How to Strengthen the Body and Increase Flexibility With Bee Pose

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Have you been sitting all day hunched over a desk staring at a screen?
Feeling like you could use a quick energy boost?
Would to like to release tension in your shoulders while opening your chest?

Be a Buzzy Bee!

Our Bee Pose combines mountain pose with a shoulder opener, arm and leg isolations and breathing work. It creates focus and balance while strengthening the legs, ankles and feet. The shoulder movements increase flexibility while expanding the chest.

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The buzzing breath of bee can release tension in the face and jaw while soothing and focusing the mind. The longer the exhale on buzz, the more likely you are to take a nice deep breath in after. Read on to try it for yourself!

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How To: Bee Pose

  • Stand tall and strong in mountain

  • Place your hands on your shoulders

  • Raise your elbows parallel to the floor in line with your shoulders

  • Twist side to side from your navel

  • Come back to center and circle your elbows

  • Then move elbows up and down

  • Kick your legs to dust the pollen off your feet!

Tips for Mastering Bee:

  • Keep your core engaged for stability as you open your chest and shoulders

  • Focus your gaze on one spot when kicking to help balance

  • Twist from your navel while keeping the spine long

Fun Variations of Bee Pose:

  • Once you have mastered the balance, try kicking your feet behind you!

  • Make up your own arm movement - extend arms, reach up or hold opposite elbows overhead to open shoulders even more.

  • Try buzzing with with lips closed for a traditional brahmari pranayama (brahmari means "bee" in Sanskrit).

Group and Partner Bee Pose

Bumblebees, sweat bees, squash bees...Did you know that in the United States there over 4,000 different native species of bees? Bees fly from flower to flower, collecting pollen and nectar to eat and move pollen from plant to plant in the process.

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Work with a partner or group to make bees and honeycombs. The honeycomb could be any body shape, a wide-legged forward fold or a downward dog, that the bee can buzz through. 

Play "Flower, Flower, Bee" (similar to "Duck, Duck, Goose"). Have children sit in a circle in flower pose. The bee buzzes around the circle collecting nectar until they say bee. Both bees buzz as they chase around the circle.

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Join us every Monday morning LIVE on our Facebook page as we share more music and yoga fun about plants and their pollinators!