Every Mickle Mek A Muscle Yoga Challenge…Pose of the week

Every Mickle Mek a Muscle Core Yoga Challenge is in full swing, and the response for week one has been overwhelming! Are you out of the loop?

Let us catch you up on this uniquely Jamaican yoga challenge! The Jamaica Moves endorsed ‘Every Mickle Mek a Muscle’ (EMMAM) Core Yoga challenge is a 31-day social media based (Instagram and Facebook) wellness Yoga challenge for the entire month of August, with weekly ‘Pose of the week’ breakdowns from proud sponsor – The Gleaner.

These stretches/poses will be focused on strengthening and opening the core (abs and back). Each daily pose will be posted on the hosts’ social media pages [Jo-Hanna Taylor (IG: @jo_hannabanana) and Push Magazine (IG: @pushitja)]. You are invited and encouraged to join in and post your own picture/video attempts at the daily pose while tagging the hosts for a chance to win prizes.

Other sponsors include Good Life Water, Nature My Therapy and Proverbial Yard, who have all come on board as giveaway sponsors for this fun, interactive and informative wellness challenge.

Join us as we break down the pose of the week.

Please do check out the other days on the host’s Instagram.

GATE POSE (PARIGHASANA)

DAY 2 FROM EMMAM

Where does it work?

Core, opens shoulders, reduces tension in neck

How do you do it?

Fold your mat/use a blanket to provide thick padding for your knees. Kneeling on both knees, extend the right leg out to the right side and press the foot firmly to the floor. Keep the left knee in line with hip and align the right heel with the left knee. Inhale and reach your arms up, actively lengthening your spine; exhale and side bend over the straight (right) leg, resting your right hand lightly on the shin, ankle, the floor outside the right leg or a block, big book.

Inhale and pull the left shoulder blade back, revolving your chest open; exhale and lengthen down through your tailbone as you reach the left arm over your ear and turning the palm down to face the extended right foot.

Come up as you inhale, reaching through the left arm to draw the torso upright. Bring the right knee back beside the left and repeat with the other leg.

Modifications + Tips

You don’t have to side bend that far to get a deep stretch through the side body in this pose. Beginners might not be able to press the foot of the straight leg flat on to the floor or side bend deeply. That’s ok! There are other options: raise the ball of the extended foot on a block or thickly folded blanket, or work against a wall, with the ball of the foot pressed against the wall, or use a chair and mimic the move by stretching one leg out to the side, repeating earlier steps.

Email us at info@pushitja.com for more information