Top 5 Yoga Poses to Improve Your Posture

5 Yoga Poses to Improve Your Posture

1. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

This yoga pose is beneficial for a backstretch and opening up the hips.

How to Do:

• Kneel on the floor and stretch out the legs in front; put toes together.
• Keep the knees bent on and spread apart the width of the hips.
• Rest palms on top of thighs.
• Exhale and lower torso between the knees; extend the arms alongside torso with palms facing down.
• Relax shoulders and keep towards the ground.
• Rest in this pose for as long as required.

2. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

It is a great way to relax after a strenuous exercise regime or when warming up. It will also help to stretch the upper body and back of the legs.

How to Do:

• Stand with legs slightly apart, at hip-width; keep hands on your hips.
• Bend forward as you exhale, keeping the legs straight.
• As one descends one should draw in the front torso and keep it tight, open up space between top sternum and pubis.
• Hold ankles and press upper body towards the legs; hold in this position as long as required.
• Emphasis has to be on lengthening the front torso.
• As one inhale one should lift and lengthen the front torso; the head should hang from a root of the neck.
• Hold the position for 30 seconds and get back to a standing position slowly.

3. Cat-Cow Pose

This pose is beneficial when you wish to stretch and massage the spine. It helps in relieving tension to the torso, neck, and shoulders. It also helps to promote blood circulation.

How to Do:

• One needs to get onto their hands and place knees hip-distance apart; weight needs to be balanced on four points in an even manner.
• While in this position one should inhale and look up; at the same time one should drop their abdomen towards the ground as they extend their spine as well.
• One needs to arch the spine as they exhale and turn towards the ceiling; at the same time the chin needs to be tucked into the chest.
• The movement should be repeated for a minute.

4. Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

This pose is akin to doing forward bend. It is a resting pose that helps to balance out the body. This pose is beneficial for relieving back pain as well as aligns and strengthens back muscles. When practiced regularly it helps in improving posture as well.

How to Do:

• One should begin by lying on the ground, flat on the stomach; both hands should be pressed on either side of the boy and toes should be tucked under the feet and heels lifted off.
• As one lifts the body they should straighten the knees and hips as the upper body remains bent down.
• Holding the position one should bend knees and lengthen the spine.
• Hands should be firmly pressed down and heels lifted slightly.
• The pose can be held for a few seconds to a minute.

5. Pigeon Pose

Pigeon pose is beneficial for hips as well as the lower back. Those who face problems while changing position such as getting into a standing position while sitting or walking will find themselves being able to do such movements more easily. It helps to increase range of motion externally, lengthens the hip flexors, and prepares the body for seating postures as well as for backbends. If one is preparing to do padmasana, this pose can help to prepare for the same.

How to Do:

• One needs to get on all fours, bring right knee in front and towards right wrist.
• The right ankle needs to be placed in front of the left hip.
• Slide back left leg and point toes, heel needs to point towards the ceiling.
• Use the support of buttocks and draw legs in.
• As one inhales one needs to come on their fingertips, lengthen the spine and draw in navel.
• As one exhales one needs to walk their hands forward, lower upper body towards the floor, rest forearms and forehead on the mat.
• Stay in position and breathe for five counts.
• To get out of a pose, push back with hands, lift hips and move leg back onto fours.

The above poses help to correct posture by strengthening the spine, increasing the flexibility of the hip and other joints that are involved in different sitting, standing and other positions.

You Might Also Like:

• 7 Easy Yoga Poses for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• 5 Best Yoga Poses for Healthy Liver
• Yoga for Thyroid – 7 Best Poses to Control Thyroid
• 8 Yoga Poses to Detox Your Body
• Yoga for PCOS – 6 Effective Poses to Treat PCOS