If you're looking to get a shapely, toned, and adorably round yoga butt, be sure to incorporate these six tush-targeting poses into your ongoing yoga practice.
Goddess
- Stand at the top of your mat in Mountain pose [1]. Step open to the right, opening your legs about three feet apart. Turn your heels in.
- Bend your knees, coming into a wide squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Your knees should be directly over your ankles, so adjust your feet if you need to.
- Hold the arms up with the elbows bent at 90-degree angles, opening the palms away from you.
- Hold here for five deep breaths.
Warrior 3
- Standing at the front of your mat with both feet together, shift weight into your right foot, and extend your arms overhead.
- As you lift your left leg behind you, lower your chest so your torso and left leg are parallel to the floor. Draw your belly in to protect your lower back. If your lower back hurts, place your hands on your hips.
- Balance in Warrior 3 for five deep breaths.
- Repeat with the right leg lifted.
Crouching Eagle
- Begin standing tall at the front of your mat. Shift all your weight into your left foot, and lift your right knee up toward your chest.
- Cross your right knee in front of your left knee, and bend both knees slightly, trying to wrap your right toes around the back of your left calf.
- Keeping your drishti (gaze) on one point in front of you, cross your left elbow over your right elbow. Work on bringing your right fingertips toward the base of your left palm, and then lift your elbows straight up toward the ceiling.
- Hold Eagle [2] pose for five breaths, and then lower the elbows to touch the knees, staying for another five in Crouching Eagle.
- Release, and repeat on the other side.
Burning Low Lunge
- Begin in Downward Facing Dog [3]. Step the right foot forward between the hands, rising into Warrior 1.
- Lower your torso, and reach your right arm underneath your bent right knee. Interlace both hands in front of your right ankle. Keep all the weight in your legs, resisting the urge to lean into your hands. If this is too intense for your thigh muscle to hold (it's a killer move!), rest one or both hands on the floor.
- Breathe deeply in this Burning Low Lunge for five breaths.
- Take a Vinyasa back to Down Dog, and repeat on the left side.
Extended Locust
- From Down Dog, shift the shoulders forward into plank position. Release your belly to the floor with your feet touching.
- Extend the arms in front of you, and simultaneously lift your hands and feet into the air.
- Lengthen through the spine by drawing the head away from the toes, holding for five breaths.
Intense East
- From a seated position with your legs extended straight out in front of you, place your hands behind your hips about six to eight inches, with your fingers pointing toward your toes.
- As you inhale, press into your hands and feet firmly, lifting your hips into the air. Lift them as high as you can so your spine is in a long line. Slowly release your head back, looking behind you, opening through the throat.
- Stay here in Intense East for five deep breaths.