3 essential yoga poses worth doing daily

Stability and balance are two different concepts that many understand to mean the same thing. But when working toward a healthy body to improve activity, at any level, and quality of life — it’s important to know the difference…

Balance is the ability to walk and move without falling over. Stability is the ability to hold balance at a single level for a period of time. Both are vital to your ability to do tasks, whether you are simply walking or doing something more active, like lifting, jumping, doing aerobic exercise or even rock climbing.

In today’s video, mind-body-spirit coach Shishir Inocalla shows you a series of simple lower body yoga poses to improve stability, balance and strength. The longer you can hold a posture the more stable your balance will be. And because you are holding these three yoga poses for 30 seconds at a time — continuously from pose to pose — you will also be developing lower body strength, endurance, flexibility and increasing bone density all the while.

Before you begin, take a few moments to relax your body and mind by breathing slowly and deeply for a few moments. Once you are focused and relaxed, begin.

Buddhist yoga pose

Stand erect with palms together in Namaste gratitude posture, fingers pointing upward.

Assume a wide stance by first stepping out with your left leg and then with your right leg to make a double shoulder’s width position. Toes can point outward 45-degrees to assist balance.

Keep your body between the legs, your spine erect and lower your hips has much as you can.

Hold this position and feel at ease inside your body. Yes, there are some physical challenges in holding this position, but try to not focus on those but rather relax into the posture.

Breathe in and then exhale while extending your arms forward and then outward to their respective sides.

Hold this position being as still and stable as long as possible, but try for 30 seconds as a first goal. Embrace the challenge, feel the stretch, release the tension where the muscles are tight.

Warrior’s yoga pose

Take a deep breath again and turn the Buddhist Pose into a Warrior’s Pose.

To do this, exhale while moving your weight onto your left leg while turning your right foot to the left. Your arms will remain held out to their sides but your head will look left.

Hold this pose unmoving for 30 seconds before moving into the Triangle Pose.

Triangle yoga pose

Take a deep breath then exhale while leaning to the left and raising your right arm up toward the ceiling. Your head will look up at the fingers of your right hand.

Your left arm can either rest on your left thigh for balance, or if you are more flexible, you can lower your arm down and touch your foot with your hand.

Relax in this position and hold this pose for 30 seconds.

Return to center and repeat

Adjust your weight back to center and bring your hands back in to return to the Buddhist pose. Hold for 30 seconds while relaxing the mind and body.

Now pivot to the right and assume the Warrior’s Pose for 20 seconds.

And then pivot into the Triangle Pose and hold for 30 seconds.

Return back to center and stand up slowly. Shake your arms and body to relax. Feel your happy heart. Relax and feel how your body is developing new levels of balance, stability, flexibility and strength.

Additional thoughts

This is a great set of yoga poses in an easy-to-follow sequence to help prevent osteoporosis, reduce risk of injury to falls and increasing strength, balance and stability to improve quality of life.

The challenge of these postures is to maintain an inner peace, calmness, tranquility while holding a challenging physical position. That is the focus of Yoga in all cases. Being calm inwardly while developing outwardly the body.