FLOOR YOGA POSES
Floor yoga poses provide you with the ability to practice while receiving support. This of course doesn’t mean that all yoga postures done on the floor are easy. Many floor postures require strength and flexibility. The benefit, however, is that you can target the area of the body you are engaging. While standing poses tend to work the entire body, floor postures allow you to hone in on specific body parts and muscle groups. This type of intense focus not only provides your body with great benefits, but it also helps you increase your ability to receive and interpret feedback.
Whether needing yoga for pelvic floor strength or practicing for improved flexibility, floor yoga poses are a great place to begin and end your practice. Because this category of postures can often be held longer than others, there’s plenty of room for exploration. As you practice, always incorporate your breath, noticing how it changes when you approach your edge (or when your mind begins to drift).
You’ll find that many yoga postures done on the floor can be very helpful for calming the mind and relieving stress. Additionally, there are several poses in this group that are wonderful antidotes for anxiety, fatigue, and headaches. So, whether you’re looking for a great stretch or improved digestion, there’s a floor pose just for you.
What are the best floor yoga poses for a beginner?
Because these postures use the floor they are accessible to most students, making them a great place to start (and end) your yoga practice. One of the best known floor yoga poses is happy baby pose (ananda balasana). This posture is used regularly in yoga classes and sequences, especially at the beginning and end of class to help warm up and stretch the hips. Practicing this pose can help you feel more comfortable when you’re sitting and standing.