Volcano Pose Helps the Class Take a Brain Break and Energize the Body

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Need to give your brain a break and energize your body?
Been sitting too long and want a full-body stretch?
Are you feeling stress or tension you wish you could release to focus?

Explode Like a Volcano!

Volcano Pose combines three traditional yoga poses - Mountain, Forward Fold and Star. Mountain pose creates focus, stability and balance. Forward fold stretches the back body and lengthens the spine. Star pose strengthens the whole body while increasing flexibility of the shoulders and expanding the chest.

This pose is perfect for a brain break or to release stress or tension. Also great to focus attention during transitions.

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Volcanoes are a wonderful example of transformation. They might look like a mountain, until magma bubbles to the surface and erupts. After that, the volcano returns to its dormant state and looks like a mountain again.

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How To: Volcano Pose

  • Stand tall and strong in mountain

  • Bend forward and touch your toes to find your lava

  • Roll slowly up one vertebra at a time chanting "Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble..."

  • Shout "Boom!" as you explode into Star Pose, jumping your feet apart and reaching your arms wide.

  • Jump your feet back together and arms back to your sides into mountain

  • Repeat varying tempo and volume

Sing along with our Volcano Pose Rhyme:
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble...BOOM! And back to a mountain.
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble...BOOM! And back to a mountain.

Tips for Mastering Volcano:

  • Bend your knees gently and try to feel each section of your spine as you roll up

  • Keep your toes pointing forward when you jump out and in

  • Keep elbows (and knees if standing) as straight as possible to create more length through the spine and torso.

  • Remember it doesn't matter how far you bend. Focus on alignment over depth.

Fun Variations of Volcano Pose:

  • Explore varying tempo by moving through the sequence faster and then slower

  • Play with volume by whispering or shouting the words

  • Engage your creativity by exploding into other shapes or making alternate explosion sounds

  • End by rolling all the way down to the floor like lava pouring down the mountain. Imagine you meet the ocean and relax into stillness in the cool water.

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For more fun with transformation, check out Bicycle (with bridge pose) and our musical yoga sequence to explore caterpillars turning into butterflies!