It was founded by the yogis of ancient India. This age-old practice was a way to dig deep into the human psyche to find a path towards something that was beyond human behavior, personality, and understanding. In the chaos of the 21st century, people find repose in the practice of yoga. Almost as a portal to reach a being within them that they find hard to reach in there.
Just about anyone and everyone can do yoga and this is the reason why millions are joining yoga courses and building a career out of this practice. The holistic benefits are really inspiring and tangible to anyone who has experienced yoga. Anyone who has performed yoga for a long time has come across the thought of becoming a yoga teacher, at least once in their course; which in fact is a blooming career option.
There are yoga teacher training in India, which in the country of origin of this practice. Apart from India, a lot of south East Asian countries have options for yoga enthusiasts. Yoga teacher training in Nepal is another option for yoga enthusiasts trying to get into teaching yoga.
If you have practiced yoga, you would have had a firsthand experience of the many benefits that it has to offer. Some of them are increased muscle flexibility and strength, correction in the breathing pattern, correction of shallow breathing, increased focus and a rejuvenated sense of being. Apart from a correction in the physical being, yoga is known to improve mental function and spiritual awakening.
Usually every asana is beneficial for one’s strength and flexibility, but here are a few tips, advice and asanas as to improve one’s flexibility:
1. The boat pose:
This is a pose that works on the core body strength but it requires a huge amount of alignment and focus to sit in this pose for a longer amount of time. This pose works on the muscle strength of your abdomen, legs and back.
When you sit in this pose your body resembles the alphabet “V”.
To perform this pose:
Sit on your hips. Join your legs and elevate both your legs in the air. You will notice that as soon as you raise your legs in the air, your upper body slightly inclines backward to maintain the balance. Stay in the pose for as long as you can hold it, exhaling and inhaling freely.
2. The pigeon pose:
This asana works wonders on your hip-flex muscles. It relaxes and stretches the hip muscles working on the flexors and relieving stress from the hip area.
To perform this pose:
Sit on your hips while crossing your legs in front of you. Now remove one leg from the crisscross position and stretch it backwards while bending at the waist with the forehead touching the ground. Breathe freely and keep your backbone straight. Now raise your upper body vertically so that it is perpendicular to the leg that is stretched back. Stay in that position for as long as it comfortable and then gently bring the leg back in the criss-cross position. Do the same routine with the other leg.
3. The fish pose:
This asana works on the shoulder strength and flexibility. It is extremely beneficial to the backbone and the posture as well.
To perform this pose:
Lie down on your back with your arms beside your hips. Now tuck your hands under your hips and us your elbow to lift your back off the floor. The head should be touching the floor while you lift the back. This pose pushes your back bone into an arch. Stay in this pose while breathing freely. Exhale and inhale deeply and sit in this position for as long as you find it comfortable. Do not overstretch.
Practicing these few poses works very effectively on increasing the flexibility and strength of one’s core body and strengthening of the muscles. Yoga in general has so many of these asanas that work on all the aspects to achieve a healthy body.
