We have all heard about the importance of ‘core fitness’, and about strengthening the body’s core. We know that this helps prevent pain and injuries and enhances endurance. Heart opening yoga poses or asanas can similarly help the body increase strength in the back, shoulders, and stabilising muscles. Let us look at the importance of this facet of yoga, as well as the yoga poses that help to open the heart – both literally and figuratively.
Importance of heart opening yoga poses
Heart opening yoga poses engage the muscles in the core, which in turn help to align the spine optimally. This results in a better, healthier posture. We become more conscious of those rounded shoulders and the slumped spine, and become mindful of our posture. Stronger muscles offer better support and enable us to have a better posture. Many of these asanas are backbends or poses that act as spinal extensions. This can help to increase energy and improve blood circulation.
The heart opening yoga poses are centred upon the heart chakra in the body, and help to unblock it and the ‘prana’ within us. This chakra governs empathy, love, balance and similar important emotions. Many of the heart opening poses also have a positive psychological impact. For instance, they enhance humility since some of these are forward bending. Some experts also suggest that these poses help with our emotional regulation, and can reduce feelings of sadness and anxiety.
Yoga poses that help with heart opening
You can do the following heart opening yoga poses to get various benefits:
Cobra pose or Bhujangasana – This requires us to lie on the stomach with the hands and feet a little apart. At first, place the elbows and wrists on the ground parallel to the floor. We then raise the torso up and off the ground, curving the body into an upward bend also lifting the elbows off the ground with the hands flat on the ground.
Bow pose or dhanurasana is most often recommended as a heart opening asana. This is a backbend pose that requires us to lie on the ground face down. We then reach back with the arms and raise the legs up at the same time to grasp the ankles. As the name suggests, this pose makes the body appear like a bow or ‘dhanush’.
Cat-Cow pose also known as marjaryasana and bitilasana is another essential pose that involves back and forward flexion of the spine and is recommended for many reasons. We get on to our hands and knees. We then round the back with the head bent forward and then arch the back with the head bent back and up.
Puppy pose or uttana shihosana is another heart opening pose which is also recommended for releasing tension in the lower back, and for targeting the thoracic spine. We place our knees on the ground, and raise the hips up so that the knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. The torso is angled towards the ground with the face down and the arms stretched out and forward.
Rabbit pose or shashankasana is another forward bending pose. Resting on the knees, we curve our torso down and bring the head to touch the ground in front of the knees. At the same time, we stretch our arms back and attempt to reach the feet and grasp the heels. This helps direct the mind’s gaze inward and helps with self acceptance.
These are a few of the commonly recommended heart opening yoga poses. There are also many other advanced poses for extreme heart opening. However, I would caution my readers to learn these from a trained, experienced yoga instructor and not to try them without supervision.