Tranquillity, peace, inner strength, a sense of calm, and the ability to quiet the chatter of the mind after a long, tiring, and stressful day or week. That is the beauty of yoga. When you think about yoga, sitting yoga asanas are not the first poses that spring to mind.
The mental image that immediately pops into your head when you think of yoga is perhaps the downward facing dog or the warrior pose. However, yoga comes in several variations. Whether you’re doing them standing up, lying down, or sitting down, every posture and position is designed to bring benefit to your mind, body, and soul.
What Is An Asana?
An asana is a term that is used to describe the yoga practice and it directly relates to your body. Essentially, an asana is used to describe the posture and the poses that you go through when you engage in a yoga session or practice.
The Benefits of Seated Asanas
Yoga does not always have to be done standing up. Sitting yoga asanas have a wealth of benefits that are waiting to be harnessed too. In fact, did you know that seated asanas are fantastic for improving flexibility and inner strength? There is a reason why meditation is done in a seated position, and we know how powerful of a practice meditation can be.
Here are the four benefits of practicing seated asanas regularly:
- Gets Your Blood Pressure Under Control – Certain seated poses, like the Lotus Pose for example, are extremely powerful asanas that can help to get your blood pressure under control. In seated positions, you engage your abdomen, spine, pelvis, and bladder, helping to reduce muscular tension.
- It Helps to Lengthen Your Spine and Back Muscles – If you suffer from regular backaches and muscle tension in your spine and shoulder area, seated asana poses like the Sukhasana are great for lengthening your spine and back. The Sukhasana pose is also referred to as the “easy pose.” You may be familiar with this pose when you see it. You simply sit with your legs crossed in front of you and your palms turned upward and resting on your knees. Your thumb and index finger will touch to form the shape of an “O.”
- It Helps to Improve Blood Circulation – Seated asanas like the diamond pose are great for improving blood circulation throughout your entire body. This pose calls for you to raise your arms above your head while you’re seated down, lengthening your entire spine as you do. This pose also strengthens your pelvic floor area while strengthening your thigh muscles at the same time.
- It Aids with Fatigue – Believe it or not, seated asana poses are one of the many effective ways to overcome the fatigue you feel after a long day. Poses like the butterfly pose are meant to rejuvenate your mind and body while improving blood circulation to combat that feeling of fatigue. The butterfly pose is one of the many recommended asanas for those who wish to gain better flexibility in their hip and groin region too.