When you are new to yoga, the horse pose is one of the best poses to master. This pose is totally suitable for beginners because it can be done at any skill level. You don’t need to be a yogi to master this pose.
In fact, it can be one that you master right at the start of your yoga journey. As long as you master your form, then this pose will give you lots of benefits.
But getting that pose right is essential. If you don’t master your form in the horse pose then you will not feel any benefits from it. So, mastering your form very early on in your yoga career is absolutely essential.
In this beginner’s guide, we’re taking a look at everything you need to know about the horse pose. Read on to find out how to do the horse pose and lots more!
How to Do the Horse Pose
First things first, let’s take a look at how to do the horse pose. Doing the horse pose correctly isn’t that difficult, but there are a lot of steps that you have to follow to get this pose right.
Below we have outlined the main steps to follow if you want to master the horse pose.
Step One – Separate Your Feet
The first step is to separate your feet. The horse pose is completed with your feet apart, so you should stand on your yoga mat with your feet shoulder-width apart. Then begin to bend your knees.
As you bend your knees, engage your belly, and roll your shoulders. In this position, turn your feet so that your toes are pointing at a 45-degree angle on each side. With a clock in mind, ensure your feet are pointing at 10 and 2.
Step Two – Lower Your Body
With your feet in position, you should then begin to lower your body. Lift your chest up and bend your knees as much as you possibly can. As you bend, it should look as if you are sinking to the floor. However, you should ensure that your knees never bend over your toes.
To ensure that you are getting all the benefits from the horse pose, it is very important to ensure that you engage your core. Keep your chest and stomach engaged and bring your hands together in front of your heart. Once you do this, you are in the horse pose.
Step Three – Regulate Your Breathing
Once you are in position, you then need to focus on your breathing. Continue to keep your knees bent while you push your heels down into the floor.
This will ensure that your lower body is engaged while you are in the pose. Hold this pose for around 5 minutes while taking deep and continuous breaths.
Step Four – Move Back into Mountain Pose
A horse pose is a pose that you will enter after spending some time in a previous pose. So once you have spent around 5 minutes in horse pose, you then need to move back into mountain pose.
Mountain pose, or Tadasana, can be reached by straightening your legs and pushing through your feet. As you do this, move your toes so that they point inwards, followed by your heels.
Once you have done this, you will be back in the mountain pose. You should hold the mountain pose for around 30 seconds, ensure that you stand tall and breathe evenly while in this position for maximum benefits.
Benefits of the Horse Pose
There are tons of different benefits to completing the horse pose. However, the biggest benefits of this position include the following:
Improved Flexibility
Yoga is a brilliant form of exercise to complete if you want to improve your flexibility. When practiced regularly, the horse pose can reduce muscle tension and make you more flexible. So regularly completing this exercise is perfect for your own flexibility.
Better Posture
As well as improving your flexibility, the horse pose can also help you to improve your posture. Through the horse pose, you will engage your hips and legs and this will help to make your spine straighter. As you engage your abdomen through yoga, your posture will improve.
Strengthened Leg Muscles
Practicing the horse pose will also allow you to develop your leg muscles. Regular yoga will strengthen your legs and allow them to grow the more that you practice yoga. Specifically, the horse pose will allow you to target your glutes and quads as you practice the stance.
Improve Circulation
Regular practice of the horse pose will also improve your body’s circulation. The horse pose will get your blood pumping and it will help to oxygenate your blood. All of these things will help to improve circulation.
Strengthen Your Arms and Shoulders
As well as strengthening your leg muscles, practicing the horse pose will also help to strengthen your arms and shoulders. Through the horse pose, you will move your body in lots of different ways, and all of these movements will help to strengthen your muscles.
Tips For Doing the Horse Pose
Even though we have included a step-by-step guide for the horse pose in this guide, we thought we’d also include some tips to ensure that you get your form perfect. Some top tips include the following.
Engage Your Shoulders
When doing the horse pose, the key is to engage your shoulders and chest as well as your legs. This is a full-body pose, so to get all the benefits, you need to engage all your body.
Practice Your Balance
To effectively complete the horse pose, you need to have good balance. The best way to practice your balance is to do the horse pose against a wall. Then once you have mastered this, you can then complete this yoga pose in empty space.
Summary
In short, the horse pose in yoga isn’t necessarily difficult to complete. However, you must get this pose right if you want the health benefits associated with it.
In this beginner’s guide, we have taken a look at everything you need to know about the horse pose.
Thanks for reading!
I created this website to help newcomers to yoga and enthusiasts alike, and to share our common passions for yoga.
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