yoga for beginners: photo
Calm exercises can shape a beautiful body just as well as intense workouts. Natalya Serokaya, a hatha yoga instructor at the Yoga Class studio and the Raketa fitness club chain, told and showed a set of exercises that can be done at home every day. There will be enough of them to not only improve your well-being, but also to tighten the muscles, as well as give a beautiful shape to the whole body.
The set of exercises consists of asanas – positions that the body must take. The main thing is to correctly follow all the recommendations to the smallest detail. Most asanas should be held for 20-30 seconds or eight breaths. You also need to breathe correctly – through the nose, trying to lengthen the exhalation. Some asanas need to be performed on the right and left sides, always starting from a certain leg.
We get up to the starting position “feet together.” Take a wide step back with one foot.
A simplified version of the asana
The foot of the leg laid back rests on the toes. The leg in front is bent at the knee, while her foot is in line with the knee. The angle at which the supporting leg is bent is blunt or straight, but not sharp. It is important that the knee in front of the standing leg does not fall inward. We transfer the body to a perpendicular position relative to the floor. The pelvic bones should be in the same plane. We straighten the leg laid back, tighten the kneecap. Raise your arms up, while lowering your shoulders down. We look forward.
Complicated version of the asana
The back foot is rotated 45 degrees and pressed to the floor, the heel is farther than the top of the foot. We bend the knee in front of the standing leg, keeping the thigh parallel to the floor, and the knee above the heel. Raise your hands up, join your palms, lower your shoulders down and add a slight deflection.
After completing the asana on one leg, we move on to Virabhadrasana II.
Effect
The chest opens, this helps to improve breathing. The muscles of the legs are toned, fat is burned in the pelvic area and thighs.
From Virabhadrasana I, as we exhale, we spread our arms to the sides to the level of the shoulders, direct our palms down, lower the shoulder blades down and open the pelvis. The foot of your backward leg should be parallel to the back edge of the mat – place your heel just further than the top of your foot. Then we bend the knee in front of the standing leg, while the knee looks at the foot, and the lower leg turns out to be perpendicular to the floor. It is important to distribute the weight evenly between your legs and not to fall forward. The body should be perpendicular to the floor, and the gaze should be directed over the outstretched arm.
Effect
This asana makes the legs strong and slender, opens the hip joints, and helps to get rid of cramps in the calf muscles and thighs. In standing asanas, the buttocks and the back of the thigh are well worked out.
Having performed the asana on one leg, we return to Virabhadrasana I and do it on the other leg, then repeat Virabhadrasana II again, but also on the other leg, and only after that we begin to do the following exercises.
We get up to the starting position “feet together.” We transfer the body weight to one leg, with exhalation we lower the body into a slope parallel to the floor. The pelvis is closed, the other leg is pulled back, the foot is directed with the toes down, while it should be pulled towards you. It is important that the line of the body is parallel to the floor, the heel looks up and the toe is clearly down.
A simplified version of the asana
We bend the supporting leg a little, transfer our hands to the supporting thigh. This will make it easier to keep your balance.
Complicated version of the asana
We move our hands forward, take the shoulder blades away from the ears. Look at the rug or hands.
Effect
The legs are strengthened and slimmer. Standing on one leg also has a beneficial effect on blood circulation. However, do not get carried away and stay in the asana for more than eight breaths for 20-30 seconds, especially if you have varicose veins.
The asana is performed alternately on both legs.
The starting position is a regular plank. We lower the forearms on the mat parallel to each other, the elbows are under the shoulders. We line the legs, pelvis, back and head in one line, with the top of the head stretching forward and with the heels backward. Abdomen, back and legs are toned. We look at the floor. It is necessary to be in this position as much as you can, it is very important to try to increase this time every day. You also need to monitor your breathing and not hold it, no matter how hard it may seem.
Effect
The asana helps to strengthen the arms, abdominal muscles, and improve the functioning of the abdominal organs.
Starting position: we sit on the mat, stretch our legs forward, move our buttocks back from under the ischial bones with our hands, pull our feet towards ourselves. With an inhalation, we raise our hands up, with an exhalation with a straight back, we lower the body to our legs, and put our palms on the feet from above. With an inhalation, we again stretch the lower ribs forward, with an exhalation we line the stomach along the thighs and lower our head. It is important that the shoulder blades are down and that the shoulders do not pinch the neck. Breathing is even and calm – you should relax and lengthen the exhalation.
A simplified version of the asana
We bend our knees, lower our stomach to the hips, pull our feet towards ourselves. The main thing is to make sure that your back is straight.
Complicated version of the asana
We lower the body to our feet, the stomach is tightly pressed to the hips. If flexibility permits, grasp the wrist behind the feet with the palm of your hand.
Effect
The entire back part of the body is stretched intensively from the back of the head to the heels.
Starting position: we sit on the mat, take our palms back a little, fingers pointing forward.
A simplified version of the asana
We place the feet hip-width apart. We bend our knees, with an inhalation we raise the pelvis up. Legs and arms should be perpendicular to the floor. The gaze is directed forward or at the ceiling.
Complicated version of the asana
Place the feet together. With a breath, raise the pelvis, look at the ceiling. The neck and head should be in line with the back, and the arms should be perpendicular to the floor. We strive to lower our feet onto the mat. We direct our gaze upward.
Effect
Intense traction of the entire front surface of the body.
Starting position: sit down on the rug. Put your feet on the floor with your knees pointing up. We straighten our back, stretch upwards behind the crown. We translate the legs and arms parallel to the floor. We keep our legs together, we transfer the weight to the ischial bones and coccyx. Make sure your back is straight.
A simplified version of the asana
We translate the palms next to the pelvis, keep the shins parallel to the floor.
Complicated version of the asana
Straighten your knees. The angle between the body and the legs should be approximately 90 degrees.
Effect
The asana strengthens the muscles of the back, abdominals and thighs, increases blood circulation in the abdomen, improves digestion and provides relief from bloating. However, it is not recommended for menstruation.
Skrutka (Maričiasana v Sukhasane)
Starting position: sit on the mat with a straight back and cross your ankles. We intertwine the fingers in the lock and with a breath we stretch up. On exhalation with a straight back, we twist to the right side, trying to look back. We remain in this position for 20 seconds. Then we slowly unwind. Again we intertwine the fingers in the lock, with an inhalation we stretch upward and perform a twisting on the exhale with a straight back to the other side.
Effect
Twists are good for the spine, shape a beautiful figure and make the waist tighter. In addition, regular practice of this asana stimulates the liver and spleen, strengthens the muscles of the neck, eliminates calcium salts in the shoulder joints, thereby ensuring their mobility. Twists improve the nutrition of the intervertebral discs and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
The final asana in the complex. Some people neglect this asana and underestimate its benefits. Its main task is to completely relax the body and bring all mechanisms back to normal. Performing this seemingly simple exercise in complete silence is not at all easy. It is important to prepare in advance a relaxing, calm music or audio recording of Shavasana with the voice of the presenter, who will say: “Relax your arms, legs, face, ears, cheeks, eyebrows …” You need to lie on your back, spread your arms and legs to the side, palms up and cover eyes. For 10-15 minutes, you need to lie down, relaxed and not think about anything.
Effect
Relieves fatigue, calms the mind, helps relieve stress.