Yoga BLOG

Yogaübungen im Sitzen: wertvolle Asanas

Seated yoga exercises: valuable asanas

by Nick on May 08 2018
Seated yoga exercises: valuable asanas The neck is an area of our body that often receives too little attention. It's often overshadowed by the back, which we all want to treat when it's tense or in pain. Yet our neck is a particular area where many problems can originate. Muscle tension here can manifest itself in headaches, shoulder and arm pain, and even insomnia. The neck is often strained or even overstressed in everyday life. You may notice this particularly clearly if you frequently work at a computer. There are many yoga exercises that help you strengthen your neck and also learn to relax. Seated yoga poses are ideal for this. We'll introduce you to some of them in this blog post. Four seated yoga exercises Yoga Mudra: Forward Bend in Lotus In Yoga Mudra, you experience a long neck at its finest. By bending forward, you not only bow to creation, which gives you roots and wings at the same time, but you also relax your neck, increasingly as you become more and more aware of the gentle stretching of this area in this pose. You also bend forward at your desk. But this lengthening of your neck is completely different from that offered by yoga exercises in a seated position: While mental work at your desk can lead to a tense neck and you often look left and right, Yoga Mudra is a true act of letting go. You sink deeper and deeper into this pose, lengthening and relaxing your neck area, and learning to let go more and more, physically and mentally. Bandha Padmasana: bound lotus pose The bound lotus pose is one of the seated yoga poses well-suited for advanced practitioners. It relaxes your neck just like the forward bend in the lotus pose, but the posture is a bit more intense: By tying your arms behind your lower back, you gently draw your shoulders down. This creates the freedom for the neck that you may have often heard in yoga or exercise classes with the phrase "shoulders away from your ears." Unlike hunched shoulders, the neck can be optimally relaxed, making the bound lotus one of the ideal seated yoga poses for the neck. Try it out and see how your neck feels in this pose! Garbhasana: Fetal Pose The fetal pose is one of the asanas that offers perfect protection and relaxation. Is there a more relaxing posture than that of the child in the womb? Child's pose, as it is also called, is naturally also one of the seated yoga exercises that can benefit your neck. A holistic exercise that helps you relax your body, mind, and soul and gives you strength for the challenges ahead in life. It is one of the seated yoga exercises that is also suitable for balancing after strenuous asanas or at the end of a yoga class. Virasana: Warrior Warrior pose is also one of the seated yoga exercises that can promote neck health and thus your well-being. Here, too, lowering your arms relieves pressure on your neck by increasing the space between your shoulders and ears, thus giving your neck freedom. Virasana is also one of the seated yoga exercises that also relieves pressure on your back. Hero's pose, as it's also called, also helps relax your legs after a long day at work. Your mind can also find peace in this position. If you wish, you can also practice meditation or breathing exercises (pranayama) in the warrior pose to regain strength and rejuvenate yourself. Image © iofoto / 123rf.com

The Child's Pose / Seal of Yoga - Yoga Mudra

by Nick on Jun 09 2016
The Child's Pose/Seal of Yoga - Yoga Mudra Child's Pose is one of the yoga practices that allows you to experience complete relaxation, putting you in a position where you can optimally unwind and detach yourself from the pressures of everyday life. Child's Pose, also called Garbhasana, returns you to a position in which you were completely relaxed and unaware of exertion and tension. Garbhasana has a positive effect on building confidence and is beneficial for relaxing the back. Instructions for the child's position Garbhasana, Child's Pose, includes various positions that you can assume from the basic posture. The basic posture of this asana involves sitting on your heels with the backs of your hands resting next to your heels. Your elbows hang loosely and your forehead touches the floor. Your neck is long and your shoulders relaxed. Your back relaxes as you breathe deeply and then place your hands under your forehead if full Child's Pose is not possible due to health restrictions or a lack of flexibility. You can clench your fists or place them flat on top of each other, depending on how Child's Pose is most comfortable for you and how it relaxes you the most. Your back is rounded when your forehead touches the floor or rests on the tops of your hands or your fists. How does Garbahasana work? Child's Pose has a positive effect on your body and mind. The physical effect begins in the cervical vertebrae and extends through the thoracic and lumbar regions to the sacral vertebrae. All back muscles are stretched, and tension is released, allowing you to become much more relaxed and remove internal blockages from your body. Child's Pose is also ideal for the neck and throat area and, what's more, ensures that blood circulation is activated and accelerated. In Garbahasana, the abdominal organs receive a good massage, which can reduce menstrual cramps. Because the long back muscles and lumbar muscles, as well as the lower strand of the trapezius, are engaged and stretched, relaxation is widespread and immediate during the exercise in Child's Pose. Chakras activated with the child's pose The solar plexus is activated in Child's Pose, and energies in the body are harmonized. The chakras addressed are Manipura, Ajna, Sahasrara, and Swadisthana. Because Child's Pose mimics the position of an embryo in the womb, Garbhasana represents primal trust, humility, and the ability to let go. The positive influence on the chakras and your muscles leads you to complete relaxation, allowing you to find maximum peace in Child's Pose and give your mind the freedom to concentrate fully on your breathing and not perceive anything around you. The positive effect on blood circulation recharges your body, making you more active, fitter, and more resilient. Child's Pose is one of the most effective yoga exercises that you can practice for the sake of your well-being and integrate into your yoga routine. Flexibility in Garbahasana A major advantage of Child's Pose is its flexibility, which means you're not forced to overexert your body and necessarily rest your forehead on the floor. If you have back pain that prevents you from reaching the floor completely, you can also rest your forehead on your palms or fists and perform the exercise with equal effectiveness. The activation of your chakras and the beneficial effects on your muscles, as well as the release of tension, are not compromised by an alternative to Child's Pose. Only if you have retinal or eye problems or high blood pressure should you consult a doctor before practicing yoga and mention Child's Pose. Image © stay2gether / 123rf.com