Beginner’s Guide to Spring Yoga

As much as summer and winter are charming, spring has the perfect workout temperature! And that’s why, if you have always wanted to start your spring yoga journey, this is the right time to incorporate this workout and therapeutic activity into your daily schedule!

What is Spring Yoga?

Yoga is a harmonious activity that involves different exercises, termed asanas. These asanas target both our body and mind. “Spring Yoga” can be any yoga sequence that consists of poses that relate to the theme of spring, i.e., renewal and positive energy.

From kids to adults, spring yoga is for everybody. It includes a refreshing workout that will help you reconnect with nature peacefully.

Benefits of Yoga

You must have heard about yoga in some way, but do you know about its effective benefits?

Amit Ray, a spiritual master, says:-

“Yoga is the art of awareness on the canvas of body, mind, and soul.”

Yoga, indeed, is a peaceful yet energizing activity that has some fantastic benefits, including:

1.   Improved Fitness:

As a versatile activity, yoga targets the body in many different directions. It can also be an intense workout routine that increases flexibility, builds strength, enhances endurance, and elevates coordination.

2. Provides Calmness:

While maintaining the fitness element of a yoga session, your emotional well-being also increases when you practice this peaceful activity. It calms your mind and body.

3. Improved Focus

The practice of controlling your body while you try different yoga asanas gradually increases your body’s balance. It has also been said to improve focus and concentration.

Best Spring Yoga Poses:

1. Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

The mountain pose is not only a popular asana to include in your spring yoga sequence but in any yoga session, actually! The reason for that can be that the mountain pose is foundational. It helps build up posture and works on balance and core.

Here’s how to perform a mountain pose:

1. Simply stand straight with hip-width apart with a stronghold on the ground.
2. Slowly lift your kneecap, engaging your thigh and legs.
3. Reach towards the ceiling by drawing your abdomen up towards the ceiling.
4. Broaden your chest and collarbones and relax while keeping your head forward.
5. Retrieve to the original position by lowering the arms.

Because of its ease and essentialness, this pose also comes under spring yoga for kids!

2. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

This intense but easy asana is among spring’s best upper-body yoga poses. It helps improve circulation and is considered a great stretch after any workout!

Here’s how to perform a cobra pose:

1. Start with lying down on your stomach.
2. Press the hands around your ribcage and then dig the palms into the floor, lifting your upper body. Keep your lower body straight and on the ground.
3. Straighten the arms and elongate the neck while doing a backbend until you reach your comfort level.
4. After a few moments, return to your original position.

3. Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)

This relaxing asana is a popular and effective spring yoga for children and adults. It is a flexible pose that helps in circulation and works on toning your lower body. Even the name butterfly pose is inspired by the beautiful spring creature because it resembles the flapping wings of a butterfly!

Here’s how to perform a butterfly pose:

1. Sit straight on the floor. Join the soles of your feet together. This will resemble butterfly wings.
2. Hold the feet with your hands tightly in front of you.
3. Start to flap your knees in an up-and-down movement. All the while, breathe deeply.

4. Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

Another popular spring yoga pose named after environmental elements is the tree pose. This asana is performed by everybody, from beginners to advanced people, in their spring yoga sequences. For this pose, you literally stand long like a tree, which helps increase your balance and work the core.

Here’s how to perform a tree pose:

1. Stand on a firm ground and lift either of your knees.
2. Press the sole of one leg to the inner thigh of the other.
3. After feeling comfortable, place your palms together in prayer (Anjali Mudra).
4. Hold the pose for moments and return to the starting position.
5. Repeat the same process with the other leg.

5. Seated Twist (Parivrtta Sukhasana)

This easy spring yoga pose has many benefits, including helping with digestion, improving posture, and, of course, helping with flexibility.

Here’s how to perform a seated twist:

1. Sit comfortably with your legs crossed on the floor while keeping your back straight.
2. Place one hand behind you in the direction you will twist into. The other hand should be on your knee.
3. Twist your stomach to look behind you on a side while exhaling.
4. Return after a few moments and repeat the steps to twist into another side.

Tip: It would be best to do these yoga poses for spring in a natural environment like a park. But if a garden or park is too far out, you can even start your spring yoga journey right in your backyard or an area around the plants. This will increase the positive vibe of spring, and then you’ll really get the feel of renewable and blooming energy from the beautiful nature around you.

Conclusion

There’s just something about spring that makes us all think positively and fills us with optimism. So, take this time to work not only your body but also your mind with the humble way of working out, I.e., yoga. Remember to include breath work (Pranayama) and meditation in your spring yoga sequence.