Yoga is the new gym these days with more and more people taking to this discipline for its many health benefits. Regular practice of yoga can provide the much needed relief from the daily stresses of urban life. Yoga combines physical, mental and spiritual practices. These days yoga schools and classes are on the rise. While a daily gym routine may not be suitable for all age-groups, Yoga and its different asanas and breathing techniques cater to all age brackets, be it young or old.Some of the other benefits of yoga include increased flexibility, increased muscle strength and tone, improved energy, maintaining a balanced metabolism, weight reduction, improved athletic performance, protection from injury and many more. Body balancing plays a vital role in our well being as it reduces stress levels, enables you to have a good posture, increases core strength and stability, raises your consciousness and also helps you concentrate better. There are various yoga asanas that help in body balancing like Tadasana, Parsvakonasana, Virabhadrasana, Prasarita Padottanasana and Trikonasana being one of the effective ones. “The Trikonasana is the building block of your yoga practice. It is very easy to do it but at the same time is it also very easy to get it wrong. It involves all your joints and the primary purpose is to align all your joints,” says Yoga Expert, Zubin Atre. Let’s consider this yoga asana which is simple to execute but has many significant benefits. Trikonasana, as the name suggests is a triangle-shaped asana and can provide the following benefits if practiced regularly.
1. Helps in stretching hips, side of the torso and the hamstrings of your left leg.
2. Stretches the spine.
3. Supports the stimulation of spinal nerves.
4. It helps in improving the alignment of shoulders and flexibility of the spine.
5. It also strengthens the ankles and tones the ligaments of the arms and legs.
Who should stay away from Trikonasana?
This asana shouldn’t be performed by those who suffer from severe back pain. Others who are advised against trying this asana include those suffering from diarrhea, neck & back injuries, dizziness or vertigo because it is very easy to lose your balance while performing this pose.
How to do this body balancing asana
Stand erect and set your legs wide apart. Point your left foot out so that it is perpendicular to your right foot. This gives you a slightly broader base to balance on. Extend your arms at the shoulder level. Inhale and raise your right arm by the side of your head. Make sure that both your arms are parallel to each other and your legs are stretched straight. Now, while exhaling gently slide your upper body to the left and tilt it down. Your arm will also move simultaneously. As your left hand comes down you can keep it on the ankle, over the shin, on your knee or simply rest it on the floor. Your chest and tummy should be facing the front. Remember that you need to get all the muscles involved and make sure all the joints are in one line. Gently stretch your left palm away from the body and press with the back of your hand into the shin or ankle. This will push your hip forward and the right shoulder will be pulled further back engaging all the muscles. The weight should be on both the legs and you are just pressing your hands against the inside of the leg to maintain balance. Repeat it using the other arm. You can practice this pose for 2-6 long breaths.
Extended Triangle pose (Utthita trikonasana) ,Bound Triangle pose (Baddha trikonasana) ,Revolved Triangle pose (Parivrtta trikonasana) ,Reclining triangle pose (Supta trikonasana).
This is such an easy asana which can be done anytime anywhere to provide relaxation to your body. As they say “A healthy mind resides in a healthy body” and yoga helps you to achieve a healthy mind not only healthy body.
