Yoga is an exercise that strengthens muscles, increases balance and flexibility, and helps reduce stress. It also teaches you to be present and slow down, which are great skills to have outside the studio.
This standing pose opens the hip flexors and chest, and strengthens the ankles, calves and quads. It improves balance and can help with back pain, too.
Downward Facing Dog
Perhaps the most well known posture in yoga, Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) is equal parts strengthening and stretching. It strengthens the wrists, arms, and shoulders; and stretches the hamstrings and back body. It also lengthens the spine, which improves posture and counteracts the effects of prolonged sitting or bad posture.
One common challenge in this pose is the tendency for students to hang on their shoulders, which can create a risk of shoulder impingement. To prevent this, it’s important to actively draw the shoulder blades down toward the tailbone and away from the ears; and to puff the side ribs forward.
Downward Facing Dog is also a great pose to use in Vinyasa and Ashtanga classes because it reestablishes the alignment of the spine between backbends and forward bends. In addition, the deep lengthening and stretching of the chest and throat in this posture helps stimulate and support the activity of Sama Vayu, the energy center located between the navel and diaphragm.
Mountain Pose
Known as Tadasana, this foundational standing posture helps to build balance and body awareness. This simple pose is often used as a physical barometer to help guide students toward more challenging poses and offers the opportunity to explore the interplay of effort and ease.
Stand with your feet together or slightly apart, big toes touching and heels about 1in (2.5cm) apart. Press down through the inner heels and balls of your feet, balancing the weight evenly between both sides. Keep your arms at your sides, palms facing forward.
The muscles in your legs work to support you and keep you balanced in Mountain Pose, especially the psoas and quadriceps muscles. The erector spinae muscles in your back are also engaged to support your spine and maintain stability.
This is a safe pose for most people, but those with lower back or leg injuries should avoid or modify the pose. Also, those with low blood pressure should be careful not to place too much weight on their legs or arms.
Extended Side Angle
Known in Sanskrit as Utthita Parsvakonasana, Extended Side Angle pose strengthens and tones the muscles of the hips, legs, chest, arms and abdomen. It also promotes overall body balance and flexibility and helps alleviate backaches, especially if the hips are aligned properly. The twisting aspect of this yoga posture massages the abdominal organs, improving digestion and detoxification.
The most important thing to remember when practicing Extended Side Angle is that space is needed on both sides of the body to allow for the torso to open up. If you find that your bottom ribs are compressed, try pressing down through the bottom hand or using a block to help you feel an opening across the collarbones and chest.
To do the Extended Side Angle Pose, stand with your feet about a leg’s length apart or slightly closer depending on how you are feeling. Then, if your back foot feels stable and strong, turn the shin, ankle, knee and thigh inward about 90 degrees.
Warrior I
Warrior I, also called Virabhadrasana 1 in Sanskrit, strengthens and stretches your ankles and calves, quadriceps, back and chest. The posture also lengthens your front body and psoas, and challenges you to balance with arms overhead.
The warrior poses, or virabhadrasanas, are named after the fierce warrior Virabhadra, who is created by Shiva to protect his lover Sati from her husband Daksha. The postures teach you to be fearless and embody courage.
The wide stance of the postures opens and stretches the hip flexors and inner thighs, and helps you develop your proprioception, or the ability to sense your body’s position in space. The postures also help you gain control of your emotions. Practicing them regularly reduces insomnia and fatigue, and promotes a healthy respiratory system.