Workout Wednesday ~ A great yoga routine for athletes from our dear friend Emma

Today we are excited to post a yoga sequence from our yogi friend Emma! She has been featured on our blog before but we can never get enough of her or her workouts :) Please check out her blog and follow her at Joy Of Yoga.

Yoga for Calves

The last of the sequence requests is being rolled out today in the form of Yoga for Calf Muscles.  The requester didn't specify whether she meant strengthening or stretching, so I went for both! If you need stretching, the strengthening parts might be a bit rough, but you can always skip those. As with every yoga practice, it's a smorgasbord-- take what serves you and leave the rest behind.

As an aside, this is also a great sequence for hikers, runners, and waitstaff. Enjoy! 

1. Vajrasana (Diamond Pose)
2. Gomukhasana (Face of Light Pose)
3. Garbasansa (Child’s Pose)
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 on other side
5. Cat/cow in table pose
6. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)
7. Step through to low lunge
8. Bend and straighten back knee, letting it just hover about the floor
9. Vinyasa to repeat on other side
10. Low lunge, bending and straightening front leg
11. Try taking hands off of floor and onto hips to continue bending and straightening
12.  Vinyasa to repeat on other side
13. Uttanasana  (Standing Forward Fold). 1-2 minute hold, taking variations as you like
14. Inhale to lift to all the way up, exhale to take a Sun A
15. Meet in Downward Dog
16. Lift your right leg to come into three legged dog
17. Come up onto the ball (or even tippy toes) of your *left* foot. Exhale to lower heel toward floor, inhale to lift heel into air again. Repeat a few times.
18. Exhale right knee to nose in jack-knife, inhale back to three legged dog
19. Repeat 3-5 times
20. Exhale to place the right foot forward in between the hands
21. Warrior II
22. Triangle Pose
23. Vinyasa  to repeat steps 13-22 on the other side
24. Come onto the back
25. Supta Padangustasana (Reclined Big Toe Pose)
26. Supta Trivikramasana (Reclined Vishnu Pose)
27. Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana (Upward Facing Fold Pose)
28. Gentle supine twist
29. Savasana

Take care of your body and do what is best for it!

Get Fit For It,

D & K