Pause & Pose: High Lunge Crescent

Whether you're getting ready to brave Black Friday or indulge in the first of the Thanksgiving leftovers, there's always time for a quick stretch! Honest yogi Jessica James is going easy on us today with a basic, yet rejuvenating pose.

High Lunge Crescent Pose

Anjaneyasana

Level 1

Benefits: Crescent pose is one of those basic yoga poses that will always offer you the opportunity to grow and go deeper. It strengthens your legs, glutes, and triceps while stretching your ankles and psoas. Crescent Lunge helps tone and strengthen your core and side body, as you build balance and concentration.

Tip: This pose is not a backbend. To truly get the dynamic effects of this pose bend your back leg a little bit, lift your frontal hip points up, engage your core, and knit your front ribs together. Once you've built the integrity into your low back, straighten your back leg. If your balance is challenged, scissor your legs together and press through the heel of your back foot. To go deeper, try to bend the front leg so that the head of your front thigh bone is parallel to the ground.

Now go pause, pose, and find peace! Have a delightfully relaxing holiday weekend.