This document provides instructions for several yoga poses including standing deep breathing, half moon pose with hand to feet pose, backward bending, hand to feet pose, and awkward pose. The poses are described in detail, with instructions on proper form and alignment. Benefits of the poses include improving lung capacity, strengthening core muscles, increasing flexibility of the spine and hips, and boosting circulation.

1. Hatha Foundation
Yoga with Meridian for Self Healing

2. Standing Deep Breathing
Pose
Yoga for Meridian for Self Healing

3. Standing Deep Breathing - Pranayama

4. Standing Deep Breathing - Pranayama
We start with the breathing exercise, Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Inhales and
exhales are through the throat. Nose and mouth are just passageways for the breath.
Stand tall with your feet together, toes and heels touching. Weight distributed evenly over the feet.
All ten fingers interlaced under the chin, lift your hands, palms together. Touch your knuckles under the
chin, thumbs touching the throat. Place the knuckles of those interlaced fingers firmly under your chin
throughout the breathing exercise. Swallow a couple of times. Nice relaxed shoulders.
Stomach in. Chest lifted. Gently squeeze the ankles to thighs together. Look straight ahead, concentrate,
meditate, and empty the lungs.

5. Standing Deep Breathing - Pranayama
Inhale to a long count of six, slowly raise your elbows like seagull wings on either side of your head.(your
goal is eventually to raise your elbows until your forearms touch your ears) Do not bend forward, just lower
chin.
Exhale dropping your head backward maximum. Stomach in. Slowly, take your time. Look for the wall
behind you. Eyes back.
Not backward bending, just the arms, and the head move.
Inhale through your nose.Chin down. Stretch through your elbows out and up to the ceiling. Full lungs.
Exhale through your mouth. For the ceiling up with your breath. Empty the lungs.

6. Standing Deep Breathing - Pranayama
Inhale stretch your elbows back and up towards the ceiling, eyes forward. Full lungs.
Exhale head back. Gently, press your knuckles against the chin. Keep the contact of knuckles to chin.
Stomach in. Squeeze your elbows forward, elbows touching each other, away from your chest for as they
go. Eyes open, mouth open. Your elbows, wrists,arms, and upturned face will then form one nice straight
plane parallel to the ceiling.
10 rounds each set. 2 sets in 90 minute class. 1 set 60 minute class.

7. Standing Deep Breathing - Pranayama
INHALES:
- Leg muscles strong, kneecaps lift up. Inner thighs active and engaged.
- Stomach in, hips a little bit forward, hip/thigh muscles gentle contraction so you can maintain it.
- Suck your stomach in. Spine straight, chest Up.
- Belly in, depression of the abdominal wall, contraction of the abdominal muscles.
- Open your ribcage, open your lungs.
- Open up your chest and your ribcage, stretch the intercostal muscles between the ribs, full lungs.
- Expand your lungs to their maximum capacity.
- Chest up, spine straight, stretch up, out of your waist toward the ceiling.
- Eyes always open to keep you from getting dizzy.
- Take six seconds to bring your head down.
- Use the throat.
- Each time, especially towards the end, try to inhale a little bit more deeply than last time.

8. Standing Deep Breathing - Pranayama
EXHALES:
- Keep bodyweight in the heels.
- Legs straight, no bend to the knees.
- Belly in , chest up.
- No backward bending.Spine straight.
- Shoulder down and wide, away from the ears.
- Palms, wrists, forearms,and elbows touch.
- Elbows forward more, away from your chest as far as they go.
- Deltoids forward, with scapula, shoulder blades.
- Look all the way back, until you see the wall behind you.
- Keep your eyes looking back, rather than the ceiling.
- The more you exhale, the more, fresh oxygen, you can inhale next time.

9. Standing Deep Breathing - Pranayama
BOTH:
- Keep maximum weight in the heels
- Squeeze/zip up your legs to the midline/center line of your body, stomach in.
- Keep the leg muscles, includes inner thighs active, involved and engaged for a strong ten fingers
interlaced.
- Only the arms and head move.
- The breath and the movements are synchronized together 6 seconds.The more you open your
lungs, the more air you hold in your lungs.
- Improving the elasticity of the lungs.
- The more you put into opening breathing, the better you feel throughout class.
- Slow and controlled, 6 seconds on both inhale and exhale.

10. Standing Deep Breathing - Pranayama
Benefits:
Because of the sedentary habits, most people use only ten percent of their lungs, never allowing the lungs
to reach the maximum expansion capacity that nature intended.
As a result, they are susceptible to emphysema, asthma, shortness of breath, and dozens of other
breathing problems. Standing deep breathing teaches you to use the other ninety percent of your lungs.
This exercise should be done before any kind of physical activity. Because it expands the lungs to their full
capacity, it increases circulation to the whole body, walking everything up and preparing the muscles for
action.

11. Half Moon Pose with Hand
to Feet Pose
Yoga with Meridian for Self Healing

12. Half Moon Pose with Hand to Feet Pose

13. Half Moon Pose with Hand to Feet Pose
Stand tall with your feet together, heels and toes touching each other. Arms rotate externally, palms
forward. Elbows in your back pockets.Chest up, shoulders down. Engage the core.
Arms up over your head sideways, palms pressed together.
Interlock the fingers, release the index fingers, thumbs crossed.
Stretch up, out of the waist to the ceiling, right and left several times. Stretch up to the right and left. When
you cannot stretch anymore, stop in the middle.
Elbows locked, arms back with the ears.Chest up, shoulders down.Hips forward. Legs straight. Arms and
head back. Lean back. Keep the chin up off the chest.

14. Half Moon Pose with Hand to Feet Pose
Inhale breathing, full lung.Stretch up out of the waist, touch the ceiling.
In a straight line, slowly, push your hips to the left, stretch your upper body to the right, without bending
your elbows or knees. Create a deep stretch on the whole left side of the body.
Hips forward, upper body back, both heels down.Hips and shoulders parallel.
Left hip more forward, two hips in one line, right shoulder forward. Legs straight. Arms back more.
Chin off the chest, look up, throat visible, arms back more. Wrists and elbows straight. Stomach in! Use
gentle muscle contraction, legs,glutes,belly, find the pelvic floor. Mula Bandha.

15. Half Moon Pose with Hand to Feet Pose
Inhale breathing lift your chest up; exhale push your hips more to the left. Continuously keep pushing both
hips to the left. More you push the hips, the more you reach the arms, counter balance.
Inhale breathing, come up, stop in the middle. Other side.(this time left shoulder forward, right hip forward)
1st set 60 seconds, 2nd set 30 seconds

16. Half Moon Pose with Hand to Feet Pose
Additional Instructions:
- Continuously push hips to the left, creating a tremendous stretch on the left side of your fingertips to
your toes.
- Bring your left hip forward, stomach in, keep your both hips in one line. Right shoulder forward, to
open your chest more. Everything same distance to the mirror.
- Inhale, create space; exhale, to deepen the posture.
- Hips forward, opening your hips and pelvis. Upper body back, opening up your chest and ribcage.
Keep chin at least 3 inches off the throat. Arms back. Fingers point back at the corner of the room
behind you.

17. Backward Bending
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18. Backward Bending

19. Backward Bending
Take a deep breath, full lungs, let your head /neck relax back.
Look for the floor behind you. Eyes stay back.
Inhale breathing.Squeeze the palms together, stretch up out of the waist touch the ceiling.
Bring the arms back as far as they go, touch the wall behind you. No bend to elbows or
knees.
Inhale, lift your chest up. Arms back. Exhale, bend your spine backward.
Lower back, middle back, upper back, your total spine is backward bending.

20. Backward Bending
Push your upper body back, concentrate on extending through the thoracic spine.
Exhale, push stomach,legs,hips forward, legs straight, weight in the heels.
Arms back, look back, way back, reach back, stretch back, try to touch the floor
behind you.
Inhale breathing, come up, stop in the middle.

21. Backward Bending
Additional Instructions:
You should feel the backbend throughout the whole spine. Focus on bending the
thoracic spine. Neck and lower back already backbend easily. Use strength to lift
up as you come back more. Look back, eyes look towards the floor.Your body
follows your eyes. No bend to elbows, or knees.

22. Hand to Feet Pose
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23. Hand to Feet Pose

24. Hand to Feet Pose
Bend your knees, stomach in, fold forward from the hips, hands on the floor in front of your
feet.
Bend your knees one by one, move your hips several times, right and left, heels down.
Make sure your lower back is totally relaxed, nice and loose. Keep knees bent.
Reach down, grab the heels, from behind the heels, step on all five fingers of each hand.
Little fingers touching each other, fingers point the same direction as your toes.
Keep wrapping/squeezing forearms, elbows behind the calf muscles, throughout the posture.

25. Hand to Feet Pose
Exhale breathing. Touch your stomach on the thighs, chest on the knees, cheekbones to
shinbones.
Keep contact/press of body on legs. Bend the knees if there is a gap. Pull your heels as hard
as possible.
Lift your hips up, slowly press your knees back. Try to straighten your legs.
Exhale breathing and roll forward, more weight toward your toes. Shoulders away from the
ears.
Inhale breathing, come up with a straight spine, arms and head together. Arms down by your
side.

26. Hand to Feet Pose
Additional Instructions:
- No light or air between your body and legs.
- Continuously keep pulling, never ending.
- The more you pull with your arms, the more you can stretch your spine.

27. Hand to Feet Pose
Benefits:
The half moon pose gives quick energy and vitality;Improve and strengthens every muscle in the central
part of the body, especially in the abdomen, increases the flexibility of the spine, corrects bad posture,
promotes proper kidney function, and helps to cure enlargement of the liver and spleen, dyspepsia,and
constipation. It increases the flexibility and strength of the rectus abdominis, latissimus dorsi, oblique,
deltoid,and trapezius muscles.
The hands to feet pose increases the flexibility of the spine and the sciatic nerves and of most of the
tendons and ligaments of the legs, and strengthens the biceps of thighs and calves. It also greatly
improves blood circulation in the legs and to the brain, and strengthens the rectus abdominis, gluteus
maximus, oblique, deltoid, and trapezius muscles.
This pose firm and trim waistline, hips, abdomen, buttocks, and thighs.

28. Awkward Pose
Yoga with Meridian for Self Healing

29. Awkward Pose

30. Awkward Pose
First part step your right foot to the right, approximately six inches apart between your toes and
heels.Inhale, arms up in front of you, parallel to the floor, five fingers touching together.
Lift your chest up, shoulders stay down. Stretch your arms forward. Take a deep breath.
Exhale breathing, suck your belly in and hold it in. Sit down halfway, until your hips are chair-height. Spine
straight (on an angle) to begin with. Thighs parallel to each other. Knees tracking across the width of the
toes. Feet on the floor, body weight in the heels.
Lift your chest up bend your total spine backwards. Bring your upper body back. Chin parallel to the floor.
Such your stomach in, compress the abdominal wall, contract the abdominal muscles.

31. Awkward Pose
Look straight ahead, chin down. Open your knees, keep hip-distance between your toes, heels, knees and
fingertips. No V shape between the feet or knees.
Chest up, shoulders relaxed, elbows locked, arms stretching forward. Triceps contract.
Lean back, chest up. Suck your stomach in more, sit down more. Upper body back more at the end.
Inhale breathing come up. Keep your arms up.

32. Awkward Pose
2nd part stand up on your toes maximum. Stomach in, stretch your spine, chest, head, up towards the
ceiling.
Bend your knees, sit down, halfway, until your hips are chair-height.
Thighs parallel each other. Head and shoulders touch the wall behind you. Straight Spine. Shoulders over
ribs, over hips. Hips should not go down below the chair.
Lift your heels up, knees up, chest up, upper body back, continuously stretch the spine up.
Come up higher on your toes, knees up towards the ceiling. Hips don’t go below the chair.
Inhale breathing come up, spine straight, keep your arms up.

33. Awkward Pose
3rd part come up on your toes a little bit. Bring your knees together. Take a deep breath. Exhale
breathing, suck your stomach in, spine straight. Sit down, as slow as possible, at least 10 counts.
Stretch arms forward, lean upper body back all the way down, like you’re sliding down against the wall,
until there is half inch gap between your hips and your heels. Not resting on the legs.
Continuously stretch your spine up towards the ceiling. Arms straight. Upper body back, spine straight.
Keep your knees/thighs squeezing together. If you feel like you are leaning forward, lower the knees
towards the floor.
Hips a little bit higher than your knees, shoulders relaxed, triceps contracted, stretch arms forward.

34. Awkward Pose
Take a deep breath, inhale breathing, stretch your spine up, stomach in, slowly come up, upper body
back, keep your knees together the whole way up. Feet back together, arms down by your side, be still.
Breathe.
Benefits:
The awkward pose strengthens and firms all muscles of thighs, calves, and hips, and makes hip joints
flexible. It also firm the upper arms. It increases blood circulation in the knees and ankle joints and relieves
rheumatism, arthritis, and gout in the legs, and helps to cure slipped disc and lumbago in the lower spine.