Yoga is a practice that combines physical postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), meditation and ethical principles.
It offers many benefits including physical health, metal clarity, emotional balance, improved sleep, holistic well-being and many more.
Yoga poses (Yoga Asanas):-
1. Mountain pose (Tad asana):
- Begin with standing on your feet together arms at your side
- Press down through you feet, feeling a strong connection to the ground
- Now, inhale deeply, reaching your arms overhead, palms facing each other.
- Hold the pose for several breaths, focusing forward
This pose helps you improve posture & balance and will build a foundation for other poses.
2. Bee pose (Bhramari):
- Sit comfortably with you spine straight
- Relax your face & close your eyes and focus inward
- Take a deep breath through your nose
- Now exhale making a humming sound like a bee while keeping your lips gently closed to create the sound
- Focus on the vibrations in your head and throat as you hum
- Continue this for 5-10 times
This pose helps you reduce stress and anxiety, promotes mental clarity, improves concentration & enhances relaxation.
3. Cobra pose (Bhujangasana):
- Lie face down with your legs extended behind you. Keep your feet hip width apart, and the tops of your feet pressing into the floor.
- Place your palms flat on the floor with elbows close to your body
- Now breath in while gently lifting your upper body off the ground
- Use your back muscles to lift rather that pushing too hard with your hands
- Look little upward and keep your neck in a neutral position
- Maintain it for 15-30 seconds while breathing deeply
- Exhale while lowering your chest back to the ground
This pose helps you strengthen the spine, open the chest, stimulate digestive organs and reduce stress.
4. Supine spinal twist (Supta Matsyendrasana):
- Lie flat on your back with your legs extended & arms at your side
- Bring your knees towards your chest while keeping your shoulders grounded, allow your knees to fall to one side (right or left)
- Shift your focus to its opposite side
- Move your arms out forming a T-Shape.
- Now breathe deeply holding the pose for 30-60 seconds.
- To come out of this pose, move your knees back to the centre and repeat on the opposite side.
This pose helps you improve digestion spinal flexibility, reduce stress and alleviate lower back pain.
5. Shoulder stand (Sarvangasana):
- Lie flat on your back with your arms at sides & legs extended.
- Bend your legs first then inhale & lift them pointing towards the ceiling
- Move your hands under your body giving it a support to form a straight line from shoulders to feet
- Ensure that your shoulders & neck are on the ground.
- Breathe & hold for 30-60 seconds focusing on breath & stability
- To come down, lower your legs slowly supporting back with your hands until legs are flat
This pose helps you improve blood circulation, stimulate thyroid gland, strengthen shoulder & neck and calm the mind.
6. Butterfly pose(Baddha konasana):
- Sit on the floor bending your feet forming a diamond shape.
- Hold your feet with your hands and keeping your spine straight
- Gently flap your knees up & down like a butterfly maintaining the hold on your feet
- Hold the pose for 30-60 seconds
This pose calms the mind, reduces anxiety, stimulates blood flow to the lower body, helps alleviate digestive issues, increases flexibility in inner thighs.
7. Corpse pose (Shavasana):
- Lie flat on your back insuring your body is aligned your feet relaxed & hip width apart
- Place arms at your side, palm facing upward allowing your shoulders to relax away from your ears.
- Keep your head in a neutral position
- Gently close your eyes & focus on your breath
- Now, breathe slowly, let your body relax completely and have tension in your muscles
- Stay in this pose for 5-15 minutes
This pose encourages mindfulness and mental clarity, aids in recovery, improves blood circulation and reduces stress & anxiety.
TIPS:-
- It is believed that the best time to practice yoga is in the morning or the early evening.
- Don’t forget to synchronize your breath while practicing yoga.
