While Yoga, at times, can feel like a tough workout it is also great for inner strength and serenity. Yoga provides the great benefits of exercise, plus many additional benefits for the mind. When one is simply being, you are at peace. “Being” reconnects an individual to their spiritual nature. To help prioritize your being over doing the exercise, change up your yoga environment. Find a place that really helps you focus on the inner self and inner peace. You want to make sure that your environment is quiet and allows for slight meditation to prepare for your practice.
Positions for Inner Peace include:
1.Downward Dog
This pose balances chi and has a calming effect for the body. As prana and fluids circulate to the head and throughout the body to relieve stress and tension in the body. With this pose, the mind and body immediately start to feel free and relaxed. The proper positioning for this pose is as follows: from an all-fours position, lift the bottom upwards with head downward and hold for as long as you can. Keep your hands and feet planted on the ground as best you can.
2.Reclined Twist
Lay on your back, pull knees to chest with your arms flat outward to the side. Focus on your breathing and start to relax the body. With this position, you will start to feel a sense of calmness run through the body. Twists are a great way to stretch tight muscles and feel rejuvenated.
3.Corpse Pose
Yes, this name is a weird one, but the positioning is exactly how it sounds. Lay on your back, legs in a scissor position and arms to the side. Relax the whole body and close your eyes. This position is a good one to finish a Yoga session in as it allows the whole body to decompress and let inner peace take over the body.
Positions for Strength include:
1.Warrior II
This is a great asana to focus on strengthening your glutes, legs and arms. For this position, start with legs spread apart and feet facing forward. Then, in whichever direction is comfortable for you, move one foot either left or right and bend that knee. Extend your arms in a ‘T’ shape. As you hold this position you should start to feel a sense of strength stream through the body in a “hurts so good” type of way. These are the best workouts!
2.Side Plank
If you’re looking for an arm workout, this is the one! In this stance, you will want to lie down sideways and use one arm to lift the body while keeping your legs together. Put one arm in the air and let the opposite hold your weight. As easy as this position sounds, this is a good start to yoga strength training.
One of the biggest things to remember with each pose is to concentrate on your breathing, as well. This will allow the body to expand and retract for calming sensations to be released throughout the body while building up muscle strength that you desire.
