You don’t have to be a serious yogini to get the benefits of yoga.
Certain postures have serious health benefits from relieving pain to helping ease depression. Here are our four favorite postures in yoga for women:
- Heavy periods? Cramping? Try Head to Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana)
Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. Bend your right knee, bringing the right foot to the inside of the left leg- near the groin. Keep your left leg straight. Place a folded blanket on the left leg and gently twist through your belly so that your chest is in line with your left leg. Inhale and extend your spine up, and exhale fold forward toward the extended leg. Your head should rest without straining your neck or back. Stay for 1 to 2 minutes and switch sides.
Benefit: Helps ease cramping, irritability, and anxiety.
- Feeling down? Try supported bridge (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
[Posture description from The Women’s Book of Yoga & Health, Shambala]
Place one bolster horizontally against the wall and the other vertically, forming a T shape. Spread a folded blanket on the floor at the end of the vertical bolster that is farthest from the wall. Sit on the end of the vertical bolster that is closest to the wall. Keeping your knees bent, lie back over the bolster. Slide down until the end of the bolster is in the middle of your back and your shoulders just reach the floor. Rest your shoulders and head on the blanket. Keeping your feet and heels together, stretch your legs toward the wall and put your heels on the horizontal bolster so your feet touch the wall. Your legs should be straight out in front of you, hip-width apart. Rest your arms in any comfortable position. Close your eyes and relax completely. Stay for at least 1-2 minutes.
Benefit: This poses quells anxiety and calms the nervous system.
- Hot flashes? Try Wide-Angle Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana)
Step your feet about four feet apart, keeping your feet parallel with one another. Tighten your quadriceps and left your kneecaps. Inhale and extend through your spine, and exhale bend forward from your hips, placing your hands on the floor (or on a block) between your feet. Continue lifting your hips up toward the ceiling. Relax your shoulders and your neck. You can rest your head on a folded blanket for a more restorative option. Stay here for one minute. Bring your hands to your hips and slowly raise yourself back up to standing.
Benefit: Calms the mind, cools the body.
- Can’t sleep? Try Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Come to a hands and kness position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips. Exhale and press your hands firmly into the mat and lift up through your inner arms. Continue with the exhale and raise your hips high in the air and move your thights up and back. Keep stretching your legs and work toward bringing your heels toward the floor. Keep the legs strong and elbows straight (not locked). Elongate the spine and breathe, holding the pose up to one minute. To come out, come back to your hands and knees.
Benefit: Relieves anxiety, quiets the mind, and relaxes the nervous system.
With her love of health and writing, Melissa has written for such publications as Shape, Natural Solutions, Yoga Journal, Self and Pilates Style, and has created recipes and food-oriented stories for such publications as Delicious Living and Cooking Light.
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