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Opening the Heart Chakra with Yoga: Poses to Release Your Energy

Learn how to practice yoga poses to open the heart chakra, known as Anahata in Sanskrit. Opening this energy center can promote the smooth flow of life energy, improve the functioning of associated organs, strengthen compassion, increase self-confidence, and promote forgiveness. Explore yoga poses like Warrior 1, Wheel, Fish, Cobra, and Reverse Salutation to cleanse and activate this essential chakra for your well-being. Then, continue your journey by practicing pelvic-opening poses for a holistic experience.

Who doesn't dream of having a flat stomach, even sometimes a few well-defined abs, especially as summer approaches. Know that no one escapes this desire. So, we go on diets, we start exercising or at least we make lots of good resolutions. But we quickly realize that it's more complicated than that. Especially if we are a woman and even more so as we get older. That's why today, we offer you a little anatomy, yoga postures to do at home on your yoga mat to deeply strengthen your muscles, rebalance and strengthen your body and your abdominal belt. Practicing yoga will allow you to stand up straighter and therefore reduce your back pain, have a flatter stomach, and eliminate your tension in the neck and shoulders .

Here are the 5 muscles that make it up.

And you will notice that when reading this article, a yoga session works all of these abdominal muscles.

1. The straight muscle or rectus abdominis

This muscle runs down from the middle of the rib cage to the pubis.

It is divided into two equal halves and into 7 or 8 horizontal sections. It is this muscle that gives the "chocolate bars" much appreciated by these gentlemen.

This is the muscle that we work when we do “abs”.

In yoga, this muscle is very used during postures such as the boat (Navasana), the crane (Bakasana), the plank (Chaturanga Dandasana)

2. The oblique muscles

The internal and external oblique muscles support the body and allow the rotation of the spine. They can be worked with rotation exercises; and we see that one side tenses and the other relaxes.

In yoga there are the postures : Triangle (trikonasana), wide angle (utthita Parsvakonasana), half moon (Ardha Chandrasana)

3. The transverse muscles

It is a deep horizontal muscle that extends from the rib cage to the belly. It supports the organs and holds the body up. It exerts gentle pressure on the intestines and tenses in balance positions.

Recommended postures are : Tree Pose (Vrksasana), Warrior II (Virabhandrasana II) and Handstand (Adho Mukka Vrkasana)

4. The square muscles of the loins

The quadratus lumborum muscle is located in the back. It plays an important role in twisting, standing postures and bending.

Head to Knee Reversal (Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana) Reversal Chair (Parivrtta Utkatasana)

5. The Psoas major

The muscle extends from the rib cage and lower back to the top of the thighs.

It is used a lot especially when you lift a leg, raise your buttocks, or when you turn a leg outwards or turn your spine to the side.

The Tree (Vrkasana) and the Bridge (Bandha Sarvangasana)

There you go, all you have to do now is practice on a good eco-friendly yoga mat. Enjoy your session.

Eliminate tension with the savasana posture.

''Savasana'' a Sanskrit term meaning corpse posture . Not a very flattering name, but an asana that visually resembles a corpse. Indeed, in this position lying on the back and motionless, the body is relaxed and the mind soothed. Your attention is focused on your fleshly envelope in a silence conducive to relaxation. You find the savasana posture very often at the end of the session, in yoga classes for the final relaxation. Bringing zenitude and letting go, savasana also has virtues on your health.

The practice of savasana in yoga

The corpse pose allows relaxation and recharges the batteries both at the end of a stressful day and at the end of a yoga session. After a yoga class and the realization of its asanas, savasana is essential and it is important not to ignore it, because your body and your mind store all the virtues and postures in order to facilitate the progress of the next class.

Be careful not to confuse savasana meditation with yoga nidra. The latter is a discipline guided by the voice of the yoga teacher and consists of visualizing a positive image expressing the ideal that the yogi wishes to achieve. We advise you to try yoga nidra before practicing savasana in order to appreciate its benefits and achieve it more easily.

How to do corpse pose correctly?

Performing the corpse pose may seem simple at first. In reality, it is not so simple. Allow 10 minutes to relax without losing patience or falling asleep. Lie down on a comfortable yoga mat (such as those for gentle yoga). Your entire back should be glued to the floor, your legs should be stretched out slightly apart and your toes pointed outward. As for your arms, they should be placed on the mat, away from your abdomen, and your palms facing upwards. Once in the correct position, close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply.

During the savasana discipline , you feel your body sink into the ground and you become aware of each limb (starting with your toes and up to above your head) before relaxing it completely. Empty your head and focus only on your breathing which becomes more and more regular. If you want to move, resist so as not to disturb your deep relaxation . However, do not feel guilty if you have thoughts that cross your mind. Let them do like a passing wave and focus again on your breathing.

The various benefits of savasana

Savasana meditation brings many benefits to the body (health) and mind just like yoga:

• Reduces stress, anxiety and insomnia,
• Relax your muscles and your mind,
• Allows you to live more consciously and in the present moment while letting go,
• Helps to be more aware of your breathing and body,
• Recharge your energy,
• Increases your concentration,
• Facilitates falling asleep,
• Reduces headaches and fatigue,
• Reduces blood pressure.

To learn more about what the practice of yoga nidra is, visit the article in the Tayronalife blog.

Bandha is a yoga technique that allows you to "lock" a part of the body in order to control energy, prana. Originally, bandhas were considered to be part of mudras, in the sense that the physical body is used to act on the energetic level.

Bandhas are used in hatha yoga , mainly during the practice of pranayamas (breathing techniques) and asanas (postures), in order to actively work on the chakras. 

These are powerful tools that must be used wisely and conscientiously, ideally under the watchful eye of a teacher.

In practice, how are the bandhas translated ?

In the physical body, the practice of bandhas results in conscious muscular activation. It can also consist of a succession of contraction/relaxation of the muscles concerned.

Bandhas can be practiced lying down, sitting, standing and even while performing a specific yoga posture.

Breath in the practice of bandhas

Breathing is very important during the practice of bandhas. Generally, the bandha is established at the moment of breath retention, between inhalation and exhalation. Retention can even be voluntarily maintained, this is called kumbhaka. It is essential to be familiar with pranayamas before starting to practice bandhas because they are closely linked.

The main bandhas

• Mula Bandha

As BKS Iyengar describes it: “The entire lower abdominal region between the anus and the navel is engaged, pulled back toward the spine and lifted upward.”

This bandha is connected to the first chakra, Muladhara. It allows the sacred energy to rise from the bottom to the top. It is practiced in a sitting position, contracting the perineum while keeping the lower abdomen relaxed.

• Uddiyana Bandha

This bandha, connected to the lower chakras Svadhisthana (genitals and belly) and Manipura (navel), is practiced with empty lungs. It can be done standing, with the pelvis relaxed to relax the lower back, hands placed on the thighs, trying to keep the back straight and the neck aligned with the rest of the spine. The idea of ​​this bandha is to "suck" the navel inwards, towards the spine, and to raise it as if you wanted to position it behind the floating ribs. Then release the belly and return to an upright position.

• Jalandhara Bandha

This is the throat bandha, linked to the vishudda chakra , which means "to purify". To perform this bandha, lower your chin towards your chest while moving your head back, as if you wanted to have a double chin. Thus, the neck remains aligned with the spine. This energy lock is performed on an exhalation. This bandha is used to cleanse the ENT network and relax the body by slowing down the heartbeat and bringing the energy (prana) back down to the lower parts of the body.

You can integrate bandhas into your yoga practice, so that it becomes more substantial and to intensify its effects at the subtle level. Do not hesitate to ask your teacher for a gentle approach to this practice, with its strong energizing potential!