Poses You Need To Practice Every Day
You Should Be Doing These Every Day!
Whether you are new to yoga or have been practicing for years, building a strong foundation is the key to improving and advancing in your practice. The foundational poses provide you with the alignment and freedom your mind and body needs in order to make strides in your technique.
The following article provides the foundational poses you should be practicing each and every day in order to get the most out of your training. These poses will keep you focused and set the tone for the rest of your session.
See the poses below and be sure to pass these along to all of your yogi friends.
1. Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
This is probably the most-practiced asana in many yoga classes, and for that reason alone, it’s really worth taking the time to get to know it and get it right. Downward Facing Dog also comes with a huge list of benefits including: strengthening the arms, legs and bones and opening the hamstrings, upper back and shoulders – perfect for preparing the body for more challenging standing asanas, balances and backbends. Downward Dog also helps you learn about the inner workings of your own body: where your tightness and tension lie, and where you need to correct imbalances.How to do it properly: Focus on activating your arms and opening the chest by drawing the shoulder blades down the back and externally rotating the upper arms slightly. Press the sit bones and tail bone up and back, keeping the knees as bent as you need to in the beginning to achieve length in the spine.
2. Four-Limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana)
Want to work towards arm balances and inversions? Then this is the pose for you! It is very easy to cheat chaturanga, but done correctly, this pose will help you build the most incredible amount of strength and stability. Chaturanga Dandasana strengthens the arms, legs and abdominals, builds core stability and healthy shoulders, and is the best preparation for balancing on your arms and hands.How to do it properly: Engage your core and thighs muscles, and keep your body in a straight line. Keep your arms at 90 degrees and hug your elbows into your sidebody. If you find it a real struggle, then drop the knees down first while you build the strength in the arms and core to get you into the full version of the pose.
3. Childs Pose (Balasana)
This is your go-to resting, restorative, and rejuvenating pose. It helps relax the body and release tension in the back, hips, shoulders and chest, and also lengthens and stretches the spine. It’s a great pose to get to know for when you want to skip your Down Dog, or for any time you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, as this calming pose helps to alleviate stress and anxiety.How to do it properly: Spread your knees, bring your big toes together, and allow your chest to sink towards the mat as your seat sinks down towards your heels. There are many variations of child’s pose, but the main aim is rest and relaxation, so find a position and any support (resting the forehead on your hands or forearms if it won’t reach the floor) that you need to feel completely relaxed and able to simply be and breathe.
See the full article from YogiApproved here.
To Your Health And Wellness!
