Many people have written to me because they want to increase the flexibility of your body, using yoga as a tool for this purpose. Do you need it too?

Flexibility, as you surely know, is a key part of maintaining health and also helps us avoid injuries. Stretching we do with physical yoga practice helps us to increase the ability to move muscles and joints through their full range. This is a skill with which we are born, but most of us lose. Most people (maybe it’s you), lead a fairly sedentary life, so that the bodies are lazy, atrophied muscles and joints are based on a limited range.

Like everything else, we need consistency and constancy. In this article I have prepared a series of yoga poses divided into the major muscle groups so you can practice at home.

Tips for practice at home

I recommend that you carefully read these articles that will help your yoga practice at home is optimal, and can better receive benefts.

• GETTING STARTED FROM SCRATCH YOUR PRACTICE YOGA AT HOME
• An important note about your practice of yoga at home
• ATTITUDE IN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE IN 3 FUNDAMENTAL KEY
• HOW DO YOU KNOW YOUR STRUCTURE AT HOME YOGA SESSION?

Remember adapt each pose to your current level of flexibility. And very important: make sure slow, deep breaths in each asana. Keep your posture by focusing on your body and your breathing.

Postures to increase flexibility divided into groups of muscles

hamstring

According to Wikipedia, the hamstrings are a muscle group with inserts in the pelvis and tibia (also in the femur and the fibula) that plays an important role in extending the hip and knee flexion when the body it is in standing position.

Emotionally, lesions in this part of the body tend to be related to anger and frustration situations that you see in your life. According to Louise L. Hay, we can apply this new mental model:

I’m willing to change all my critical attitudes. I love and approve of myself.

Standing bending forward – Uttanasana

This bending foot forward is a simple way to stretch the hamstring muscles. Try to keep your hips over ankles (most people have a tendency to let their hips creep too far back). You can bend your knees slightly to avoid hyperextension. An interesting variation is to catch elbows with the opposing hands and let your torso hang.

Triangle – Utthita Trikonasana

Use a block under the hand below if you have it and need help to reach the ground. It is better to put pressure on the block in the leg, leaning on him. You can also rest your hand on the leg, considering that your spine is who should make the force majeure.

Legs extended position – Prasarita Padottanasana

This position strengthens and stretches the back inside of the legs and spine. If you have problems of lower back, prevents complete forward flexion.

Large angle bending forward sitting – Upavistha Konasana

This position allows us to stretch the inner thighs. Down only as far as you can, feeling the stretch but without feeling pain. Remember that your body will be getting the benefits of posture regardless of whether low or so. This posture stretches the inner and back sides of the legs and relaxes the English, among other benefits. If the position you have trouble, you can bend your knees slightly. You can also support your knees or sit on blankets rolled on a blanket.

Caderas

Flexibility in the hip may be more difficult because there are many muscles that surround and are allowing this to make various types of movements. Stretching the psoas muscles as part of the quadriceps and buttocks, it is a good way to accomplish greater freedom of movement in the hips.

When we have hip problems may be linked emotionally with fear to make important decisions and thought that there is no where to move.

The new mental model that proposes Loiuse L. Hay is as follows:

I’m in perfect balance. At every age I walk through life with joy and ease.

Utthan Pristhasana- La Iguana

This posture opens the hips and stretches the muscles of the hamstrings and thighs while strengthening the back muscles. If you feel discomfort in the knees, elbows or hips, you can change it. For this you can put a block under the forearms, upper arms or lower to the ground and only elbows bent slightly. if you need, you can also support the back leg on the ground.

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana Variation – Variation Paloma

The dove is a position that offers a wide opening hips, but can be very difficult for people with very narrow and inflexible hips. Just lower your body toward the floor when you feel comfortable in the position. If the buttock of the foot that is bent in front do not reach the ground, put a rolled blanket underneath. Makes the position very gradually to avoid injury.

Back

Emotionally, back it represents support life. If you have any problems in this area of ​​your body, the new mental model that proposes Louise L. Hay is

I know that life always supports me.

Back and shoulders is an area that we usually carry, among other things, for so long driving or long in front of a computer. If possible, take stretch breaks at work to avoid serious repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Eagle Pose – Garudasana

This posture stretches the thighs, hips, shoulders and upper back and improves concentration, among other benefits. If you position your legs it is difficult, just do the upper arms, sitting in a chair or standing. If the palms fail to be touched palm to palm, try to join the back of the hands. Keep your elbows up and forward.

Bridge – Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

The way to get a good stretch in your shoulders in this position is to make sure each shoulder put down after lifting the hips up. This position, among other benefits, stretches the chest, neck and spine.

Gomukhasana – The cow face

Do not worry if you can not join hands behind his back in this position. You can use a belt, a belt, a towel, a shirt, anything that allows you to cover the distance between hands. The position of the feet is not necessary, you can do it sitting cross-legged in Easy Pose. This posture stretches arms and triceps and chest.

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I hope this guide will be useful yoga postures to increase flexibility and your practice is regular and conscious, it will bring benefits to your whole life.

If you want more of these tools that yoga helps you to improve physical, mental and emotional level, I invite you to subscribe so you can receive a weekly email with key value to your life.

Love,

Namaste

naylin