Slow Trail Yoga Route (Start Tourism Information Velden)

Station 1: TADASANA / THE MOUNTAIN HOLD

- Holding time: 5 breaths

- Stand with hips wide

- Distribute your weight evenly on the balls of your feet and heels

- Navel pulls inwards

- Relax your shoulders

ADDITIONAL INFO

Info: We start with the oldest of all yoga standasanas. This exercise primarily trains awareness for a conscious and healthy posture.

Breathing: Breathe deeply in and out of your abdomen 5 times - slowly and evenly. Close your eyes if you wish. Return to your natural breath and come fully into the moment. Feel your body, be aware of your thoughts and emotions.

Mindfulness: As you make your way through the gorge, keep focusing your attention on your breath and enjoy nature.

Station 2: HIGH FALL STEP

- Holding time: 3 - 5 breaths per side

- Knee directly above the ankle or behind it

- Heel pulls powerfully backwards

- Tailbone pulls towards the floor

- Pull the rib cage towards the body and navel

ADDITIONAL INFO

Info: This exercise stretches the hip flexor muscles and is therefore a good antidote to long periods of sitting.

Breathing: Breathe deeply and evenly into your chest 3-5 times. Feel how your chest and hips open up more and more with each breath. Release the position, relax briefly and then change sides.

Mindfulness: Take a moment to feel which parts of your body you would like to open up and expand more.

Station 3: ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA / LOOKING DOWN DOG

- Holding time: 5 breaths

- Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the bench

- Stretch your buttocks up towards the sky

- Become wide and long in the lower back

- Knees can be slightly bent

- Keep your shoulder blades fixed to your back

ADDITIONAL INFO

Info: This asana is an inversion pose. This relieves the organs and allows the autonomic nervous system to go into relaxation mode.

Breathing: Inhale deeply 5 times through the nose and exhale relaxed through the mouth. Let go of all tension, especially in the neck and jaw area.

Mindfulness: If you continue on your way, you can also focus your attention on the exhalation and let go even more.

Station 4: UTKATASANA / THE CHAIR

- Holding time: 5 breaths

- Stand with hips wide

- Anchor the shoulder blades to the back

- Tailbone pulls towards the floor

- Navel pulls inwards

- Shift your weight back into your heels

ADDITIONAL INFO

Info: This position is also known as the "strong pose". It strengthens the entire body, especially the leg muscles.

Breathing: Inhale deeply into your chest 5 times and root your feet firmly into the floor as you exhale.

Mindfulness: Further along the path, you can think about what grounds you in everyday life.

Station 5: VIRABHADRASANA II / THE WARRIOR II

- Holding time: 3 - 5 breaths per side

- Knees directly above the ankle or behind it

- Tailbone pulls towards the floor

- Navel pulls inwards

- Shoulders directly above the hips

- Feet pull energetically towards each other

ADDITIONAL INFO

Info: Warrior is another powerful pose. It trains balance and sharpens concentration.

Breathing: Breathe deeply in and out of the chest 3 - 5 times. Keep the focus on your right fingertips and feel your determination. Come back into the straddle and switch to the other side.

Mindfulness: Recall circumstances on the path ahead that make you particularly courageous and determined.

Station 6: VRKSASANA / THE TREE

- Holding time: 3 - 5 breaths per side

- Place the foot above or below the knee

- Foot and thigh actively press towards each other

- Kneecap pulls upwards

- Navel pulls inwards

- Distribute weight evenly on the ball of the foot and the heel

ADDITIONAL INFO

Info: This one-legged standing asana improves balance and strengthens the leg muscles.

Breathing: Inhale deeply through your nose 3 - 5 times and lengthen upwards; as you exhale, curl firmly downwards into the floor. Release the position, relax briefly and then change sides.

Mindfulness: If you continue on your path, you can let your body become longer and more upright towards the treetops with each inhalation.

Station 7: VIRABHADRASANA III / THE WARRIOR III

- Holding time: 3 - 5 breaths per side

- Long neck, find the focal point on the floor

- "Close" hips - groin points downwards

- Heel pushes back, active leg

- Navel pulls inwards

- Distribute weight evenly on the ball of the foot and the heel

ADDITIONAL INFO

Info: Another asana from the warrior family! This exercise strengthens the entire back of the body and trains balance.

Breathing: Breathe deeply and evenly into the chest 3-5 times. Feel how your body searches for balance and creates equilibrium at every moment. Release the position, relax briefly and then change sides.

Mindfulness: Just like balance in life, balance in warrior pose is not a fixed quantity, but always needs to be adapted to the respective moment - how do you deal with this?

Station 8: GARUDASANA / THE EAGLE

- Holding time: 3 - 5 breaths per side

- Press palms firmly together

- Place the shoulder blades against the back

- Navel pulls inwards

- Press legs firmly together

- Distribute your weight evenly on the ball of your foot and heel

ADDITIONAL INFO

Info: This asana stretches the shoulder and hip muscles. It also trains your balance and sharpens your concentration.

Breathing: Inhale deeply into the chest 3 - 5 times and increase stability as you exhale by pressing your arms and legs even closer together.

Mindfulness: If you continue on your way, you can sense which circumstances can give you a feeling of freedom.

Station 9: PRASARITA PADOTTANASANA / FORWARD BEND WITH BENT LEGS

- Holding time: 5 breaths

- Press the outer edges of the feet and the balls of the big toes firmly into the floor

- Toes turned slightly inwards

- Tighten the thigh muscles firmly

- Knees can be slightly bent

- Keep your shoulders loose

ADDITIONAL INFO

Info: This exercise strengthens and stretches the back of the thigh muscles at the same time. The torso and abdominal organs are better supplied with blood, which improves digestion.

Breathing: Inhale deeply 5 times through your nose and exhale relaxed through your mouth. Let go of even more tension, especially in the neck and jaw area.

Mindfulness: As you continue on your path, you can focus your attention more on your exhalation and let go even more.

Station 10: UTTANASANA / STANDING FORWARD BATHS

- Holding time: 5 breaths

- Stand hip-width apart

- Knees can be slightly bent

- Shift more weight onto the balls of the feet

- Pull your sitting bones up towards the sky

- Let your upper body hang heavily downwards

- Let your neck and head dangle

ADDITIONAL INFO

Info: This asana mobilizes the spine, loosens the neck muscles and calms the mind.

Breathing: Breathe deeply in and out of the abdomen 5 times. You can exhale through your mouth if you wish. Imagine a flap on the top of your head that opens and through which you let your thoughts fall down to the floor.

Mindfulness: As you continue on your way, you can focus all your attention on your breath and feel the calmness of your thoughts.

Station 11: YOGA / YOU, EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING

Find a stone or any other object from nature - preferably intuitively, without thinking too much - and place it mindfully next to the things that are already there.

ADDITIONAL INFO

Info: Thank God we are not alone in this world. We have family and friends. We are surrounded by people we love, who inspire and impress us, and we also know people we may not like - but often these are our best teachers. And then there is nature with all its vitality. Animals, plants, the sea, lakes, mountains and so much more.

Breathing: Close your eyes, breathe in and out deeply into your abdomen 5 times and feel how your physical boundaries dissolve for a moment.

Mindfulness: Perhaps pause for a moment and think about the footprint you would like to leave on this earth.