Yoga helps you strengthen your muscles, especially in the legs and feet. It can also ease mild back pain and increase your balance.
Child’s pose stretches the hips and thighs, while helping to calm your mind. It is a great resting pose to do in between more strenuous poses in your yoga session.
1. Seated Forward Bend
Seated forward bend (Paschimottanasana) provides an intense stretch of the hamstrings and spine. It also promotes a sense of calm and relaxation.
A tight back or hamstrings can interfere with lengthening the spine in this pose. If this is the case, sit on a folded blanket to elevate your hips and lessen the tension on the hamstrings. This will allow the spine to lengthen even more.
2. Upavistha Konasana
Upavistha Konasana, also known as Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend, is a great stretch for the legs and the spine. Be careful to lengthen the spine and avoid collapsing the back.
This yoga pose stretches the hips, hamstring, and inner thighs. It also helps improve digestion and relieves bloating, constipation, and menstrual pain. It also strengthens the back muscles and improves posture.
3. Downward-Facing Dog
Adho Mukha Svanasana is one of the most recognized yoga poses. It is a forward fold and mild inversion that resembles a dog stretching (hence its name). It serves as a starting, transitional, resting and strengthening pose.
Try it for a juicy stretch and toning of the shoulders and spine. If it feels challenging, come back down to Child’s Pose.
4. Chair Pose
Chair Pose, or Utkatasana, strengthens the abductors and quads. It also helps with lower body strength and core stability.
Stand with your back against the wall, slowly walk your feet forward and lower down into chair pose. Make sure your feet are hip width apart and your knees are directly above your ankles.
Chair is a great pose to practice for balance and posture, but it can also be challenging for beginners or people with lower back pain. Steady practice over time yields lasting results.
5. Warrior II
Warrior II is a strengthening pose that builds stability through the legs, thighs, and feet. It also improves posture and stretches and opens the hips, chest, and shoulders. It can also heal back pain and stiffness.
This is a powerful pose that encourages students to stand in their power and focus. Practicing this pose for a long time increases stamina and balance.
6. Warrior III
This challenging balance pose strengthens the legs, arms and back. It also helps improve balance and body awareness. This standing posture takes its name from the fierce warrior Virabhadra.
Students with lower back problems should avoid this yoga pose. The rounded back position of this posture can strain the lower spine. If balancing is difficult for your students, have them stand facing a wall or the back of a chair to support themselves in Warrior III.
7. Cobra Pose
A back-bend that stretches and strengthens the front body, cobra pose is a great variation on upward-facing dog for beginners or those with lower-back problems. Ensure that there is minimal weight in the hands to avoid jamming the lower back and only extend arms to a depth that feels natural and healthy.
If the low back is tender or if neck pain arises, stick with baby cobra instead. As you progress, try to lift into full Cobra if it is possible without crunching the low back.
8. Warrior IV
A common pose in Vinyasa Flow classes, this is a balancing standing posture that builds strength in the legs and core. It can also relieve neck and back pain when held for a longer period of time.
Like Warrior II, it strengthens the ankles, knees, hips, and quads. It also improves balance and enhances your upper body flexibility. Regular practice also helps with hip and shoulder flexibility.
9. Tree Pose
Tree Pose (Vrkshasana) is a grounding, stability-building pose. It strengthens the legs and feet, improves balance and concentration and bolsters emotional health.
For beginners, it’s helpful to use a chair or props to help students build up the strength and balance required to hold the posture. This helps prevent injury and provides a supportive environment for exploration of the pose. The pose also engages the upper body, enhancing shoulder and chest mobility.
10. Wall Pose
You don’t have to be a yogi die-hard or super flexible to reap the benefits of simple yoga poses like viparita karani, also known as legs-up-the-wall pose. This pose calms your nervous system, improves circulation and relieves swollen feet and ankles.
Extended time in this pose removes the downward force of gravity on your legs and reduces stress-related swollen feet and ankles by allowing fluid to drain.