🧘🏻♀️🧘🏻♀️Unlock Your Flexibility: A Yoga Sequence for Greater Range of Motion🧘🏻♀️🧘🏻♀️
Yoga is an excellent practice for improving the flexibility of the body while promoting relaxation and mental concentration. Here’s a flexibility-focused yoga sequence you can try. Be sure to practice each posture carefully, listening to your body and not forcing the movements. If you are a beginner or have health concerns, consult a healthcare professional or yoga instructor first.
1. Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar)
The Sun Salutation is a flowing sequence of movements that warm up the body and stretch the muscles. Repeat it several times to prepare your body for stretching.
2. Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
- Start on your hands and knees, then lift your hips upward, stretching your arms and legs.
- Push your heels towards the floor while keeping your hands and feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hold this pose for a few deep breaths.
3. Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
- From Downward-Facing Dog, step one foot forward between your hands.
- Gently lower the back knee to the ground while keeping the front knee bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Stretch your arms upward and slightly lean the upper body backward to open the chest.
- Switch legs and repeat on the other side.
4. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
- Sit with your legs extended in front of you.
- Slowly bend forward from your hips, keeping your back straight, and try to reach your feet with your hands.
- If you can’t reach your feet, use a strap or scarf to assist you.
- Hold the pose while taking deep breaths.
5. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
- From a standing position, slowly bend the upper body forward from the hips towards your feet.
- Let your arms hang or grasp your ankles or toes.
- Relax your head and neck, and let the weight of the upper body stretch the muscles in your back and legs.
6. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
- Lie face down with your palms near your chest.
- Slowly lift the upper body while keeping the hips on the floor.
- Extend your neck and look upward, opening the chest.
- Hold the pose for a few breaths.
7. Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
- Step your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Turn one foot 90 degrees and the other foot slightly inward.
- Lean laterally towards the 90-degree turned foot, extending the corresponding arm downward.
- The other arm stretches upward.
- Repeat on the other side.
8. Seated Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
- Sit with your legs extended.
- Bend one leg and cross the foot over the other leg.
- Twist your upper body towards the bent leg, using the opposite arm for a deeper twist.
- Repeat on the other side.
Remember to finish your session with a deep relaxation, such as Corpse Pose (Shavasana), to allow your body to adapt to the stretches and to relax. This yoga sequence for flexibility can be practiced regularly to gradually improve your body’s flexibility.