Among the most enlightening of yoga poses are those which require balancing because they build trust in ourselves and they can rejuvenate the mind. The majority of these are done on one foot, although there are many which involve the head, hands, sit bones or various combinations of one or more of these. For example, Balancing Half Moon uses one foot and the hand from the same side of the body. Whether one does the popular Tree Pose, Balanced Half Lotus, or a head stand, there are a few cues which can optimize your experience in any of them.
1. Find a Focal Point. When the eyes are steady the rest of the body will often follow. Most instructors will direct you to gaze toward one spot on the floor, or if you are more advanced, to eventually look upward. The key is to find something motionless. Sometimes a crack in a wood floor or a variation in a wall trimming will become your best friend for the duration of a balance pose. Looking at other students, or your instructor, will usually lead to a shorter balance time for you.
2. Engaged Core. By using the abdominal muscles, one can accomplish amazing feats. Just think of the difference it makes when you try to lift something with tight abs as opposed to loose ones. In the same regard, it is nearly impossible to take legs off of the wall in a head stand without tightening both the abdominal and the perineum area (similar to a Kegel exercise, but more inclusive of the entire pelvic area).
3. Use Your Hands & Feet as Foundations. If you press your hand onto a hard surface with fingers close together, then try the same with fingers spread apart, you will notice that you feel much stronger in the second scenario. Our feet can also act as foundations even if we have a high arch. Flatten the heels to the floor as much as possible and try to spread out the toes. Using feet and/or hands as foundations in combination with engaged cores is the recipe for powerful balance poses.
4. Trust the Body. Balance poses will reveal the power of both positive and negative thinking. If you are thinking about how difficult maintaining the pose is, or don’t believe that you can do it at all, then you may have talked yourself into a less successful practice. Try to encourage yourself to balance just a little longer and most of the time the body will cooperate with the mind.
Balance poses are known for clearing the mind of external thoughts because they require so much focus, therefore they are wonderful for slowing down the mind before bedtime. You may also find that you feel refreshed after a focused shoulder or head stand. Always feel free to modify balance poses by using a wall for support. Sometimes just being near the wall will give you the courage to try a more difficult pose. To be on the safe side, be sure to ask your instructor if you have the proper form of a pose before trying to do any balancing on your own at home.
Medicine Balls – Ideal for Home Workouts
My Top Five Exercises for November