 Simple Relaxation Pose with Elevated Legs Anytime you elevate the lower body, even slightly, you reduce fluid retention in the legs and reduce strain on the heart. Use a bolster under the legs, or simply rest them on pillows, couch cushions, or an ottoman. Aim for support under the knees. Supported Child’s Pose Child’s pose gently stretches the back and spine and calms the nervous system. It earns a bonus for its gentle massage to the digestive tract. Make sure you turn your head halfway through your practice to stretch both sides of the neck. Reclining Twist with Support Another pose for restoring digestive health, start this pose on your right hip with knees to the left then switch to the opposite hip, following the movement of the intestines. Find the most comfortable position for your neck and make sure you stretch both sides. Supported Reclined Bound Angle Pose The mother lode of all restorative poses – this one opens the diaphragm, abdomen, chest and throat, reducing internal fire. Rest on a bolster, pillows or rolled up mat with the head end slightly elevated by whatever you have around the house. Legs up the Wall The most well-known of the poses, legs up the wall refreshes the lower body and spine and requires nothing more than you and a wall. You can put a small neck roll under your head, or try variations with wide legs or resting the soles of your feet on the wall. If you have stress in the backs of the legs, don’t be afraid to bend the knees or move away from the wall slightly. Don’t be afraid to use a soft eye pillow and a cooling fragrance like peppermint, eucalyptus, or chamomile on your temples or back of your neck. Make your practice more yin than yang, keeping your gaze soft and at the horizon and lengthening your exhale slightly. If you’re into color therapy, wear blue clothing and visualize a blue color while centering. Absolutely make way for that ocean wave and babbling brook playlist you’ve been saving. Courtesy of 
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 You've probably heard by now that yoga is good for you. Maybe you've even tried it and discovered that it makes you feel better. A consistent practice offers all kinds of mental and physical health benefits. Some, like improved flexibility, are clearly evident. Others, including mental clarity and stress reduction, may be more subtle but are just as powerful. When put together, all the benefits below contribute to an increased feeling of well-being, which helps explain why so many people find yoga so addictive. 1. Improves Flexibility Moving and stretching in new ways will help you become more flexible, bringing greater range of motion to tight areas. Over time, you can expect to gain flexibility in your hamstrings, back, shoulders, and hips. As we age, our flexibility usually decreases, especially if you spend a lot of time sitting, which leads to pain and immobility. Yoga can help reverse this process. 2. Builds Strength Many yoga poses require you to bear the your body weight in new ways, including balancing on one leg (as in Tree Pose) or supporting yourself with your arms (as in Downward Facing Dog). Holding these poses over the course of several breaths helps build muscular strength. 3. Increases Muscle Tone and Definition As a by-product of getting stronger, you can expect to see increased muscle tone. Yoga helps shape long, lean muscles in your legs, arms, back, and abdomen. 4. Improves Balance Improved balance is one of the most important benefits of yoga as you get older. Poses where you stand on one leg and, for more advanced students, inversions, are great ways to build the core strength that keeps you upright. 5. Supports Joint Health The movements necessary for yoga are low impact, allowing you to use your joints without injuring them. Yoga also helps strengthen the muscles around the joints, lessening their load. People with arthritis often see marked improvement in their pain and mobility with regular gentle yoga practice. 6. Prevents Back Pain Increased flexibility and strength can help prevent the causes of some types of back pain. Many people who have back pain spend a lot of time sitting at a computer or driving a car, which causes tightness throughout the body and spinal compression. Yoga counteracts these conditions. 7. Teaches Better Breathing Most of us take shallow breaths and don't give much thought to how we breathe. Yoga breathing exercises, called pranayama, focus our attention on breathing and teach us how to take deeper breaths, which benefits the entire body. Certain types of breath can also help clear the nasal passages (helpful for people with allergies) and even calm the nervous system, which has physical and mental benefits on and off the mat. 8. Fosters Mental Calmness Yoga asana practice is intensely physical. Concentrating so intently on what your body is doing has the effect of bringing a calmness to your mind. Yoga also introduces you to meditation techniques, such as how to focus on your breath and disengage from your thoughts. These skills can prove to be very valuable in intense situations off the mat, like childbirth, a bout of insomnia, or when having an anxiety attack. 9. Reduces Stress Physical activity is good for relieving stress, and this is particularly true of yoga. Because of the concentration required, your daily troubles, both large and small, seem to melt away during the time you are on the mat. This provides a much-needed break from your stressors, as well as helping to put your problems into perspective. The emphasis yoga places on being in the present moment can also help, as you learn not to dwell on past events or anticipate the future. You will leave a yoga class feeling less stressed than when you started. 10. Increases Self Confidence Doing yoga improves your mind-body connection, giving you a better awareness of your own body. During yoga, you learn to make small, subtle movements to improve your alignment, putting you in better touch with your physical being. You also learn to accept your body as it is without judgement. Over time, this leads to feeling more comfortable in your own body, boosting your self-confidence. Courtesy of:  |
AuthorYOGA SKIES Archives
January 2020
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