Yoga Increase Your Flexibility with These 8 Yoga Poses

Yoga Increase Your Flexibility with These 8 Yoga Poses names with pictures. Practicing a variety of yoga poses can help improve flexibility. Some yoga poses include Low Lunge, Cow Face Pose, and Hand to Knee.

One of the most important components of physical wellness is flexibility. However, over time, your body can lose flexibility due to aging, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, or improper posture and movement habits.

Practicing yoga regularly, whether in a class or at home, can be a great way to increase mobility in your muscles and joints.

In addition to increasing your flexibility, practicing specific yoga poses can also help you build muscle strength and reduce feelings of stress or anxiety.

In this article, we will explore the benefits of increasing your flexibility and introduce you to the best yoga poses to improve flexibility in your back, hips, core, neck, and shoulders.

Why is flexibility important?

Increasing your flexibility is beneficial for you in many ways. Some of the most important benefits include:

• Improved range of motion: Increased flexibility makes it easier for your joints to move in a normal direction with less effort.
• Reduced muscle tension: Stretching muscles can relieve tension and stiffness, making movement easier.
• Improved posture: Tight and tense muscles can cause muscle strain and a slouched posture.
• Reduced pain: When your muscles are not tense, there is usually less stress and pressure on certain parts of your body, resulting in less pain in your back, neck, and shoulders.
• Reduced risk of injury: Greater strength and flexibility in your muscles and joints can make you less susceptible to injuries.
• Reduced stress: When your muscles are less tense, it can help you feel more relaxed. In turn, this can reduce your stress levels.
• Improved circulation: Improved blood flow can help your muscles recover more quickly after a workout and also prevent stiffness.

The Best Yoga Poses to Improve Flexibility

If you'd like to attend a yoga class to increase flexibility, Hatha, Vinyasa, or Yin styles are good options.

If you prefer to practice some yoga poses at home, these poses can help stretch many of your key muscles and improve flexibility.

Perform each pose at your own pace. Focus on how the pose looks, not how it feels. You can repeat each pose as many times as you like, provided you don't experience pain or find it too difficult to do correctly.

You can use supports for some of these poses. Supports can bring you closer to the ground or provide support and stability. Some supports to adapt yoga poses to your existing flexibility include:

• Cushions
• Chairs
• Yoga Blocks

How to Do Yoga Safely

When doing yoga poses, avoid forcing yourself into any pose or overdoing it too quickly. Doing so can increase the risk of injury.

Listen to your body. If a pose becomes painful or too uncomfortable, discontinue it immediately.

You may only be able to hold a pose for 10 or 20 seconds at first, and that's okay. As your flexibility increases, you can work toward holding poses for longer periods.

Speak to your doctor or a certified yoga teacher before starting yoga if you:

• Have any injuries or pain, including sciatica
• Have high or low blood pressure
• Are menstruating or pregnant
• Have asthma
• Have heart or respiratory problems
• Have digestive problems
• Are taking any medications

Yoga is for all abilities and bodies

Yoga is an inclusive form of exercise that you can customize to your individual needs. You can modify each pose to suit your comfort. For example, some poses can be done while sitting or using a support, such as a cushion, to support you.

Asanas for Increase Your Flexibility

1. Parsvottanasana (Intense Lateral Stretch)

This forward bending pose stretches your spine, hips, and legs. It also benefits your posture, balance, and digestion.

Increase Your FlexibilityTo Perform This Pose:

1. Stand with your left foot forward, facing forward, and your right foot back, with your toes slightly angled.
2. Bend both hips forward.
3. Place your hands on your hips.
4. Bend at your hips to bend your torso forward, tucking your chin into your chest.
5. Place your hands on the floor or on a block.
6. Perform this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
7. Change your leg positions and do it on the opposite side.

2. Head to Knee (Janu Sirsasana)

Suitable for all levels, this pose helps increase flexibility in your back, hips, and thighs. It also increases blood flow to the lower abdomen and can be great for relieving stress.

Increase Your FlexibilityTo Perform This Pose:

1. Sit on the floor or a yoga mat.
2. Extend your right leg forward and press your left foot against the inside of your thigh.
3. Inhale and raise your arms.
4. Exhale and bend at your hips to lean forward toward your outstretched leg.
5. Place your hands on the floor or hold your outstretched leg or foot.
6. Perform this asana for 1 to 2 minutes.
7. Change legs and do it on the opposite side.
8. Asanas for Core Flexibility

3. Cat-Cow (Bitilasana Marjariasana)

The fluidity of this asana is effective in improving mobility and flexibility in your core, neck, shoulders, and spine.

Increase Your FlexibilityTo Perform This Pose:

1. Make sure your knees are beneath your hips and your wrists are beneath your shoulders as you begin on all fours.
2. Keeping your weight balanced evenly across your body, inhale and let your belly drop toward the floor. As your belly drops, lift your chest and chin.
3. Exhale, press into your hands to lift your spine toward the ceiling, tucking your chin into your chest.
4. Continue this movement for 1 minute.

You can also perform this pose while sitting in a chair. This may be helpful for a change in your routine or if you can't sit on your hands and knees.

4. Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) 

This moderate-level pose helps stretch many of the muscles used while sitting. It can help increase flexibility in your core muscles and the muscles in your back, chest, buttocks, and legs.

Avoid this pose if you experience neck, shoulder, or back pain or discomfort.

Increase Your FlexibilityTo Perform This Pose:

1. With your arms by your sides, lie on your stomach.
2. Bend your knees and reach backward with your hands to grasp the outside of your ankles.
3. If possible, try to lift your shoulders and chest off the ground, but don't exert more force than is comfortable.
4. Keep your head facing forward while taking long, deep breaths.
5. Try to hold for 30 seconds, then release.
6. Repeat 1 to 2 times.
7. Asanas for Hip Flexibility

5. Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)

Suitable for all levels, this asana helps lengthen your spine, open your hips, and strengthen your muscles. It may also help alleviate sciatica.

You can modify this asana in the following ways:

• Use a chair or other sturdy furniture in front of you for support.
• Bend less deeply

Increase Your FlexibilityTo Perform This Pose:

1. Sit on the floor with your left knee. Bend your right knee and place your right foot flat on the floor in front of you.
2. Lengthen through your spine to the top of your head.
3. Lift your torso and arms. You can also extend your arms out to the side, perpendicular to the ground.
4. Gently apply pressure to your right hip.
5. Aim to maintain this posture for a minimum of 30 seconds.
6. Switch legs and repeat on the opposite side.

Alignment tip: Don't let your front knee extend past your ankle. Pull your back hip forward to maintain square hips.

6. Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend (Upavistha Konasana)

This forward bend can help open your hips and lower back, as well as increase flexibility in your hamstrings and calves.

To deepen this pose, you can sit on the edge of a cushion or block to tilt your pelvis forward.

Increase Your FlexibilityTo Perform This Pose:

1. Sit on the floor with your legs as wide apart as possible.
2. Extend your arms overhead.
3. Bending at your hips, bend forward, walking your hands toward your feet until you feel a stretch.
4. Stay in this position for 1 to 2 minutes.

Alignment Tip: If your toes are pointing out to the side, bring your feet closer together. Your toes should point straight up, as if you were pressing the soles of your feet against a wall.

Asanas for Shoulder and Neck Flexibility

7. Gomukhasana

Suitable for all levels, this asana stretches your shoulders, chest, and arms.

Increase Your FlexibilityTo Perform This Pose:

1. Sit in a comfortable position. Allow your spine to lengthen and your chest to open.
2. Extend your left arm overhead, then bend your elbow so that your fingers point downward along your spine.
3. Using your right hand, gently pull your left elbow to the right, allowing your left hand to move downward and along your spine.
4. If comfortable, you can try bending your right arm upward along your spine to grasp your left hand.
5. Stay in this pose for at least 30 seconds.
6. Change hands and do it on the other side.

8. Plow Pose (Halasana)

This intermediate-level asana can help relieve tension in the neck, shoulders, and spine.

If you have difficulty reaching your feet to the floor, rest them on a chair seat or a stack of cushions. If you're new to yoga or have any neck, digestive, or blood pressure issues, avoid this pose.

Increase Your FlexibilityTo Perform This Pose:

1. Lie on your back with your arms alongside your body and palms pressed into the floor.
2. Raise your legs straight up to 90 degrees.
3. Bring your feet above your head.
4. Place your hands on your lower back, with your little fingers on either side of your spine, pointing upwards.
5. Remain in this position for 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Relax by lowering your spine back to the floor.
7. Repeat 1 to 2 times.

Summary Yoga Increase Your Flexibility

Being flexible and able to move easily is an important aspect of physical health. However, stress, age, lack of exercise, and poor posture can cause your muscles to become tense and tight, limiting your flexibility.

Regular yoga asanas are a highly effective way to reduce muscle tension and increase flexibility. The key is to start slowly and gradually increase the amount of time you practice the asanas correctly.