Yoga poses
Every shape, flow and breath practice we prescribe. One page per pose — what it does, how to find it, what to watch for.
On your back, lift the hips into a straight line from knees to shoulders. Active glute and hip-extension work.
Sit, soles of the feet together, knees wide. Round forward. Long passive hold for the inner hips.
Hands on a wall, one foot stepped back, heel pressing toward the floor. The classic gastrocnemius stretch.
On hands and knees, alternate arching and rounding the spine with the breath.
Like a Seated Fold, but the spine intentionally rounds. Targets fascia along the back of the body.
The opening shape of Sun Salutation B. Knees bend like sitting back into a seat, arms reach overhead.
Child's Pose with the hands walked to one side, then the other. Lateral spine and lat stretch.
Low chest lift from the floor. Hips and pelvis stay grounded — a gentle anterior-spine opener.
One arm overhead and down, the other behind the back and up — try to clasp. Shoulder mobility.
Hands clasped overhead, lean side to side. Long lateral arc through the side waist.
Inverted V — hands and feet on the floor, hips up. Calves, hamstrings, shoulders in one shape.
Deep kneeling lunge — front foot wider than Low Lunge, hips sink down and forward. The deepest hip flexor opener.
Wide-stance lunge with the front forearm on the front thigh and the top arm overhead. One long line from back heel to top fingertips.
Lie flat, arms out, eyes closed. The closing shape of every restorative practice.
Hinge at the hips and fold. Head and arms hang heavy. Hamstrings and low back.
Wide deep squat, toes turned out, arms in cactus. Hips, adductors, deep squat position runners lose.
Kneel, extend one leg, lean back to the forearms. The quad and hip flexor opener one side at a time.
The standing-only abbreviation of Sun A — no plank, no Cobra, no Down Dog. Gets the spine and hamstrings moving in two minutes.
A breath of spinal length between Forward Fold and the next shape. Spine long, parallel to the floor.
Kneel with toes tucked, sit back on the heels. Direct stretch for the bottom of the foot and the ankle.
Lie on the floor, legs vertical up a wall. Drains the legs, settles the system.
Seated breath training with the exhale longer than the inhale. The simplest parasympathetic switch.
Deep low lunge with the front foot wide, back knee down, forearms toward the floor. Outer-hip release.
Kneeling lunge — front foot forward, back knee down, hips sink forward. The bread-and-butter hip flexor stretch.
The lateral-plane counterpart to Sun Salutation. Wide-leg shapes, side bends, and a deep squat — motion patterns running never gives you.
The neutral standing shape that opens and closes every salutation. Feet under hips, spine long, weight even.
Front shin across the mat, back leg long. The classic outer-hip and glute opener for runners.
Top of a push-up. One straight line from heels to crown, held for a breath inside the flow.
Hands and knees, hips over knees, chest lowers toward the floor. Chest and shoulder opener.
Front leg long, back leg behind, fold over the front leg. The single-leg hamstring stretch.
On your back, soles of the feet together, knees fall open. Passive hip opener.
On your back, strap around one foot, leg up and pull. Long, low-load calf release.
On the back — one ankle crossed over the opposite knee, both legs pulled in. Pigeon's accessible cousin.
Wide-stance lunge, front arm reaching overhead and back, back hand resting on the back leg. A long side-body opener.
Sit, legs out, fold over. Long passive hamstring and low-back release.
Wide stance, sink into one bent knee while the other leg stays straight. Deep adductor stretch.
Face down on forearms, chest lifted. Gentle anterior-spine extension.
Stack one shin over the other so both shins are parallel. Deep outer-hip release.
Warrior I → II → Reverse Warrior → Extended Side Angle → Triangle. Held shapes on one side, then the other. Lateral-plane work runners almost never do.
The classic breath-paced flow. One round moves you through hips, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, and spine — the whole runner's body in twelve breaths.
Sun Salutation A with Warrior I threaded in each round. Adds a strength element and a hip flexor opener to the warm-up before harder sessions.
On your back, one leg up with a strap. The safest hamstring stretch for tight or cranky low backs.
On your back, drop the knees to one side, gaze to the other. Spinal rotation and outer-hip release.
Child's Pose draped over a bolster. Fully supported decompression for the spine and hips.
Lie back over a bolster placed across the upper back. Passive chest and anterior-spine opening.
From hands and knees, slide one arm under the chest. Thoracic rotation and shoulder release.
Seated breath training across three sections of the torso — belly, ribs, chest — and the reverse on the exhale.
Kneel with toes tucked under, sit back on the heels. Plantar fascia and toe articulation.
Wide-stance hinge over a straight front leg. Hamstring, adductor, and side body in one shape.
The opening inhale of every Sun Salutation. Arms sweep overhead, slight back-bend through the upper spine.
Long lunge with back foot turned out and arms overhead. The back-leg hip flexor opener runners need most.
Wide stance, hips open to the side, arms extended at shoulder height. The lateral-plane hip opener.
Wide stance, fold forward, crown of the head reaches toward the floor. Adductors and hamstrings.
Yoga's role in marathon preparation — flexibility, recovery, injury prevention, and the important distinction between restorative and vigorous yoga for runners.