Yoga can help in a lot of things and keep people healthy. But a lot of people don’t try it for various reasons. Lack of flexibility is one such common reason as people believe they can’t do all those tricky yoga poses with their rigid bodies. But they fail to realise one simple fact that anyone can perform yoga and lack of flexibility should be yet another reason to try yoga. Here are some of the most amazing yet basic yoga poses to enhance flexibility.
Big toe pose or padangusthasana to enhance flexibility
Yoga for flexibility is supposed to start with ‘Padangusthasana’, one of the best stretch yoga poses. To perform the pose simply stand upright with your feet few feet apart. Keeping your legs completely straight, exhale as you bend forward from your hip joints. Hold your toes using your fingers and try to bend little further if you can. Stay in the position for at least 5 seconds and go back up to the initial standing position as you inhale. Repeat the same for 15-20 reps.
Child pose or balasana to enhance flexibility
Another simple yoga pose for flexibility, child pose can be very helpful. To perform the pose, start with kneeling on the floor with your toes together and knees spread as wide as they can. Sitting on the heels, exhale and bend forward to bring your torso between your thighs. Put your hands on the floor and move all the weight on the hands to allow you to bend further so that your head touches the floor and your hands are stretched in front of your torso. Slowly move back to the initial sitting position as your inhale. Repeat the same for 10 12 times.
Cow face pose or gomukhasana to enhance flexibility
To start cross your right leg in front of the left and slowly walk the hands to the top of the ankles. Use your arms for support as you slowly lower your hips down to the floor or to your heels. Once you are sitting, put the fingers of your left hand between the shoulder blades, and reach with your right hand from behind the back to grasp the left hand. Gently pull the arms towards each other. Stay here or exhale and lower the forehead to the knees or all the way to the floor. Repeat the same by changing the position of the hands.
You can also try some more poses for flexibility including bound angle pose or baddhakonasana, downward facing dog pose or adhomukhasvanasana and extended triangle pose or utthitatrikonasana. Regularly practicing yoga can enhance flexibility and keep you fit.
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