Hey everyone!

 

Welcome to Yoga with Lolli, the blog! 5 all-level yoga poses to energise your day and balance your body through the manipura chakra or solar plexus.

 

This is about energising your day through the magic life-giving energy of yoga!

 

Yoga is super for starting your day or breathing new life into it at lunchtime. Taking breaks and giving yourself the time you deserve to recharge your batteries is crucial to preventing burnout and maintaining good relationships with colleagues, friends and loved ones.

 

Here are some quick and easy things to do to get moving and breathe energising yogi life into your day.

 

1. Ignite the power within! With tummy rolls

 

I love tummy rolls. They wake up the body from the Manipura chakra, also known as the solar plexus, the fiery yellow energy centre in the pit of your stomach. When this chakra is overactive, you might feel extra judgey or stubborn, or underactive, lacking self-confidence and filled with doubt. When it’s in balance, you might feel calmly confident, open-minded and productive. Let’s be in balance!

 

 

 

 

 

How: Sit cross-legged with your palms on your knees. Start to move to the right and forwards, opening the chest and letting the tummy fall forwards too. Then move to the left and back, hollowing out the body and curling into the back. Feel through all the bones and muscles in your back as you move. Become aware of the ‘crunchies’ as you rotate. After a few rotations, switch direction.

This is a great movement for waking the body up first thing in the morning or after an hour or so at your desk. You can even do this sat with your feet flat on the floor from your chair!

 

 

2. Open the hips! With bouncing lizard

 

They say we store negative experiences and emotions in our hips, and when we carry that around with us all the time in the root of our bodies, we start to lose energy. You might feel a rush or release of these emotions when you let them go – that’s ok! Acknowledge them and let them be on their way. No need to categorise or compartmentalise them. Say hello as they float away leaving you lighter and more open to new and unique experiences!

                                   

How: On your hands and knees, step your right foot forward to the outside of your right hand. Keep the hips square with the front of your mat and back knee lifted, and both palms flat in line with your right foot, bounce the hips up and down, pulsing for a count of 5, then switch sides.

 

3. Strengthen your knees! With twisting chair

 

Wake up from the inside out! Twists stimulate digestion, increase circulation and reduce stress – all in one pose! So when we add twists to poses that already build strength, we add up the benefits meaning your practice is more impactful. Super handy if you are short on time!

Chair pose (or utkatasana “oot-kah-tah-sah-nah”) tones the legs, strengthens the knees (engage your kneecaps!), stretches the back (reach with your arms!) and so when we add the twist in – wow! – what a pose it is!

 

Checklist for chair:

 

• Can you see your toes? You should be able to!
  If you can’t see them, your knees are too far forward, move them back.
• Is your weight going into your toes?
  Try your best to shift the weight to your heels, we want the work to be happening in the backs of the legs.
  See if you can even lift up the toes for an added challenge!
• When you add the twist, squeeze the knees together if your feet are together.
  If your feet are hip-width apart, try and keep the knees the same distance.
• Engage the pelvic floor! It’s almost never a bad time to engage the pelvic floor.

 

4. Sail your boat to safe shores in Navasana!
   

 

Navasana is a great pose! Strong tummy, strong legs! Get those abs you’ve dreamed of!

Even if you think that you are not strong enough for Navasana, or boat pose, I promise you that there is a variation that will benefit and suit you. Start with your toes on the ground, then work up to raising the shins parallel to the floor and one day to straight legs! Baby steps are highly acceptable!

How: To get to Navasana, start by rounding your back and hugging your knees in towards your chest. Then, point your toes and toe-tap to help find your balance. Lift your heart up, like you’re being pulled by a string from your chest and either hold onto your knees gently with your hands or straighten them just below the knees. Try and keep an interior tilt in the pelvis.

Next step, try lifting the shins parallel to the floor! Try!

Try straightening the legs – keep pointing your toes! Look towards them! Try!

Option to twist! Just like in chair, we can add load to our boat by adding some twists! Try and keep the feet or knees up, keeping squeezing in the bellybutton, engaging through the PSOAS muscles and overall – doing your best!

 

 

All you can do is try and that is amazing!

 

A great way to stretch out those abs after Navasana is in a gentle baby cobra. Lie on your tum, hands under the shoulders – or even in front of them for a seal pose – and gentle lift yourself up. Turn your head to look right, look up, look left and look down, then reverse.

Well done! You can do Navasana!

 

5. Wind down your practice with a reclined twist

 

Are you seeing a pattern here?? Twists are incredible for your body, mind and soul. At the end of a practice – any practice! – it’s a great idea to go for a lying down twist of some kind. Be sure to keep both shoulders on the mat as much as you can.

Twists are amazing for releasing tension after sleeping or after a physical practice, and from sitting at a desk or sitting in meditation! Twist it out after a long bike ride or car journey.

 

How did you find these 5 yoga poses for energy?

 

Let me know in the comments or contact me with whatever questions or thoughts that come up about this post or any of these poses.

 

Subscribe to experience all 5 yoga poses for energy and more in a gentle 20-minute flow! Perfect for when you wake up in the morning or take a break at work or school. Fit more yoga into your life today and every day.