5. Twists in Star Pose, taking opposite arms to knee or thigh, other hand behind hips. Repeat other side.
6. Taking hands behind torso, gentle chest opener
7. Taking hands to thighs, shins or feet, forward fold
8. Move with breath between steps 6 and 7
9. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)
10. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
11. Garundasana (Eagle Pose)
12. Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III Pose)
13. Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I). Pulse back knee towards ground and straighten, warming up legs. 
14. Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II)
15. Parsva Konasana (Side Angle Pose)
16. Bind the arms around the front leg, bring the weight onto the back leg
17. Lift front leg into Svarga Djivasana (Bird of Paradise Pose). Feel light in this pose, able to fly
18. Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
19. Uttihita Tadasana (Five Pointed Star Pose)
20. Repeat steps 10-19 on other side
21. Tadasana
22. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose). Jog knees in place to warm up legs and hips. Hold for approximately 6 breaths
23. Kapotasana (Pigeon Pose). Taking the hands to either side of the knee, move the torso like a wave over the knee to work the hips open
24. Supta Kapotanasana (Reclined Pigeon Pose)
25. Repeat steps 22-24
26. Adho Mukha Svanasana
27. Bakasana (Crow Pose)
28. Parsva Bakasana (Side Crow Pose). You don't necessarily need to lift off, but try. Repeat on other side.
29. Supta Matsyendrasana (Reclined Twist). Repeat other side. 
30. Lying onto back, any last leg stretches
31. Savasana