Happy Friday! I hope you're doing well, and are gearing up for a super fun Halloween! I can't wait to get out and take my sweet boy trick-or-treating tonight. Our neighborhood does Halloween up big time! We'll be busy tonight, so I knew that I needed to get up a bit earlier today, and get my exercise routine in before the day began. I have actually done this each day this week, and have found that starting my day off with a bit of yoga, pilates, and meditation/devotions is having a hugely positive impact on my day.

Already, I am seeing toning in my tummy, arms, and legs, and have a better outlook on the remainder of each new day. I am sleeping better at night, as well. I have been sharing some of the pilates and yoga videos I use on a daily basis, but thought that for today, it would be fun to simply share one of my favorite yoga poses, the Pigeon Pose.

Pigeon Pose- head down on left foot...

Take the downward-facing dog pose. Step forward with your left leg and lower your left thigh and shin on the mat. Keep your right leg straight. Go down on your left leg. Try to put your left thigh on the floor. Stretch your arms forward on the floor.

I love this pose- it's a wonderful stretch, and I find it very relaxing. You can take yourself through a simple routine from Child's pose to Downward Dog, stepping forward and then going into Pigeon pose, once on each side.  Even if you don't have 20-30 minutes to devote to a full routine, taking five minutes to do some simple yoga poses will give you a great start to your day!

Now, this is an intermediate yoga pose, and you might not be able to do this if you're just starting out with yoga. The trick to get the stretch, is to keep your hips square, as if they're bolted to the floor, and you want to feel that length from your leg, through your back, shoulders and arms. You can go a little way with your stretch through the arms and fingers, or walk the fingers out a bit more for more of a stretch. The best way to come out of this pose, is to roll up to sitting (you may need to use your hands to push yourself back up), bring your left knee back, and push up, either back to downward dog, or child's pose. If you're in Child's pose, roll up to sitting through the spine. If you're in downward dog, bring your feet in, hands on the mat, and roll up to standing through the spine.

Hopefully, you'll be able to give this pose a try and make it a part of your daily yoga routine!

As with any exercise, please don't do anything you don't feel comfortable doing, and please take former injuries, joint or muscles issues into consideration before trying something new. It may be best to contact your general physician before staring a new routine.

Wishing you good health and happiness, today and always!