Yoga Reclining and Relaxation Poses
Reclining Poses Reduce fatigue, increase mental clarity, and open spaces. Relaxation poses soothe and balance the nervous system
Child’s –
Balasana
Benefits
Helps to stretch the hips, thighs, and ankles while reducing stress and fatigue
Relaxes the muscles on the front of the body while softly and passively stretching the muscles of the back torso
Calms, and soothes the brain, making it a therapeutic posture for relieving stress
When performed with the head and torso supported, it can also help relieve back and neck pain
Brings awareness of the body and breath
Calms the body and mind
Frog –
Mandukasana
Benefits
Stretches the inner thigh, groin and hip areas
Strengthens the back muscles
Improves circulation in hips and thighs
Half Happy Baby -
Ardha Ananda Balasana
Benefits
Opens your hips and inner thighs deeper
Wind-Relieving -
Ardha Pavanmuktasana
Benefits
Helps to release unwanted and toxic gases from the digestive system
Helps to improve the quality and efficiency of your digestive system
Relieves indigestion, bloating, flatulence, acidity, and constipation
Stretches the neck and lower back
Helps to stretch the hips and knees
Builds core strength
Reclining Hero –
Supta Virasana
Benefits
Increases mobility and blood flow in the hip flexors, thighs, and knees, which can help to relieve sciatica and varicose veins
Provides relief for aching and tired legs
Stretches and strengthens the ankles and improves flexibility in the spine
Stretches the abdominal organs and the pelvic region
It is one of the only yoga poses that is beneficial to practice after eating
Corpse -
Savasana
Benefits
Develops the mind and body awareness
Helps to reduce the nervous and muscular tension
Helps to reduce the metabolic rate and oxygen consumption
Helps to reduce blood pressure and heart rate
Knees-To-Chest –
Apanasana
Benefits
Relief from excess digestive air, indigestion, bloating, flatulence, acidity, and constipation
Helps to keep your low back limber
Useful for calming the mind and rebalancing your energy.
Happy Baby –
Ananda Balasana
Benefits
Opens the chest while applying pressure on the inner thighs
Stretches muscles to the hips, hamstrings, calves, chest, triceps, biceps, abdominal and groin area
Lengthens the spine and re-aligns the spine
Relieves lower back pain if one regularly practices this pose
Eye of the Needle –
Sucirandhrasana
Benefits
Extends and reinforce your hamstring, bring down back, and internal thighs
Lengthens the hip flexors
Helps to prepare the body for seated poses (ex: Lotus posture)
Opens the hips
Helps to cure the lower back pain
Stretches the arms, neck, hips, upper back and shoulders
Helps to stretch the muscles around your hips
Helps to calm the mind
Reclined Big Toe -
Supta Padangusthasana
Benefits
Strengthens the hamstrings and the quadricep muscles
Awareness of the body
Reclined Big Toe B -
Supta Padangusthasana B
Benefits
Provides a strong stretch for the inner thighs, groin and hamstrings.
Legs up the Wall -
Viparita Karani
Benefits
Relaxes the legs completely
An inversion pose, it brings a soothing effect on the entire nervous system
Calms the mind if the focus is towards breathing
No pressure at the abdomen or the lower back to maintain this pose as a result
No pressure on the shoulders or the neck
Relaxing pose for runners
Fresh blood to the abdomen works to improve digestion