Mood boosting yoga postures!
While surfing the web recently I stumbled onto an article on Yoga Journal titled “5 Happiness Boosting Poses.” Well, with a title like that, of course I had to read it! Full disclosure, I’m not an advanced yogi, but I love my Saturday morning yoga class, so I thought I would give the poses a try. The author Erica Rodefer Winters describes the poses as, “5 go-to yoga poses that lift my spirits, elevate my mood, and leave me with a smile on my face”. The poses definitely succeeded in delivering a smile to my face.
Then I started thinking about how these Happiness Boosting poses could be incorporated into a busy schedule where you just need a moment of happy to reset your mood a la Happy Hacks style. So, I reached out to my friend and yoga instructor Anna Kozakjian who teaches classes in various yoga techniques including Vinyasa, Sculpt, Barre, and Power Yoga. I asked Anna for her take on poses that can lift your mood (and BONUS can be done by yogis and novices alike). I’ve decided to break her poses down into various scenarios and share them over the next couple of weeks. Let’s get started!
TODAY’S FOCUS: You just woke up and want an instant boost of energy to get your blood flowing.
Anna recommends “The Half Tortoise “ stating that it boosts blood circulating to the brain. Well, that should definitely wake us up! Here’s how it works.
POSITION 1: Alignment is really important for this pose, so start in a seated position as shown with good posture, keeping your spine and arms straight.
POSITION 2: Next, start to stretch forward, bending at the hips, keeping body in alignment and leading with your head. Your hips will eventually leave your heals, but not until you are close to making contact with the ground.
POSTION 3: Lastly, your head should make contact with the ground FOLLOWED by your pinkies. This is similar to a diving pose and you should really feel a good stretch. when you are ready to come out of this pose, make sure your hands lift first, follow by your head, as you return to position 1.
Final note from Anna -
Half Tortoise is great for a wake up ANY TIME OF DAY, she recommends using it when you need something to get you through that afternoon lull as well. Plus it’s a great pose for toning thighs and abdominals.