Yoga for better posture should be on every one of our daily to-do lists. Even if it isn’t on there every day, it should be at least a couple of times per week.
It makes no difference whether you sit all day, stand all day, or move around constantly. Our daily habits are what seal in poor postural patterns, so it’s critical to pay attention to them so we don’t seal anything in that could lead to discomfort, pain, or injury.
I hope you enjoy these posture-improving poses!
1. Backbend Standing Gently
Interlace your fingers and reach them down towards your heels while standing with your feet hip width apart. Instead of bending from the lower back, lift the sternum upwards towards the sky. Continue to draw the shoulder blades together and down the back.
You want to feel this as a chest and shoulder opener, not as a lower back crunch. If you feel this strongly in your lower back, take a step back and refocus your attention on your chest and shoulders.
2. Sitting position Hero (on a block)
Supported Hero is a fantastic postural reset. It allows the knees to drop below the hips, relieving pressure on the lower back and maintaining the spine in a comfortable neutral position.
If you’re super flexible, it might be tempting to do this without a block, but I strongly advise you to use one for the reasons stated above! For our purposes, this is to rest the back and help it reset. This time, it’s not meant to test you.
3. Side Bends While Seated
As you do this, keep both hips on the ground. Concentrate on your inhale to direct the breath to the space between the ribs, where it will expand the tissue. The more pliable the musculature, the wider the breath. The more expansive our breath, the more relaxed our posture.
4. The Low Bridge
We’re still working on decompressing the back and opening the chest. Draw the shoulder blades towards each other and clasp the hands together for a low bridge. Consider making more space across the front of the body.
5. Block Chest Opener
This is without a doubt one of my all-time favourite posture-improvement exercises. It basically causes your body to take the opposite shape it normally takes when sitting and slouching over a desk. I also appreciate how passive and relaxing it is.
One block should be placed skinny side up between the shoulder blades, with the lowest part touching where a sports bra would go. The top of that block should be just below the neck. The second block only serves to support the head. I usually set it to medium height and rest my head there.