What is Artistic Yoga – How to do Postures – Health Benefits
Yoga includes many of the factors. Other than exercises and breathing, it has much more to offer you and your body. In a gist, yoga is made up of breathing ideas like prayanam, warm up exercise like stretching and other poses and asana. To add to it, meditation plays a pivotal role in practicing yoga.
What is Artistic Yoga?
Talking about artistic yoga, it is a kind of modern yoga in which you have asana resembling to that of dance styles and poses. It has many such movements which help your body to stretch and strengthen your muscles. It helps you to maintain a balance in your body as well as keep it fit and fresh. If you are planning to lose some weight, then artistic yoga is the best way to start with. It will help you to shed away those extra pounds and make you look slimmer and fit. Here we present you some of the artistic yoga asanas which will help you to maintain a balance in your body.
How to do Artistic Yoga Postures:
Prana dharna Meditation:
This asana is used to start your artistic yoga session with. Try holding your breath for few seconds, as it helps you to make your respiratory system strong. To start with, stand on the floor in a straight position. You eyes should look straight. Join you palms together in a prayer position, known as anjali mudra. Now, take your hands to the centre of your chest region. Place it here from some time and close your eyes. Divert all your attention on your breathe. Breathe in and out slowly for about 10-15 minutes. Try to relax at the same time. This will help you to calm down all the nerves of your body as well as your mind.
PadaHastasana Yoga:
You begin your actual artistic yoga with this asana. Pada Hastasana is the first step to your daily yoga regime. To do it, stand straight on the floor. Keep your legs straight and stretch your hands in upwards direction. Now, slowly bend backwards as much as you can. Now, next step is bending your body downwards putting stress on the hips. Try to touch your feet with the help of your fingers. Now, after this, try coming back to your original position slowly. Again, stand straight and try to relax your body remaining still.
Urdhva Dhanurasana or Wheel Pose:
This asana has many hidden benefits. Stretch your hands upwards. Now move it backwards, keeping it straight. Bend your legs downwards from your knees, your feet touching the ground. Move your hands from the elbow such that your palms touch the ground near your head and your forearms are in a perpendicular direction. Try pressing your palms and feet against the floor and thus, try lifting your body upwards. Let your thighs move in the inward directions and after that try to make your outer thighs firm such that you can maintain your balance. Remain still in this asana position and try to relax for few seconds.
Ardha Chandrasana:
Image credits: Flickr
This pose resembles to that of the shape of a half moon. To start this pose, stand straight on the floor. Slowly, move your arms such that they are perpendicular to the floor. Your hands should be in such a position that they are parallel to the floor and in line with the body. Next step is lifting up your right leg and forming a 90 degree angle with respect to the floor. Simultaneously, move your body towards the left leg and touch the ground with the same leg, your right hand upwards in a free position. After this, the position of your hands should be parallel to the floor. Look towards your right hands and come back to normal position after some minutes.
Purvottanasana:
Another name for this artistic asana is upward plank position. Try placing your body in Dandasana position. To do this pose, sit on the floor, and spread your legs in opposite positions in front of you. Keep your hands on either sides of your body and bend your hips a little. After attaining this position, bend your knees placing your feet on the floor. Now, slowly lift up your hips upwards so as to bring your body in table top position. Now keep your legs straight and relax.
Hanumanasana or Monkey Pose:
As the name says, this pose is also called monkey pose. For this, start with kneeling down on the floor and keep your right foot in front of your left knee. After this, try rotating your left thigh in outward direction. This should be followed by moving your left knee backwards. You left leg should be straight so that you can lower your right thigh. Again practice anjali mudra and stretch your hands in same position upwards. You head should move and face the sky. Close your eyes and relax for some time.
Parsva Bakasana or Side Crow Pose:
Image credits: Flickr
While doing this asana, you body takes up the position of a crane. Start with keeping your body in Tadasana position. For Tadasana, stand straight, raising your hands upwards towards the ceiling. Lift your complete body and try balancing it on the toes. Again return to the normal position. After this, bend your body from hips and try touching the ground with your palms. Pull your legs away from the floor, giving it a jerk. Bend your knees and place them against your calf muscles. Eyes looking at the floor, rest in this position for a minute.
Benefits of Artistic Yoga:
There are numerous benefits of practicing artistic yoga.
- It helps you to maintain emotional and physical balance.
- Moreover, it helps in improving the posture of your body and helps in strengthen your muscles and all the body parts.
- Practice regularly and keep body and join pains at bay. Hence, take out time from your busy schedule and try practicing this kind of yoga at times.
- It will teach you to remain flexible and also learn certain dance moves with ease.
- It is good to combine dance and yoga and reap all the benefits.
