Yoga exercises — or asanas, as they are known in yoga — work every muscle, joint and gland of the body. They improve strength and flexibility, help balance the nervous system and decrease stress and anxiety.
A recent study found that yoga improved proprioception, or the sense of one’s own position and movement, as well as visual aspects of balance.
Child’s Pose
This restorative pose stretches your back and hips, and relieves tension from your knees and ankles. It can also help lower and regulate blood pressure, Kirra says. Often, practitioners use child’s pose at the end of a yoga session to ease into a seated posture or to transition into a meditation posture.
To get into the pose, come to all fours on your mat and position your shoulders over your hands and your hips over your knees. You can spread your knees to allow the top of your feet to touch with the big toes in front of you or keep your legs together if that’s more comfortable.
To stretch more deeply, spread your knees wider and bring your forehead to the floor so you’re leaning back toward your heels. Stay in the pose for as long as it feels good. As you grow more comfortable with this pose, you may be able to hold it for longer periods of time.
Downward-Facing Dog Modified
A key posture in most yoga classes, downward-facing dog requires strength and flexibility to sustain it. But the pose can put strain on wrists and shoulders, and beginners may not be able to do it comfortably without injury.
The good news is that there are several ways to modify the posture for students with lower back and wrist injuries or discomfort. According to the Living Well Institute, you can do this by placing blocks under your hands or by bending your knees.
Begin in tabletop pose on all fours with hips stacked over knees and shoulders stacked over elbows. Walk your hands a few inches forward to widen the stance, and press into your palms to activate your arms and lengthen the spine. Inhale to engage the upper body and exhale to release the lower back muscles. Add external rotation to the arms, pointing the elbow eyes toward the top of the mat, to broaden the collarbones and draw shoulder blades down the back.
Chaturanga
Four-Limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana) is a core component of many vinyasa sequences. However, this pose often proves challenging for many yogis due to its difficulty in maintaining the correct alignment and robust muscular engagement. The small shoulder muscles (rhomboids and rotator cuff) are especially difficult to feel and to engage properly. If these muscles don’t engage, the shoulders collapse toward the floor, which can put a strain on the lower back, wrists and elbows.
To strengthen these muscles and avoid injury, begin with mini push-ups against a wall and gradually increase the load as you get stronger. Also, plank pose and push-ups on the floor help build strength for Chaturanga and improve alignment in this posture. Incorporating these three poses into your yoga routine can help you safely progress to the full expression of Four-Limbed Staff Pose, a posture that is both rewarding and demanding. This posture also provides a great workout for the arms, shoulders and upper back and is a fantastic preparation for more advanced arm balances such as Crow or Side Crow.
Lunge
Often used in yoga to warm up the hips, lunges are a common exercise that can also be included in strength training sessions and cardio classes. They’re one of the most functional lower-body exercises and work core muscles, too, says Chicago-based strength coach Evan Williams.
Start with your feet about hip-width apart, then step forward with the leg that’s closer to the floor, lowering until the front knee is parallel with the ground and keeping the back foot over the toes. At the top of the lunge, push through your front foot to return to the standing position.
You can perform a lunge with or without the back foot touching the ground, and lunges with different leg positions target different muscle groups. For example, a forward lunge targets the quadriceps, while a curtsy lunge zeroes in on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Holding a stationary object such as a wall or chair can help you stay stable while performing a lunge.