Five Yoga Asanas to Naturally Boost Energy Levels

Five Yoga Asanas to Naturally Boost Energy Levels

Are you feeling zapped of energy? Try these five yoga asanas (postures) to help boost your energy levels and clear your mind.

Whilst performing the following yoga postures bring your focus to your alignment, breathe slowly and completely through your nose and visualise the breath travelling around the whole of your body. Focussing on your breath helps to clear the mind. Being mindful of your alignment will improve your posture and help to remove physical blockages in the form of muscular stress and tension, all this will encourage prana to flow freely whilst naturally boosting your energy levels.

Virabhadrasana II (warrior 2)

This posture is a great energiser; as you connect to the earth with your feet, whilst extending through the tips of your fingers and the crown of your head energy can flow freely around the whole of the body.

Stand with your feet about a metre apart, turn the left foot out to the point to the left. Inhale and lift your arms so that they are level with your shoulders, soften your shoulders away from your ears whilst reaching out through the tips of your fingers. Lift through your lower abdominal muscles and become aware of your feet pushing into the floor, as you exhale and bend your left knee so that the knee is over the left ankle. Now turn your head to look to the left. Breathe slowly and completely for ten or more complete breaths and then repeat on the other side.

Ardha Chandrasana (half moon)

This is a balancing posture it is great for helping to clear and focus the mind, the clean lines that you form with your body whilst in the posture will boost your energy flow.

Stand with your feet together, fold carefully into a standing forward bend; soften your knees if you need too. Rest your fingertips on the floor and lift your left leg so that it is level with your hips, flex the left foot and rotate the left leg 90 degrees to the left, reach your left arm straight up and turn your head to look to the left hand (if you struggle to balance keep looking down).

Whilst you hold this posture breathe slowly and visualise energy travelling around your body, push your right foot into the ground as you reach your left arm up and your left heel back. Draw your lower abdominal muscles up and back and feel that the crown of your head is extending forwards in the opposite direction to the left heel. Hold for ten or more complete breaths and then repeat on the other side.

Ustrasana (camel)

This posture is another great energiser; it opens the chest and heart area of the body, bringing plenty of fresh prana (vital life force) to the respiratory organs.

Begin kneeling, bring your hips over knees and your shoulders over your hips, and make sure the tops of your feet are resting on the floor. Allow your breast bone to lift as you place your right hand onto your right ankle and your left hand onto your left ankle. Keep your neck in line with your spine and your lower back long. Breathe slowly for five or more complete breaths and then rest in extended child.

If you cannot reach your ankles with both hands at once try one side at a time.

Utthita Balasana (extended child)

This posture is soothing and nurturing, breathing slowly whilst in it will help to calm a restless mind, whilst balancing energy flow.

Remain on your knees, relax your bottom back onto your heels, allow your upper body to relax forwards, rest your fore head onto the floor and extend your arms. If you can, reach your arms as far forwards as is comfortable and rest just your fingertips on the ground, breathe slowly and completely for five breaths and then relax the whole of your hand to the floor, melt through your shoulders and breathe slowly for twenty or more complete breaths.

Savasana (the corpse)

I love this posture, it is ideal for deep relaxation and helping to reset and focus the mind. Whilst lying on your back energy is able to flow freely through the body.

Lie on your back with your arms alongside your body and your legs extended. Close your eyes and breathe slowly through your nose. Focus on your breath, notice how the body relaxes as you breathe slowly and it relaxes even further as you exhale, when your body relaxes your mind becomes stiller and as your mind becomes stiller your body relaxes even more.

Remain in this posture breathing slowly for as long as is required.

This blog article was written by Sue Fuller creator of the Yoga 2 Hear range of audio yoga classes and yoga teacher training courses. 

Also in Yoga for Health