8 difficult yoga poses | HealthShots

8 difficult yoga poses | HealthShots | XpertsReviews.com

Want to challenge yourself by doing difficult yoga poses? There are some difficult yoga poses that are both challenging and good for your health.

Beginner yoga poses are meant to introduce people to this ancient wellness practice. Once you have completed the simple movements, you can prepare for more challenging asanas or poses. Some yoga poses are difficult to perform due to their complexity, requiring a high degree of flexibility, strength, and balance. These are advanced yoga poses, which you can do to challenge yourself while still enjoying their health benefits. If you want to try difficult yoga poses, start gradually with the help of a yoga expert. Be careful not to force your body, as this could cause pain or injury.

Difficult Yoga Poses to Challenge You

People are often drawn to yoga because it offers health benefits. Yoga can relieve stomach problems like constipation, according to a study published in the Journal of Body and Movement Therapies in 2021.

Yoga offers health benefits. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock

In a 2016 review published in the Journal of Orthopedics and RheumatologyYoga has been shown to be effective in reducing lower back pain.

After mastering the simple asanas, you can move on to the challenging yoga postures to enjoy their health benefits. Here are some of the asanas you can do:

1. Paryankasana or couch pose

  • Begin the couch yoga asana in a kneeling position.
  • Slide your feet out to outside your hips while keeping your knees together and your feet straight.
  • Lower your upper body with your palms on the floor and your elbows for support, lying on your back with your legs bent and your toes pointing inward.
  • Lie on the floor, interlace your fingers and place your palms on your lower rib cage.
  • Move your hands out to the sides, using your palms and elbows for support, and lift your upper body.

“Paryankasana helps stretch and strengthen the lower back and hips, thereby improving flexibility and reducing lower back pain,” says yoga expert Dr Hansaji Yogendra.

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2. Halasana or Plow Pose

  • Keep your legs straight and lie on your back.
  • Lift both legs in a semicircle above your head to touch the floor behind you, toes pointing forward and palms facing down.
  • To release, lift your legs, lower your back and return your legs to the starting position.

Halasana stretches the spine, shoulders and legs and stimulates the thyroid gland and abdominal organs. It helps in digestion and improves metabolic function.

3. Dhanurvakrasana or Bow Pose

  • Lie on your stomach with your forehead on the mat, your legs straight and your toes pointing out.
  • Grasp your ankles, keeping your knees together.
  • Lift your head, arch your spine and pull your legs up to form an arc shape with your toes pointing up.
  • Hold then lower your head and release your ankles.

Dhanurvakrasana strengthens the back, legs and core, stimulates the digestive organs and boosts blood circulation in the abdominal organs.

4. Sarvangasana or candlelight

  • Lie on your back with your feet together.
  • Lift both legs up.
  • Raise your arms, hold your waist and push your body up.
  • Adjust your hands to support your lower back and shift the weight onto your shoulders.
  • Then keep your knees bent towards your head and lower your hips towards the mat with the support of your hands.

“This pose improves blood circulation to the thyroid gland,” explains the expert.

5. Ardha-Matsyendrasana or Half Lord of the Fishes Pose

  • Sit with your legs straight to do the Half Lord of the Fishes pose.
  • Bend your left leg, pressing your heel towards your perineum.
  • Place your right heel next to your left knee.
  • Rotate your torso to the right while holding your right ankle with your left hand.
  • Rotate further and bring your right hand behind your back to your left thigh, rotating your neck towards your right shoulder.
  • Hold the pose then unscrew the trunk and neck, bring the right hand to the side and unfold the feet.

Ardha-Matsyendrasana improves spinal flexibility and strengthens the back and core, it stimulates the digestive organs and helps detoxify the body.

6. Padmasana or lotus position

  • Sit with your legs straight.
  • Bend your right leg, placing your heel at the root of your left thigh.
  • Keep your left heel at the root of your right thigh.
  • Place your left hand under your navel with your palm facing up and place your right hand on top.

Padmasana sounds simple, but it’s not. “It improves flexibility in the knees and ankles, promoting better posture and alignment. It also calms the mind and helps improve concentration,” says Dr. Hansaji.

Woman doing Padmasana
Padmasana is a difficult yoga posture. Image courtesy of Freepik

7. Ushtrasana or camel pose

  • Kneel on the mat, lean back and place your arms behind you with your fingers on the floor.
  • Lift your pelvis, push your upper body up and let your neck fall back.
  • Hold the pose, then pull your upper torso back, straighten your neck, and return to your knees.

“It stretches and opens the chest and shoulders, improving spinal flexibility and posture,” explains the expert.

8. Ganda bherundasana or chin rest

  • To do the chin pose, start with the downward facing dog pose or adho mukha svanasana.
  • Roll forward to plank, bending your elbows.
  • Roll forward and make sure your chin, shoulders and chest are in contact with the yoga mat.
  • Curl your left toes and grab the mat. Lift your right leg and bend your left.
  • Support your right leg with your left foot and push it higher.
  • Lift your left leg to meet your right.
  • Stretch both legs up, while rotating your inner thighs toward each other and squeezing them.

It strengthens the back, hips and legs while improving flexibility and balance.

Don’t rush through the movements or overstretch, as this can lead to strain and injury. “If you don’t practice these difficult yoga poses correctly, you can end up with muscle strain and injury,” says the expert.

When it comes to challenging yoga poses, it is essential to progress slowly and mindfully. Do warm-up exercises to prepare your body for challenging yoga poses.

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