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By Geoffrey Roniger, September 2018

Three yoga moves to help you stay fit

Yoga is universal. Anyone, regardless of age, race, gender or other myriad categories with which people define – and therefore limit– themselves, can benefit from practicing it.

Imagine an easy, drug-free way to relieve stress, improve digestion, reduce pain, and improve sleep. Years of research shows that yoga can improve everything from lymph drainage and vagal tone to heart rate variability. Yet while the science is compelling, perhaps the reason it makes us feel better isn’t really all that complicated.

Well before our sophisticated technology, the original yogis in India realized that the human body functions best when it is well-aligned with gravity. Think about it – gravity is the one force that we contend with all our lives. Because it is ubiquitous in nature, we tend to forget about it. But as we age, the effects of gravity are revealed. We become misaligned; our spines slump, our joints ache due to compression, our breathing becomes hampered as the diaphragm gets restricted, and our digestion becomes sluggish because the abdominal organs lack proper space.

By contrast, when we are well-aligned, we feel a natural sense of buoyancy. The spine is supple yet strong, the joints move freely, breathing becomes rhythmic and effortless, and digestion improves. And perhaps the yogis’ most precious discovery is that bodily balance coincides with mental equilibrium. As we heal the body, the mind follows, and a positive outlook is restored.

The following three postures, done daily, can greatly improve your alignment and sense of well-being. They are accessible to everyone and should be accompanied by free, fluid breathing. Never force; instead, remember to listen to your body and to honor its signals.

Reclined Leg Stretch

Lie on your back with your head on a towel or thin blanket so that your neck muscles can stay long and soft. Loop a strap or belt around the sole of your right foot and extend it up to the sky.

Give yourself enough slack with the strap so your knee can be straight, but not locked. Think of reaching from your hip, along with the back of your leg and out through your heel. Hold for one minute and then repeat on the other side.

Benefits: Stretches the hamstring muscles and helps restore the natural curve to the lumbar spine. Relieves lower back pain.

Bent Knee Lunge

Starting on all fours (hands below shoulders and knees below hips), step your right foot forward between your hands. Make sure your right shin is perpendicular to the ground. Slide your left knee back until you begin to feel a stretch along the front of your left hip.

Gradually begin to lift your torso up to a vertical position, which should intensify the stretch along the front of your left hip. Avoid over-arching your lower back; instead, encourage the hip to release its grip. Hold for one minute and then repeat on the other side.

Benefits: Stretches hip flexor muscles and helps balance the pelvis on top of the thigh bones. Relieves lower back pain and improves upright posture.

Arms Over Head 

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, making sure that the outer edges of your feet are parallel to each other. Balance your weight between both feet and put equal amounts of pressure on the heels and roots of the toes. As you inhale, sweep your arms out wide to the side and point your palms up to the sky. Then, leading with the pinky edges of your hands, begin to stretch your arms up over your head.

Be careful not to thrust your lower front ribs forward as you do this. Keep the hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing each other. Slowly move your arms to be more and more in line with your ears. Lift your entire rib cage up along with your arms so that you begin to lengthen the sides of your waist. Hold for one minute, relaxing the inner walls of your throat, then slowly release your arms back down by your side.

Benefits: Lifts and opens the chest, decompresses the lumbar spine, helps to re-balance the shoulder girdle on top of the rib cage. Relieves neck tension.

Geoffrey has been an avid practitioner of yoga for 23 years and an instructor for the past 15. The owner and primary teacher at Freret St Yoga, he also provides online yoga instruction through MyYogaToGo.com and MyYogaToGo on Youtube.