In a hectic lifestyle like today where the days are dominated by endless deadlines, never-ending screen time, long hours of setting and surpassing amounts of work pressure, poor posture as a result of sedentary routine has become the most common norm. People are faced by problems such as cervical, rigidness in the lower back, flexibility issues and lower back problems. This poor posture not only affects the physical appearance of the body, but in the long run leads to lifestyle diseases, reduced mobility and weak muscles. Here comes the one-fix solution for all these problems, in the form of Yoga.
Yoga is the ancient wisdom of India which not only helps one stay fit, but also overcome and avoid physical problems which are a non-negotiable in today’s time. Yoga for good posture is not only a meagre reference to attract fitness enthusiasts but an actual reality that helps the Yoga practitioners stay fit, mobile and happy, both physically and mentally. In this guide, we shall be exploring the importance of correct posture in yoga, the relation between the core and the yoga postures and how it affects the body’s alignment.
Importance of correct posture in yoga
Yoga has N number of benefits, both physically and mentally and yoga as a fitness practice stands testament to being practiced over centuries. But the interesting fact about yoga or for that matter any physical activity which is meant to render therapeutic benefits is that, when it is done incorrectly it may lead to more unwanted effects rather than giving you comfort and relaxation. The same applies for yoga. When you attempt a certain posture in yoga and you attempt it wrongly, there is a possibility that you would be doing the wrong posture over time and this may not only lead you to practising it incorrectly, but rather impacting your body aggressively and negatively.
When you do Yoga the right way with the correct alignment, you not only enhance the effects of the posture, but you also positively improve your flexibility, joint strength, muscular movements and overall balance of your body.
A study conducted by the American Chiropractic Association, revealed that 80% of people experience lower back pain at some or the other point in their lives as a result of poor posture. So this proves that in day-to-day lives if you can improve your posture in general while you are sitting for work or having long sitting hours in general, you not only keep your spine healthy, but you also avoid long term lifestyle problems.
Relation between the core and posture
When it comes to yoga, the core becomes more than an abdominal muscle. When we speak about core strength in yoga, we include a variety of factors such as the oblique muscles, the spinal muscles, the muscles around the diaphragm, stomach as well as the chest muscles. When you hold a strong core and maintain balance in your yoga practice as a result of the strong core, you not only perform the postures correctly, but you also allow them to render you deep stretching and therapeutic benefits, helping your body stay firm and reducing any unwanted stress on your spine or neck or other parts of your body.
How yoga affects body's alignment
In the words of BKS Iyengar “It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence’’. When it comes to the importance of alignment in yoga it was BKS Iyengar who globally popularised the importance of alignment. Alignment is basically the correct way of performing yoga keeping your mind body and breath in sync and achieving maximum efficiency, balance, and stability in a given yoga posture with minimum amounts of stress on your body. A correct alignment in yoga not only helps you perform the asanas accurately and render given benefits, but also allow you to prevent injury, strain, and unwanted pressure. Correct alignment affects your body by relaxing the overworked muscles and improving the weak ones to achieve muscular balance, and strength.
Yoga postures for correct alignment and improved core strength
Mountain pose – The mountain pose also known as Tadasana is one of the core poses in yoga which is not only popular for enhancing the alignment of the body, but also improving the core strength and elongation of your spine.
Plank pose – The plank pose also known as the Phalakasana is an effective yoga posture loved by gym goers as well for engaging the core muscles, improving the spine and hip strength, and allowing your upper body to burn fats by engaging the abdominal muscles.
Boat pose – Boot pose or the Navasana is another effective yoga posture that helps one improve balance by engaging the core muscles deeply and allowing your spine to organically bend along the body’s natural shape.
Cat cow pose – The cat-cow pose is another popular yoga posture which helps with alignment, as not only it engages your core muscles but it also stretches your spine muscles and boosts flexibility. When it is practiced with conscious breath awareness, it leads to deep relaxation after a tiring day of long sitting hours.
Bridge pose – The bridge pose also known as the Sethubandhasana is an effective pose that helps curve the spine, improve the flexibility of glute muscles, and strengthen your lower back. It not only opens the chest but also enhances your arm strength and improves blood flow to your head.
Cobra pose – The Cobra pose or the Bhujangasana is one of the most loved yoga poses for core strengthening as it not only opens your chest muscles, but engages your abdominal muscles effectively and also helps you stretch your glutes, hamstrings, spine and neck muscles.
Conclusion
Yoga is more than just relaxation and flexibility. It is one of the most powerful ways of strengthening your body, while working on your flexibility, core muscles and heightened awareness of breath and body. When you perform yoga with correct alignment, you not only achieve accurate yoga postures, but allow yourself to feel the therapeutic benefits of the asanas derived from correct alignment. If you are someone who is interested in enhancing your yoga practise or taking up Yoga teaching as a professional career, enrolling in Yoga teacher training goa offered by reputable yoga institutions like AdiYogam based in Arambol North Goa can be an excellent choice.
