Yoga Position – What Does Each Type Do?
By Della Menechella
I often wondered what the value of each type of yoga
position is, so I did some research to find out. All yoga positions
help to develop strength and flexibility. Yet the type of yoga position
that you do also offers some very specific benefits.
Standing Poses
They are included in many poses and they help to align your feet and
body. This type of yoga position is especially useful in improving
your posture. Standing poses strengthen your legs while simultaneously
increasing flexibility in your legs and hips. They add to the mobility
of your neck and shoulders and they increase the flexibility in your
pelvis and lower back. One of the most basic standing poses is Mountain
Pose.
Seated Poses
These poses help increase flexibility in your hips and lower back,
while also strengthening your back. They add suppleness to your spine
and elasticity to your hips, knees, ankle and groin. They also encourage
deeper breathing, which contributes to you feeling calm and peaceful.
Forward Bends
This type of yoga position helps stretch your lower back and hamstrings.
Forward bends also release tension in your back, neck, shoulders,
and increase the flexibility in your spine. They often promote a sense
of calmness. I find forward bends particularly challenging since I
have a considerable amount of stiffness in my neck due to an old gymnastics
injury. This is the type of yoga position where I often use a prop
such as a strap or block.
Back Bends
They open your chest, rib cage, and hips. They strengthen your arms
and shoulders, while simultaneously increasing flexibility in your
shoulders. They help relieve tension from the front of your body and
hips and they also increase spinal stability. You should always do
back bends as a complement to forward bends in order to maintain balance
in your body.
Balance
Although balance poses can be challenging, I find them to be some
of the most fun poses to do. They help you develop muscle tone and
coordination and also strength and agility. They help improve your
posture because you really need to elongate your spine in order to
keep yourself from falling over. This type of yoga position helps
train your mind to focus your attention; if your attention if not
focused, you will not be able to do the pose.
Twists
I love to do twists. Twists release tension in your spine and increase
shoulder and hip mobility. They also help relieve backaches by stretching
and opening up your back muscles. I often experience tightness in
my upper back and twists help me loosen up this area. It is important
to always do twists on both sides of your body in order to ensure
alignment and balance.
Supine and Prone Poses
Supine poses are done on your back. They help stretch your abdominal
muscles, they open your hips, and increase your spinal mobility. They
release tension and strengthen your back, arms and legs.
Prone poses are done facing the floor. They strengthen
your arms and back and open up your hips and groin. They relieve tension
and increase flexibility in your spine. One of my favorite prone poses
is Extended Seal because I find it very relaxing and it helps stretch
out my shoulders and upper back.
Inversions
This type of yoga position develops strength and stamina, particularly
in your upper body. It also increases circulation because since your
legs are higher than your heart, it reverses the normal flow of blood.
Inversions help pull fluid out of your feet and legs, so they are
great to do after you have been standing up for a long time. Advanced
inversion poses require a great deal of strength and alignment and
should only be learned under the guidance of a certified teacher.
People with glaucoma, pregnant women and those who are menstruating
should avoid inversion poses.
Relaxation Poses
Relaxation poses are usually done at the end of a yoga practice. They
calm your mind and body and encourage a deep feeling of relaxation.
This type of yoga position is often one of the most challenging poses
to do, particularly for Westerners who often have a difficult time
letting go. One of the most well-known relaxation poses is Corpse
Pose.
There are hundreds of poses in yoga and they all provide
wonderful benefits for your mind and body. By understanding each type
of yoga position, you can choose a well rounded practice with asanas
from each type or do those that meet your body’s needs at any given
time.
Della Menechella is a yoga and fitness enthusiast
who has been involved in fitness for over thirty years. Here website
http://www.beauty-fitness-yoga-source.com/
is filled with practical information about how you can make yoga and
fitness a positive part of your life.
