Next time you’re pushing your body to the limit, remember to stop periodically and take several deep breaths, Douillard says. He suggests taking a break during strenuous endeavors and trying the breathing exercise detailed below. Once your muscles and energy are spent, relax with the other two soothing poses to help your body recover. Ocean Breath This exercise activates calming nerve receptors found only in the hard-to-reach lower lobes of the lungs.

  1. First, practice breathing this way: Inhale once with your mouth open and exhale the same way, making a “ha” sound. Then close your mouth and make the same sound while inhaling and exhaling through your nose. You’ll sound like the ocean or Darth Vader. 2. For this exercise, inhale fully through your nose. The nose drives air through the nasal turbinates, which are engineered to get the air down to the lower lobes of the lungs. 3. Then exhale fully, contracting your throat slightly to make your breath audible. Keep your mouth closed. Repeat several times. Cow-Face Pose, modified This pose helps protect the body from soreness and the lower back from painful spasms. It releases tightness in the IT band, on the outer thigh, which helps protect the low back while opening the pelvis and the chest.
  2. Start by kneeling. 2. Bring your left leg forward, wrapping it around your right knee toward your right hip. Then, spread your feet, drawing them as wide apart as feels comfortable, and slowly sit back, placing your hips between your feet. 3. Grab the top of your left knee and gently bring it toward your chest. Sit up and lift your chest. Take deep breaths, breathing in and out through your nose. Hold this for about 3 minutes (longer if you’re more advanced). 4. Switch sides and repeat. Sphinx Pose For sore muscles in your low back, one of the best yoga poses to follow Cow-Face Pose is Sphinx. You can hold this modified Cobra Pose longer than the full version. And that helps draw blood supply to the back, which allows the muscles to fully relax.
  3. Lie face-down with your feet turned in slightly and your elbows on the floor directly under your shoulders. 2. Align your forearms parallel to each other, palms facing down, and fingers spread. 3. From this position, begin to lift up by pressing down through your tailbone as you lift your head and chest off the floor, keeping your forearms down. Be sure you use your back muscles to pull yourself up instead of pushing with your arms. 4. Breathe deeply, inhaling and exhaling through your nose. Hold this position for 2 to 3 minutes.   Media Platforms Design TeamGet long and lean with sexy Flat Belly Yoga!