The first person to text the location of this pose by Karen Watson Reeves, (text 501-681-0566) gets a free yoga class! Photography: Fred Padilla
By Karen Watson Reeves
In this posture, there is a whole lotta stretching, strengthening, and yes, even balancing going on! With the arms above the head, the shoulders and neck get an equal share of stretch, helping to reduce any stiffness in those areas that tend to carry a lot of tension.
The hip flexors and quads get nice and stretchy in the back extended leg. The deep stretch to the lower body, like the glutes, the quads, and the hamstrings, helps create toned/strong muscles.
Squeezing the shoulder blades together and lifting the upper body helps to give the chest a nice opening.
The standing poses build strength. As the knees, ankles, hips, shoulders, elbows, and entire spine are flexed, those joints and the muscles surrounding them are all strengthened.
Standing balance poses are typically standing on one leg, and High Crescent Lunge does not fall into that category. But honestly, I struggle to stay in this pose more than in Tree Pose! Holding this pose builds stability and stamina, which helps the student move on to other challenging things on and off the mat. I call it “stick-to-it-ive-ness” and mastering a yoga pose, even if for a minute, is rewarding.
Practicing yoga is fun because it IS challenging, and there are so many poses that boredom is not an issue. Games are also fun, so let’s incorporate a yoga game! We all remember some version of Where’s Waldo. Let’s play a game called, “Where’s Yoga Karen?” The first person to identify where the pose is photographed (thanks, Fred Padilla) and texts me (501-681-0566) the location gets a free yoga class! Karen Watson Reeves has called Hot Springs home since 2006. Owner of The Yoga Place, at 301 Whittington Avenue, she became a registered yoga/children’s yoga teacher in 2011. She is on the Hot Springs YMCA teaching staff and is an adjunct instructor at National Park College. When not on the mat, Karen enjoys the beautiful outdoors of the National Park, especially from her bicycle. For more information about her studio, and for her schedule of classes, visit www.theyogaplacehs.com.
