5 Poses Perfect for the New Year
These yoga poses will help you to achieve your New Year’s goals.
It’s a new year and the perfect opportunity to reflect and set new goals and intentions for yourself. So what better way to do that than through your yoga practice? Doing yoga can help you in achieving a clear mind that allows you to better assess and prioritize your desires, and in doing so you’ll have a more successful 2018!
Try adding the five poses below to your daily routine if you’re looking to clear your mind and set yourself up for a successful new year.
By Dawn Yager
Cobra Pose
Resembling a king cobra ready to strike, Cobra Pose is a great posture to invite a more gentle backbend and great heart opener into your practice.
Cobra Pose helps you feel strong, open, and grounded. This pose gives you confidence by helping you access your true feelings, voice, and intuition so you can step into your full power.
Seated Forward Fold with Bound Half Lotus
This Seated Forward Fold variation is found early in the Ashtanga Primary Series and is an excellent yoga pose to invite a calm mind and improve circulation. If the Half Lotus variation with a bind is not in your practice, try elevating your hips on a blanket or practice a seated Forward Fold with Tree Pose leg variation instead.
This pose takes time, persistence and patience – a great combination and reminder for beginning the New Year. The added movement of energy from this pose can give you just the motivation you need to succeed.
Half Lord of the Fishes Pose
Half Lord of the Fishes Pose was named after Matsya, the first student of yoga. Shiva was deep into his discourse of yoga to Parvati when Matsya (a fish) swam close to listen. As Matsya listened with perfect attention, he became enlightened. It’s said that Matsya came back to earth as half fish (the folded legs as the fish tail) and half human (the upright spine).
This pose is to honor your teachers, both who came to you directly and indirectly and to remind us to always be a student. We are invited to move forward into our lives with gratitude and reverence for what is behind us.
Warrior 3
The shape of this pose is similar to striking a sword to slay. It is named after Virabhadrasana, who Shiva created to slay Shiva’s enemy that killed his beloved. After Virabhadrasana beheaded the enemy, Shiva did not find relief from his enemy’s death but instead found great sorrow. Shiva then healed his slain enemy and returned home.
Harnessing the power and determination from this pose will help you create and achieve your goals for this upcoming year. Practicing Warrior 3 will remind you that with focus and courage, you can overcome weakness and rise above. Virabhadrasana is also a reminder of the sorrow a vengeful heart can bring.
Supported Headstand with Lotus
Headstand is known as the King of Asanas for its many benefits and as a foundational pose in some yoga disciplines. Although this pose is challenging, it is important to bring into your practice when you are ready. Again, if the Lotus variation is not part of your practice, feel free to modify.
Adding Headstands into your practice is a great way to work through and conquer fear. Through a consistent practice, you will learn to trust yourself, your abilities, and your power – a great way to approach the New Year!
All images courtesy of Dawn Yager / YogiApproved.com.
