Yoga is one of those beautiful physical activities that goes way beyond the body. While the body bends, lengthens, and strengthens, the mind and the internal body are getting a huge dose of good stuff as well.

The internal body is detoxified with the breath and the moment, while the repetitive movement and the shapes we create start to bring stillness to the mind. Overall, this impacts our mood. We can feel better in our bodies with each hour we spend on the mat. But some poses can help a little more than others.

Here are our go-to poses for an extra dose of happiness.

Sun Salutations

The best way to get the mind to slow down is to link your breath to movement. Sun Salutation A is one of the easiest ways to connect into your body and your breathing. It also starts to build heat in the body, while working through each muscle in the body. Come through a few rounds taking it one breath per movement.

Happy Baby Pose

This pose works two-fold. Firstly, being in the shape tends to bring a little lightness in the body and the mind. You can start to roll from side to side, opening up through the hips and lower back as well as getting away from our inhibitions. The baby inversion of the practice also calms down the system.

Backbends

Any kind of back bend is going to open up through the centre of the chest. This energetically opens up the heart space and opens us up to more joy and love. You can try adding back bends into your standing poses like crescent lunge, or you can come into full back bending poses like camel pose, bridge pose, and wheel pose.

Supta Baddha Konasana

We come into this pose by laying down with the soles of the feet together, knees out wide, and the hands resting either on the body or down beside you. This pose allows us to open up through the hips, spine, and chest, while also reconnecting us back into the body and the breath. One of the easiest ways to let go of the busy mind and settle into your body.

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