Yoga helps to relax the body and mind, as well as promotes flexibility. It also builds strength and improves balance. Yoga routines can be as simple or complex as you want them to be.
Start with Pyramid pose, which roots you into the ground with your legs and stretches your back. For beginners, you can place a block on either side of your front foot to raise the floor and make it easier to reach your fingertips to the ground.
Pyramid pose
Often used as a warm-up pose during a flow yoga routine, pyramid pose (also known as intense side stretch) helps to stretch the spine and hips while improving balance. It also strengthens the arms and legs. If you struggle with back pain, it is essential to keep the muscles of the spine flexible. This will help to reduce pain and improve overall posture.
Practicing yoga regularly allows you to learn how to calm your mind and control your breath, which can help reduce stress and relax the body. It is important to practice yoga at a time that feels right for your body. For example, some people prefer to do yoga in the morning to energise their bodies and minds, while others like to practice at night to wind down before sleep.
For a more advanced version of this pose, you can place a block on either side of your front foot to raise the floor. This will allow you to stretch your hands further down your front thigh and elongate the spine.
Urdhva Hastasana
Urdhva Hastasana, also known as Upward Salute or Sun Salutation, is one of the most simple standing poses but it requires attention and focus to execute. Typically cued at the beginning of the Sun Salutation or other standing sequences, it’s a powerful pose that helps to energize the body. It encourages the practitioner to lengthen through fingertips and head while grounding into the feet, promoting balancing skills and stretching the oft-neglected side body.
The pose is suitable for beginners and can be adapted to fit most levels of ability. It improves posture, stretches the front of the shoulders and the entire torso, relaxes the mind, and improves digestion.
Begin in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Press into the big toe mounds and shorten the space between the heels to engage through the inner arches of the feet. Distribute weight evenly throughout the four corners of your feet and draw the inner thighs back to activate mula bandha and uddiyana bandha. Stretch your arms overhead, palms facing each other in anjali mudra (Raised Namaskar).
Extended Side Angle
Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose) is a standing yoga pose that strengthens and stretches the legs, hips, shoulders, and spine. It also opens the ribcage and improves breathing. It is a great posture to practice for back pain relief.
Start the pose by separating your feet at about one leg’s length apart. Then, turn the front foot, ankle, knee and thigh in about 30 degrees. Ensure that the back foot is strong and firmly grounded on the mat.
Bring your right hand down to the front of the thigh, or use a block if you can’t reach your knee. Draw your shoulders down away from the ears and lengthen the left side of the body. Stay in the pose for about a minute. Repeat on the other side. This posture is very beneficial for people with low back pain and sciatica. It also strengthens the thighs and buttocks and reduces fatigue. It can also relieve headaches and eye strain.
Downward Dog
Often thought of as a warm-up or cool down, downward dog is a posture that appears in many yoga workouts. This posture helps stretch the back, hamstrings, shoulders and calves while strengthening the wrists, arms and core.
Practicing the downward dog pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) is an ideal way to prepare your body for other poses, such as the cobra, locust and forward folds. It is also an excellent exercise to help you develop core strength and improve balance.
To perform this pose, get on all fours on your mat with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Bring your forearms to the floor, clasp your hands and keep your head between your upper arms. If you are new to balancing postures, use blocks under your hands and gradually remove them as your flexibility increases. This will help you achieve the full benefits of the downward dog pose and avoid injuries. Eventually, you should be able to achieve the pose without using any props.