International Yoga Day- Best Yoga Poses for Good Health
Monday is International Yoga Day, and in preparation for that, I wanted to go over some poses to support good health.
Yoga in general is fantastic for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
It boasts benefits such as improved flexibility and balance, pain reduction, better moods, stress management, and better sleep.
But let’s take a dive in and look at which poses have specific benefits for specific issues.
Poses to Help with Back Pain
Target tension specifically in your back with these poses.
Cat Pose/ Cow Pose: On your hands and knees gently arch your back upward like a cat, and then extend your chest forward and extend your gaze forward for cow pose.
Pigeon Pose: On all fours, bring your right knee forward toward your right wrist, extending your foot out parallel to the top of your mat, then slide your left leg straight back, heels to the ceiling. Hold this pose for a few moments and then switch to the other side.
Extended Side Angle Pose: Stand sideways on your mat, with your legs wide apart. Turn your right foot forward to the front of your mat, come into a lunge, and touch your right hand to your right big toe. Then extend your left arm up above your head to create a long stretch on your side. Repeat on the other side.
Poses to Help with Anxiety
These poses help to ground you and find your center.
Standing Forward Bend: Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and bend slowly forward, melting your chest in toward your thighs.
Mountain Pose: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, rooting all four corners of your feet into the mat, holding your hands strong and open down by your sides. Back is straight and shoulders and down and back as you stand tall and strong..
Butterfly Pose: From a seated position, bring the bottoms of your feet together, inching them in toward your groin and allowing your knees to fall open. Clasp your hands around your toes. You can lean forward if that feels good.
Poses to Relieve Gas and Constipation
These poses gently massage your belly to help get things moving.
Boat Pose: Sit with your knees bent toward your chest and grab under your knees, extending your legs out forward at a 45* angle. Engage your core and hold for a few moments before slowly lowering. Knees can be bent if needed.
Cobra Pose: Laying on your belly, bring your palms down to the mat below your shoulder blades, resting your elbows on the mat. Push up and lift your chest up off the mat.
Knees to Chest: Laying on your back, hug your knees into your chest and gently lift your head to tuck into your knees. This pose is also called “Wind Relieving Pose” for a reason!
Poses to Help with Insomnia
Hold these poses for a few minutes each to really wind yourself down.
Bridge Pose: Lay on your back with knees bent and your feet planted on the floor a comfortable distance from your hips. Lay your hands palms down by your sides, and gently press your hips up off the ground.
Easy Pose: Sit cross-legged, just like in elementary school with a straight back, and just be.
Corpse Pose: Lay on your back, and allow your legs and arms to fall open. Breathe and relax one part of your body at a time.
Poses to Relieve Period Cramps
I know the last thing you want to do if you have pain on bleed is move around, but these gentle poses can help relieve tension in the hips and pelvis and reduce cramping.
Child's Pose: Sit on your heels, and spread your knees out toward the edge of your mat. Lean your forehead down to touch the floor, reaching your hands back beside your feet.
Camel Pose: From a kneeling position, tuck your toes under and reach your arms backward to grab your heels one at a time, bending to look up. You can add a block on your heels if you can’t reach all the way.
Reclining Butterfly Pose: From a seated position, bring the bottoms of your feet together, inching them in toward your groin and allowing your knees to fall open. Gently lay back onto your mat or onto a bolster, and place your hands on your womb.
Poses to Relieve Headaches
Improve blood flow to your head and relieve tension in your neck and shoulders to help reduce headache pain.
Extended Child's Pose: Sit on your heels, and spread your knees out toward the edge of your mat. Lean your forehead down to touch the floor and reach your hands forward in a nice stretch,
Wide-Legged Forward Fold: Stand with your legs wide, and flat back bend forward to look between your legs. Hands can grab your ankles, rest on the floor, or can be clasped behind your back for a deeper stretch.
Seated Twist: Sitting cross-legged, bring your right hand to your left knee, and reach your left hand down to the floor behind you, gently turning to look in the direction of your hand. Repeat on the other side.
Namaste