Yoga classes offer many benefits, including strengthening and stretching the muscles of the body. Most classes end with a resting pose, which helps students relax after a workout.
Lie on the floor and place a bolster or two folded blankets stacked on top of each other towards the back of your mat. Lie down with your back to the blankets and arms at your sides.
Standing Forward Bend
Standing Forward Bend is an important part of any yoga practice. It’s often used as a transitional pose between standing poses or in the end of a flow, but it can be used any time during your routine to relax and stretch.
The action of folding down from the hips with straight legs, elongates the spine while providing a good stretch to the back muscles and hamstrings. This is a great posture for beginners or anyone looking to increase their flexibility.
For students with back problems, it’s recommended to use this pose with a block under the hands (Ardha Uttanasana) instead of a full forward fold, to minimize compression of the lumbar discs. It’s easy to unconsciously round the neck and shoulders into this posture, so it’s important to learn how to consciously lengthen the spine from the pelvis and hip creases.
Besides stretching the hips and hamstrings, this posture helps to relieve fatigue, reduce back pain or injury and improve concentration and focus. It also strengthens the legs and arms.
Reverse Warrior
The Reverse Warrior stretches and strengthens the legs, groins, hips, and sides of the waist. It also improves flexibility in the spine and inner thighs, and builds strength in the shoulders and arms. It is an excellent pose to practice before or after strenuous physical activity, as it increases blood flow and relieves fatigue.
The kneeling variation of this posture, Viparita Virabhadrasana, is easier on the shoulders and back. It combines the side bend and balance of Reverse Warrior with a slight backbend, making it more accessible for students who are unable to hold the full version of the pose.
To perform the pose, begin in Mountain Pose (Tadasana). Step your feet wide apart, and align the heels. Turn the right foot out 90 degrees and the left foot slightly inwards, and extend your arms up to shoulder height. Then, bend your front knee and slide the back hand down the leg into a slight backbend.
Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose
In this restorative posture, also called Viparita Karani in Sanskrit, the legs are elevated straight up against a wall. It’s one of a group of poses known as inversion poses, and it helps rebalance physical fluids like blood, as well as energy flow.
Spending time in this pose improves circulation, reduces bloating and relieves back pain. Some teachers believe it even helps ward off stress and anxiety, as well as insomnia.
Those new to this position may feel numbness in the feet and legs, which is caused by decreased blood flow. Increasing the distance between the legs and the wall or using a chair to prop up the hips can prevent this feeling.
A bolster or folded blanket can be used for support, and a strap can be tied around the ankles or calves to help bind the legs together for those who have difficulty holding their legs up without support. It’s recommended to stay in this posture only as long as the body can comfortably tolerate it.
Corpse Pose
Savasana, or Corpse Pose, is the final yoga position that is practiced toward the end of a class or a session. It isn’t a strength-training exercise, but rather a time to wind down the body and the mind after a vigorous workout.
It may seem simple enough, but it requires a lot of skill and focus to get the most out of the pose. It helps to recite a mantra or short prayer to help focus the mind and ease the muscles into relaxation.
Practicing corpse pose regularly trains the muscles to relax and can be helpful for those suffering from chronic stress or insomnia. In addition, the posture can strengthen the lower back and improve circulation.
For those with back issues, the pose can be modified by placing a bolster or folded blanket under the knees. Pregnant women can use a bolster under the belly to elevate their head and chest. This will make the pose more comfortable for them, but will not distract from the benefits of the posture.