Yoga teaches its students to seek harmony and balance between the mind, body, and spirit. Techniques range from breathing exercises, stretching, chanting and executing the top yoga poses.
The majority of people who don’t know a lot about Yoga think of the different poses and stretches. Poses, or asanas, are essential toward balancing your energy and helping to relieve stress and tension.
Below you’ll find a list of some of the top yoga poses, how to do each, as well as the benefit of each posture to your mental and physical health.
Downward Facing Dog – One of the more popular and well-known poses, Downward Facing Dog begins with you on your hands and knees. Now, curl your toes toward your hands and begin to lift your pelvis by straightening your legs and arms. You should now be in a triangle like pose with your hips at the highest point. Move your weight to the back of your legs pressing down your heels.
The benefits - You should now be feeling a good stretching sensation in your hamstring (back of leg) and calf muscles. This pose helps to strengthen the spine and increase blood flow to the brain.
The Mountain – This pose starts with feet parallel to each other and about the width of your hips. Do not lock your knees and be sure you are standing balanced on your feet. Keep shoulders down and arms straight.
The benefits – As simple as this pose may appear, it’s a great way to make you more aware of your posture. It helps to calm your body and mind making this a great pose to do in the morning.
The Cobra – Lay down on the floor, preferably a mat, and with legs drawn together stretch them from the hip to the toes. Now, with elbows up place each palm face-down on the mat as if you were to push yourself up off the floor. While legs are still stretched toward the toes, begin to lift your chest, then stomach, then eventually your hips off the floor in an upward arching pose looking up toward the sky.
The benefits – By using the upper body to push, you will strengthen and tone your chest, abdominal and shoulder muscles. Your back and gluteus muscles will also benefit from this exercise. This pose will help reduce stress and can ease the pain of certain back ailments.
The Fish – Lie on the floor facing the sky. Have your knees bent and feet flat on the mat. Now, lift your hips while you inhale. Slide your hands, face down, underneath your pelvis while lowering your glutes down onto your hands.
While you inhale, press your forearms down and your shoulder blades up into your back. Release your head slowly until it rests gently onto the mat. By now either the back or the top of your head will be touching the floor gently.
Your legs can either be flat or your knees bent but either way you should press down through your heels. Perform several deep breaths while holding this pose then gently lower your head and torso back to the floor when you exhale. Raise your legs into your stomach and squeeze your stomach muscles.
The benefits – While stretching your legs, hips, abs and neck you are also strengthening your upper back and the back of your neck. This pose also improves your posture.
The Tree – Begin in the Mountain pose mentioned earlier with feet parallel to each other then shift your weight to your left leg while raising your right heel to the upper and inner part of your left thigh. Place your hands together in a prayer-like posture and if you feel like you can manage, lift your hands up above your head.
The benefit – Stretching of the inner thighs, chest, and shoulders while strengthening your leg and back muscles. May relieve small back ailments while improving balance.
The Warrior (One) – This most common of the Warrior poses begins from a standing position then has you “jump” to spread your feet about a meter apart. Still facing forward turn your right foot to point to the right where you will eventually pivot your torso. Now, turn your torso to the right so it’s facing the same direction as your right foot. Meanwhile, your left foot, or back foot now, is turned slightly at a 45-degree angle.
With arms in the air, lunge forward by bending your right leg while keeping your left leg fully stretched. Imagine lifting up through the air while holding the pose for several controlled breaths.
Now lower your arms, pivot your body back to center and “jump” your feet back together. Repeat this pose again only facing the opposite direction and alternating the forward leg.
The benefit – This is a great pose to help tone stubborn areas like your thighs, legs, and glutes as well as broadens the chest and lengthens the spine.
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