Seated yoga poses - Sitting yoga poses

Seated and body twisting poses

Seated yoga poses are done after practicing the standing yoga poses. Sitting yoga positions are an important part of an yoga practice session. Meditation is usually done in a straight backed seated pose.

Sukhasana - Easy pose

You can see a sitting yoga pose, sukhasana - Easy pose, in the image above.


The sitting position is used to practice Pranayama - breathing exercises, relaxing yoga positions, and meditation.

 

Benefits of sitting yoga poses. Seated yoga poses have therapeutic effects.

Some of these seated poses are body twisting poses which have therapeutic effects. These sitting poses make knees, ankles, and hips more flexible. These poses reduce tension.
These sitting yoga poses improve postures. These poses strengthen your back.

You can see another seated pose, baddha konasana - bound angle pose in the image below.

 

Baddha konasana - Bound angle pose

Blood circulation improves all over body when these seated poses are done. These are muscle opening postures. Sitting yoga positions are calming to the mind as they help in breathing in deep.
The seated poses benefit the spine. The spine is kept straight, it is stretched and twisted and that increases the flexibility of the spine and lengthens it. The posture, alignment of the spine improves. The spine and surrounding muscles are relaxed and that reduces tension and relaxes mind and body. This is especially helpful while doing meditation.

Seated yoga poses also strengthen and tone the back and abdomen core muscles, lower back, thigh muscles.

The sitting poses stimulate reproductive, nervous and respiratory systems.
To get the full benefits of the seated poses, you should practice different types of seated poses regularly.

List of seated yoga postures

1. Ardha Pavanmuktasana - Half Wind Relieving Pose
2. Pavanmuktasana - Wind Relieving Pose
3. Paripoorna Navasana - Full boat pose
4. Ardha Navasana - Half boat pose
5. Baddha konasana - Bound angle pose
6. Vajrasana - thunderbolt pose, diamond pose
7. Sukhasana - Easy seated pose
8. Purvottanasana - Upward plank pose - Inclined plank pose - Table top pose
9. Paschimottanasana - back stretching pose, seated forward bend
10. Balasana - child pose
11. Marichasana - Sage Marichi's pose
12. Ardhamatsyedrasana - Sage Matsyedra's pose
13. Janushirshasana - head to knee pose
14. Simhasana - lion pose
15. Virasana (veerasana) - hero pose
16. Dandasana - staff pose
17. Padmasana - Lotus pose
18. Hanumanasana - monkey pose, leg split pose
19. Mandukasana - frog pose
20. Bhardwajasana - Sage Bharadwaja's pose
21. Gomukhasana - cow face pose
22. Upavishta konasana - wide angle seated forward bend pose
23. Shashankasana - rabbit pose