Whether or not you wish to slowly awaken your physique within the morning or get pleasure from deep juicy stretches after a strenuous exercise, seated yoga poses are improbable.
This yoga asana class includes ahead folds, twists, hip openers, hamstring stretches, and extra, providing you with a full physique stretch-out with out even standing up!
However when you could assume that almost all seated poses are simple, this isn’t the case in any respect. Certain, there are a lot of beginner-friendly seated poses that lightly stretch and loosen up the physique, however there are additionally some extremely difficult ones (trace: splits pose!)
Don’t consider me? Learn on to find a broad choice of seated yoga poses, starting from newbie to superior.
When Ought to You Follow Seated Yoga Postures?
Relying on the precise posture, seated poses could be included within the warm-up part of your yoga observe or after the standing poses.
For instance, light seated yoga poses like certain angle and hero pose will help to loosen up and open the physique forward of the standing yoga poses. In the meantime, deep hip openers and ahead folds could be pretty to chill down and stretch the muscle tissue towards the top of the observe.
When selecting the place to put seated poses in your sequence, think about the asana’s problem stage. Intermediate and superior seated postures ought to be practiced within the second half of the session when the physique is already heat to keep away from harm.
Newbie Seated Yoga Poses
New to yoga? No worries! Listed here are eight beginner-level seated poses that may gently stretch and open your physique.
Straightforward Pose (Sukhasana)
Straightforward pose is a typical cross-legged place that many yoga lessons start in. In contrast to the lotus pose, the straightforward pose is accessible for most individuals because it includes merely crossing your shins and sitting with a straight backbone.
Whereas the leg place itself creates a mild hip opening, there are a lot of variations you are able to do that add extra advantages, resembling:
- Light twist – Carry one hand behind you and the opposite hand to the other knee as you twist from the torso sustaining a straight backbone.
- Light ahead fold – Maintaining your sitting bones on the bottom, stroll your fingertips ahead on to decrease your torso to your legs.
- Aspect bend – Place one hand on the ground and attain the other arm up and over to the aspect to stretch the aspect physique.
- Reverse prayer – Carry each arms behind your again, bending the elbows and touching the palms.
- Chest opener – Clasp your arms behind you and lengthen your arms. Inhale to open the chest, then exhale to fold ahead, bringing your clasped arms up and over.
Certain Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)
Certain angle, often known as butterfly or cobbler’s pose, stretches the internal hip flexors and groin whereas soothing rigidity within the decrease again.
To do that place, bend each knees out to the aspect, bringing the soles of your ft collectively. You are able to do just a few variations right here, resembling remaining upright, bouncing the knees up and down, or folding forwards.
Furthermore, the gap between your ft and your physique will decide your sensation stage. For instance, you’ll be able to deliver the ft additional away from you to create a diamond form along with your legs if you need a mild stretch. Or you’ll be able to pull the ft near your groin for a deeper hip opening.
Employees Pose (Dandasana)
Employees pose is one other newbie seated place the place each legs are straight, and the ft are along with the toes pointing up. Dandasana improves your posture, lengthens the backbone and hamstrings, and strengthens the again muscle tissue.
Whereas this posture could look easy, there may be a lot muscle engagement. To take care of the place, flex your ft and interact your thigh muscle tissue, urgent them right down to the mat. You must also have interaction your arms by protecting them straight and urgent the palms barely into the ground whereas drawing the shoulders away from the ears.
Thunderbolt pose (Vajrasana)
The thunderbolt pose includes sitting in your heels along with your knees in deep flexion. This posture stretches the quads whereas strengthening numerous physique elements, together with the ankles, knees, again, chest, and core.
Thunderbolt can be a well-liked place for seated meditation or performing respiration strategies. As well as, it has many therapeutic advantages, together with aiding digestion, constipation, and hypertension.
Head To Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana)
This seated yoga posture combines a ahead bend and a hip opener. It stretches numerous physique elements, together with the backbone, hamstrings, groins, and shoulders. It additionally stimulates particular organs such because the liver and spleen and has a chilled sensation on the thoughts.
From a seated place with each legs prolonged straight, bend your proper knee, turning the knee out to the aspect and putting the foot to the internal left thigh. Subsequent, sit up, inhale, and fold forwards over the prolonged leg.
As you maintain this pose, concentrate on pulling your chest ahead in the direction of your foot. You’ll be able to flex the left foot to maintain the leg straight and deepen the hamstring stretch. For those who can attain the foot along with your fingers, you may as well gently pull your self additional towards the left leg.
Seated Spinal Twist (Half Lord Of The Fishes Pose)
This seated spinal twist could be very therapeutic for the digestive system. The tight twisting place “wrings” out the belly organs, serving to to launch toxins and stimulate digestion whereas firming the core. The spinal twist additionally improves spinal mobility and eases low again ache.
Begin with each legs straight, then bend your left knee, putting the foot outdoors your proper thigh. Subsequent, bend your proper knee, shifting the foot in the direction of your left hip (protecting the knee on the bottom). If this place isn’t accessible or creates ache, maintain the underside leg straight.
Sustaining this leg place, deliver your left hand behind you with the fingertips on the bottom and the wrist supporting your decrease again. Attain your proper arm up as you inhale, then twist your backbone to the left as you exhale. Subsequent, bend the precise elbow, hooking it to the skin of the left knee. Take 5 breaths right here, going deeper into the twist on every exhale.
Seated Ahead Bend (Paschimottanasana)
Paschimottanasana is a seated ahead fold the place the legs are collectively. This place offers a deep stretch to the complete again, bettering spinal mobility and adaptability. It additionally stretches the hamstrings and calf muscle tissue and calms the thoughts.
Begin in Dandasana along with your backbone straight. In your inhale, attain each arms up, creating extra size within the backbone. As you exhale, keep this size as you tilt out of your hips and decrease your torso to your thighs.
Preserve your backbone straight as you come down by protecting your arms alongside your ears. Whenever you attain your most, launch your arms to your calves, ankles, or ft, or maintain onto a strap hooked across the soles of your ft.
Seated Broad-Legged Straddle (Upavistha Konasana)
Seated wide-legged straddle is a wide-leg model of Paschimottanasana. It stretches the hamstrings, hip flexors, groin, and decrease again whereas bettering the exterior rotation of the hips. It additionally stimulates the belly organs and improves circulation within the pelvis.
From Dandasana, deliver your legs as large as feels snug. With a straight backbone, inhale to succeed in your arms overhead, then exhale to fold ahead. Within the ahead bend, you’ll be able to relaxation your arms on the mat between your legs, seize the outsides of the ft, or hook your peace fingers round your huge toes.
Intermediate Seated Yoga Poses
As soon as you are feeling snug with the newbie seated poses, strive these barely tricker ones.
Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana)
The cow face pose improves flexibility within the shoulders and hips by opening the chest and stretching the triceps, outer hip flexors, and glutes. It is usually a superb pose for counteracting the results of lengthy intervals of sitting and bettering posture.
Bend your left knee, stacking it over the precise knee and bringing the foot in the direction of the precise hip. Then bend the precise knee beneath, bringing the foot in the direction of the left hip. The knee ought to stay stacked although there could also be a niche between them.
For the arm positioning, deliver your left arm behind you, bending the elbow and bringing the fingertips in the direction of the higher again. Then attain your proper arm as much as the sky, bend the elbow, and hook the fingers. Lastly, level the highest elbow upwards and open the chest as you breathe deeply into any rigidity.
Hero Pose (Virasana)
Hero pose is a deeper and, thus, tougher model of the Thunderbolt pose. As an alternative of sitting on the heels, you progress your ft to the skin of your hips and place your sitting bones immediately on the bottom. This leads to deeper knee flexion, and thus, it’s extremely strengthening for these joints and the thighs, ankles, and arches of the ft.
Begin in Thunderbolt pose with the knees bent, then slide your ft out to the aspect of your hips. When you have tightness within the thighs or knee that stops you from connecting your sit bones to the bottom, sit on a folded blanket.
Navasana strengthens the thighs, again, and core muscle tissue whereas bettering steadiness, stability, and digestion. The ultimate place includes the legs prolonged straight and the arms floating alongside the thighs, engaged. A extra beginner-friendly variation is to maintain the knees bent with the shins parallel to the bottom.
Fireplace Log Pose (Agnistambhasana)
The hearth log is a seated pose the place the shins are stacked, creating the looks of fireside logs. This asana offers a deep stretch to the glutes and outer hips. It improves flexibility within the decrease physique and strengthens the legs and knees.
Ranging from the straightforward pose, deliver your proper shin barely forwards till it’s parallel to the highest of the mat. Subsequent, stack your left shin on prime, putting the heel over the precise knee and the knee over the precise foot. If there’s a giant hole between the highest knee and backside foot, put a pillow or block in between for assist.
Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
The pigeon pose is one other seated asana for the outer hips and glutes. It’s notably useful for anybody with tight hips or decrease again ache because it helps to loosen up the muscle tissue in these areas and launch stagnating vitality.
Carry your left knee ahead from a tabletop place, putting it behind the left wrist. Shift the left foot in the direction of the precise aspect as you sink your hips down. Stroll your arms near your physique, straighten your backbone, and breathe deeply.
If you wish to take this place additional, there are just a few variations you’ll be able to strive:
- Sleeping Pigeon – Stroll your arms ahead and launch your higher physique down, resting your brow on the bottom or a prop.
- Mermaid – Staying upright, bend your proper knee and attain behind along with your proper arm to seize the foot. Slide the foot to your elbow, then deliver your left arm up, turning the elbow and clasping your proper fingers. Press the chest ahead for a deep higher physique opening.
- King Pigeon – Bend the again knee like you’re coming into Mermaid, then hook a yoga strap excessive of the foot. Attain each arms up, bending the elbows and grabbing the belt. Arch the backbone and press the chest forwards.
Heron Pose (Krounchasana)
This intermediate yoga pose offers an intense hamstring stretch, opens the hips, and improves spinal flexibility. It additionally stimulates the center and belly organs and strengthens the ft, knees, and ankles.
From Dandasana, bend your left knee, bringing the foot subsequent to your left sitting bone (like in a half Hero pose). Then bend your proper knee, bringing the only real of the foot on the ground in entrance of you.
Seize your proper foot with each arms and slowly lengthen and carry the leg, bringing the foot greater than the top. You might need to lean again barely as you do that however maintain your backbone straight and chest lifted.
Superior Seated Yoga Poses
Mastered all the above? Then give these difficult advanced-level seated yoga poses a go in the event you really feel courageous sufficient. Simply make sure you totally heat up the physique earlier than trying them.
Lotus Pose (Padmasana)
Lotus pose could also be depicted as the usual meditation posture, however it is extremely difficult for many individuals because it requires excessive hip flexibility. Training this posture additional improves flexibility, promotes good posture, calms the thoughts, and stretches the ankles and knees.
From a simple pose, carry the left foot and slowly transfer it in the direction of the precise thigh, putting it near the groin with the only real going through up. This is called half lotus pose.
To do the ultimate model, launch the precise leg, seize the foot, and cross the shins to put the precise foot on the left thigh. Within the ultimate place, each soles ought to face upwards, and the heels ought to be shut to one another. Whether it is too painful, launch the precise leg and place it again beneath the left in half lotus.
Tortoise Pose (Kurmasana)
Tortoise Pose requires open hips and requires flexibility within the backbone and shoulders, making it probably the most difficult seated yoga poses. Nonetheless, it has many advantages, together with firming the belly organs, decreasing low again rigidity and sciatica ache, and bettering blood circulation.
From a straddle place with the legs large and the backbone straight, bend your knees barely as you stroll your arms ahead between the legs. As you decrease your higher physique between your legs, slide your arms beneath the knees with the palms going through down. The total expression is to flatten the arms and torso to the bottom with the legs prolonged.
Full Splits (Hanumanasana)
Hanumanasana, generally referred to as full splits, is one other difficult seated pose for a lot of because it requires considerably open hips and thighs. Nonetheless, it has many advantages, together with firming the legs, soothing menstrual cramps, and balancing the nervous system.
From a tabletop place, step the left foot between your arms. Subsequent, stroll the foot ahead as you sink your hips and slide your proper leg again, bringing the ft additional away from one another. You’ll be able to then flex the left foot to slip the heel alongside the ground, bringing the hips as near the bottom as potential.
If the sitting bones stay hovering above the ground, assist your self by putting a block beneath them.
Compass Pose (Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana)
The compass pose is a extra superior model of the Heron pose, giving an equally intense stretch to the hamstring because the splits pose. As well as, it stretches the shoulders, chest, and hips, strengthens the core, improves steadiness, and will increase spinal flexibility.
From a simple pose, bend your left knee, hugging it to the chest. You’ll be able to maintain the precise leg bent or lengthen it. Thread your left arm beneath your left leg, bringing the fingertips to the ground outdoors your left hip.
Lengthen your backbone, then use your proper hand to slip the internal left knee up your left arm. Then, holding the skin of the foot, slowly lengthen the left leg as you pull your proper shoulder again to open the chest.
Ideas For Training Seated Poses
As you’ll be able to see, not all seated poses are a stroll within the park. However a few issues will considerably aid you discover the proper alignment and full expression of every one.
Sit On A Block
Many individuals with tight hips battle to sit up because of rigidity within the lumbar backbone. This results in leaning again or hunching forwards, that are incorrect postures.
The best but simplest adjustment you may make if fighting seated asanas is to put a yoga block beneath your sit bones. Elevating your hips will ease the stress in your decrease again, permitting you to search out and keep a straighter backbone.
Sitting on a block will even assist in any cross-legged place if in case you have delicate knees or lack mobility on this joint. Shifting the hips greater will deliver your knees nearer to the bottom with out the chance of harm.
Even in the event you don’t have tight hips or knee points, you should still discover it useful to sit down on a small meditation cushion or folded blanket throughout seated asanas, particularly in the event you maintain them for a very long time.
Transfer With Your Breath
The second key to mastering seated postures is to maneuver along with your breath. For instance, use your inhale to search out size in your backbone, then transfer on the exhale, whether or not it’s folding ahead or twisting.
As well as, your breath will aid you transfer via rigidity when holding superior poses just like the splits or compass pose. Breathe slowly and deeply via the nostril, directing the prana to the place you are feeling essentially the most rigidity. By specializing in this space for just a few breaths, you would possibly really feel the muscle tissue chill out and open up extra, permitting you to go deeper.
Closing Ideas On Seated Yoga Postures
Attempt a few of these seated yoga poses if you wish to work in your flexibility, enhance your posture, or unwind after a worrying day. You’ll be able to add them to your common yoga observe or create a whole seated sequence for these days you’ll be able to’t face one other solar salutation or warrior 2!