A yoga routine can be a great way to stay healthy. It gives you strength and flexibility while helping you relax. It can also help you sleep better.
A yoga routine can include a wide variety of poses. However, there are some poses that are more beneficial than others.
Downward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) is a foundational yoga posture that offers numerous health benefits. In addition to strengthening the arms and shoulders, this posture improves the chest and diaphragm, enhances circulation, and can increase lung capacity.
However, this pose can be challenging to beginners. Many new students tend to tuck their heels down and shift their weight too far forward, creating a convex shape of the back that’s not healthy for the spine. This can also create too much stress on the hamstrings. To prevent these errors, keep your feet spread like a high-five and rotate your hands outward to avoid inactive fingers.
Child’s Pose
Child’s Pose, also known as Balasana, is a restful pose that offers the chance to relax and reconnect with your breath. It’s often offered at the end of a class or a session of yoga, as a way to rest and prepare to move forward again.
Come to child’s pose by kneeling with your knees apart in line with the hips and big toes touching. Bring your arms out in front of you, palms flat, and then tilt your torso backward to release any tension in the shoulders or upper back. You can stay in this position for a few minutes or as long as it feels comfortable to you.
Boat Pose
Boat Pose is a challenging core stabiliser that strengthens the abdominal muscles, obliques, and lower back. It also improves balance and can alleviate back pain.
Its regular practice also helps to reduce constipation, improve digestion and boost metabolism. It also provides a full body awareness and helps you to feel more connected to your body.
Boat Pose is a great exercise to include in your yoga routine, but it can be challenging for beginners. Incorrect form can cause injuries like neck and back pain, or even damage the hamstrings and quadriceps. To avoid injury, be cautious with this pose and take a break if needed.
Warrior II
Warrior II, also known as Virabhadrasana 2, strengthens the legs, thighs and hips, improves balance, enhances concentration and promotes mindfulness. It also helps reduce anxiety and depression. Its balancing nature reflects the yogic principle of finding harmony between opposing forces and qualities.
The pose opens and stretches the chest and shoulders, helping correct posture issues. It also energizes and enlivens the body while strengthening and toning the arms.
Many yoga instructors believe the front knee should be parallel to the mat in Warrior II. However, it’s important to remember that each body is different. For some, bending the knee to this angle might cause knee pain and increase the risk of injury. People with knee injuries should avoid this pose or practice with a modification.
Tree Pose
The focus and stability required for Tree Pose (Vrikshasana) can help students cultivate a sense of grounding and inner strength. The pose is also a metaphor for the rooting and growth of the self.
It helps to stretch the hips and inner thighs while strengthening the legs. It improves posture and enhances balance by promoting proper alignment of the spine. It can also be beneficial for reducing back pain.
Students with knee problems may want to practice this pose near a wall for support. Students who are new to balancing poses should start with a modified version of the pose and work up to the full variation over time.
Twist
Twisting poses are great for detoxifying your body. According to BKS Iyengar, they create a “squeeze and soak action” that compresses the organs of elimination pushing out old blood and letting fresh blood flow in. This helps stimulate the organs, improve their functionality and enhance your digestive system.
Extreme twisting can place pressure on the intestines and worsen digestive issues so always practice with caution. Also, if you have back pain or sacroiliac (SI) joint problems be careful with twisting postures.
Beginner-friendly twisting poses include chair pose twist, supine spinal twist and thread the needle. More advanced twisting yoga postures include full half-lord of the fishes pose, full fish pose, full bow and twisted camel pose.