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Basic Yoga Postures For Relaxation and Weight Loss
Did you know that you can ease a lot of your aches and pains if you start practicing some of the basic yoga postures? If you have never tried yoga before, you might be quite surprised to learn just how many benefits this ancient exercise form has to offer. Not only is it an excellent way to relax, you can also turn your yoga workout into an aerobic workout, and it has the exact same benefits as aerobics, including breathing exercises. You can lose weight without doing strenuous exercises when you take advantage of everything that yoga has to offer.
If you are interested in learning more about yoga, here are some descriptions of a few of the basic postures:
The Palm Pose: Stand straight, making sure that your neck is straight and that you are looking straight ahead of you. Rise up on your toes while raising one arm until it is straight over your head. Hold this position while breathing normally. Repeat with the other arm.
The Plank: Again, you need to begin this pose on your hands and knees. While in this position, walk your feet backwards, until your legs are straight behind you, and only your toes are touching the floor. Hold this pose for 15 to 30 seconds, breathing normally, then return to the original position.
The Cat: This is one of the easier yoga postures, and one that will really give your spine a good stretch. Get on the floor on your hands and knees. Exhale, and push your spine towards the ceiling, rounding it. Hold the pose for 15 to 30 seconds, then inhale as you return to the original position.
The Cobra: Start out by laying face down on the floor with your legs close together. Place your palms on the floor, near your shoulders. Inhale and raise your head, bringing your neck back and using your hands to push your body upwards. When your arms are straight, hold this pose for 15 to 30 seconds, then exhale, lowering yourself back to the floor.
The Headstand: This is a little bit more difficult than the other postures, but it is one of the basic yoga postures that you will be taught early on. Face a wall, and bend over so that your head is touching the floor (bending at the knees), with your palms on either side of your head on the floor. Raise your legs behind you until your heels touch the wall, and hold the position for a minute or two, breathing normally.
These are just a few of the postures you will learn when you start taking yoga classes. There are many other yoga postures as well, and eventually, you will be doing these postures in sequence, and the faster you do them, the more aerobic benefits you are going to get from your workout.
