Three yoga poses to improve your balance and focus

Staying focused can be hard as it is when you have pressures from the office, home and society pulling you in different directions. As the festive season approaches, the demands on your time and energy may increase further. In this scenario, if you can take 20 minutes out of your busy day to focus with some balancing exercises, it can clear away some of the hectic energy and help you focus. Yoga revolves around balance and breath. Every movement in yoga is controlled. The thinking is that when you balance your weight while maintaining proper posture and concentrating on your breath and gaze at the same time, it trains you to control your thoughts and help your mind to focus. [caption id=“attachment_7445961” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Tree pose. Image source: Getty Images.[/caption] Many yoga instructors also advise that practitioners keep their facial muscles relaxed - when you scrunch up your face from the effort of performing or holding a pose, it interrupts your breathing. Try and practice with a yoga instructor, who can correct your posture and breathing. And when you can, try these three poses to improve your balance, focus and restore calm.

Vriksasana or Tree pose

• Stand straight on a yoga mat. Keep your arms by your sides.
• Bend your left knee and place the sole of your left foot on your inner right thigh. If this is not possible, place your foot on the inside of your right calf; avoid the knee.
• Keeping your right leg straight will help you achieve and maintain balance in this pose.
• Pick a spot on the wall ahead of you, and focus on it.
• Once well balanced, take a deep breath in and bring your join your hand in namaskar mudra in front of your chest.
• Next, raise your arms above your head. Keep your spine and your right leg straight.
• Keep looking straight ahead at the preselected point on the wall.
• Stretch your arms up - as much as possible. Feel the stretch in your body.
• Take deep breaths. Relax your body every time you breathe out.
• Stay in this posture for a few breaths. Then, gently bring your arms down and lower the left foot on to the mat.
• Stand straight in the beginning position, and then repeat the steps bending your right leg with your left foot on the mat.

Garudasana or Eagle pose

• Stand straight with your legs slightly apart. Take a few deep breaths in this pose before moving on to the next steps.
• Bend your legs slightly and bring your arms up, straight in front of you.
• Breathe in and bring your right knee up to hip level. Balance.
• Now, try to wrap your right leg around your left leg. Tuck the right foot behind the left calf to lock both legs in place. If this is not possible, twist the right leg over the left and try to place the toes of your right foot on the mat.
• Now, bend your arms at your elbows. Twist the forearms around each other once and try to join your palms in namaskar mudra. If this is not possible, cross your arms and place your palms on the opposite shoulders.
• Focus your gaze on an object or point right in front of your eyes.
• Try to balance your weight on your left foot.
• Stay in this pose for a few breaths before untwining your arms and legs and coming back to the starting position.
• Repeat on the right leg and intertwining the left leg around the right leg.

Vir-Bhadrasana or Warrior pose 1

• Come down on your hands and knees.
• Now, push back with your arms and straighten your knees to come into an inverted “V” position. Hold this pose for a few breaths.
• Now, bend your right knee and bring your right foot in-between your palms. Turn your left foot out slightly.
• Raise your torso, to come upright.
• Raise your arm overhead and join your palms in namaskar mudra.
• Arch your back slightly and tilt your head back so that it is in-between your arms.
• Relax your facial muscles and focus your gaze on a point on the ceiling.
• Hold this position for at least 30 seconds before returning to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side.

End your yoga practice with savasana or sleeping pose. Starting from the toes, relax every body part and muscle one by one. Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health. For more yoga articles like this, please visit   Yoga: Benefits, Types, Poses_._