Side Bending Poses
Yoga side bends are a great way to stretch the muscles on your sides and work out any tension you may be holding in those areas. Side bends open the rib cage and expand the chest. They prepare the body for pranayama and deep breathing by widening the diaphragm and allowing the collarbones and sternums to lift and spread.
What are yoga side bends?
Side bends are performed by bending at the waist to make a c-curve shape in the spine and upper body. There are only a few of side bending poses in yoga, but they still are an important post to incorporate into your yoga practice.
What are the benefits of side bends?
Side bends are an excellent exercise to build strength, increase mobility, and improve flexibility. They build stamina and endurance, improve concentration and memory, and enhance immunity and energy levels. A regular practice of these yoga postures will also provide the following benefits:
- Strengthens the core muscles
- Improves posture
- Increases lung capacity
- Improves circulation
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Opens and stretches the muscles between the ribs (intercostal muscles).
Tips for safe yoga side bends
- Engage the legs to firmly ground down into your yoga mat.
- Keep shoulders relaxed and down away from ears.
- Broaden your ribs and engage your core.
- Reach long through the arm to draw the stretch of the side bend all the way to your fingertips.
- Breathe deeply into the belly and into the sides of the ribcage.
List of yoga side bends
Explore our index of side bending yoga poses below for step-by-step instructions, pose benefits, modifications, and Sanskrit pronunciation for these yoga side bend names.
