Yoga has many benefits for regular practitioners. It can provide you with greater peace of mind, clarity, strength (physical, mental and emotional), better sleep, more concentration, less stress and a more optimistic outlook. Specific yoga positions can help you strengthen your core muscles, which gives you better posture and helps prevent developing heart-related diseases that are associated with having a waistline that is out of proportion with the rest of your body.
Bharadvaja's Twist
Bharadvaja is one of seven legendary rishis (wise sages), who is known for composing the hymns that are found in the Vedas--Hinduism's most ancient religious book. The Bharadvaja's twist strengthens your core muscles while massaging your abdominal organs, which is thought to improve your digestion and help relieve stress.
Standing Forward Bend
As the name suggests, the standing forward bend involves bending over while standing. This position not only strengthens your core muscles, but is also thought to stimulate your liver and kidneys, helps relieve insomnia and headaches and improve your digestion.
Bow Pose
The name of the bow pose is given because of how it resembles an archer's bow with the torso and legs--the arms representing the strings. The bow pose strengthens the core and back muscles.
Bridge Pose
Making the knees, legs and back resemble a bridge, the bridge pose is thought to stimulate the lungs and thyroid. It may help relieve menopausal symptoms, backache and insomnia and reduce anxiety and fatigue in addition to strengthening core muscles.
Camel Pose
The camel pose involves standing on your knees and stretching your back so that you can grab a hold of your ankles behind you. It strengthens your back and core muscles.
Chair Pose
Making your body physically resemble how it looks when sitting on a chair, the chair pose reduces flat feet and strengthens the core muscles, thighs, calves and back.
Crane Pose
Involving leaning the calves onto the upper arms and balancing in this position, the crane pose tones and strengthens the core muscles while stretching the upper back and opening the hips.
Extended Triangle Pose
The extended triangle pose stretches the sides of the waist, and is thought to relieve stress, improve digestion, stimulate hunger, relieve backache and may help with anxiety, infertility, neck pain, sciatica and flat feet.
Four-Limbed Staff Pose
Typically found in the sun salutation warm-up sequence of yoga, the four-limbed staff pose is the same as the start of a push-up. It strengthens the arms and wrists in addition to strengthening the core muscles.
Boat Pose
Involving balancing on the sit bones, the boat pose engages and strengthens the core muscles while stimulating the thyroid and prostate glands, kidneys and intestines.
Member Comments