Column: Lighten your load with bird pose

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Bird pose helps teach trust and openness. (Submitted photo by Brett Johnson)
Bird pose helps teach trust and openness. (Submitted photo by Brett Johnson)

Commentary by Anne Johnson

Namaste! On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me… a partridge in a pear tree. On that musical note, I’m proud to feature December’s yoga pose: bird pose. Yoga helps us find a balance of effort and ease and live fully in the present moment – an idea we could all remind ourselves of during the anticipation that comes with the turning of a new year.

Have you ever wished that you could fly? Wouldn’t it be spectacular to ride the wind and see the world from the sky? Using your strong body, and a little imagination, you can soar like a bird.

Lay on your stomach. Bend your knees and point your toes straight up like a tail. Sweep your arms wide to “T” your body. Now soar. Lift your chest away from the ground until only your hipbones are touching the floor. Open your fingers wide like feathers and practice taking a deep breath in to guide your chest higher!

Flying and soaring teaches us trust and openness. Our backs get stronger as we lift and spread our wings. A bird’s light weight allows it to lift off. Free yourself of anything that is weighing you down and give bird pose a try! With every breath, feel your load lighten and your body lift away from the ground.

Join me next month to learn about another yoga pose, its benefits, and even give it a try yourself. The sunshine in me honors the bright sunshine in you.

Contributor Anne Johnson teaches kids, tots, expectant and new mothers yoga at Simply Yoga in Zionsville. As a 200 RYT registered yoga teacher, engineer, and children’s book author, Anne enjoys writing and sharing “adult ideas” in a way that makes them accessible to children.


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