Yoga postures can be stimulating or restorative, depending on the intention of the class. Folding poses such as child’s pose may help relieve backaches, shoulder and neck pain.
Start with mountain pose, which strengthens and stretches the legs, feet and back. It promotes balance and helps relax your body and mind.
Downward Facing Dog
Downward-facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) is the poster pose for yoga. It’s one of the first postures most people learn as they begin a yoga practice, and it’s frequently used as a transition between standing poses or as part of Sun Salutations and other yoga flows.
It’s a powerful pose, strengthening the wrists and arms while stretching the legs, hamstrings, and back body. It also stretches and opens the shoulders, which can relieve stress and tension in the neck and upper back. It can even help to stimulate abdominal organs, improving digestion.
It’s easy to hurt yourself in this pose, though, so it’s important to listen to your body and only take the pose as far as you can comfortably go. If you notice any sharp pain or discomfort, ease out of the position and try again later in your practice.
Mountain Pose
Mountain pose is the foundation for all standing poses and improves posture, balance, groundedness, and body awareness. It also strengthens the leg muscles and gently engages the core.
It enhances body awareness because it involves active alignment, which requires concentration and focus. It is a good pose for beginners who are still learning the basic movements of yoga as well as advanced practitioners.
The muscle groups on both the front and back of your pelvis work to keep it upright, and the quadriceps muscles in the knees work to straighten them. The calf muscles on the feet balance the action, and your core helps to stabilize your spine.
While the benefits of Mountain Pose are numerous, some individuals may need to exercise caution or avoid it altogether due to specific health conditions or limitations. These include pregnant women, those with high or low blood pressure, and those who have locked knees or a rotator cuff injury.
One-Legged Forward Bend
Janusirsasana is a one-legged forward bend that can help prevent back pain by stretching the muscles of the hips and lumbar spine. It also helps to relieve indigestion, such as bloating and constipation, and reduces stress and anxiety.
This pose is challenging to beginners because it requires the ability to lengthen the spine while lowering the hips and chest at the same time. It can be easier if students use a block or bolster to raise the seat.
As the student gains more strength and flexibility, he or she can challenge themselves to reach out to the toes or shins, intertwine fingers, clasp hands behind the back, or place the hand on the floor if possible. Students should avoid pushing or pulling themselves into the pose, which could cause injury. This pose is not recommended for pregnant women or people with hamstring injuries. Those with back pain should practice with caution and only do this pose to the extent that they can comfortably manage.
Warrior I
Warrior I, or Virabhadrasana, is a foundational pose that builds strength, balance, and endurance. It’s also an important part of many vinyasa yoga flows, and can be practiced in isolation as well. It strengthens the legs, hips, and back, while promoting flexibility in the knees and ankles. The forward-facing stance of this posture is energizing, and helps to counteract the common way most people sit throughout the day with shoulders rounded and spine hunched.
For new students and those with lower back problems, it’s best to keep the arms parallel to the floor to avoid strain on the shoulders. In addition, some students can benefit from placing their hands on their hips to create a stronger base for the pose.
The front knee may tend to collapse inward, especially if the student is a beginner or has knee or hip issues. To combat this, the teacher can gently push the outer edge of the front foot into the mat to encourage a more stable stance and counteract the tendency toward inward rotation of the knee.