3 Yoga Poses That Will Revitalize Your Health

Yoga is one of the most ancient fitness arts and has never been more popular than it is today. From helping to soothe back pain to promoting flexibility, to helping to calm an overstressed mind, yoga is used for an incredible variety of healing purposes.

Doctors now prescribe it more than opiates for back pain, many athletes and working adults are incorporating it into their daily routines simply to help them feel stronger and sleep better, and also to combat the stresses of daily life. 

Other than maybe a video guide until you’ve learned the yoga sequences, yoga requires little to no equipment. A yoga mat is about all you need, and you can even make do with just a pillow or nothing at all if you have a comfortable place to do the exercise. All that it involves is stretching and taking different poses, utilizing your own body weight, leverage, and breathing techniques to achieve a harmonious yoga sequence. 

The end result is greater flexibility, stronger muscles, and a calmer mind. There are yoga sequences for complete beginners, ranging up to the advanced (and challenging!) routines used by experts of any age.

Combining this ancient art with the best diet and micronutrients available can help transform your body into an empowered version of you and let you live longer, stronger, and happier.

Let’s discuss some of the benefits in greater detail before we move on to some of the poses that you can use to help revitalize your health.

Flexibility and Dexterity

Of course, the most common image associated with yoga is that of the svelte young person contorting into seemingly painful stretches. While there is some truth to this stereotype, it’s because yoga helps enhance your body’s flexibility and increase your dexterity.

Stretching repeatedly can help build up a tolerance to such strenuous muscular stresses, loosening those limbs and enabling you to achieve those impossible poses. 

This sort of stretching does more than just make you limber, however. Improper bone alignment caused by weak or tight muscles can cause all kinds of aches and pains, all over the body. So does poor posture. Yoga helps improve all of these things by loosening and strengthening muscles, as we’ll see below!

Balance and Posture

None of those wild and incredible poses that seem to defy gravity would be possible without yoga’s ability to help you perfect your sense of balance and improve your posture. Studies have shown that less than half of Americans (as one example) are concerned with the effects of poor posture, while rising percentages of people, especially as they age, complain of back pain, much of which is attributed to bad posture. 

Improved posture is a great way to have more energy and prevent a lot of aches and pains that plague our necks and backs, especially. Yoga can help with this as it strengthens core muscles and stretches those joints, making them stronger and more flexible. 

A key part of this is your balance. Many people have poor balance. They shift their weight uncomfortably as they stand, or strike poses that seem easy but really just encourages bad posture habits. Forget trying anything fancy like a yoga pose or standing on one foot without swaying!

These types of awkward poses just tend to put more stress on the muscles and bones than we should feel. While most of us won’t notice anything in the short-term, in the big picture, these just sap away strength and solid footing you should have.

Yoga can help improve your balance and posture greatly, which helps you carry your body’s weight and endure the stresses of a day of work, exercise, or just everyday walking and chores.

Stronger Muscles, Stronger Heart

The typical image of the yogi is a slender and supremely flexible person, but in truth, yoga strengthens muscles. While yoga sequences won’t leave you looking like a bodybuilder, the truth is that they’re all about making those muscles stronger and more durable, which comes with a host of health benefits.

Studies have shown that greater muscle strength helps people live longer and more fruitful lives. 

Other studies have shown that strength training, like yoga, helps people feel calmer, more confident, and strengthens the mind against the adversities we face—all before we even begin to get into more esoteric concepts like channeling prana to help heal and strengthen our bodies!

Pose #1: Downward-Facing Dog

One of the most popular and well-known yoga sequences, the downward-facing dog offers a lot more value than you might think. It’s an invigorating full-body stretch that will definitely help revitalize your health and get the blood pumping to your extremities. Start by getting down on all fours, then lifting your knees up off the floor.

Lengthen and stretch your back as you lift your upper body by stretching and flexing your arms. When done properly, this pose will give you a good stretch of both arms and legs as well as work your core muscles and lengthen your spine. 

Hold this pose for a few minutes and when you’re done you’ll definitely feel the rush of satisfaction that comes with good exercise. 

Pose #2: Warrior

This pose will have you feeling the burn, but at the end of it, you’ll feel strong like a fierce warrior. Use this excellent form as part of your yoga sequence to get you fired up for more. The warrior pose involves standing with your feet hip-width apart and then taking a large step out as though performing a lunge.

Keeping the knees flexed and the core engaged, you’ll want to reach your arms out to the sides and keep them level, then turn so that they are parallel to the invisible line between your feet. Holding this pose can be challenging but it’s worth the effort, warrior!

Pose #3: Bridge Pose

A great stretch for strengthening both core muscles and really stretching out that spine, bridge pose is simple but can be challenging to maintain, making it perfect for beginners. Lie on your back, taking care not to put too much stress on your neck. Lift your knees and put your feet flat on the floor, then lift your hips toward the sun.

Arch your back while properly dividing the workload between legs, shoulders, and core muscles, and feel that revitalizing effort flow through you.