Yoga for Posture
Posture is an essential component of physical health that most people don’t think about until it gets out of whack. You’re putting unnecessary pressure on your spine and neck when you slouch. This can also lead to pain, reduced flexibility, decreased mobility, and various health issues. One of the first things you can do to improve your posture is to take regular breaks throughout the day. Try standing up at a desk or sitting in an over-stuffed chair. This will help to keep your core engaged and prevent you from slouching as much. You can also use yoga to improve your posture. Regularly practicing yoga can improve your posture and naturally relieve pains in your body. Several different types of yoga can help improve posture. In addition to regular classes, you can also try practicing simple stretches at home. Try the Yoga poses for posture below!
Yoga for Posture
1. Supine Butterfly Pose
a1. Supported Butterfly Pose- Hips Opener
For this exercise, use cushions or a pillow to support your hips.
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place a cushion or a pillow on your lower back. Then place your hands on the sides. Tighten your core and open your knees to the side, bringing the soles of your feet together. Afterward, hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and return to an upright sitting position.
a2. Supported Butterfly Pose- Heart Opener
For this exercise, use yoga blocks, cushions, or pillows to support the back of your shoulders.
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place a cushion or a pillow on your upper back. Place your hands on your belly Tighten your core and open your knees to the side, bringing the soles of your feet together. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
2. Knees to Chest
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Bring both knees to your chest and hold onto your knees with both arms, looking for a light stretch in the lower back and glutes. Afterward, close your eyes and hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
You can move your knees from side to side to intensify this movement.
3. Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana)
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, relaxing your upper body. Lift your legs. Hold the outsides of your feet in each hand, bringing your knees toward your chest with your knees wide apart. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Variation 1 - Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana)
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, relaxing your upper body. Lift your legs. Then hold the outsides of your feet in each hand, bringing your knees toward your chest with your knees wide apart. Hold this position for a couple of seconds and bend one knee down while maintaining the opposite knee up. Reverse the movement up and down. Alternately repeat the movements with 5 repetitions.
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Variation 2 - Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana)
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, relaxing your upper body. Lift your legs. Then hold the outsides of your feet in each hand, bringing your knees toward your chest with your knees wide apart. Engage your core and spread your legs out to the sides. Afterward, hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
4. Knees to Chest to Curling Like a Ball
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Bring both knees to your chest and hold onto your knees with both arms, looking for a light stretch in the lower back and glutes. Afterward, close your eyes and hold the position for a couple of seconds. Then slowly raise your back, bringing your nose towards your knees. Relax and return to the starting position.
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5. Curling up and Down
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent. Place your hands at the back of your knees for support. Tighten your core, then lift your legs upward. Using your body’s momentum, raise your body into a sitting position, then move back down into the starting position. Repeat the sequence of movement. Complete 2-3 repetitions.
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6. Seated Wide Legged Straddle
For this exercise, you need a pillow or a cushion for support.
Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor in front of a cushion or a pillow. Spread your legs wider out to the side. Then engage your core and slowly bend your upper body forward, resting your chest on top of the pillow or cushion. Afterward, hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and return to the starting position.
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Variation 1 - Seated Wide-Legged Straddle
Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor. Spread your legs wider out to the side. Engage your core and slowly bend your upper body forward, bringing your head down to the floor. Afterward, hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and return to an upright sitting position.
7. Side Stretch Fold
For this exercise, you need a pillow or a cushion for support.
Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor with your legs straight and closed together. Maintain good alignment with your upper body. Place a pillow on top of your legs. Engage your core and slowly fold your upper body towards the pillow as you extend your arms forward and wrap your hands around your feet. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
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8. Seated Spinal Twist
Begin in an upright sitting position with your legs stretched out in front, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Then place your left hand behind your back for support. Bend your left knee and reach overhead with your right arm, engage your core, and slowly reach down your arm as you anchor your elbow on your left knee. Then, twist your upper body to the side, with your face looking over your back. Afterward, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and repeat the movement on the opposite side.
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9. Figure 4
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Cross one ankle over your opposite knee. Then place your hands at the back of the knee and pull your knee closer to your chest. Afterward, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and repeat the movement on the opposite side.
To intensify the stretch, pull your knees closer to your chest and raise your head, bringing your nose to touch your left leg.
10. Reclined Half Cow Face Pose
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Cross one ankle over your opposite knee. Engage your core, then twist through the low back pelvis and spine to lower your knees to one side. Place your arms on your side at shoulder length. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and repeat the movement on the opposite side.
11. Progressive Exercises:
a1. Candlestick
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Then pace your hands on your side, relaxing your upper body. Tighten your core and raise both legs upward at a 90-degree angle. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
The following exercises are optional; if you find the following exercises below difficult to execute, you can stop and just do the Candlestick Pose, then you can proceed directly to Exercise #13- Fish Pose (Matsyanasa)
a2. Shoulder Stand Pose
From the Candlestick position. Keeping your head and neck on the floor. Engage your core, then slowly lift your hips toward the ceiling, straightening your legs upward. Then bend your elbows as you place your hands on your lower back for support. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
a3. Plow Pose (Halasana)
From the Shoulder Stand position. Slowly bring both legs over your head with your toes on the floor. Then bend your elbows as you place your hands on your lower back for support. Afterward, hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Variation 1 - Plow Pose (Halasana)
From the Plow Pose position. Slowly bring both legs over your head with your toes on the floor. Then, bring your arms down flat on the floor with your hands clasped together. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Variation 2 - Plow Pose (Halasana)
From the Plow Pose position (Variation 1). Slowly bring both legs over your head with your knees bent and your toes pointing forward. Then, bring your arms down flat on the floor. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
12. Supported Fish Pose
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place a cushion or a pillow on your lower back. Place your hands on the sides. Tighten your core as you arch your mid-back. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
To intensify this pose, place your weight on your hips and forearms. Pressing your hips and forearms can deepen the pose and lift your chest higher.
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Supported Fish Pose
13. Flying Fish Pose
Lie on your back on the floor with your legs straight and close together, and maintain good alignment with your upper body. Tighten your abdominal area and slowly extend your arms forward with palms pressed together. Then, lift both legs at a 15-degree angle with toes pointing forward.Maintain your shoulder blades and upper torso off the floor. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Repeat Knee to Chest
14. Lying Spinal Twist
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms at your side, relaxing your upper body. Strengthen your right leg, then twist through the low back pelvis and spine to bring your left leg across your body. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and repeat the movement on the opposite side.
15. Pretzel Pose
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms at your side, relaxing your upper body. Strengthen your right leg, then twist through the low back, pelvis, and spine to bring your left leg across your body. Then, bend your right leg and grab the foot with your left hand. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and repeat the movement on the opposite side.
16. Lying in Breaths
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place one hand on your belly and the opposite on your heart center. Tighten your core and open your knees to the side, bringing the soles of your feet together. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and return to an upright sitting position.
17. Supported Corpse Pose
For this exercise, use cushions or a pillow to support your hips if needed.
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place a cushion or a pillow on your lower back. Place your hands on the sides. Tighten your core and close your eyes while relaxing your whole body. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
18. Full Body Stretch
Use cushions or a pillow to support your hips for this exercise.
Lie on your back on the floor, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Place a pillow at the back of your hips. Engage your core and bring your arms overhead as you stretch your legs. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Repeat Knees to Chest to Curling Like a Ball
19. Side Fetal Pose
For this exercise, use cushions or a pillow to support your hips if needed.
Lie on your side on the floor with your knees bent, maintaining good alignment in your upper body. Extend your bottom arm overhead and rest your head on your outstretched arm. Place a pillow between your legs and close your eyes. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
20. Lotus/ Prayer Pose
Begin in an upright sitting position with your legs crossed, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Pressed your palms together in a prayer position. Engage your core and close your eyes. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Yoga has a long history of use for improving posture. From being used to aid in the treatment of low back pain to supporting proper alignment, yoga poses can help improve your posture. This is because each pose requires you to engage muscles that weren’t previously used in your back. By strengthening these muscles through yoga, you can improve your posture and reduce the risk of future issues such as arthritis or muscle strain. The best way to improve posture is to take small steps and slowly build up your strength through yoga and flexibility over time. By these yoga poses keeping one eye out for new opportunities to stretch and strengthen, you’re more likely to see improvements in your posture over time.
