5 ways to improve your yoga practice

Yoga can work wonders for your strength, flexibility and cardio. These 5 ways to improve your yoga practice could help you take these benefits to the max

From dynamic flow to the infamous Bikram, yoga has really blown up and proven that it’s here to stay. For some, it’s their main method of getting exercise, while others use it to complement their existing routines. Its benefits range from increased flexibility to an improved state of mind, with even professional athletes swearing by it.

To get the most out of practising yoga, we’ve asked Naomi Costantino, a yoga teacher and the creative director and co-founder of edeneast.co.uk to give us five easy tips to remember next time you hit the mat.

1. Breath
Breath is key when working on creating more space in your body. Keeping you breath steady and deep allows your muscles to relax further.

2. Mindfulness
Really focusing on clearing the mind while breathing into your stretch or pose allows the body to open and give itself fully to whatever pose you’re doing. Take your attention to your breath and focus.

3. Dynamic stretches
Creating heat in the body with an energetic yoga practice elevates the heart rate and increases the blood flow and oxygen to the muscles. This makes your muscles more pliable so you can work on your flexibility. Each yoga pose requires you to harness your body’s flexibility and strength, so work at being dynamic where necessary.

4. Yin stretches
We need to balance our dynamic stretching with a yin approach to creating space in the body. Holding a stretch for a longer period of time at less intensity allows you to start creating space around the joints by warming up the connective tissue called fascia. When holding static poses, keep this in mind.

5. Balance
Finding a balance between strength and flexibility is the key to physical health and all-round fitness. Yoga works both simultaneously, so try to give enough love to both next time you’re on the mat.