Will yoga improve my trekking experience? :Part 1 - 12 Yoga asanas that prepare you for a trek

Yoga strengthens both body and mind and makes for a better trekking experience. Most trekkers focus on cardio workouts and strength training prior to going on a trek, but adding yoga to your workout routine brings immense advantage when you are trekking. Yoga strengthens your core, improves your focus and concentration, but most importantly adds flexibility, reduces injury and strengthens key muscles that are used in standing, walking, climbing and descending, that are key components of any trek. Upassna Singh, a Life Coach, an avid trekking enthusiast and a Yoga Instructor from the Ashtang School of Yoga has curated a  holistic yoga routine that is specially designed for trekkers and will help transcend your trekking experience. This is Part 1 of a two part series on yoga and trekking. Part 1  focuses on yoga Asanas.

Before I move on to yoga asanas , here are a few tips to remember

a. You need to start Yoga exercises atleast three months before a trek to ensure that you are able to receive its full benefits.

b. Work with a yoga instructor who will be able to understand your requirements and design a specific program in alignment with your body flexibility and health condition.

c. Begin slow and give your body time to adjust. Do remember that flexibility varies with each individual and forcing your body to perform a yoga posture when you are not ready for it, can cause injuries.

d. Alternate yoga with cardio exercises and combine asanas with pranayama and meditation to achieve your trekking goals.

 What is an Asana? 

Asana is a Sanskrit term which is often translated as “posture” or “pose.  It is the physical practise of a single or a series of poses. Asanas are performed to improve flexibility, strength, and balance.

Pre yoga Warm up

Do remember to start your yoga with a warm up of neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hips, knee and ankles . Gently rotate your joints both clock wise and anti clock wise and do each rotation for a count of ten. This prepares you for the yoga asanas, gets your muscles ready and helps with your flexibility. 

Begin with standing Asanas

These asanas are very vital before trekking as they help improve balance and posture. They strengthen your nervous system and focus on mindfulness, help with concentration, and relieve stress and anxiety. Standing postures help correct imbalances in muscles and focus on muscle coordination and toning. 

Tadasana ( Mountain Pose) 

Tadasana is a basic and foundational pose for all standing poses. This pose is used often as a starting point for other poses or series of movements such as the Surya Namaskar (sun salutation), but it is also a stand alone pose to improve posture. 

Ekapadasana (one legged foot pose) 

Ekapadasana literally means standing and balancing on one leg. This asana is all about balance and requires enormous concentration and focus. This helps the body to be in perfect alignment and helps in the coordination of the neuromuscular system. It also strengthens the back and leg muscles.

Vrikshasana ( tree pose) 

This pose helps help strengthen your leg muscles and develop stability in your body. The pose mimics the steady stance of a tree. Unlike most yoga poses, the Tree Pose requires keeping our eyes open in order to maintain body balance. It stretches the legs, back and arms and can help invigorate the body. This pose can be tricky for beginners, and they may need to use a wall as support to practise this asana.

Natarajasana (King of the dance pose) 

Natarajasana refers to the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva and it is akin to a dance pose. This posture in addition to strengthening your sense of balance and concentration, aligns the vertebrae of the spine restoring suppleness and eases strain caused by poor posture or long periods of sitting. It tones the muscles of the hips and legs as well as stimulates the chest muscles. This posture may be difficult for a beginner and should be done only after other balance postures are mastered. 

Asanas for the various areas of the body

Now we move on to other Asanas that specifically target various regions in our body like the spine, abdomen, shoulders and chest, hips and thighs which need to be healthy for a successful trek.

Konasana ( angle pose) 

The Konasana  helps in strengthening the lower back and increasing the flexibility of the spine. It helps to develop, stretch and tone the lateral muscles.  Konasana has many variations and gives a lateral stretch to the spine and gives greater elasticity to the spinal column. It also helps you to lose fat around the waist and benefits abdominal organs like the liver and stomach. 

Marjariasana ( cat pose)

Marjariasana mimics the feline stretch and is very beneficial for the spine. The asana  is a flow of movement that combines forward bends with back arches. The vertebrae in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine are exercised together and the stretch helps in releasing tension. It also strengthens the wrist and shoulders and tones the abdomen. It also aids with digestion and improves blood circulation.

Pawanmukthasana (wind relieving pose)

This Wind-Relieving Pose is a simple reclined posture that is suitable for all and can be done with ease even by beginners. This pose helps to release digestive gases and corrects chronic constipation. It is also called the One-Legged Knee-to-Chest Pose. 

Setubandhanasa ( bridge pose) 

Setubhandasana resembles a bridge and is a relatively easy pose. It stretches the spine and chest and stimulates the lungs and thyroid and improves blood circulation in the lungs. Beginners must keep in mind that the torso should be lifted gently and not overstretch the neck. It helps in regulating blood pressure and can help with sinusitis, asthma, insomnia and osteoporosis. In this posture, the heart is higher than the head and therefore there is a mild inversion which can provide relief from anxiety, fatigue, stress and may even help with depression.

Backward bending Asanas

Backward bending is an important aspect of yoga practice. Our natural tendency is to lean forward during most of our daily activities like driving, working on a computer  or picking up something. This tends to misalign our body and we develop a bad posture. To counteract this, backward bending movements are important. To ensure balance in trekking we need to focus on backward bending asanas. But these need to be done carefully with inputs from a yoga expert. 

Shalabasana (locust pose) 

The Locust Pose is so called because the body and the legs resemble a Locust when it is performed. It helps strengthen the back muscles and can help with conditions such as sciatica, cervical spondylitis and other back ailments.

Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

Bhujangasana  is often done as part of Sun Salutation, but is also a powerful backbend in its own right, so it's worth taking some time to work on this pose in isolation.

Dhanurasana ( bow pose) 

Dhanurasana is so called because it looks like an archer’s bow, the torso and legs representing the body of the bow, and the arms the string. This can be a difficult asana for beginners and it needs to be preceded by other asanas, so that there is no injury to the back.

Ustransana ( camel pose)

This may be a difficult pose for beginners and should be done with guidance from a yoga expert. The camel pose is extremely beneficial and nearly all the major muscles of our bodies are being stretched. In addition, it stimulates and tones many of our limbs, including the chest, abdomen, and thighs. It stretches the neck and facial muscles and expands the chest. It works on the endocrine glands and is very helpful for people suffering from asthma. 

In addition to these asanas, a personal favourite is the 

Surya Namaskar (Sun salutation)

Sculptures of the 12 asanas by Nikhil Bhandari in Indira 

Gandhi Airport, Delhi

Surya Namaskar is a sequence of 12 powerful yoga poses. It can be done as a complete workout on its own or combined with other asanas.  To do the Surya Namaskar correctly, one needs to develop flexibility and have a healthy spine. Surya Namaskar is best done early morning on an empty stomach. Each yoga school performs Surya Namaskar with slight variations but essentially each round of Sun Salutation consists of two sets of 12 poses. These could be done slowly ( each asana is performed in a measured manner) or fast (the asanas performed in a quick sequential flow of 30, 50 or 101 rounds, which provides cardiovascular benefits equivalent to running). As a beginner, one needs to focus on getting each posture right and not on the number of rounds that are done to obtain the full benefits of Surya Namaskar. 

Hope you enjoyed reading Part 1 of thesilvertrekker.com yoga series on Asanas. Do check in next week to read Part 2 of the yoga series on Pranayama and Meditation.