Benefits of Forward Bends

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back yoga, benefits of forward bends, flexibilty, forward bends, forward folds, stress relief, yoga, yoga abs, yoga insomnia, yoga legs, yoga postures, yoga stretching, Yoga With Paul

Last month’s top post was the positive effects of backbends so I thought it would be nice to begin November with a look at the benefits of forward bends!

 

The first and most important function of forward bends is to lengthen the spine, relieving the pressure of long hours sitting or standing. Here are four more important benefits

Better digestion

Forward bends massage the digestive organs, increasing efficiency and function. Seated or standing forward folds are a great way to gently wake up your digestion in the morning, and are soothing at the end of the day.

Strong, flexible legs

If you can’t touch your toes, it’s time to spend more time on forward bends. They gradually relax and stretch your hamstrings and connective tissue so your flexibility improves. Flexing your quads provides the necessary counter-tension for a safe stretch, and builds strength and stability in the knee.

Activate your abs

Drawing in the belly to the spine increases your reach in forward folds and powers up your core. Regular practice cultivates the habit of keeping your tummy nice and tight, which encourages better posture, as well as building strength for more challenging yoga moves.

Relieve stress and insomnia

Forward bends have a calming effect and invigorate the nervous system. Half-tortoise pose is an excellent posture to alleviate insomnia or anxiety. Rabbit pose stretches and soothes the spine. If you need a quick fix, a simple standing forward fold will loosen and relax your body to release stress, fatigue or anxiousness.

What’s your favourite forward fold? Share in the comments?

Rabbit Pose Tips – Sasangasana

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Bikram poses, Bikram postures, Bikram studio London, Bikram tips, Bikram yoga, hot yoga tips, how to do Bikram, London Bikram teacher, Rabbit pose, sasangasana, spine stretching, yoga back health, yoga tips, Yoga With Paul

Rabbit pose or sasangasana is a key spine-opening posture. It comes near the end of the series when your body is warm and you’re capable of deep stretching. To get the full benefits, though, you need to pay close attention to form and alignment.

Here are some tips for perfecting rabbit pose, fromOhMyBikram:

Always start with the right grip in the pose. The thumbs should be included with the rest of the fingers, thumbs on the outside, fingers on the inside.

The biggest misconception beginners have about rabbit is that there should be no weight or pressure on the head. In fact, about 15% of the body weight should be in the head.

The dialogue will always encourage to lift the hips up, which is important to the pose. But it is important to never sacrifice the grip to get the hips higher. Remember,it is the grip and pull that create the force to stretch the spine.

The harder you pull on the feet the better of a compression you will create benefiting the organs.

Try to eliminate any gap under the ankles and work to have the heels together through the pose.

While pulling on the heels, lift the shoulders away from the ears.

Once you are in the posture, do not move to correct it. Fix the posture in the set up, not when you are in it. – Bikram

Click here to read more about rabbit pose