Fitness

How to Improve Your Yoga Posture

improving yoga posture

Practicing yoga at home is the perfect complement to your workout plan.  You’ll improve flexibility and functional movement, while experiencing the stress relieving benefits of a mind body workout.  If you’re practicing without regular classes, improving your yoga postures can be difficult.  Without regular feedback, how do you know if you’re improving your practice?  Here are some of the most important ways you can improve your yoga postures in your home yoga practice.
 

Create a Space for Concentration.

Setting aside a dedicated space that is free from interruptions is the most important first step in improving your yoga practice. When you begin your practice, take a moment to notice how your body is feeling.  Notice your heart rate and the sound of your breath.  Perhaps take the time to set an intention for your practice.  Keep your intention simple, focusing on an attitude, emotion, or area of your body that you’d like to stay with during your practice.
 

Notice your Breath.

Practicing with your breath is key to improving your yoga postures.  I frequently remind my students that breath is the difference between a yoga practice and simply stretching. Most yoga classes will use an ujjayi breath as a baseline breath during practice.  You can practice ujjayi breathing by continuing to inhale and exhale through the nose during your practice while creating a slight constriction in the throat (as though you are saying “haaaa” with your mouth closed).  This creates a breath that you are aware of throughout your practice, which will let you feel the changes that breath creates in your body.
In addition to noticing the sound of your breath, you’ll also notice how the expansion of your inhalations changes your body while holding a yoga posture.  Exhalations naturally increase our core strength as well as flexibility.  This makes exhalations powerful for finding deeper stretches as well as attaining more difficult strength and balancing positions.  When you work with your breath during your practice, you’ll find that your mind naturally calms and you are able to be present in the moment of your practice.  You’re also less likely to struggle at attaining a yoga posture and more able to work naturally with the capabilities of your body.
 

Engage your Core.

Using your core strength in your yoga postures is vital to practicing without injury. In fact, the greater your flexibility, the more important core strength becomes to stabilize the vulnerable areas of the hips and low back.  I like to include core strength work early in any yoga practice, including restorative classes.  Yoga core work doesn’t have to include intense sit ups and planks (though it can).
If you’re feeling the need for a restorative practice, simply start by noticing your core while lying on your back.  During your exhalation, focus on pressing your breath out by drawing your low belly in tighter to your spine.  Now continue to draw those same muscles in during your inhalation.  You can add to this work by extending arms and legs into a hollow hold, leg extensions, or dead bug.  This activation of your deep core stabilizers will provide a safer foundation for your practice. This is true whether you are focused on strength or flexibility in your yoga postures.
 

Stabilize your Body.

Working with your breath, intention, and core strength will naturally provide your body with better stability as you move into deeper yoga postures. As you begin to connect with the ground through your hands and feet in standing, inverted, and balancing postures, use those connections to provide your body with better stability.
In down dog, notice that you can press more deeply into the pads of your hands to create a lift of your body that opens and stabilizes the elbows and shoulders.  By pressing into your heels in warrior and triangle positions, you will naturally open and stabilize the hips and knees. Continue to focus on using your connection to the earth to lift your body while continuing your work with your breath and core.  You’ll find that your strength, alignment, and muscular engagement improve in every posture.
 

Use your Gaze.

In yoga practice, your gaze is called drishti. It solidifies concentration and presence in your practice.  While it can be tempting to close your eyes during practice or to let your gaze wander, giving yourself specific areas to focus on is a powerful way to improve your yoga posture. When attempting difficult balancing work, find a still point in front of your body on which to focus your drishti.
Whether you are attempting tree pose, a full dancer, or even working on handstands, a steady gaze will improve your balance.  During standing warriors, triangle, or side angle, bring your gaze upwards to your hand and notice the improved mind body awareness that results. During down dog, bring your gaze towards your navel to improve spinal alignment and increase core activation.
 

Rest.

Studio yoga practices always end with time to rest while lying on your back in Svasana. This time allows you to bring your practice deeper into your body and brain.  During your yoga practice, you create greater flexibility, more functional movement, and undo some of the adverse physical habits that we all create during our daily lives.  You also become more aware of your reactions, choices, and mental state.
Time spent in Svasana at the end of your yoga practice allows those changes and connections to deepen.  Rather than simply returning to the place you were at the beginning of practice, spend time in a neutral and safe place.  This lets your body and brain integrate the changes that you have made during your practice.  Spend no less than two minutes in Svasana to let your brain begin to quiet.  Work up to spending ten minutes or more whenever you can.  You’ll notice greater improvement from the time to rest and reset.
 
Congratulations on committing to advancing your yoga practice!  The changes that you make in your practice will pay off with improved athletic performance, better concentration, and more patience in your daily activities.  Sustaining a regular home practice is the biggest step you can take to improving your yoga postures.  This regular practice will improve your body awareness and understanding, allowing you to explore new asanas and variations, as well as exploring familiar postures with greater depth. Continue your study and your practice and enjoy the benefits to mind and body!

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