Are there any yoga poses that can help with bad posture?
Bad posture can bring a number of problems with it. Bad posture can put unnecessary pressure on your muscles and distort the alignment of your bones. The most common problems are shoulder, back and neck pain, with headaches at times as well. To correct your posture and deal with the associated pain symptoms, you could give an alternative therapy like yoga a chance.
Yoga is an ancient discipline that originated in India thousands of years ago. This discipline is known to have aided healing processes and has helped the body rejuvenate itself. Yoga uses physical exercises called ‘asanas’ and breathing techniques called ‘pranayama’ for this purpose.
To begin with, ‘Tadasana’ or the mountain pose, is a great way of understanding your posture. Stand up straight, close your eyes and breathe in and out slowly. Relax your entire body and try to free your mind from any thoughts. This asana helps increase your awareness of your body and you can find out what you are doing wrong.
With bad posture, the curvature of your spine will be wrong. Thus, to give your spine a good lateral stretch, the ‘Ardha Matsyendrasana’ or the half-spinal twist is a good asana. Kneel down, lift one leg over the other while continuing to kneel down, stretch your arms and twist your torso to the opposite side of the raised leg. This pose provides the spine with much needed strength.
To promote the flexibility of your spine, the bow pose or ‘Dhanurasana’ is extremely useful. Lie on your stomach, bend your knees back and clasp your ankles with your hand. This pose will mobilise your entire spinal column and is a good exercise to improve your posture.
Another good asana is ‘Vriksasana’ or the tree pose. In this pose, you need to balance the entire weight of your body on one foot while stretching your arms out. This pose helps lengthen your spine and also enhances the strength of your back.
For shoulder and neck pain, ‘Garudasana’ or the eagle pose is helpful. Stand straight, shift your body weight to one leg and hook your other leg around this one. Cross one arm over the other and make your palms touch. This pose works your shoulder and neck area by releasing any muscle tension there.
Do not over-exert yourself for any of these poses. If any pose is too difficult, try an alternative pose. It is also a good idea to learn yoga only from a certified yoga instructor.
