Yoga >> Yoga Poses

Yoga Poses & Yoga Exercises

Yoga is soon becoming one of the preferred forms of exercise for overall good health and even to lose weight along with ensuring ones mental and spiritual well being in countries across the world. Even individuals who have just started practicing the various yoga poses can reap the benefits of yoga as the various yoga asanas or postures depending on their intensity levels are extremely useful in strengthening ones lower back, legs, hands, feet, spine, shoulders and so on. In fact advanced yoga asanas which require the individual to concentrate on their breathing technique and even mediate are also known to help one to relax and thereby be able to concentrate on the various parts of their body and their demands thereby taking them onto a path of self discovery and self realization. Yoga poses involve varying degrees of breathing and stretching exercises which tend to help one develop flexible and supple muscles, joints and tendons and also allows one to stay limber and supple. The lighter yoga asanas postures are known to help people lower their blood pressure levels as yoga tends to promote an even and constant flow of blood in the body of the individual if practiced regularly. Yoga poses if taken up and practiced regularly are also known to positively impact the cardiovascular health of the individual as they lower the cholesterol levels in the individual along with the heart rate. Depending on the type of yoga that one is practicing; an individual may expect to burn almost 200 calories per hour thereby promoting weight loss in an optimal and healthy manner. One of the most vigorous forms of yoga asanas is the power yoga which is known to be extremely effective in losing weight as it tends to burn the maximum amount of calories. The hatha yoga asanas on the other hand are known to be a gentler and lighter form of yoga poses. The hatha yoga asanas focus on the basic yoga asanas postures along with ones breathing technique. Hence while practicing hatha yoga asanas an individual is known to burn around 175 calories per hour. The hatha yoga asanas are also recommended to individuals suffering from prostate gland or prostate problems as the hatha yoga asanas involve meditation, deep breathing, and stretching which are known to benefit and help such individuals over time. Practicing the various yoga poses is effective in losing weight as yoga tend to stimulate the otherwise lethargic and inactive thyroid glands which in turn increases there secretions resulting In weight reduction and weigh control. Bikram yoga asanas are another form of yoga poses that is quite vigorous and is practiced in a high temperature controlled environment at high levels of heat. Thus before taking up the bikram yoga asana one should always consult their medical practitioner or doctor who will state whether this particular form of yoga is suitable for the individual taking into account their medical health status. Nowadays on account of the growing popularity of yoga, there are plenty of yoga poses that are available that can be practiced depending on one’s physical condition as well as lifestyle.

In Sanskrit, the word “pose” is “asana” (pronounced as “ah-sah-nah”). Each asana helps you become more aware of your body, mind, and environment. While beginning your yoga exercises, experiment with the poses, moving in and out as you feel comfortable. If you approach the poses with playful curiosity, feeling of frustration and competitiveness will not enter your mind. While practicing your yoga exercises, make sure that you don’t feel any discomfort or pain.

Yoga Poses and breathing

Breathing is an essential part of practicing yoga exercises. You should never hold your breathe during a pose. Also make sure that your breath is never forced or strained. Labored breathing is sign that you you’re working too hard and should come out of the pose slightly. When one starts practicing yoga, one can hold for three full breaths through most yoga poses. If you feel comfortable in the pose, hold for longer, if uncomfortable, you should come out of the pose immediately.

Types of Yoga Poses

Seated poses – Seated poses are useful for practicing breathing exercises and relaxation or meditation techniques. Seated poses are also often used as a warm up or as a starting point for other poses. Performing seated poses can help improve your posture and open your hips.

Standing poses – Standing poses are often used as warm up or as a starting point for other poses. Standing poses are beneficial for strengthening your legs, opening your hips and improving your sense of balance.

Inversions – Inversions are excellent poses to perform to improve your blood circulation, quiet your mind and improve your overall health. Inversions are also believed to reverse the ageing process and reduce the effect of the gravity on your body.

Relaxation and restorative poses – It is important to take time to perform relaxation or restorative poses at the end of each yoga practice. You can use this time to relax your body and mind and allow energy released by the poses in your practice to move freely throughout your body.

Counter poses – A counter pose is a yoga pose that stretches your spine in the opposite direction from a previous pose or returns your spine to a neutral position.

Twists – You can perform twists to stretch and strengthen your back and abdominal muscles, increase the flexibility of your spine and improve your circulation. Twists improve the functioning of your internal organs by providing them with a fresh supply of blood as you twist and release your body.

Balancing poses – Balancing poses are great for improving your balance and coordination as well as developing your ability to remain grounded in a pose. Keeping your body balanced encourages you to focus, quiet and balance your mind.

Forward bends – Forward bends stretch the entire back of your body, especially your hamstrings. Forward bends are also often used to release tension, calm your mind and soothe your nervous system. Similar to back bends, forward bends help keep your spine strong and supple.

Back bends – Back bends are among the most challenging poses in yoga. Bending backward helps strength your back and keep your spine strong and supple. Back bends also open the front of your body, especially your chest.

What are the seated yoga poses?

Seated poses can be extremely basic and extremely advanced as well. The easy pose as the name suggests is an example of yoga seated pose that is easy to achieve. Beginner seated yoga poses are used to improve posture and to encourage students to focus on breathing exercises. The collection of yoga seated poses marichyasana 1, 2 and 3 are variations of one of the advanced poses of yoga that involves a seating pose. This pose should only be attempted by someone who has a fair degree of flexibility as well as a good amount of control over his or her movements.

What is benefits of Sarvangasana?

Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand) is sometimes called the queen of poses and provides benefits to the mind, body and soul. The literal meaning of Sarvangasana is a ‘posture for all body parts’. The working of these inverted postures is by causing the effects of gravity to become reversed on certain parts of the body. The benefits of Sarvangasana include improving the circulation of blood and improving the efficiency of the thyroid, heart, and lungs. Practicing Sarvangasana for weight loss can be effective as it helps in regulating the thyroid gland, which if defective, can bring about weight problems. However, women who are menstruating should avoid practicing this posture.

Why do I need to do a warm up before starting yoga?

Before starting your yoga routine or any exercise for that matter, it is important that you first perform some warm up exercises to loosen the muscles. Performing a warm up before your session will prepare you physically for the yoga poses you will need to perform. If you start directly with the exercise there is a possibility of incurring some injury. There are many warm up poses you can find on the Internet that can help loosen stiff muscles and reduce the chances of injury. For beginners, yoga poses that are taken should be easy to perform and not too strenuous. Following some yoga tips can help you get the most out of your session.

Which Yoga Asana will help for premature ejaculation?

Practicing yoga can be an effective method you can make use of to help with premature ejaculation. Some of the postures of yoga for premature ejaculation are Dhanurasana (Bow Pose), Halasana (Plow Pose), Mayurasana (Peacock Pose), and Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose). These postures also help in dealing with stress and anxiety, which are among the main contributors to premature ejaculation. Practicing yoga for diabetes can help reduce blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Some of the effective yoga asanas for diabetes are Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog), Trikonasana (Triangle Pose), and Matsyasana (Fish Pose). It is also important that you combine these postures with a proper diet.

What are the most advanced yoga poses and sequences?

There are many postures in yoga, and although all of them are beneficial, some are more challenging than others. There are some easy poses that can be practiced by beginners, and there are advanced yoga poses that should be done by practitioners with enough experience. Before coming to the advanced yoga postures, it is important that you first perfect the beginner poses. Some of the most advanced yoga poses include Bakasana (Crow Pose), Garudasana (Eagle Pose), and Tittibhasana (Firefly Pose). It is recommended that you perform the advanced yoga sequence first in front of an instructor to get the proper technique.

Submitted on September 29, 2010