By Zuko Komisa
We’ve all seen people practicing yoga as a way to clear their mind, body, and soul. Yoga is indeed a special kind of way to do this, and a definite must-try if you haven’t. It also happens to be a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, exported across the world, which mostly helps with your health and relaxation. Yoga includes breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures.
The below are the basic moves for beginners, with all these, you need to be steady and comfortable, firm yet relaxed. it will definitely feel awkward in the beginning. The fantastic advantage about getting started with these moves is that they open the energy channels, chakras and psychic centers of the body while increasing flexibility of the spine, strengthening bones and stimulating the circulatory and immune systems
The Dolphin
The Dolphin strengthens your upper body in preparation for the Headstand.
Shoulderstand
Strengthens your entire body directing circulation to your thyroid gland instead of the head.
The Plough
This move sees your body being bent forward; this stretches your entire spine, particularly your cervical vertebrae and shoulders.
The Fish
The fish stretch counters the Plough, combating postural defects such as rounded shoulders and the cervical region of your spine, and releases pressure on your nerves.
The Cobra
Stretches muscles in the shoulders, chest, and abdominals. The cobra pose is good at decreasing stiffness of the lower back.
Yoga is very effective if you are looking to gain flexibility, strength and even lose weight. For your mind, Yoga helps with stress reduction, better sleep, relaxation, improves self-confidence as well as body awareness. Master these basic moves and move on to more advanced moves once you have a hang of it.
The Homestraight recently had a live studio session where Afropolitans learned about the basics of Yoga.
