Do you ever find towards the end of the week that you start to get more and more drowsy, unmotivated and as though you just want to curl up in front of Netflix and fall asleep? Don’t worry; you’re not alone. However, while most of us spending the majority of our weekends lazing around and recovering a week of work, this means we’re missing out on some serious opportunities to live our lives.
Fortunately, yoga has the answer. Today, I’m going to teach you a yoga pose that’s a sure-fire way to boost your energy levels and wake you up, all in under ten minutes. Feel free to practice this any time of day, any time of the week. Basically anytime that you feel like you need a little pick me up to keep you going.
Ustrasana
Ustrasana is the name of the pose that we’re going to learn today. This is more commonly referred to as the ‘Camel pose’. While this isn’t the easiest pose to perform, it’s not the most strenuous, but it is sure to get the blood pumping around your body which is exactly what you need to get the oxygen to your muscles, giving you an instant boost in your energy levels.
The Pose
To practice the pose, all you need to do is start by standing on your yoga mat on your knees. Free feel to adopt a Baby Pose, or half baby pose, to warm up your muscles. This is highly recommended to warm yourself up, especially if you’ve been in a chair at the office all day.
Make sure you have your feet facing the ground while pointing your toes at the floor. If you want a little bit extra, you can flex your feet by pushing away the floor with your toes. This provides you with a little bit more height when you lean back and touch your angles with your fingertips.
Once you’re in this position, you’re there! All you need to do now is take 5-8 deep breaths, making sure that you’re listening to your body and you’re nice and comfortable before holding it. Remember, yoga is not about forcing yourself into a certain position; it’s all about making sure that you’re comfortable and not putting your body in danger or risk harming yourself.
The trick here for a successful pose is to make sure that you’re pushing your sternum up and holding it as high as you can for the maximum benefits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHi7k92QJlg
As you’re pushing your sternum up, make sure that you’re pressing up and outwards with your hips. It’s essential that you keep your core muscles engage during this process, so you’re actively protecting your lower back.
Allowing your upper body to flex backwards with your hands by your ankles. Of course, some of you may not be flexible enough to achieve this position, which is fine, it will come in time and with regular practice. If this is the case, make sure that you’re placing your hands on your bottom or on your lower back.
And that’s all there is to it! Once you’ve started to build a habit of practising this regularly, you’ll get more and more competent at it, as well as an increased level of flexibility, which is a sure-fire way to raise your heartbeat, keeping that blood pumping and energising your entire body!
