How Yoga Can Help Improve Your Posture

Posture Correction

Especially with the lifestyle nowadays it is important to pay attention to our posture. Now more than ever we are glued to our phones or our laptop. Having a bad posture can lead to pain in your back, neck, and shoulders or even worse. But a good posture will make you look confident and tall. That’s why you will want to read how to improve your posture.

What is Posture?

Posture is how you hold your body. When we talk about a good posture, we actually mean a neutral spine. When we hold our body neutral, we place the least amount of stress on the muscles and ligaments. You can feel this when you stand straight in the yogi world, we call it the mountain pose. I know the mountain pose sounds so simple but did you notice how your pose is when you stand?

Here are some cross training guides to help improve your posture:

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Combine Yoga and a Good Posture

When you do yoga you are doing different kinds of poses for a period of time we train the muscles to behave in a different way. By bringing awareness with our breath, we can mindfully obtain the tension in our body. If you really want to improve your posture, I would suggest to practice daily for 5 to 10 minutes.

3 Yoga Poses To Improve Your Posture

Mountain pose

Begin by standing and your feet slightly apart. Engage your thighs to lift your kneecaps slightly (without hyperextending your knees). Gently draw your energy toward the midline of your body.

Lengthen your tailbone down toward the floor and find a neutral pelvis. Draw your low ribs into your body and press your shoulder blades into your back, lifting your sternum. Move your shoulders away from your ears, and broaden your collarbones.

Relax your arms by your sides, and turn your palms to face forward to open up through your chest. Bring your chin parallel to the floor and soften your face and jaw. Get tall from the soles of your feet up and out through the crown of your head.

Cat cow

Begin with your hands and knees on the floor. Make sure that your hand is shoulder-width apart and your knees should be hip-distance apart. Your back is flat and the spine is neutral.

On the exhale you will do the cat position. First-round your spine up towards the ceiling. Tuck your chin towards your chest. Don’t forget to engage your abs!

On the inhale you will do the cow position. First arch your back, let your body totally relax. Lift your head and tailbone up towards the sky — continue breathing out like a cat and breathing in like a cow.

Downward dog

Just like the cat cow pose begin with your hands and knees on the floor. Make sure that your hand is shoulder-width apart and your knees should be hip-distance apart. Your back is flat and the spine is neutral.

Make sure that your fingers are pointed toward the top of your yoga mat and spread your fingers for added support. Your feet should point toward your hand.

Press your hands into the mat, curl your toes, and push your booty upwards. Engage your abs and press the balls of your feet into the floor.

Now you hold this position and really focus on lengthening your spine and pushing your booty toward the ceiling.

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Try any of these yoga poses and you will discover how yoga can help improve your posture.

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