Six Yoga Poses to Strengthen Your Body

Yoga is a specialized science of controlling the mind and our metabolism through exercises. Meditation and proper guidance of body systems help us to keep our body healthy and our mind peaceful. One must learn all exercises in a proper order to gain mastery over this. The structured learning approach provided by Yoga Teacher Training India Course helps students gain control over their minds. In time, one learns how to cure ailments and prevent the onset of diseases.

Yoga helps strengthen both our body and mind. We should do yoga with the utmost concentration in a relaxed way. Here are six yoga poses to strengthen the body.

Boat Pose - ParipurnaNavasana

Benefits: Strengthens deep hip flexor and abs
Method: Start from sitting position with hands on the floor near your sides.
• Bend your knees and bring it close to your buttocks.
• Press with hands on the floor and point your legs forward.
• Exhale and bend your knees and lift your feet off the floor.
• Raise both legs by straightening your knee.
• Tighten your core and elongate your spine.
• Raise your hands out in front of you so as to keep your body balanced.
• Open your shoulders and press the shoulder blades against each other.
• Keep your legs at 45 degrees to the ground.
• Hold the pose for 10-12 seconds.
• Repeat as needed.

Chair Pose - Utkatasana

Benefits: Strengthens thighs, core, and calf muscles.
Method: Begin in a standing position Tadasana.
• Stand with feet apart by one or one-and-a-half feet.
• Relax your upper body, make the spine lose and supple.
• Inhale as you lift your hands in the air. Keep them parallel to each other palms facing each other.
• Exhale, bend your knees and lower your backside to the floor. Keep inner thighs parallel and press head of thigh bone to the floor.
• Let your tailbone to the floor and firm your shoulder blades.
• Hold the pose for 10-12 seconds. Come to a standing position again.
• Repeat as many cycles as needed.

Dolphin Plank Pose - MakaraAdhoMukhaSvanasana

Benefits: Tones the core, arms, and thigh.
Method: Begin with a prone position on the floor.
• Bring your hands above your shoulders. Press down on the floor with the elbows.
• Keep your hands parallel to each other. Your shoulder must remain directly above your elbow.
• Press on the floor with your hand. Raise your torso off the floor.
• Tighten the inner core muscle as you inhale, lengthen your tailbone and open your shoulders.
• Raise your body on your toes and rest it on your hands. Keep the body straight.
• Hold the pose for 10-12 seconds. Relax and come back to the prone position on the floor.
• Repeat as many times as needed.

Downward-Facing Dog - AdhoMukhaSvanasana

Benefits: Stretches the back muscles, thigh, and strengthens the core.
Method: Start from tabletop position on all fours.
• Bring your knees directly below your hip. Exhale as you lift your knees away from the floor.
• Keep your hands in front of you palm flat on the floor.
• Lift your buttocks high up in the air. Keep your body and hands straight.
• Tighten the core and expand your shoulders, press your tailbone down to the floor.
• You will make an inverted V with the floor.
• Hold the pose for 10-12 seconds.
• Do as many repeats as needed.

Garland Pose - Malasana

Benefits: Stretches the back, groin, and ankle.
Method: Start from a seated position on the floor.
• Bring your feet below your buttocks and lift your backside off the floor.
• Keep your hands in front of you, palms pressed against each other.
• Make your feet sufficiently wide to keep your balance. Keep your thighs slightly wide, wider than your torso.
• Exhale and push forward slightly, so you fit inside the thighs.
• Press with the elbow on inner knee. Lengthen your front torso.
• Inhale and make your inner core tight.
• Hold the pose for 10-12 seconds. Come back to seated position.
• Repeat as needed.

Locust Pose - Salabhasana

Benefits: Strengthens legs, arms, back of the torso.
Method: Begin witha supine position on the floor.
• Keep your hands beside you on the floor. Keep your face sideways on the floor.
• Inhale as you raise your torso up into the air. Keep arms stiff beside you.
• Look up straight ahead keep your gaze soft.
• Strengthen the inner core, expand your shoulders.
• Hold the pose for 10-12 seconds.
• Relax and come to the sleeping position.
• Repeat 10-15 times.

When we practice yoga, we must take care not to stress our body. If there is any pain, stop and consult the yoga teacher first. Do not do any of these yoga exercises if you have asthma, heart trouble, low blood pressure, menstruation, headache, or diarrhoea.