Different yoga asanas benefit us in many ways. Warm up this winter and have a go at a new posture to recharge your body!
Inversions (think downward-facing dog) not only give you confidence but, by turning yourself upside down, change your perspective of the world; the way you look at things and how you solve problems.
Your ability to think in different types of situations will improve. Inversions also bring blood to the head and give the heart a rest.
Twists can be quite challenging and take a lot of concentration to get into. Through this we learn to stay present and focused through life's changes.
Twists' health benefits include cleansing and massaging of our internal organs, improved digestion, and stretching and strengthening of the spine.
Backbends take a lot of arm and leg strength but also require the ability to remain soft throughout. They challenge you to overcome frustrations and fear and to expose your heart to the world. These poses teach you to move with more ease and grace, to open your heart and have passion for life and love. One of the most relevant benefits for winter is their ability to boost immune function through a stimulation and release of the thymus gland.
Forward bends are wonderful in that they give you a chance to close out the rest of the world and completely release, time to look deep within and attain a deep sense of peace and calm. Most of us do not get a chance to do this often enough.
I love balance postures. They are a lot of fun but take intense concentration and strength as we align our center of gravity and push against the earth. It's said that they reflect our state of mind, so if we remain calm and steady, so too will our pose.
Enjoy discovering these asanas this winter!
