Pretty, elegant, charming, innocent, fragile yet strong – and we can go on and on to describe a ballerina.

Ballerinas fascinated me ever since I saw a Ballet performance at the City Ballet theater in my childhood days. The charisma of ballerinas took over me in an instant. I too felt like being one and experiencing their grace-filled stylish world.

Though I didn’t get a chance to learn Ballet dancing, the fascination and liking for being ballerina-like is still alive in me and I’m sure there are many others like me who feel the same.

Don’t we admire them deeply and love to watch a Ballet? Don’t we all secretly aspire to have that  balance, flexibility and grace?

You would be happy to know, that it is possible to be as elegant and graceful as a Ballerina and have an awesome body like hers. How? Simple! By doing Yoga!

So, here I am this week with 10 really easy and fantastic Yoga poses to become a Ballerina without even getting trained for Ballet.

Tree Pose

Sanskrit Name: Vrksasana

Steps: Start from Mountain Pose. Shift all your weight to your left leg. Bend your right knee and touch the right foot (pointing towards the floor) to your left inner thigh, keeping your left leg straight and stable. Raise both your hands above your head and join your palms together in Namaste, keeping your arms straight. Hold the pose for a minute and repeat with the other leg.

Associated Benefits: This pose improves posture as well as balance and tones the muscles of the legs, back and chest.

Warrior Pose I

Sanskrit Name: Virabhadrasana I

 

Steps:  Start from Mountain Pose, stretch up your arms, palms touching together. Inhale and spread the legs sideways far apart, as comfortably as you can. Exhale and turn your trunk as well as left foot to the left by 90 degrees. Bend the left knee and get your thigh parallel to the floor. Stretch the right leg behind you, keeping it straight. The head, chest, left knee and left foot should all be facing forward and aligned to each other. Hold the pose for 4 breaths. Repeat with other leg.

Associated Benefits: This pose stretches the calf muscles and strengthens the arms and back.

Cobra Pose

Sanskrit Name: Bhujangasana

Steps: Lie in prone position. Try to raise your upper body by supporting yourself on your palms. Press your palms onto the floor for help. Push up your upper body and straighten your arms while keeping the lower body planted on the floor. Hold for 5 breaths, release and repeat.

Associated Benefits: This pose strengthens the spine and firms the buttocks.

Seated Forward Bend

Sanskrit Name: Paschimottanasana

Steps: Sit on the floor with your legs spread out in front of you. Bend forward from the hips and bring your torso parallel to the floor.

Associated Benefits: This forward bend reduces fatty deposits in the abdomen and cures constipation.

Downward Facing Dog

Sanskrit Name: Adho Mukha Svanasana

Steps: Get on all your fours, that is, with hands and knees to the ground. Exhale and push up the hips towards the ceiling, forming an inverted V-shape. Keep the legs and arms straight. Align the ears and the inner arm and lengthen the neck. Hold the pose for a minute and release.

Associated Benefits: This pose helps prevent osteoporosis and relieves pain in the lower, middle or upper back.

Bound Angle Pose

Sanskrit Name: Baddha Konasana

Steps: Sit with your legs extended in front of you. Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together. Let the knees fall to either side. Draw your feet as close to your body as possible and press the outer edges of the feet together. Hold the pose for 30 secs, release and repeat.

Associated Benefits: This pose helps to relieve sciatica and also strengthens the groin and knees.

Half Boat Pose

Sanskrit Name: Ardha Navasana

Steps: Sit in Staff Pose and interlock your fingers at the back of your head. Exhale on a count of 2 and lift up your legs at an angle of 30 degrees from the floor. Hold the pose for 3 breaths and release.

Associated Benefits: This pose strengthens the abdomen and the lower back muscles..

Half Moon Pose

Sanskrit Name: Ardha Chandrasana

Steps: Start by getting into the extended triangle pose. Make your right foot face forward and place your left arm on your hip. Bend your right knee and bring left foot closer to right foot. Place the fingertips of your right hand in front of the right foot and press firmly. Straighten your right leg while lifting up your left leg at the same time. Try to bring it parallel to the floor. Stack your top hip over your bottom and twist your torso to the left. Spread your left arm towards the ceiling. Hold the pose for a minute. Repeat with the other side.

Associated Benefits: This pose tones the abdomen and cures lower back pain.

Forward Bend Pose

Sanskrit Name: Uttanasana

Steps: Stand straight in Mountain Pose (with feet together). Bend forward from the hips and allow the head to hang down. Place your palms flat on the floor near the feet. Hold the pose for 2-3 breaths and release.

Associated Benefits: This pose increases the flexibility of spine and stretches the hamstrings and calves.

Triangle Pose

Sanskrit Name: Trikonasana

Steps: Start in Mountain Pose. Spread your legs wide apart. Turn your right leg out by 90 degrees. Raise both your arms to shoulder level with palms facing down. Exhale and bend your torso slightly to the right. Place your right hand on your right shin by bending down slightly. Raise your left arm towards the ceiling. Feel the stretch, hold for 4 breaths and release.

Associated Benefits: This pose strengthens legs and ankles and reduces stiffness in shoulders and knees.