While yoga might appear to be just stretching and breathing, there’s a lot more to it than that. In fact, yoga has a strong ability to improve your physical health, reduce stress, and even help with hair loss. If you already practice yoga, then you probably know it’s many benefits. If you handled the beginner poses alright, here are some yoga facts and more advanced poses you can try to improve your health and advance your asana.

What Effects Does Yoga Have on The Body?

Your physical and mental well-being can both be improved with a regular yoga practice. In fact researchers have found that yoga can reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce inflammation, and reduce chronic pain. Along with these benefits, here are some other yoga benefits:

• Increases Flexibility
• Improves Sleep
• Increases Strength
• Improves Posture
• Reduces Anxiety
• Improve Endurance

As you can see, yoga is amazing for you, both physically and mentally, in fact yoga can help with hair loss, so it’s important to establish a regular practice. Whether you can only fit in a few minutes before bed, or can dedicate yourself to a longer practice at a studio, any yoga is good yoga.

Intermediate Yoga Poses

Yoga is a powerhouse when it comes to your health, so it’s no surprise that it is growing in popularity. Getting to a yoga class is more accessible than ever these days, but sometimes you just want to enjoy a practice at home. Here are some intermediate yoga poses that will deepen your practice and improve your health.

Boat Pose or Paripurna Navasana

Ready to build some core strength? Boat pose is a great way to stretch out the spine and increase your core connection. Start seated with your legs stretched out in front of you. Slowly raise your legs straight out and up as you also raise your arms, parallel with your legs. Be sure to keep the spine straight as your body might try to round your back. Balance while keeping your belly flat. If you want to increase the intensity, bend and straighten your legs while they are in the air, or grab your toes with a straight back,  you will definitely feel the burn.

Camel Pose or Ustrasana

Enjoy a deep backbend with camel pose. First sit up, kneeling on your thighs with your feet hip distance apart. Keep your toes straight out and raise your arms above your head, keeping your back straight. Rooting from the tops of your feet, bring arms down and around, each hand resting on each foot. Typically it is easiest to rest on your heels. Breath in and out slowly. Don’t forget to counter this pose with a forward fold to keep your spine happy and balanced.

Forearm Wheel Pose or Dwipada Viparita Dandasana

This challenging backbend is a wonderful way to deepen your yoga practice. Start in chakrasana, making sure your arms are strong and your back is comfortable. Slowly (and one at a time) bend elbows, placing your forearms on the ground. Slowly open your shoulders and breath deeply into the stretch. To exit this pose, raise back up into chakrasana.

Side Crow Pose or Parsva Bakasana

While this pose can appear intimidating, some might find it easier than crow pose. Start in a squatted position, facing the front of your mat. Start to lean forward, carefully not putting too much pressure in your palms. Bend your arms at a 90 degree angle, then lift your feet, balancing on your hands. Place your legs through on your arms like a shelf.

Remember these are intermediate yoga poses, so if you are a beginner, we recommend trying out beginner yoga poses. These more advanced poses could cause injury if you have not built up the strength and flexibility required to do them. Just remember, no matter where you start, the most important thing is that you do start. Yoga has so many benefits for your body, your mind, and even your hairline so it’s always worth dedicating some time to try out the poses and dedicate yourself to a regular yoga practice.

About the author:

Tiffany Fuller is a creator on behalf of illumiflow, a revolutionary brand (helping its customers regrow their hair) and Premium Web LLC.