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There are many incredible reasons to incorporate yoga into your everyday workout routine. Yoga helps improve flexibility and stability, strengthens the muscles and joints, helps reduce anxiety and stress, and promotes an overall healthy and happy life.
Various studies also suggest that practicing yoga every day can potentially help reduce chronic pain, prevent stiffness and sore muscles, reduce depression, enhance range of motion and improve quality of life.
Tune-up your body with these excellent yoga poses (asanas) and live a healthier and happier life
1) Easy pose - Sukhasana
Sukhasana is one of the most basic and easiest poses for beginners. This pose requires you to just sit on a yoga mat, breathe deeply, and feel the rotation of your legs.
Instructions:
- Start by sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat.
- Keep your hands on your knees with your palms up.
- Make sure to keep your back as straight as possible.
- Now slowly push your sit bones down onto the floor.
- Keep your eyes closed, breathe deeply and concentrate.
2) Tree pose - Vrksasana
The tree pose in yoga mainly helps to stretch your body from heels to your fingertips. It also helps improve your overall body posture and balance.
Instructions:
- Stand straight on a yoga mat.
- Keep your hands in the prayer position. Slowly lift your hands over your head.
- Now balance your left leg and bend your right knee out to your left side while pressing your right foot to your left thigh.
- Hold the pose for a few seconds, and then switch legs before repeating the exercise.
3) Downward-facing dog - Adho Mukha Svanasana
The downward-facing dog pose helps to calm your nervous system, improves flexibility and lengthens the spine. Plus, it also helps strengthen your arms, open your shoulders and tone your leg muscles.
Instructions:
- Take a kneeling position on your yoga mat.
- Keep your hands under your shoulders and your fingers spread.
- Tuck in your toes and contract your abdominals while gently pushing your body up off the yoga mat in a way that only your feet and hands are on the mat.
- Now press through your hands, move your chest towards your thighs and your heels towards the floor.
- Hold the pose, and then lower your body to the mat to continue with the next rep.
4) Cat-cow pose - Chakravakasana
The cat-cow pose awakens, stretches your spine, and helps ease back pain. It also enhances flexibility and opens your spine, shoulders, neck and chest.
Instructions:
- Start by taking a position on all your fours on a yoga mat.
- Keep your hands below your shoulders and your knees below your hips.
- Divide your body weight equally between both your hands. Spread your fingers.
- Slowly inhale and round your spine, arching it upwards as you lower your chin towards your chest.
- As you do this, you might feel the stretch from your neck all the way to your tailbone.
- Exhale, lift your head and lower your back down to the scoop shape and tilt it back again.
5) Child’s pose - Balasana
The child’s pose is an effective healing pose in yoga. It helps activate the connection between your body and breath and also gives calming energy to all your muscles.
Instructions:
- Take a kneeling position with your knees and hands on the yoga mat.
- Spread your knees and keep the top parts of your feet on the mat with your big toes touching.
- Now bring your abdomen between your thighs and bring your forehead to the mat.
- Stretch both your arms in front of you or simply put them alongside your thighs with the palms facing the ceiling.
- Relax your eyes, shoulders and jaw.
- Hold the position and stay as long as you like the stretch.
- Keep breathing deeply.
6) Pigeon pose - Eka pada rajakapotasana
The pigeon pose is one of the best yoga asanas to stretch your hips. This pose also helps open your lower back and hips.
Instructions:
- Take a plank position.
- Engage your abdominal muscles and gently pull your left knee towards your left hand placing your left foot as close to your right hand as you can.
- Keep your back leg straight and make sure to keep your hips even.
- Breathe deeply and hold the pose for a few seconds.
- Step back again into the plank position and repeat the exercise by switching sides.
7) Yogi squat - Malasana
Yogi squats are also called the pose of youth in yoga. This pose helps to keep your hip joint stable and hip flexors open and assists you in moving and walking like a young person.
Instructions:
- Sit down on your feet crouched down in a way that your tailbone rests between your ankles.
- Fold your hands and keep them in front of your chest.
- Press your hands firmly together while simultaneously pressing your elbows against your inner thighs.
- Hold for a few breaths, and then relax.
Summary
Spending just a few minutes a day practicing these basic and effective poses will definitely benefit your overall health. Over time, you’ll start to see positive changes not just in your body but in your quality of life as well.
If you have any ongoing health concerns, on the other hand, then first consult your doctor and seek guidance on what yoga poses would be best for you.
