Benefits of Plank Pose March 2011

I was thinking monthly about talking about a different pose each month

This Month is the plank pose, it is works the abdominal muscles amazingly.

Practing plank does more for your abdominal muscles than crunches and I feel is a safer method to strengthen the abdominal area.

transversus abdominis engage to produce a healthy pose, rectus abdominus strengthen the pose, practicing plank will produce a strong healthy balanced core.

Ab crunches work the abdominal wall, but the benefits of plank is a total body exercise that engages your core muscles (abs & lower back), this can enhance your posture and firm muscles in the shoulder area creating stability.

Desk jockeys, people who sit a lot this is a great yoga pose to add to your practice,
plank helps protect the back from problems that can occur from sitting at a desk all day.

What is great about plank pose is it strengthens the abs and core and can improve your posture, while crunches can exacerbate lower back issues if done improperly.

Plank pose is a great way to flatten the abdominals and strengthen the back and core muscles.

Benefits of Plank in Yoga

•Strengthens the arms, wrists, and spine
•Tones the abdomen


May your plank be solid and firm and balanced with a nice straight spine and torso.
Hug in and feel your midline and breathe.

Namaste
Cathy


Proper directions to plank pose.
Bring the torso forward until the shoulders are over the wrists and the whole body is in one straight line.Feel the muscles hugging in and supporting your joints, spine and upper body.

This is very similar to the position you would take if you were about to do a push up.

Press the forearms and hands firmly down, do not let your chest sink, press back through the heels. Keep your elbow creases at a 45 degree angle.

(breathe fully to both the side and back ribs together expand at the bottom of all ribs with inhale and soften with your exhale.

Keep the neck in line with the spine and broaden the shoulder blades.

Beginners: Move back and forth between Down Dog and Plank making sure the distance between your hands and feet does not change.

Advanced: Try lifting one leg at a time.

Winter Warmer Soup Marrakesh Express

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/marrakesh-express-red-lentil-soup.html
go to link above or

or recipe is below

If your winter meals could use some livening up, this flavorful soup will do the trick: it is a one-pot meal with flavors that are completely transporting. You might imagine lying on embroidered cushions in a Moroccan pavilion, a warm breeze perfumed with spices gently billowing the sheer draperies around you. Bright flowers bloom nearby. You feel warm and relaxed. Now that’s a soup with sensual appeal!

Aside from its lusciousness quotient, the best feature of this recipe is that it turns ordinary kitchen-cupboard ingredients into something pleasingly exotic. Red lentils, for example, cook quickly and add lovely color and flavor to this Moroccan-inspired dish. Warm spices (including one that is thought to be a cancer-fighter), healthful olive oil, and vegetables all add their benefits. Time to take the Marrakesh Express with this great Red Lentil Soup.

INGREDIENTS

4 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
6 cups good-quality vegetable broth
4 plum tomatoes, diced
1 cup red lentils
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt to taste

1. In a large soup pot, saute the onion and celery in the oil until tender.

2. Add ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, vegetable broth, tomatoes, lentils, and garbanzo beans.

3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.

4. Right before serving, add cilantro and lemon juice.

5. Add salt to taste.

Serves 6.