Many people think of yoga as impossible physical postures, but the discipline actually benefits the body and mind. The movements help reduce stress, improve concentration and increase strength.
This pose helps strengthen the lower back and improve balance. It also helps stretch the hamstrings and inner thighs. Beginners can use a block under the front foot for support.
Downward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog, also known as Adho Mukha Svanasana, is one of the most recognizable yoga poses. It’s done often throughout vinyasa-style classes to create length in the back side of the body, and it helps build strength in the arms, wrists, and shoulders. If you’re new to yoga, consider starting with the pose on a wall to take some pressure off your arms and wrists.
The posture is a great stretch for the back and chest, as well as an inversion, which improves blood flow by reversing the pressure on your spine. As a bonus, the posture can help you improve your breathing, too.
Child’s Pose
Child’s Pose provides a gentle stretch for the back, hips, and knees. It also helps reduce fatigue and tension in the arms and shoulders.
This restorative pose can be used at the beginning or end of a yoga session, or as a pause between more strenuous postures. It’s especially useful for relaxing the spine and calming the mind, helping to relieve stress, anxiety and depression.
The pose can be modified to make it more challenging, such as by widening the knees so that the big toes touch. It can also be supported with a rolled towel or pillow to alleviate pressure on the sacroiliac joint.
Cobra Pose
When you backbend in Cobra, two portions of your spine — the neck and lower back — naturally arch toward the front of your body. Avoid overarching these areas, which can cause pain. Instead, focusing on lengthening the neck and the spine can encourage the healthy backbend while protecting these vulnerable areas.
Avoid this pose if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, a hernia or if you have back, shoulder or neck injuries. Pregnant women should also exercise caution with backbends.
If you find wrist pain in this pose, try a variation of the posture called baby cobra. This version does not place much weight on your hands and focuses on a gentler, more controlled backbend.
Bridge Pose
Bridge Pose offers back support while extending the chest and opening the heart. This gentle backbend also increases the strength of the core muscles and enhances balance.
The mild inversion and compression relax the shoulders, chest, and diaphragm, which commonly accumulate tension. When combined with deep breathing, bridge pose activates the parasympathetic “rest and digest” response to promote a sense of calm and clarity.
This posture can help ease lower back pain and prevent stiffness in the hips, thighs, and back. It can also help with osteoporosis and PCOS by strengthening the spine and improving posture. Be sure to practice with caution if you have high blood pressure or are pregnant.
Tree Pose
Tree Pose is a wonderful posture to help students build stability, core strength and balance. It engages and strengthens the hip, back and tummy muscles, also known as the “core” muscles. Strong core muscles are important for good posture and balance, especially on one leg.
Avoid placing the raised foot on the inner knee, as this can put too much pressure on the knee joint and destabilize the pose. Instead, place the foot above or below the knee for a safer alternative.
Encourage beginners to use a wall or chair to support their balance when practicing Tree Pose until they are confident enough to practice without props. This will help prevent them from developing unnecessary pain and discomfort.
Happy Baby
Happy Baby is a restorative hip opener that can be done on its own or as a part of the cool down at the end of class. It helps to reduce back pain and tension, and calm the mind.
Babies naturally move in this posture when they roll over onto their belly for tummy time, reaching for toys or even their feet and holding them. Yoga teachers use it to stretch and strengthen the lower back, groin, and spine while decreasing stress and anxiety.
For beginners and those with back or neck injuries, Happy Baby can be modified by placing a bolster on the mat to create more space for the hands and bring the feet closer to the torso.