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Toe pose

This is an excerpt from Foundational Yoga Flow by Collette Ouseley-Moynan & Weston Carls.

About This Pose

Also called tiptoe, this pose can be deceptively challenging. It requires strength in the feet and ankles, quadriceps, and core to balance. Once you are comfortable practicing with both legs, you can try balancing on only one foot while lifting the other leg in front of you.

How To

• From mountain pose, lift your heels and balance on your tiptoes.
• Gaze at a stationary point several feet in front of you to assist your balancing efforts.
• Squeeze your legs together as you slowly bend your knees, and lower down until your hips hover over your heels.
• Align your head and shoulders over your hips and lower the knees so they are the same height as your hips. Your thighs will be parallel to the floor—but more important, you will feel the activation in your core rather than in the hip flexors.
• Lift your crown upward to lengthen the spine and hug the inner thighs together.

Variation

Toe Stand With Arm Extension

Experiment with arm variations. Hands in front of your body can act as a counterbalance for assistance, or take your arms overhead.

More Excerpts From Foundational Yoga Flow

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