Welcome to Day 11 of my 21 Day Yoga Challenge. During your yoga practice today, try easy diamond pose.

To practice diamond pose:

From a seated position take the soles of your feet together, but away from the pelvis making a diamond shape with the legs. Inhale the spine long and exhale fold forward over the legs – just a little bit, or if you are flexible then you can come deeper into the pose. This pose is not about how close you can bring your head to your feet. The back is rounded in this variation and the pose is meant to be internal and soothing. This pose isn’t about working hard, although you may feel a stretch in the outsides of your hips and legs. Feel the quietness of the pose. You can spend some time here, up to five minutes if you like.

When teaching a class, I’ll often suggest diamond pose at the end of the class. The forward fold is calming to the central nervous system, without the intensity of having the legs straight in front.

It’s one of my favorite poses. If you use this variation with a rounded back, it’s creates a nice openness in the spine.

Enjoy!

Suzanne