4 Moves for the 4th
The Fourth of July is always a fun day for my husband, the boys and I. My husband and I both have the day off and we get to spend the whole day together. This year we will be at the beach enjoying the outdoors! Having a day off in the summer is the ultimate best. We will be having a picnic at the beach and watching the fireworks.
Independence Day is a good time to not just celebrate the independence of our wonderful country, but also to reflect on our own liberation. Practicing yoga has many benefits both physically and emotionally. Yoga can bring peace and balance into your life and has personally helped me find my true liberation within myself. Yoga helps free your mind and body.
For the fourth of July unleash some of your own limitations. Free the body, mind and spirit with these simple yoga poses! Take 5 minutes to salute yourself; and remind yourself how lucky you are to have the freedom to move your body any way you want.
Warrior 1
The name of this pose almost says it all. Warrior 1 is a beautiful backbend that allows us to breathe deeper in to our lungs and gain access to strength in our legs to support our upper body. It is about rising up out of your own limitations – “triumph of spirit.”
Warrior 2
In Warrior II we build stamina, strength, and openness, while still stimulating the lymphatic processes. We also develop our ability to stretch in four directions at once – left, right, up, and down. This pose is all about freedom of your body stretching in different directions.
Dancer
This pose creates strength, openness, and an elegance of form and action. Dancer’s pose cultivates powerful energy required to balance on one leg while in a deep backbend. The movement opens your heart out to the world. Dancer’s pose helps bring me confidence and makes me feel liberated and free.
Tree Pose
This pose is all about being grounded (through the trunk of the tree) and finding balance. It also symbolizes the breath of life running through us. As a mom of three with a full time job balance is not always easy. I try the best I can and just getting into tree for 5 miuntes makes me feel better.
I hope you all have a a fantastic 4th of July with your family and friends and have time to fit five minutes of yoga in.
Kristin McGee is a celebrity yoga and Pilates instructor in New York City. She is currently teaching yoga with Peloton. She is the star of over 100 videos, seen in several magazines and tv shows and is a spokeswoman for many brands and causes she believes in. A proud mom to three, she sure keeps herself busy!