Yoga is not only good for your overall physical health because it also gives you mental alertness and calmness. With yoga, you will learn balance and stability. And learning how to improve balance in yoga will also allow you to enjoy all other benefits of yoga exercise. Furthermore, it helps you relieve stress and reduce inner tension. It also improves your focus and concentration.
You need balance when you do your poses in yoga sessions. So, if you are a beginner, try developing your posture as it helps your balance and stability. Mastering balance and poses take time, and it can’t be done overnight. It needs patience and determination.
Staying Calm and Composed Improves Balance in Yoga
When you are into yoga, the main goal is to connect your body with your mind. To be able to achieve this, you must set aside all your unnecessary thoughts. Try not to get distracted with the negative energy you have experienced before you do the activity. Find a quiet place then start your meditation. Stay focus on your breathing.
Yoga Poses to Improve your Balance
One way of improving your balance in yoga is by applying its poses. There are simple poses that require focus and concentration. And as a result, it improves your balance.
Ragdoll Pose
The ragdoll pose is one of the simplest yoga poses that helps you in developing your balance. This is commonly known as the dangling pose or Uttanasana in Sanskrit. Performing the ragdoll pose will help on how to improve balance in yoga.
Steps:
- Begin by folding your body forward.
- Inhale while you bring your arms to interlocked with your elbow. At the same time keep your face and chest close towards your thighs
- Exhale and bring your torso down, trying to touch the floor with elbows.
- Allow your head, shoulder, neck, and arms to hang loose. Stay in this position for about eight breaths.
- When you find this difficult, you can bend your knees and look up to avoid putting pressure on your head and neck.
- Inhale and look up, then slowly come up to stand as you release your arms.
You can repeat the procedure and feel the stretch from your shoulder, lower back while you do the forward bend. Expect pressure on the head and neck in this pose. This pose is usually done to bring balance to your root chakra.
Lowered Plank Pose
When you are starting to learn how to improve balance in yoga, the lower plank pose should be included. This pose provides lots of advantages. Aside from improving your balance, it can also strengthen your core, gives you a better posture, increase muscle definition, and could reduce back pain. Some beginner yogis find this pose very challenging.
Steps:
To begin your plank position, keep your legs and arms straight. Your shoulders should be over your wrist, and your hips are apart. Maintain a straight body throughout the sequence by letting the legs firm and your core engaged.
- Begin with the plank position, with your wrist directly under your shoulder.
- Spread your fingers and press down. Do not let your chest collapse.
- Position your feet up on tiptoe, and lengthen your back and neck, drawing your abdominal muscles towards your spine. Keep your head and body into a straight line.
- Keep your thigh lifted. Make sure not to let your hips sink too low, or your butt sticks up in the air.
- Contract your abdominal muscles by drawing your pelvic muscles towards your spine. While doing this, make sure to keep your head straight lining with your spine.
- Draw your body down through the bases of your index fingers. Then press the front of your thighs up while lengthening your tailbone towards your heels.
- Stay on this position while taking five breaths.
- To release, slowly get into your knees and rest.
If you want to build strong stamina, do the lower plank pose for five minutes.
Mountain Pose
The mountain pose is also known as Tadasana pose in yoga. It is considered as the foundation of all standing yoga poses. It is one of the preparatory poses with your feet on the ground. It requires deep attention and focus.
Steps:
- Inhale. Then raise the arms up and beyond the level of your shoulder.
- Exhale then extend your chest, shoulder, upper abdomen, and arms upward.
- Inhale and exhale while you stay in mountain pose with your back slightly bent.
Do the breathing exercise up to 6 breaths and then relax. Breathing in every stretch and deeply exhale. This will help flex your body while ensuring the perfect coordination of your body muscles.
Here are some yoga accessories and guides to improve your balance:
Tree Pose
The tree pose of yoga will stretch your thighs, groins, torso, and shoulder. It strengthens your ankles and calves and tone up your abdominal muscles. This pose will not only improve your balance but also enhance coordination of the parts in your body involved in the exercise.
Steps:
- Start the exercise with your arms on your side. Distribute your weight evenly on both feet.
- Lift your right foot and press it against the side of your thigh, putting all your weight to your left foot. Adjust your hips, so your right and left hips are aligned.
- Rest your hands on your hips.
- Inhale as you extend your arms overhead with your fingers reaching to the sky, then by rotating, bring your palms inward facing each other. Press it together in prayer position.
- Hold for one minute. Then release the pose.
Repeat the procedure, but this time, putting the weight on the other foot.
For this position to be beneficial, it is necessary that you stay grounded, meaning you have to press your feet against the ground. Stay calm. Take your time when balancing; otherwise, you will lose it and make it more difficult to regain.
Eagle Pose
When you master how to improve balance in yoga, one pose that could help you is the eagle pose. This yoga pose will help to give you stronger arms, ankles, knees, and legs. It increases circulation into the joints, improves balance, focus, and concentration.
Steps:
- Start the exercise in a mountain pose position with your arms on your side.
- Balance your right foot as you bend your knees, then cross your left thigh over your right thigh. Focus your attention on the object in front of you.
- Hook the tip of your left foot behind your right calf. Breath.
- Extend your arms in front of your body then drop your left arm under your right arm.
- Bend your elbows and raise your forearms.
- Wrap your arms and your hands. Then press your palm together.
- Keep your chest and hips parallel to the wall and draw your tummy in and up.
- Bring your focus to the tip of your thumb then breathe.
- Hold the position for one minute.
- Fix your gaze and breath softly and smoothly.
After a minute, you can release to mountain pose. Repeat the pose by switching to the other foot as the center of your weight.
With eagle pose, you are opening your shoulder and back as you strengthen your legs. Staying on the position while you breathe softly builds calmness and determination. This may not be mastered in one try. So, try doing this often until you get the proper alignment. Find out more about yoga poses.
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Conclusion
Yoga provides a lot of benefits, and balancing is just part of the exercise to help you build your focus. It also enables you to deal with stress and negativity. Learning how to improve balance in yoga is a great advantage to enjoy the exercise. Being in the state of mindfulness, you have the power to control your mind. Going deep into your consciousness allows you to connect to your body to nature and other forms of spirituality. So, if you are having difficulty dealing with stress and anxiety, do a yoga practice. It will keep you positive as you release negativity from your system.