5 Balancing poses to keep you up | Hugger Mugger Yoga

Many years ago my mother fell and broke her hip. Or maybe her hip broke and she fell as a result. Sometimes it is impossible to know what the chicken is and what the egg is. In any case, the fall was almost the end of her.

Long story short, after a stint in the hospital, she progressed well in rehabilitation. A day before she went back home, she went in kidney failure. Apparently the combination of several medicines was too much. Her caregivers completely stopped her medicines and she recovered slowly. But the incident made me understand why it is often said that Falls can be the start of the end for older people.

Every year, more than 800,000 people are admitted to the hospital for injuries that arise from falls. One in five waterfalls causes a serious injury such as broken bones or traumatic head injury. Falls are even the most common cause of traumatic brain injury. Here are still a few statistics On falls and their sum catastrophic effects.

What is balance and why is it important?

Simply put, balance is our ability to recognize our position in relation to the objects around us, including the surface on which we stand or walk. A good sense of balance enables us to perform our daily tasks with a sense of stability and convenience. Slightly as often as walking on the street and turning your head to talk to a friend requires a healthy feeling of balance. Without balance, simple activities not only become challenging, but can even be dangerous.

As we get older, some factors that contribute to a good balance can take. Facious can dim. Inner ear problems can disrupt the vestibular system. Neuropathy can reduce proprioception.

Can cause external causes such as smooth or uneven surfaces, intoxication or disease falling. But they can also happen due to a lack of attention or underdeveloped proprioception. The good news is that yoga can help. Many asanas are specifically designed to improve balance. And the centering of our mind on our body shares mindfulness, so that we are more inclined to recognize more subtle signs of imbalance in our body before we fall.

There are many yoga games that support the balance. All standing poses – think of Trikonasana (Triangle Pose), Virabhadrasana I and II (Krijger I and II), etc. – can help strengthen our legs and cultivate balance. And of course the one -legged standing poses such as Vrksasana (tree attitude) are balance between poses.

It is important to challenge our balance in different ways. Although we often think of standing balance when we hope to cultivate proprioception, balancing in different orientations is also important. That is why I have different types of balancing poses in the examples below.

The most important thing is to remember that balancing, just like all asana, is a practice, not a performance. Meet your body where it is. For example, if you have to stand close to a wall in a standing balance, please do this. Even with that little bit of extra support, you still develop the skill of balancing.

5 Balancing poses

1. Foot massage: Pay attention to our feet, massage them, exercise our toes, etc., keeps them healthy and responds to the surface that we negotiate. Start your practice with these simple exercises. But you don’t have to limit it to your on-the-mat exercise. You can also practice this while you are sitting to watch TV or at any time you have a Spaas moment. An old student of mine who had never been able to balance on one leg, practiced it for about nine months every day and could be balanced for the first time in her life! At that time she was in the 70s.
2. Vrksasana (tree posture): There are of course many standing poses that you can practice to sharpen your balance. Follow the instructions in this message. It is useful to remember that even if you feel shaky in your balance, you still learn the skill of balancing. When you swing around not to fall into the tree posture, you actually develop proprioception. So don’t feel discouraged. Remember that this is a practice, no implementation!
3. Parsva Balasana (Bird Dog Pose): As I explained above, it is important to challenge our balance in different ways. Bird Dog Pose is a core amplifier and poses a balance. Because it strengthens the core – before, back and internally – it stabilizes us to increase balance. But the action of “standing” on one knee and one arm also develops proprioception. Moreover, balancing with your head helps to stimulate your vestibular system in a different position than upright. Read these instructions to help you refine your practice.
4. Ubhaya Padangusthasana (both hands and big toes pose): This pose offers the possibility to balance in another way – to your rear. Practicing this Asana in its most common form, with the arms and legs straight, can be a challenge if your hamstrings and calves are on the tighter side. Feel free to bend your knees and hold it on the back of your thighs instead of holding your feet. This message can give you some instructions to practice safely.
5. Savasana (Corpse Pose): Years ago I went to an early morning lessons that lasted only an hour. The teachers argued that with such a short class Savasana they didn’t have to record. While I enjoyed their teachings in the other Asanas, the Savasana-free class always gave me spread and unfounded. In retrospect, I can see that this is a recipe to continue without a balance feeling for the rest of the day. Savasana is in fact one of Yoga’s best balancing poses. It balances your body on a deeper level than just balancing on one leg. Give yourself 10 minutes if your exercise is an hour or less, and 15 minutes or more if it is longer.

Of course there are many more balance stages than the five examples I have given. Inversions are great, and as I wrote above, all standing poses with a wide position are useful. The most important factor is the attention you bring to your body while you practice. Keep your focus in your body, on the sensations you feel. Remember that hectic, superficial breathing creates agitation – not a great recipe for balancing. Make sure your breathing is continuous, deep and calm.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell discovered Yoga in 1982 and started teaching in 1986. Charlotte is the author of Mindful Yoga, Mindful Life: A Guide for Everyday Practice and Yoga for Meditators, both published by Rodmell Press. Her third book is entitled Hip-Healthy Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Guide to Protect the hips and avoiding SI joint pain (Shambhala publications). She writes a monthly column for Catalyst Magazine and serves as an editor for Yoga U online. Charlotte is one of the founders of board member for GreenTree Yoga, a non-profit organization that brings yoga to disadvantaged population. Charlotte, a lifelong musician, plays oboe and English horn in the Salt Lake Symphony and Folk Sextet Red Rock Rondo, whose DVD won two Emmy Awards.