Correct bad posture with Anahata Yoga
What is Anahata Yoga?
Anahata Yoga was designed by a Brazilian yoga teacher in 2001. It is a series of Pranayama (breathing exercises), Asanas (yoga poses) and Meditation techniques, which helps to open up the heart and lungs, and correct bad posture.
Effects of bad posture: We may not realize it, but bad posture has many ill effects on our physical, mental and emotional health.
The importance of the Anahata Chakra
The Anahata is our fourth primary chakra. Since it is positioned in the region of our heart, it is associated with love, compassion, charity, courage and humour. It also dictates our ability to make decisions.
Practice of Anahata Yoga
A session of Anahata Yoga begins with a seated meditation and pranayama (breathing techniques). This calms the mind and increases its powers of concentration, with special emphasis on the flow of breath. This is followed by a series of balancing and standing yoga poses which warms the body, stimulates and strengthens the spine. They also help to open the areas of the chest, abdomen and pelvis. The session then includes a Stambhasana (standing meditation). This is followed by some reclining yoga poses and the Corpse Yoga Pose (Savasana).
Benefits:
Anahata Yoga was designed by a Brazilian yoga teacher in 2001. It is a series of Pranayama (breathing exercises), Asanas (yoga poses) and Meditation techniques, which helps to open up the heart and lungs, and correct bad posture.
Effects of bad posture: We may not realize it, but bad posture has many ill effects on our physical, mental and emotional health.
- The spine becomes curved or misaligned. This not only gives us a hunched or crooked looked, but can also lead to back aches or other ailments connected to the spine.
- When the back is hunched, the chest looks caved in. The lungs and bronchial passages are squeezed, thus preventing proper inhalation. Since one is not able to inhale deeply, sufficient quantities of oxygen are prevented from entering the lungs. When the body is starved of oxygen, the various organs suffer and are unable to function at their optimum levels.
- Bad posture leads to a caved in chest which compresses the heart and thus proper blood circulation suffers. Improper circulation in turn prevents proper functioning of the organs.
- Low levels of oxygen and improper circulation cause poor concentration, fatigue and feelings of depression.
The importance of the Anahata Chakra
The Anahata is our fourth primary chakra. Since it is positioned in the region of our heart, it is associated with love, compassion, charity, courage and humour. It also dictates our ability to make decisions.
Practice of Anahata Yoga
A session of Anahata Yoga begins with a seated meditation and pranayama (breathing techniques). This calms the mind and increases its powers of concentration, with special emphasis on the flow of breath. This is followed by a series of balancing and standing yoga poses which warms the body, stimulates and strengthens the spine. They also help to open the areas of the chest, abdomen and pelvis. The session then includes a Stambhasana (standing meditation). This is followed by some reclining yoga poses and the Corpse Yoga Pose (Savasana).
Benefits:
- The practice of Anahata Yoga helps to align the spine and correct bad posture.
- This in turn opens up the regions of the chest, abdomen and pelvis, helping better respiration, circulation and digestion.
- The brain also gets more oxygen-laden blood leading to improved concentration and mental skills.
- Anahata Yoga opens up the heart chakra and allows the life forces to enter and flow unhindered into the body. This makes us more courageous and helps us to overcome feelings of depressions or defeat.