Yoga Squats

Video Transcript

"Hello, I'm Howard and welcome to this Introduction of Hatha Yoga. The next exercise we're going to do is a squat, a fundamental exercise but a lot more difficult for some people that it seems. You're going to separate your feet, little wider than your hips. Keeping your feet flat on the mat, take a deep breath in, as you exhale just bend your knees and start off by resting your hands on your knees. Getting down to a comfortable position where you can stay for a few breaths. Now if you have any knee problems at all, don't go any deeper than this. But if your knees are o.k. and your hips are fairly flexible, see if you can get down a little lower; maybe bring your elbows to your knees. Eventually you have to try to squat down completely, spine as straight as possible. Take a few breaths here and when you're ready, on an inhale, slowly press through your thighs and come standing up hands together at your heart. That's the basic squat. If it's easy, bring your arms out, shoulder height, palms down. Inhale in the vertical position and as you exhale, go down gently, keeping your spine as straight as possible. Inhale, come up slowly, make sure you breathe in and relax your shoulders. A lot of energy's moving up the body now. Exhale and squat down and continue inhaling up, moving with the breath, exhaling down. This can also be done against a wall or as I said, you can stay here in the squat and just breathe deeply. Inhaling up if you want and if you really want to make it difficult, bring your feet together. Try it again, exhale get as low as you can, knees squeeze in tight, inhale up. Try and work your way up, hundred a day."