5 yoga poses to release perfectionism and boost inner peace

By Published On: June 19, 2024

Have you heard about the term perfectionism?

Perfectionism is a personality trait that involves setting some high standards for yourself and for others, and becoming upset when you or other people fail to meet those standards.

There’s a lot of pressure to be perfect nowadays. We want to look great, be productive, and have everything well organized. But that kind of perfectionism is exhausting and it can keep us from living the best lives.

Fortunately, yoga can help you let go of perfectionism and embrace yourself for who you are. It is an ancient practice that encourages you to take time out of your day to get relaxed, breathe deeply, and help you to focus on your inner peace.

If you have never practiced yoga before or aren’t sure how to get started, must give these 5 yoga poses a try. But before debating further let me tell you that if you are planning to incorporate some exercise into your workout routine you need to wear highly comfortable and lightweight gym outfits so that you could get maximum out of your workout session.

5 yoga poses to release perfectionism and boost inner peace

1. Performing downward-facing dog pose

Downward-facing dog is one of the most popular poses in yoga.

It helps in strengthening the arms and shoulders while stretching your hamstrings and calves muscles. The pose also helps to open up the chest, shoulders, and hips, which can make you feel much more limber and relaxed.

▶️ Benefits of downward-facing dog pose

This pose does wonders for improving ✔️ balance, ✔️ strength, and ✔️ flexibility on all levels: physical, emotional, and spiritual.

It helps in ✔️ improving digestion, ✔️ improves circulation of blood by increasing venous return of blood from the lower extremities back to the heart, and ✔️ improves concentration by stimulating the brain hemispheres that control attention span and alertness levels. ✔️ overcome fatigue due to stress by improving oxygen supply towards the brain cells thus improving mental strength and endurance levels which encourages us to stay focused on our goals.

How to perform?

  • Start in a push-up stance, with your hands beneath your shoulders, and your feet must be slightly apart.
  • Bend your knees and lower your hips toward the floor until your torso forms a straight line from head to toe. Your arms should be fully stretched, but not locked at the elbows.
  • Press down into the tops of your feet to straighten your legs so that you are balancing on the balls of your feet and heels. Make sure to keep your thighs and hips parallel to each other with no rotation or sagging in the butt or lower back (this will help to prevent injury).
  • Firmly press through the tops of both of your hands so that they slide forward as far as possible without losing contact with the ground.
  • Draw energy up through the spine toward the crown of your head while consciously relaxing each of your muscle groups below; this will help to prevent lower back pain while holding a downward-facing dog pose.
  • Hold on to this position for at least 6 to 10 breaths.
  • To finish, lie on your back with your legs stretched and arms by your sides; take at least 10 deep breaths as you release tension from the body

2. Performing child pose for boosting inner peace

Child pose is an incredible yoga pose to perform after any intense exercise or when you feel over-stressed. This posture is a great way to ✔️ release tension in your back, shoulders, and neck as it gently massages these areas. It also helps to ✔️ relieve stress and anxiety.

▶️ How to perform?

Lie down on your mat or the floor and bring your knees close to your chest while placing your forehead on them. Then place your arms at your sides with palms facing down or up depending on what feels more comfortable for you. Take a pause at this posture for 5 minutes and start taking deep breaths to get yourself relaxed.

3. Performing sphinx pose

The Sphinx Pose is a yoga asana that is performed in the physical and spiritual fields. This yoga pose helps in ✔️ achieving inner peace and ✔️ relaxation. This asana can be performed by anyone irrespective of age, sex, or fitness level.

▶️ How to perform?

To perform this pose, you must lie down on your stomach with your face downwards and hands straightened on the floor with palms down and fingers stretched forward from each other at a distance of about 3 to 4 inches apart from each other. Then slowly lift up your head so that it almost touches the ground with your chest and stomach remaining flat on the floor. Now take deep breaths while performing this workout for 5 to 10 minutes until you feel relaxed and peaceful.

Besides that, as I discussed before that in order to make your workout session more enjoyable and free from distraction you need to invest in lightweight and sweat-wicking gym attire because if your exercise clothes are convenient you will get maximum out of your workout session.

4. Performing plank pose

The plank pose is a wonderful exercise to help you ✔️ strengthen your core and back muscles, as well as in ✔️ improving overall balance, body posture, and flexibility. It is also an ideal posture for ✔️ meditation as well.

▶️ How to perform?

  • Get yourself in a plank stance with your forearms on the ground and the elbows directly beneath your shoulders. Now extend your legs behind you so that your body forms a straight line from your head to toe. Start pressing the ground with both of your hands with your feet so that you can trigger the muscles of your arms, legs, and core area.
  • Hold on to this posture for 30 seconds to 60 seconds. Now start lifting one of your legs off the floor at a time for at least 30 seconds on each leg before returning both feet to the floor again.
  • This variation helps you to target your core muscles on each side of the body. Repeat the exercise at least 4 to 6 times.

5. Performing Warrior Pose I

Warrior 1 is the first of the standing poses in yoga. The pose also helps in ✔️ strengthening your legs and ✔️ stretches your hips also. It also improves your ✔️ balance as well as your ✔️ concentration.

▶️ How to perform?

Stand in such a way that your feet are apart and your arms at your sides. Turn the right foot out at 90 degrees and your left foot at about 30 degrees. Press down through both of your feet evenly, keeping them parallel.

Inhale, then exhale as you lift your arms straight up over your head. Gaze slightly down toward the floor or to one side if this feels more comfortable.

Hold for five breaths. To release, inhale as you start lowering your arms and exhale as you turn to face forward again. Repeat the exercise on the other side also.

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Written by : Deepika Seksaria

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