Different Types of Yoga Poses and Postures
Yoga is a set of physical and mental disciplines that have amazing, proven benefits for the mind, body and the spirit. The exercises in Yoga are in the form of various sets of poses that improves the flexibility, strength, balance and the blood circulation in the body. The word ‘pose’ in Sanskrit is known as ‘asana’. Each asana not only strengthens your external organs but also makes the internal organs function to their optimum. The asanas or poses are good not just for your body and mind, but they also play an important role in increasing your self-awareness and intuition.
Breathing is the most basic and essential part of doing these exercises. Remember, that you while doing these exercises, your breathing should be smooth and easy, and not labored or strained. If you are breathing too hard, it means that you are either doing the pose erroneously or you are straining yourself too hard.
Let us go over through some of the best Yoga poses:
Standing poses:
These are often said to be the ‘warm up exercises’ for other poses. The standing pose exercises are particularly found to be useful in strengthening your legs, improving your poise and balance, and toning your hips.
Seated Poses:
Seated poses are meditation exercises, that improve your breathing, allow more oxygen to flow into your lungs and ward off respiratory problems. Besides, seated poses are also good for improving focus and concentration.
Counter Pose:
The counter pose is very good for your spine, and helps in keeping your body flexible and agile.
Twists:
Twists are an important form of Yoga that strengthens your abdominal muscles, back, buttocks and improves the overall circulation in the body. It is also renders better functioning to the internal organs by infusing fresh oxygen to the blood stream, and helps in excreting the toxins out of the system.
Forward Bends:
Forward bends are good stretching exercises that are particularly good for the hamstring and calves. They help release the tension of your nervous system.
Back Bends:
Back bends, one of the most demanding poses in Yoga, is very good for strengthening your back and spine. It is also good for the upper torso.
Relaxation Poses:
Relaxation exercises in Yoga are usually done at the end of each Yoga session. This exercise helps your body and mind relax and experience a deep, inner sense of calm.
Inversions:
Inversions are also very good poses that improves blood circulation in the body and improves the overall health. It has been observed that inversions can also be useful in reversing the ageing process.
Balancing Poses:
Balancing poses are immensely beneficial in improving the coordination and balance of the body. It not only helps you attain a good poise but also makes your mind balanced in such a manner that you do not panic or feel anxious in a given situation.
Yoga has proven to have manifold benefits for treating various ailments; the combination of various stretching exercises and breathing can improve the functioning of our joints, muscles and ward off the problems of old age. If you do Yoga regularly, you will improve your cardiovascular rate; burn calories easily and even experience a sense of calm and focus in panic-stricken situation. For those who are looking for weight loss, Yoga can help a person burn almost 220 calories per hour with the right ‘asanas’. So, let’s make it a habit to do Yoga regularly and stay healthy always.
If you're serious about yoga, we recommend the program Beginner's Yoga Guide which will help you greatly.