Yoga poses help strengthen and tone muscles, especially those of the arms, legs, back, and core. They also promote relaxation and improve flexibility.
Many beginners make mistakes in their yoga practice that can lead to injury. Some of these errors include straining the neck or lifting hips too high.
Pyramid Pose
Often included in flow yoga sequences, Pyramid Pose or Parsvottanasana helps strengthen and improve balance. It also promotes flexibility in the back muscles, hip joints and spine. It can be a challenging pose for beginners, but if done with the help of a supportive structure, it allows students to stretch their bodies a little further.
To enter this posture, stand in Tadasana with the feet about hip width apart. Then step the left foot back, with the toes pointing outward at an angle of about 45 degrees. Draw the right hip back and the left hip forward.
The pose lengthens the chest, abdomen and rib cage and prepares the lungs for intense forward bends like Parivrtta Parsvottanasana. It also helps to heal shoulder, wrist and hand problems by strengthening the wrists and enhancing shoulder movement. It also helps to reduce stress by calming the mind and relieving the body of muscular tension. It requires awareness of the body-breath connection, and it builds balance and concentration.
Urdhva Hastasana
Often used as the first step in a Sun Salutation sequence, or on its own as a warming up or preparatory pose, Urdhva Hastasana is a powerful and versatile posture that promotes body awareness, improves posture, and helps reset the breath. It also strengthens the arms, chest, and abdominal muscles while encouraging a sense of balance throughout the whole body.
Begin in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at the sides. On an inhale, sweep your arms out and up, bringing the palms together overhead. The shoulders will naturally want to tip forward; resist this, and instead draw them down toward the ribcage, opening up across your collarbones.
This posture invigorates the whole body and mind, and is great for shaking off the midday blues. It also encourages balancing skills, and is a wonderful stretch for the back and neck. It can even help prevent shoulder injuries by preparing the shoulders for poses that require axial extension.
Janu Sirsasana
This yoga posture is often used to give a deep stretch to the neck and shoulders. It can also help calm the mind and cultivate inner peace. However, since everyone’s body is different, you should try this pose with a little help. This will help you avoid injuries. You can use props like cushions or blankets to help you practice Janu Sirsasana comfortably.
The forward bend in Janu Sirsasana helps strengthen your muscles and joints. It also improves flexibility in your back and hips. It’s an excellent warm-up for other more complex poses, such as Virabhadrasana II and Uttitha Parsvakonasana.
Practicing the pose regularly also helps improve your hamstring flexibility. The hip and groin muscles are also stretched, allowing you to move more freely in your hip joint. It can even alleviate discomfort and pain in your hips. It also teaches you to be patient and self-accepting as the pose requires gradual progression in flexibility.
Happy Baby
Happy Baby, or Ananda Balasana, is a calming pose that stretches and strengthens the body. It is often cued at the beginning of class to warm up the joints and muscles or at the end of class to wind down. It can also be used to calm the mind and reduce stress levels.
Happy baby helps stretch the hips and inner groins, lengthens and realigns the spine, and strengthens arms and shoulders. It can also relieve lower back pain and tension in the knees and ankles.
To do Happy Baby, lie on the floor and bend your knees toward your chest. Reach down and grab the outside (pinky toe) edges of your feet. Alternatively, you can use the inside or outside of your ankles, calves, or shins. Make sure to relax your upper body and keep the neck and shoulders loose. Practicing this yoga posture can help increase flexibility and relieve back pain, so it’s important to practice gently.