When you engage your entire mind and body in your yoga practice, your core naturally grows stronger and becomes a source of energy. You can both build abdominal strength and become more aware of how your core helps you through the practice of specific yoga poses. Yoga Journal magazine contributing writer, Rachel Brahinsky, elaborates that core muscles help you balance, feel grounded emotionally and feel stronger overall.
Spinal Rotation
Warm-up your abs, while you strengthen them, with a spinal rotation exercise based on reclined spinal twist pose. Lie on your back with your knees halfway in toward your chest. Spread your arms straight out in a T shape and turn your palms face-down. Keep your knees and legs together as you lower your legs halfway to the floor on the right side. Come back up to the center and lower to the left side. Each time you come back to your starting position, replant your lower back into your mat to keep your core engaged. Do up to 20 sets.
Dolphin Plank
Work your arms and shoulders while you build strong abs. Put your elbows on the floor under your shoulders. Press into the balls of your feet to raise your legs, hips and torso up until they are all parallel to the ground. Keep your gaze focused towards your hands and breathe deeply for 10 breaths. During dolphin plank, press your heels back and contract your legs to get your whole body into the pose. Perform a total of three sets. For a variation, take turns raising each foot off the floor for a few breaths.
Shoulder-Pressing Pose
Try shoulder-pressing pose for a sensation of instant ab strength. From a standing position, bend down and place your hands under your legs, then onto the floor behind your feet. Your hands should be about 2 feet apart. Squat down and bend your elbows until your triceps are parallel to the floor. Let the backs of your thighs rest on your upper triceps. Contract your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles as you lean back until your feet float off the floor. Keep your gaze out in front of you as you cross your ankles together in mid-air. Hold for 7 to 10 breaths.
Tree Pose
This staple yoga pose demonstrates how much balance relies on strong core muscles. My Yoga Online notes that tree pose will also improve your posture. Place the bottom of your right foot onto the inside of your left leg. Avoid putting your foot on your kneecap. Press your right knee back to gently open the hips. For a moment, let your left hip push to the side to demonstrate how you could be inactive in the pose, then engage your core muscles to pull your hips toward each other and to lengthen your posture. Place your hands together at your heart or raise your arms up to the sky. Hold on each side for 10 or more breaths.
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