HEART CHAKRA BALANCING YOGA POSES
A balanced heart chakra is one that is open to, and receptive of, love. It allows you to feel loved and be able to express love without reservation.
1. Camel Pose | Ustrasana
Camel Pose (Ustrasana) is a yoga pose that stretches the spine and strengthens the lower back. The name comes from the shape of the body in this pose, which resembles the back of a camel.
Tips:
Start in Mountain Pose (Tadasana), and bring your hands to the floor in front of you, with your fingertips pointing forward and your palms flat on the ground.
Inhale, lift your knees off the floor, and raise your hips up toward the ceiling. Press down through your hands and feet to straighten your back as much as possible, bringing your shoulders away from your ears.
Keep looking straight ahead, rather than up at anything else around you. Hold for 3-5 breaths before lowering back down to Mountain Pose (Tadasana).
Benefits of Camel Pose | Ustrasana:
Camel Pose (Ustrasana) is a great pose to improve your posture and help you feel more grounded. It can also help improve your digestion, as well as relieve back pain.
2. Cobra Pose | Bhujangasana
Cobra Pose is a yoga asana that stretches your spine, shoulders and chest. It also strengthens your arms, legs and abdomen.
Tips:
Kneel on the floor, with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
Press your hands into the floor as you lift your hips up and back, keeping them aligned with your spine.
Keep your head in line with your body, looking down at the floor.
Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute before releasing down to rest
Benefits:
Cobra pose, or bhujangasana, is a great way to get a good stretch in your lower back. It's also great for building strength in your shoulders, arms and chest.
3. Fish Pose | Matsyasana
The fish pose is a yoga pose that is known to increase flexibility, improve balance, and strengthen the core. It's a variation of the downward dog and backbend.
Tips:
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent, feet on the floor. Inhale, lift your pelvis slightly off the floor, and slide your hands, palms down, below your buttocks. Then rest your buttocks on the backs of your hands (and dont lift them off your hands as you perform this pose). Be sure to tuck your forearms and elbows up close to the sides of your torso.
Inhale and press your forearms and elbows firmly against the floor. Next press your shoulder blades into your back and, with an inhale, lift your upper torso and head away from the floor. Then release your head back onto the floor. Depending on how high you arch your back and lift your chest, either the back of your head or its crown will rest on the floor. There should be a minimal amount of weight on your head to avoid crunching your neck. (For more about this, see the Beginners Tip below.)
You can keep your knees bent or straighten your legs out onto the floor. If you do the latter, keep your thighs active, and press out through the heels.
Benefits:
Fish pose is a great way to get your heart rate up and strengthen your core!
It also helps you feel more relaxed, and improves your mood.
4. Wild Thing | Camatkarasana
Wild thing pose is a yoga pose that requires you to balance on one leg and extend your arms out in front of you. The pose is said to help improve balance and flexibility.
Tips:
You can do the Wild thing pose by sitting on the floor with your legs spread wide.
Then, put your hands in front of you, palms down.
Now, bend your elbows and lower them toward your knees until they touch the floor.
Next, straighten your arms again and push both palms into the floor as you lift up from your seat. Finally, repeat this action until you feel like a wild thing!