Today we are living in a very chaotic, work–obsessed world. But we can help ourselves to de-stress from time to time. Indeed, a healthy diet, a good amount of sleep and proper hydration are important, but one tool can help you go from an anxious mind to a calm mind – Yoga.
The best part about yoga is you can practice it anywhere and anytime. Anytime you require a quiet and calm mind, practice some relaxing yoga poses and some time for breathing.
Do you know that your prana or life energy is increased by doing yoga as it helps remove blockages along your spinal cord and smoothens your energy flow? While yoga is good for calming and relaxing your mind, some yoga poses will help you feel more awakened and energized. Backbends are good boosters of energy as they help in enhancing flexibility in your spine, stretch your chest and offer you an energy surge which will increase your self-confidence and overall productivity.
Generally, yoga poses emphasize opening and lifting your chest and stimulating your vagus nerve. They are not associated with competition or dominance but will enhance your physical energy and empowerment. Some of the best yoga schools in Rishikesh put stress on teaching these yoga poses that energizes your soul and keep you calm.
Here are five yoga poses that can help beautify your body, calm your mind and energize your soul:
Downward facing dog: It is a popular yoga pose for strengthening and stretching your body. The mental benefit of this yoga pose will outweigh the physical benefit.
How to do?
- Start with all your fours.
- Keep your hand on the floor, coil your toes under, and lift up your hips so much that your legs will straighten.
- Now push your heels in a backward direction and slightly down.
- Keep your head hung long and loosen so there will be no pressure on your neck.
- On practicing this pose, you will get the restorative freedom that the pose offers by defraying adhesions in various body locations.
Child pose or Balasana: A child pose or Balasana is a restorative pose that is very simple and easily accessible. You can easily include it in any of the hip-opening yoga sequences. In a 200 hour yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, this pose is included in everyday yoga routine.
How to do?
- At first, bring your toes together, open up your knees and lengthen your arms down and forward.
- Allow your forehead to rest on the mat.
- To make it more effective, actively draw your inner thighs towards the midline and pull your chest in a forward direction instead of the crown of your head.
Cat pose or Marjaryasana
Cat pose is often accompanied by cow pose for a slow, warm flow that offers flexibility to your spine and keeps your mind calm. When you do these two poses combined, you move the spine from a round position to an arched one. Holding on to this position for some moments generates a gradual warming sensation that results from the flow of this prana and the release of tension.
How to do?
- Starting from the tabletop position, start exhaling and then pull in your stomach to spine and round your back to the ceiling.
- Drop down the crown of your head and also your tailbone.
- Go back and forth between cow and cat pose during each exhale and inhale by matching your breath with your movement.
Standing forward bend pose or Uttanasana.
This pose provides a very wonderful stretch for the whole body. It helps stimulate your organs, keeping your spine flexible and robust and gradually stretches the hips, hamstrings and calves. This is one of the comforting yoga poses that help fight stress, fatigue and anxiety.
How to do?
- From a standing position, gradually start bending your knees and bend your torso over the legs, depending entirely on your hips.
- Release muscles of your shoulders and neck.
- Position your hands next to your feet or on the ground before you.
- Also, you can interweave your fingers behind your body and unbend your arms and elbows.
- Do not forget to breathe.
Supine spinal twist or Supta Matsyendrasana
This is one of the most relaxing poses. Supta Matsyendrasana is a great way to decompress and have a soothing effect on your nerves. It helps in enhancing your breathing, encouraging fresh blood circulation to the digestive system and easing your back and neck tension.
How to do?
- First, you must lie down while bending your knees, and your feet should remain flat on the floor.
- Allow your arms to rest in a T shape.
- While you exhale, bring your knees towards your chest and fasten your hands around them.
- From there, you can wrap your knees towards one side and then towards the other.
- Now turn your head towards the opposite direction of your knees to get a neck stretch that is quite rejuvenating.
Conclusion
Thus, doing the above yoga poses regularly can beautify your body, calm your mind and energize your soul. Practicing yoga offers you several other benefits, and it is cheap, with various options you can try at home. Many best yoga schools in Rishikesh offer both offline and online classes.
