Anyone who has participated in yoga classes in different schools knows that there is no booklet that defines which postures or asanas should be worked before or after. Despite the notorious difference in the degree of complexity of the asanas, there is no order that prevails at the time of practicing their yoga series, nor is there a degree that restricts their daily practices.
What the good teachers recommend is that there is a professional accompaniment, to guarantee the evolution of the technique without putting at risk the physical health of the practitioners. In addition, the imposition of complex postures, early on, brings great chances of you being discouraged.
Yoga, like most of the activities we do in life, depends on practice to become better. But there are some postures as simple as powerful, that can be part of the daily life of each one of us.
Practice helps relieve stress, improves memory and concentration, corrects posture and even protects against heart disease . Check out!
1. CAT-COW
This is to do soon after the alarm clock rings! The cat-cow posture is the best way to “wake up” the entire spine after a long night’s sleep. Start at 4 in the position of a kitten, then arch the spine and lower your head, so that you are looking at your thighs. Take a deep breath, bring the spine back to the starting position and look up, letting the belly fall. Repeat four times.
2. DOG LOOKING DOWN
After the cat-cow position, it is time to do the dog’s stance looking down to stretch back, legs and arms and, finally, to start the day with more disposition. Begin at 4, in the position of a puppy, lift your butt, stretch your legs and support your heels on the floor. Pedal your feet to “wake up” your tendons and calves. Take a deep breath three times in this position and then return to the initial posture.
3. FOOT FRONT FLEX
This is to do after a long morning sitting at work, to stretch the legs and back. Stand and drop your shoulders. Slowly bend your body forward and lower yourself toward your toes. If you can not touch the floor, bend your knees. If, on the other hand, you find it very easy to do the exercise, bend one knee at a time, with your hands on your toes, to hinder activity and lengthen the tendons. Return to the starting position, slowly, and leave to lift the head and neck only at the end.
4. FLEXION FOR SITTING FRONT
This is to do soon after lunch to aid in digestion! Sit on the floor with your feet straight and your spine erect. Go sliding to the hands, toward the soles of the feet. If you do not reach them, bend your knees or rest your hands until the height of the leg you can reach. Take a deep breath three times in this position and then return to the initial posture.
5. WARRIOR 2
Did you hit that mid-afternoon sleep? Position Time Warrior 2: Strong and energizing, it will help you survive the last hours of work. Make the starting position of the aisle and make sure that your feet are aligned. Slowly rotate the body, support the heel of the back foot on the floor, keep the knee of the front leg bent and raise the arms to shoulder height. Looking forward, take a deep breath three times in that position and then return to the initial posture.
6. POMBO
This is the most difficult position in the series! Used to release tension in the hips, relax the body and slow down, it is ideal for the night, before bed. Start at the dog’s position by looking down (review posture 2). Lift your right leg and, without resting it on the floor, bend it, as if you would sit in the position of Indian. Bend your body forward until your forehead touches the floor. If you can not, put a high cushion in front of you to rest your forehead. Take a deep breath five times in this position and then return to the initial posture, repeating the whole movement backwards.
7. CHILD
After the position of the pigeon, it is time for the child’s posture to relax and have a good night’s sleep. Begin at 4, in the position of a puppy, and lean your butt on your heels as you open your knees toward the edges of the rug. Go down the trunk until you put your forehead on the floor. Take five deep breaths in this position and then return to the initial posture.
BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR PHYSICAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH
Imagine a practice that brings together physical activity, breathing exercises, and meditation at the same time. Now imagine that this practice has gone through centuries of improvement and has its benefits recognized by countless scientific researches. If you are looking for health and wellness and want to do physical activity and relax at the same time, then yoga is the solution. See below the advantages of this millenarian practice.
Check out the top 10 benefits of yoga for physical health and mental health:
1 – HAPPINESS
Yoga postures help raise the levels of serotonin in the body. So, yoga is a great technique to ward off depression, anxiety and stress. A happy person will have more harmonious relationships in addition to having the immune system strengthened.
2 – WEIGHT LOSS
This is not the main goal of yoga, but it certainly is a great advantage, is not it? Practicing yoga speeds up metabolism, decreases stress and anxiety, regulates sleep, controls blood sugar levels, and prevents binge eating. All this allows you to lose weight without effort and in a short time.
3 – FOCUS
To maintain the postures, one must turn to the present moment and keep the focus on the breath. This workout is an exercise for the brain, which will make it easier to stay focused on all the activities in your routine.
4 – RELAXATION
When you focus on the present moment, stopping and paying attention to the breath and every movement of the body during yoga classes, your mind can relax and forget the tension of everyday life.
5 – FLEXIBILITY
In the first classes, many postures give the impression of being difficult or even impossible. However, with practice, you can see that flexibility is developing. This is because yoga allows the mind to connect to the muscles, developing movements that before the body could not perform by the rigidity acquired over the years.
6 – STRENGTH
Postures strengthen muscles and this advantage goes beyond the obvious. Stronger muscles generate more balance, improve posture, and prevent aches and pains such as arthritis.
7 – BLOOD STREAM
The relaxation promoted by breathing in conjunction with yoga postures improves the oxygenation of the cells, allowing a better flow of blood throughout the body. This prevents problems like strokes and heart attacks.
8 – BONES
Regular yoga practice is very beneficial for bone health. In a few classes it is possible to observe an improvement in the bone density in the vertebrae.
9 – POSTURE
Awareness of the movements and the connection between mind and body will leave you with an aligned, firm and natural posture. The benefits of yoga go beyond the minutes of class and accompany you throughout your routine. In no time you will feel the difference and escape the pains in the spine.
10 – SLEEP QUALITY
Yoga helps to control the nervous system and this will influence your whole routine. Thus, one of the first perceived symptoms is the improvement of sleep quality.
