When most people in the West think of yoga, the physical aspect of holding poses comes to mind. Yoga poses, or asanas, are exercises that stretch and strengthen your body. There is much more to yoga than just the physical aspect, but the practicing of asana will be beneficial to your body, regardless of what other spiritual and mental aspect of yoga you practice. Yoga should never be painful, so only hold these poses for as long and as deep as your body is able.
Upward-Facing Dog
The upward-facing dog and cobra poses are similar basic yoga asanas to lengthen the spine. The difference between them is that the hips are lifted off the floor during upward-facing dog, whereas they are in contact with your yoga mat during cobra. You should choose the variation that feels more comfortable for you.
Upward-facing dog is done by lying on your stomach with your legs together behind you. They should be straight with the tops of your feet resting on your yoga mat. You will bend your elbows and place your palms next to your ribcage. Point your fingers forward. Press your arms straight and raise your head and chest off the floor. The elbows should be kept close to your body. Continue to straighten your arms completely and raise your stomach and hips off the mat if you can do so without pain. The shoulders should be pressed firmly away from the ears. The chin is raised to look up at an angle. You will start to feel your arms working to hold your upper body aloft. You should squeeze your abs and buttocks to protect your back and strengthen your core.
Spinal Twisting
Spinal twisting is an easy pose that can be done sitting on the mat. It is used to stretch your spinal rotators to maintain mobility in your spine. You will sit on the floor with your left leg bent and open onto the floor. You will cross your right leg over your left with the knee bent. The right foot is placed on the floor on the outside of your left leg. The outside of your left knee will be touching the mat. You must straighten your spine to sit up tall and keep your entire buttocks touching the floor during the twist. You will twist your shoulders to the right and place your right hand on the floor behind you. The left hand may go on your right foot with your elbow on the inside of your right knee. Repeat on the other side.
Triangle
The triangle pose is a standing pose. This pose stretches your calves, hip flexors, hamstrings, spinal flexors and back. To get into the pose, stand with your feet together at the top of your mat. Step your left foot back a comfortable distance on the mat. You will turn your left foot to 45 degrees and keep your right foot pointing forward. From there, bend forward and place your right hand onto your shin, ankle or on the mat on the outside of your right foot. Next, twist your upper body to the right and reach toward the ceiling with your left hand. Ideally, your spine will be parallel to the floor, with both legs straight. Your hips and shoulders should be stacked on top of each other. You may bring your legs closer together at the beginning of the exercise to make this pose easier. Be sure to do both sides.
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