In life, we all have favorites. Some like vanilla – some like chocolate; some prefer to sleep in – others like to rise early, and on and on it goes.
It only goes to figure then that when there are upwards of 50,000 yoga postures (asanas), then naturally there are some you might like more than others.
Do share two or three of your favorite yoga poses and tell why…
Look forward to hearing them.
Oh – almost forgot – then I will tell mine…and why.
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Hi Satyam – it is hard to narrow down to favorites but I love the downward dog, plank and warrior poses & variations. I like the balance poses as well. You didn’t ask but my least faves are the abdominals(my weak spot).
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for being courageous, breaking the ice and being the first to reply
OK – I have made a mental note of your likes…
..although part of me is thinking that you are employing reverse psychology and your real intention is to seek out more abdominal poses like upward boat, balancing upavistha konasana (seated on tailbone and holding onto feet or toes in V formation) etc. So I will keep that in mind as well…
I actually really like the ‘floating ball’ – imagine
myself ‘like a bubble in the breeze’
and
the headstand / hips in the air poses –
find them both
very relaxing!
Crow position as you know is ‘my albatros!’
As we discussed at the ABs class last week – our overall favorite is Child Pose! We think we should do more of them!
Diana – very nice description of the poses you like & yes your albatross I know well, but one day it will be your friend.
Janet – your suggestion is being reviewed by an unbiased panel 🙂
My favorite is camel pose. I love the deep backbend, and i feel that for me it is an emotionally cleansing posture. It helps me to release things I am holding on to.
My least favorite is pigeon, or possibly locust. Pigeon because it hurts my knee and locust because I am never sure that I am doing it right!
My favorite poses are downward dog and oyster. Cat and cow are really necessary for my back. Actually, like Janet, I really like child’s pose too!
I love the back bending stretch from Sphinx pose. I know better than to ask for more Balasana (as do the rest of your Monday night S&F class), you will only take that as a need for more hard stuff! Also, I love the flow of the Sun and Moon Salutations.
I also am a Sphinx pose fan! After a good ab workout, it feels great to stretch out all those hardworking stomach muscles. I also like a good spinal twist. Both the Sphinx and the twist encourage flexibility and prevent muscle soreness after a good weight-bearing workout.
I like tree because it was a pose that challenged me from the beginning being such a classic pose for yogis and I could not balance there. I persisted, practiced and one day on vacation on sand at the beach I was able to get my leg on my thigh and stay up a while. That was the first time. Now it seems I need the “crutch” of rolling up my pants and placing skin on skin to keep my foot from slipping. I believe this is a mental thing that eventually I will be able to overcome. Also, I am a botanist and gardener. I love to be in the forest. Maybe the tree pose is part of who I am at a deeper level. The pose represents a challenge, a goal and working strongly toward a gentle solution. I want to be balanced but find it difficult.
Hi Satyam! Though I don’t often have the opportunity to take your classes, my favorite pose in my personal practice is HEADSTAND! I just love being upside-down!
Good question. Hmmmmmmm let’s see now…there are so many good ones.
I have put down dog on here, it stretches me where I need it most.
I also really like the one legged balancing poses (like tree pose), because they show me where my mind is. If my mind is centered and focussed, I find that my pose is also steady; if my mind is all over the place, so is my pose.
Often in yoga class, I feel I need to take a break (i.e. child’s pose), but I don’t take one because I fear looking weak in front of my class mates. I guess you could call child’s pose the albatross of my ego.
Hi Satyam – my favorites are pigeon, triangle and child’s pose.
The one I am not the most fond of is downward-facing dog – I believe that is because my hamstrings are so tight – I can’t seem to straighten my knees and therefore feel very clumsy and out of position most of the time.
I like pigeon pose – I think from sitting all day, my hips get so tight. It
always feels so good after 🙂
I like the 2 point downward dog and planks!
Namaskar,
It is really wonderful to read everyone’s replies and hear about what poses you like best!! So many different poses – so many different reasons. Diversity is the spice of life.
You all are doing such a good job – I will continue to watch with great interest for a little while longer and will then share my poses of choice sometime tomorrow. It will certainly prove to be anti-climactic coming on the heels of the excellent job you all are doing.
Thanks for your participation! Hope you have enjoyed reading what others have had to say!
Signing off for now…
Like others have already expressed, I am a back bend person. I like forward bends, side bends, balance poses and inversions, but it is back bends that really energize and renew me.
Simple back bends like shalabasana are nice – they strengthen and invigorate the spine, and then I like to indulge in a few deeper ones: Noakasana or Dhanurasana (Boat or Bow pose), Ustrasana (Camel Pose), Urdhva Dhanurasana or Cakrasana (Upward Bow or Wheel Pose).
Thanks to everyone for sharing on this thread – feel free to write and share more!
Satyam
I have been saved by the fish pose when I have trouble getting to sleep. I have to warn my husband in advance in case he catches me mid-fish, but after the fish pose I am able to relax enough to get to sleep.
Right now, most of the standing or kneeling backbend poses are really challenging for me. I feel a real pressure on one side of my face when I bend backwards….. anyone else??
Vrkshana, Tree Pose is one of my favorite poses. I like the way the pose slows everything down and brings awareness very close to the heart. I enjoy the feeling of balance, of centering, of looking inward in order to reach my physical center.
This one below is from Sandi:
My least favorite pose is the child pose. My favorite part of yoga “was” meditative yoga. Really miss that class. I love a combination of Asanas and meditation. The congruence of the body and mind is so wonderful.
It’s hard to pick one favorite. Downward Dog never dissapoints. Headstand and wheel are good for changing one’s perspective. Pidgeon for hip opening. Warrior poses for self-confidence and power. Shavasana for restoration. They all feel like old friends.
Mountain Pose for me – it’s so simple on the surface but to do it enough so that it becomes second nature in life – every where, all the time, makes it a “go anywhere” do “anytime” pose that really takes concentration.
So for me Mountain is number one.
I have to say that Plank pose has been very good to me lately. It really invigorates me and makes me feel powerful-especially since I couldn’t do it without shaking just one month ago. I really like it when Satyam mentions in class “what is hard today will be easier tomorrow”. That’s what has happend for me and Plank. Now onto back-bends *ugh* ;o).