Bending so we don’t break ... Integrating yoga into daily life

Megan Westling, DPT, OCS, RYT-500

Yoga has become a popular way to keep our bodies and minds healthy, but there are definitely some misconceptions about what yoga means. You may think that yoga is simply another word for stretching. In reality, yoga does help with flexibility but this is only one of its many benefits. It aids in injury prevention by keeping muscle groups in balance and it can help prevent falls by improving balance reactions. Whatever your fitness level or age, yoga is most likely a great option for you. 

Besides physical benefits, it also helps our minds and can be a great way to deal with stress or improve your energy level. Here are a few important poses that can benefit anybody: 

1. Cat and cow

This pose is so important for spine health and mobility. So often we are sitting- at work, driving, watching TV. This pose allows the spine to find motion that we don’t always get in our day to day lives.

First, come to your mat (or floor) on your hands and knees and align your wrists with your shoulders and knees with your hips. From here, just start moving and don’t over-think. Round your back, tucking your chin towards your chest and tucking your hips underneath you. Then go the opposite direction, lifting your gaze forward, squeezing your shoulder blades and arching your low back.

Cat Cow involves moving up and down, but you can incorporate side-to-side as well.

*A good variation of this pose is to try it in sitting which can be much more convenient. Just arch and round your back while sitting in a chair.

2. Tree pose

This is my favorite pose for balance.

Start by standing with your gaze fixated on a non-moving object in front of you. Then, root down your standing leg by activating the muscles in the front of your thigh. When you feel balanced, lift your opposite foot up so the instep of that foot meets the inside of the standing leg’s ankle (if you are getting totally confused here - just check out the picture). If you have more space in the hip, you can bring the lifted leg to your opposite inner thigh. Engage your core here by drawing your belly button inwards- this will give you more stability.

Always feel free to start and end your tree pose by bringing the hands to touch at your chest. For a challenge, bring your arms overhead, or even try closing your eyes.

3. Chair pose

This is a powerful pose- and you will feel that power coming from your thighs and buttocks.

Start by standing with your feet together ... or if that is too much of a challenge, bring your feet shoulder-width apart. From here, reach your hips back like you’re about to sit in a chair. Your knees will bend too and you’ll be in a small squat. Use your core to avoid arching the

back. Keep your eyes looking straight ahead.

Options for arms: active at your sides or reaching overhead. When it starts to feel challenging, see if you can deepen your breath and stay there a little longer.

Yoga can be a fun way to get to know your own body. Often, the poses that are the most difficult are the ones we need the most. Safety is key, so remember that although you might feel fatigue, or “pulling” of the muscles, you should never be feeling pain. If you want to know more about how yoga can help you in recovering from an injury, managing a hectic day, or even improving your overall health, feel free to reach out to me at megan@bodyrenovationpt.com.

Or, check out our yoga offerings across our Body Renovation locations. I lead 4- and 6-session yoga courses in Mequon, Jes D. leads Thursday yoga at BRPT-Tosa West and Colleen hosts a variety of community-led yoga programming for kids and adults at BRPT-Tosa East. Click here for our events page!