Yoga Poses
Please note: These directions are written for practicing poses with your prosthesis on. Should you decide to practice without your prosthesis, please substitute the correct tense (i.e., feet=foot) and use a chair back for balance as needed. Begin by practicing a few rounds of Three-Part-Breath.

Warm up: Cat/Dog (warms up the spine)

  • Sit at the edge of a chair or come to all fours with the hands directly under the shoulders and knee(s) directly under the hips.
  • Inhaling, lift your tailbone and head towards the sky, arching your belly towards the earth.
  • Exhaling, tuck your tailbone, round your spine like an angry cat, and tuck your chin towards your chest. 
  • Repeat four times.

Downward Facing Dog (above)
(Reduces stress, stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches, and hands; strengthens the arms and legs, reduces fatigue.)

  • Place your hands slightly forward of your shoulders, fingers spread wide and weight shifted to the base of your fingertips to avoid putting too much pressure on your wrists. Tuck your toes under and inhale.
  • Exhale; reach your tailbone up towards the sky, making a straight line with your body from your wrists all the way to your tailbone, drawing your shoulder blades down your back keeping your knee bent. 
  • Straighten your knees and reach your heel towards the earth.
  • Slowly inhale into the chest, exhale gently squeezing the belly towards the spine four times.
  • Exhaling, drop the knee back to the earth.


Child’s Pose
(Gently stretches the hips, thighs, and ankles; promotes relaxation; reduces stress and fatigue.)

  • From all fours, drop your buttocks down towards your heels and place your hands next to your feet. If your buttocks don’t reach your heels, place a cushion or pillow between the two for support.
  • Allow your body to soften and let go as you rest for several breaths.

Mountain Pose (above)
(Improves balance and posture; strengthens thighs, knees, and ankles; firms abdomen and buttocks; reduces flat feet.)

  • *Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands on your hips. Feel your feet connected to the earth, evenly supported between the front, sides, and back of the foot.
  • Lift the inner ankle; tighten all the leg muscles around the leg bones; tuck your tailbone; lift your ribs up out of the waist; draw your shoulder blades down the back; tuck your chin slightly to lengthen the back of the neck; and reach the crown of the head towards the sky.
  • Inhaling, raise your arms out to the side and up overhead, palms facing each other shoulder-width apart, keeping your shoulders down. Hold for four slow, steady breaths.
  • Exhaling, lower the arms to the sides.

Standing Squat/Chair (above)
(Strengthens the ankles, thighs, calves, and spine; stretches shoulders and chest; stimulates the abdominal organs, diaphragm, and heart; reduces flat feet.)

  • Begin as in Mountain Pose.*
  • Inhaling, bring your arms out in front of you to shoulder height, keeping the shoulder blades down.
  • Imagine a chair or stool behind you and, exhaling, reach your buttocks back and down towards that chair, keeping your weight equally distributed below you.
  • Hold for four slow, steady breaths.

Tree Pose (above)

  • Begin as in Mountain Pose,* finding a fixed gaze point for your eyes a few feet out in front of you.
  • Shift your weight to your right foot and place your left foot at your right ankle, shin, or for a more advanced pose, on your thigh (not on your knee), with the knee turned out to the side. 
  • Inhaling, raise your arms up overhead and bring your palms together. 
  • Hold for four slow, steady breaths.
  • Exhaling, lower your arms to your sides and place the foot back on the floor. 
  • Repeat on the opposite side.

Bound Angle (above)
(Opens the hips, strengthens the muscles along the spine.)

  • Sit on the edge of a cushion or pillow, knees bent and out to the side, hips open.
  • Place your hands on your ankles. 
  • Inhaling, lengthen through the spine from your tailbone to the crown of your head.
  • Exhaling, lean forward from the hips, keeping the back straight. As you gently hold for four breaths, inhale into the chest and at the end of the exhale, gently draw the belly towards the spine. 
  • Inhaling, return to the starting position.

Corpse Pose (above)
(Considered perhaps the most difficult of all poses; allows the body to integrate your yoga practice and promotes relaxation.)

  • Lie on your back with a pillow under your knees to relax your back, arms 45 degrees from the body with the palms facing up.
  • You may wish to cover yourself with a blanket and/or cover your eyes with an eye pillow.
  • Tense and then relax in turn your feet, calves, thighs, buttocks, shoulders, arms, hands, and face.
  • Allow your mind to wander to a favorite peaceful place and simply relax.
  • After about five minutes, roll onto your left side and pause for a moment, and then gentle push yourself back up to a seated position.


Alternate Nostril Breathing
As described in Part One
To end, sit quietly for two minutes, noticing the inflow and outflow of breath.

Resources for Further Reading
www.abc-of-yoga.com
www.yogajournal.com/poses 

See Related Articles
For more information about adaptive yoga for amputees, see Yoga for the Lower Limb Amputee: Breathing Exercises.

See Pain May Continue after Lower Limb Amputation if you've experienced chronic pain after a lower limb amputation.