MEDITATE WITH MITSIS
It is time to roll out your yoga mat and discover the combination of physical and mental exercises that for thousands of years have hooked yoga practitioners around the world. The beauty of yoga is that you do not have to be a yogi or yogini to reap the benefits.
Read below the good yoga poses to learn to build your yoga practice. Remember to move slowly through each pose and breathe as you move. Pause after any pose you find challenging. The idea is to hold each pose for a few, slow breaths before moving on to the next one.
Child’s Pose
This calming pose is a good default pause position. It gently stretches your lower back, hips, thighs, knees, and ankles and relaxes your spine, shoulders, and neck. Do it when you want to get a nice gentle stretch through your neck spine and hips. Skip it if you have knee injuries or ankle problems. Avoid also if you have high blood pressure or are pregnant.
Plank Pose
A commonly seen exercise, plank helps build strength in the core, shoulders, arms and legs. Do it if you are looking to tone your abs and build strength in your upper body. Skip it if you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome. It can be hard on your wrists. You might also skip it or modify if you have low back pain. As you do a plank, imagine the back of your neck and spine lengthening.
Cobra Pose
This back-bending pose can help strengthen the back muscles, increase spinal flexibility and stretches the chest, shoulders and abdomen. Do it for strengthening the back. Skip it if you have arthritis in your spine or neck, a low-back injury or carpal tunnel syndrome. Try to keep your navel drawing up away from the floor as you hold this pose.
Tree Pose
Beyond helping improve your balance, it can also strengthen your core, ankles, calves, thighs and spine. Do it for working on your balance and posture. Skip it if you have low blood pressure or any medical conditions that affect your balance. Focus on your breath in and out as you hold this pose.
Triangle Pose
Triangle pose helps build strength in the legs and stretches the hips, spine, chest, shoulders, groins, hamstrings, and calves. It can also help increase mobility in the hips and neck. Do it for building strength and endurance. Skip it if you have a headache or low blood pressure. Keep lifting your raised arm toward the ceiling. It helps keep the pose buoyant.
Bridge Pose
This is a back-bending pose that stretches the muscles of the chest, back and neck. It also builds strength in the back and hamstring muscles. Do it if you sit most of the day, this pose will help you open your upper chest.
Skip it if you have a neck injury. While holding this pose, try to keep your chest lifted and your sternum toward your chin.