Yoga Postures and Meanings

Yoga is more than just an activity in which you reap many physical benefits, such as increased balanced, flexibility and a stronger core. It is also a great physical activity which you can use to heighten spirituality. By analyzing and embracing the meanings behind several yoga postures, participants can reach toward inner peace and developing unity with the exterior world. They can also learn to reach a deeper level of oneness within themselves.

  1. Downward-Facing Dog

    • The downward-facing dog is a posture that mimics the movement of an awoken dog doing a deep stretch. You can do it by coming onto the floor on your hands and knees, stretching your thighs back and resting your heels on the ground. Your palms remain on the floor with parallel fingers. The spiritual meaning lies within your ability to stretch your body in a line while unifying your spirit, centering your mind and body and connecting to the outside world.

    Child's Pose

    • Child's pose, in which you kneel on the floor and rest your torso on your thighs with your arms extending in front of you, is one of the most commonly practiced yoga poses. The pose is all about nurturing and allowing your body to nurture itself without the craziness of the outside world. While doing this pose, you are meant to channel the sweetness and safety of a child in order to rest your mind and achieve wholeness.

    Cobra

    • The cobra is all about adapting to change, the transformation of life and accepting what life unfolds for us as we watch it go by. The cobra is performed by lying on your stomach and pushing your upper body up with your arms while maintaining a relaxed back. The raising of the upper body with a watchful eye aligns with the meaning of being able to rise above the material world and peer deeply into the spiritual world.

    Tree Pose

    • The tree pose requires you to balance on one leg while resting the foot of your other leg on your thigh with your knee turned out. Your arms are usually extended above your head in the shape of a triangle. The tree pose is all about flexibility and balance. Because trees are selfless creatures that maintain life and balance in the world by providing us with oxygen, the tree pose is meant to give you a chance to reflect on your balance within the world and your relationships.