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Practicing the Yoga Positions
By Elizabeth Penning

Yoga is one of the low impact exercises that anyone can learn and master. When entering the class, it will be a good idea to wear loose clothing and have a mat to be able to sit or stand properly on the floor.

Since this exercise has been practiced for more than 5,000 years, a lot of variations have been formed. This has created various positions with the same objective in mind of making the mind and the body work as one.

The warm-up of this exercise usually starts with the person standing with legs apart known as tree balance. After awhile, the individual should slowly lift onto the balls of the feet with one leg going up alternately.

After a few reps, this is the time the person will move the arms. This is called the prayer position in which both palms meet together above the head and then move slowly down until it reaches the front of the chest.

This can be done a few times and when the person is ready, the motion of the arms going from the top to bottom should be done simultaneously with one leg being raised with the other keeping the body balanced on the floor.

The triangle pose is also a simple exercise. The person stands with the arms and legs apart and then stretches from one side to the next. When the left hand is pointed upward, the head should also be facing in the same direction and vice versa. This should be repeated four to six times before proceeding to the other yoga positions.

The salutation pose is also another great exercise. The person starts by sitting in an Indian position and then kneels until the back, buttocks and thighs are aligned. Once this is locked, the left knee should be brought forward into a 90 degree position with the head and arms raised into the air and the spine slightly bended backward.

After a few seconds, the individual should back into the sitting position so that the same thing can also be done with the opposite leg.

Aside from standing, there are also the floor yoga positions. A very common one is known as the snake where the person lies flat on one's stomach with the hands placed on the shoulders.

Slowly, the upper body will be raised as high as high as possible with the pelvis pushing down thus arching the back. This should be held for thirty seconds before releasing it and going down to the floor.

Those who are more flexible can do the more advanced one known as the bow pose. Instead of having the forearms on the ground, the hands should reach the ankles and then lift the body into the air with the weight of the body resting on the abdomen.

One of the more difficult is the head stand position. Here the person will start by kneeling on the ground and then lead forward with the forearms on the ground slowly lifting the legs into the air.

When the individual is having a hard time breathing in this position, it is best to slowly go down until the feet touches the ground.

The cow legged position is a great way to strengthen flexibility in both the arms and the legs. The person will start in a cross legged position and then put one leg over the other.

The right arm should be raised into the air with the elbow bent with the left arm coming from the back until the fingers of both hands touch each other. This should be held for a few seconds and also done for the other side.

The yoga positions just mentioned are just a handful of the more than 20 that are being done in one session. It will be a good idea to learn the basics first learn from a qualified instructor rather than doing it at home to be able to practice proper technique.

The person should not feel bad if there are others in the class who are doing it much better. After all, everyone had to start from scratch before being able to do some of the more difficult yoga positions.

Author Details:
Elizabeth Penning, copywriter for various web sites writing articles about natural health and other related subjects.

Article Source: Articles from Simply Top

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