Best Yoga Poses For Healthy Body And Mind
Every morning after waking up, drink some water and then get ready to practice yoga. It’s best to do yoga or exercises, without eating or drinking anything else. All you need is your mat and an open mind. Those who regularly practice yoga know that when the body and mind are balanced and healthy, it’s easier to live life to the fullest. Today, let’s look at a few yoga poses (asanas) to strengthen our body and boost our brain power.
Yoga becomes even more effective when your joints are properly lubricated. So, let’s warm up with some rhythmic movements to help refresh and stretch. Start by moving your left foot up and down, then rotate it five times clockwise and five times counter-clockwise. Do the same with your right foot. These small exercises are called Yogic Sukshma Vyayama. Similarly, move your left hand up and down, then rotate it five times clockwise and five times counter-clockwise. Yoga is all about doing what feels comfortable at your own pace with a positive mindset. Now, warm up the neck. Move your neck up and down, then rotate it side to side, and finally, gently stretch and relax it three times.
The first yoga pose is the Wind-Relieving Pose (also known as Pawanmuktasana). Lie on your back with your arms beside your body, palms facing up. Breathe in, and as you breathe out, bend both your knees and bring them towards your chest. Interlock your fingers, press your thighs onto your abdomen, lift your head and chest off the floor, trying to touch your nose to your knees. Hold this position for about ten seconds. As its name suggests, Pawanmuktasana massages the intestines, helping with indigestion and releasing trapped gas. Now, release your head, your hands, and your knees. Relax.
Another pose is Setu Bandhasana, also known as the Bridge Pose. In this back-bending posture, your body looks like a bridge. We are born with two natural back-bending curves in our body: one in the lower back (lumbar) and another at the neck. Setu Bandhasana is a very helpful pose that stretches your entire body. It tones your gluteal (buttock) and abdominal muscles and helps reduce fat in these areas. It also helps calm the mind and relieve symptoms of stress and depression. This happens for two reasons: proper blood circulation and increased oxygen supply to your brain and nervous system.
Next is Adho Mukha Svanasana, or Downward-Facing Dog Pose. This is one of the poses in the Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) sequence. If you spend a lot of time sitting, this pose is a great way to restore your body. While it provides a full-body stretch, it specifically strengthens your core and lower body muscles. It also improves blood circulation to your brain and upper body. If you find this pose challenging, you can modify it by resting your heels against a wall.
Next is the Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana), popularly known as the Butterfly Pose. Sit with your spine straight. Now, bend your knees out to the sides and bring your heels as close to your groin as possible. Do it comfortably, as much as your body allows. Take a deep breath in, and as you breathe out, start flapping both your legs up and down like the wings of a butterfly. Flap comfortably at your own pace for about thirty seconds, breathing normally throughout. You can instantly feel the stretch. This is one of the best poses for strengthening the pelvic region. It is highly recommended for PCOS and problems related to menstruation and prostate.
Moving on to the Queen of Asanas, that is Sarvangasana, or Shoulder Stand. “Sarva Anga” means “entire body.” This is one of the few poses that benefits all systems of the body, especially the head, which contains your brain. This upside-down posture allows for excellent drainage of deoxygenated blood from the abdomen and pelvic region. It helps prevent and treat varicose veins. As you can see, the force of gravity has a beneficial effect on various organs of your body in this posture. No other pose is more effective for increasing blood flow to the brain than this one. It calms your nervous system and makes your mind alert. In the beginning, Sarvangasana might seem a bit difficult, but with practice, you will become steady and can practice it daily.
Next is Halasana, or Plow Pose. Here, the legs are lifted and placed above the head. The spine is inverted, and there is extra pressure at the throat region. Halasana not only benefits your nervous and digestive systems but also improves the tone of your reproductive organs. It helps relieve constipation, obesity, sexual and menstrual problems, and spinal stiffness. No other pose is more effective for spine health than this one. It reduces stress and fatigue, keeping your brain relaxed and your mind peaceful. However, like Sarvangasana, this might be challenging for beginners. You can modify it by placing your feet on a chair behind your head for practice.
Another important posture is Padmasana, or Lotus Pose. “Padma” means “Lotus,” and your body actually looks like a lotus when you do this pose. This cross-legged posture provides a good stretch to your thighs, calves, ankles, and hips. It benefits your pelvis and lower abdomen. It stretches your ankle and knee joints, and blood circulation in these areas increases. It improves concentration as your mind remains attentive in Padmasana. Slowly, as you practice Padmasana more and more, you become like the lotus flower. A lotus blooms beautifully and is unaffected by the muddy water around it; in fact, it grows in mud. Similarly, your mind gains peacefulness and balance by remaining unaffected by the surrounding world.
Moving on to the last pose, Mandukasana, or the Frog Pose. This is the best pose for diabetes. First, sit in Vajrasana (Thunderbolt Pose). Place your palms on your thighs, fingers pointing upwards. Make fists with both hands, with your thumbs inside. Now, place your fists on your abdomen, on the edges, inside your belly button, just like that. Now, take a deep breath in, then breathe out, and bend down slowly, bringing your forehead closer to the ground. Look in front. Hold your breath in this yoga posture for a few comfortable seconds without strain. Feel the pressure being exerted. Mandukasana exercises many important organs like the pancreas, gallbladder, liver, spleen, and stomach. Inhale back to the original position and relax.
Pranayama is popular among yogis as it instantly energizes the body and brings silence to the mind, sharpening the senses. It is aptly called the yogic breath of fire. For respiratory and sinus problems, Bhastrika is a must. Spiritually, it is said that Bhastrika clears the emotional and mental blocks of a person that hinder his or her evolution.
One of the pranayama is Bhastrika, or Bellows Breath. Keep your eyes closed. Take a deep breath in through your nose, then exhale slightly forcefully through your nose. We will do this for one minute. Keep a smile on your face. With each deep inhalation, feel that the life energy from the universe is entering your body. And with each exhalation, I feel that negativity and impurities are flowing out.
Apart from these another very important pranayama exercise is Kapalbharti or Rapid Exhalation, for four minutes. Keep your eyes closed, body relaxed, mind calm. Take a deep breath in, and then exhale with full contraction of the abdominal muscles, just like that. So, in this practice, try to keep a gentle focus only on your stomach area. Do not worry about inhaling; just focus on exhaling. The point between two exhalations is when your body will automatically breathe in. Its mechanism is similar to a hand pump. Here, we are pumping breath out of the body.
Regular practice of Kapalbhati Pranayama detoxifies all the systems in the body. It is a powerful fat loss tool; that is just a side benefit. Just like milk spoils faster if it is provided constant heat, the benefits of Kapalbhati are enhanced if it is done without a break. It strengthens the digestive system like no other. Gas, acidity, indigestion, poor appetite, malabsorption, and malnutrition are all helped by daily Kapalbhati.
Today, we have looked at the above yogas and pranayamas that are very beneficial for our body and for our brain. Include them in your yoga practice regularly to get their many benefits over time. Therefore, it is only through regular practice that you will be able to do these poses perfectly and feel their good effects on your body and mind.
