Hatha Yoga Site

Practicing Yoga exercises mean practicing both your mind and body. In learning such ancient religious practice, you would certainly need to be under the guidance of an experienced instructor. However, it does not mean that you can no longer perform yoga exercises by yourself.

By all means, you can though, but there are some guidelines that you have to look into most especially when you are still a beginner. Eventually, you might get your muscles strained when you do not make any deliberations in performing this ancient spiritual routine.

Common Yoga Exercises and Their Benefits

Many people are now into Yoga because the exercises or Asanas included can really improve one’s health, resistance and mental awareness. But in order to carry out the exercises well, you will definitely need enough determination and passion for Yoga.

Here are the common Yoga positions or exercises that would surely help you in advancing your whole well-being:

• Warm-up Positions includes:
  • Eye Training – move the eyes in every direction, without turning your head at all. Such eye exercise will strengthen the eye muscles, help prevent eyestrain, and improve eyesight.
  • Shoulder Stretches – sit in any comfortably erect position. Hold the strap and straighten your arms forward. As you inhale, move your arms up until they are overhead, and exhale as you bring them down behind you. Practice this exercise daily and you’d surely see some positive changes in your shoulders.
  • Cat pose – teaches you to initiate movement from your center and to coordinate your movement and breath.
• Standing Positions includes:
  • Triangle Pose – in this exercise, you build up strength in the lower back and upper legs while you remove tension from the lower and upper back, the hips and the hamstrings through twisting and the stretching. The exercise is good for your sense of coordination and sense of balance. You need a lot of concentration and precision to be able to carry it out correctly.
  • Revolved Triangle Pose – makes the back stronger and freer. Also, forms a frontal attack on tensions in the hip-joint. The exercise is good for your sense of coordination and sense of balance.
  • Downward Facing Dog – builds up strength in the upper arms and gives space and opening in the back, neck, chest, hips and shoulders. If you let your ankles sink nicely to the floor in this asana, you extend the calves at the same time. In Yoga, this pose is often used as an exercise in between other exercises, but it is in fact an exercise in itself.
• Seated Positions includes:
  • Easy Pose – sit down on the floor or on a Yoga Mat. Cross your legs, placing your feet below your knees. Then, clasp your hands around your knees. And finally, keep your head and body straight.
  • Lotus Pose – requires crossing the legs while maintaining a straight back, making it ideal for meditation and concentration.
• Twist Positions includes:
  • Half-Spinal Twist – one of the few yoga poses that rotates the spine. Most bend the spinal column either backward or forward, but to become truly flexible it must be twisted laterally as well.
  • Sage Twist – is an exercise that strengthens the back. It tones and works on the abdominal area, especially liver, spleen, and intestines. It also relieves lower back pain caused by muscular tension.
• Supine Positions includes:
  • Leg to Side Pose – raise the left leg, clasp it with both hands and pull it towards you, keeping your head down. Then, extend your right arm to your right side. Straighten your left arm while holding your left leg. Finally, bring your leg to the left. And your arms should form a single straight line.
  • Leg Pulls – is a part of a series of leg exercises which should be performed in sequence to fully stretch and tone all muscles in the legs.
• Backbends Positions includes:
  • Bow Pose – expands the chest, mobilizes the entire spinal column, and can be a welcome change to the usual movement of your body. It is a good exercise to improve posture and strengthen the back muscles.
  • Dog Pose – its center is on the pelvis. It stretches the back, opens the chest, and builds upper body strength. In addition, it stretches the whole back side of the body, arms, shoulders, hips, heels, and hamstrings.

Important Reminders

To achieve complete benefits of Yoga exercises always remember NOT to:

• Compel your body when doing the exercises.
• Continue in pain in performing the Yoga poses or exercises.
• Be absent-minded to avoid injuries.
• Rush things, work slowly to ensure that what you are doing is right and proper.